A real issue many athletes face during the season is playing through pain or with minor injuries. In this video, I demonstrate an exercise routine for athletes (and parents) with back pain. At best, it addresses specific issues that could be contributing to your pain. At least, it is a total body workout you can do at home or at the gym to stay active and fit in case you need to take time off from softball.
Read MoreIn this week’s video, I answer a reader question about how to mentally come back from a major injury.
Read MoreArm, wrist and elbow pain is very common in throwing athletes, especially softball pitchers. In this week’s video I introduce a piece of equipment that I keep in my gym and that I’ve used personally to dramatically reduce throwing related arm pain.
Read MoreHappy New Year everyone!
Yesterday Joe shared an article on Facebook that I think is so important I just had to make it my post this week. I’m seeing a disturbing trend in very young softball players, pitchers especially, playing softball way too much…
Read MoreOne of the most difficult things about being injured for an athlete is the time spent inactive during recovery. While you definitely shouldn’t push yourself, there are some simple windmill pitching drills that are likely safe for you to do while you’re recovering. They’re not intense or complicated, but they can be enough to keep you sharp.Today’s video will take you through an easy routine. ALWAYS ask your doctor before proceeding to work out.
Read MoreAs a softball player, you’re always at some risk for injury by sudden accident—getting hit by a pitch or a hit ball, sliding awkwardly, colliding with another player, etc.—and there usually isn’t anything you can do to prevent this type of injury. It’s just part of the game. However, as you probably know, that isn’t the only way you can get hurt. Repetitive use injuries, or sudden injuries that result from an inherent weakness in the body, affect a tremendous number of athletes across all sports. Today we’re going to discuss how they happen, how to avoid them, and how to deal with them if you get one.
Read MoreToday 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.
We’re continuing our series on the pre-motion portion of the windmill pitch and the most common pre-motion issues that end up affecting the pitch negatively. Today’s topic might be a bit controversial: it’s the backswing. I’ll be honest; if it were up to us, we’d eliminate windmill pitchers’ backswings altogether. We believe they do more harm than good, and we’ll explain why in this post. That said, if you must have a backswing to pitch comfortably, you should definitely be aware of the problems that certain backswings can cause and how to keep them under control.
Welcome back to my series on the pre-motion part of the windmill pitch! I’m explaining the most common problematic pre-motion issues I’ve seen among windmill pitchers, and how those issues can set the stage for a sub-optimal pitch before the bulk of the pitching motion has even begun. In my last post, I discussed the load and the problems that can arise if you’re doing a reverse load. In this post, we’ll be talking in depth about a tiny little 3-6 inch movement in your load foot that has the power to destroy one of the most important aspects of the pitch: the drive through. Unfortunately, this is an extremely common problem. Does it affect you?
Read MoreIf you’re a fitness professional who trains athletes, stop for a second. You don’t need new exercises, equipment, or certifications. What you DO need is to learn how to communicate what you already have to offer on your athletes’ terms . Speak their language. If you train softball pitchers, this post is exactly what you need.
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