Acceleration in the windmill pitching motion is critical to the success of the pitch. It’s logical: if you’re not accelerating your arm at delivery, you will not release the ball with maximum speed. Despite this, so many pitchers get into the habit of slowing down or even stopping their hands at the delivery of the pitch, resulting in compromised velocity and accuracy.
Read MoreI try, as often as possible, to attend softball tournaments where our students are performing in game situations. In doing so, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend, prevalent at the NCAA level, that is now filtering down to younger and younger pitchers: The reluctance to throw fastballs. No doubt learning to throw movement and off-speed pitches is a critical component of any pitcher’s development. But let’s take a closer look at what I believe is a serious case of “throwing the baby out with the bath water.”
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