Can Your Core Stand Up to Windmill Pitching?

It’s no secret that windmill pitching is not easy. It requires not only a tremendous amount of practice and aptitude for the skill, but also a tremendous amount of strength and stability. Core strength is something that is lacking in many—if not most—young female pitchers, yet it is absolutely essential to pitching with sound mechanics.

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How to Start a Workout Program

Want to start a strength training program but don’t know where to begin? The hardest part is getting started! In this post, I provide a workout-template and exercise demonstrations of every training component that should be included in a complete, softball-specific workout.

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Top Causes of Crow Hopping in Windmill Pitching

Ah, crow hopping. This topic has been causing frustration and controversy among windmill pitchers, softball coaches, parents, and probably umpires for years. MANY pitchers—even many elite pitchers, some of whom you may have seen on television—do it, yet it’s illegal according to the rules of fastpitch softball. Over the next two posts, I’m going to talk a bit about what crow hopping is, what causes it, and how to fix it.

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Medicine Ball Exercises for Softball Pitching

In this video, I explain and demonstrate proper technique for throwing medicine balls to improve pitching performance. Simply twisting and throwing heavy medicine balls is not enough to improve pitching-specific capacity. These exercises should reinforce proper pitching mechanics, and improve pitching-specific mechanics that many young pitchers struggle to command.

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Exercises That Correct Drive Foot Turn Out

Does your pitcher seem to lack extension or power as she drives away from the rubber? In these videos, Joe explains how lack of strength and flexibility contribute to poor execution and acquisition of drive through mechanics, and demonstrates four exercises that every pitcher can benefit from.

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Is Your Pre-motion Hurting Your Pitch? The Finale!

Today I’m bringing you the fourth and final part of my windmill pitching pre-motion series. So far in parts 1-3, we’ve talked about improper loading, load foot rotation, and detrimental backswings. Now your load is terrific, your load foot is solid, and your backswing is under control or nonexistent. Is there anything else you can do in your pre-motion that may be detrimental to your pitch? Unfortunately, yes. The Fastpitch Power instructors advocate generally minimalistic pre-motions, and we believe that a lot of excess “noise” in your pre-motion can hurt you immediately and in the long run. Read on to find out why.


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Muscles and Exercises You Can’t Pitch Without: Part 3

How exactly does a strong core allow you to track properly and throw harder? In these two videos, I continue to define how the core muscles contribute to softball pitching performance and demonstrate three exercises using the Valslide that reinforce pitching specific core control.

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Muscles and Exercises You Can’t Pitch Without: Part 2

In this week’s video, I explain in more detail the role of the core muscles in maintaining optimal posture throughout the windmill pitching delivery. I redefine what “the core” is and demonstrate why old fashioned exercises like sit ups and crunches are a BAD choice for softball pitchers. I also give you three pitching specific, KILLER core exercise progressions.

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