How do you warm up? Do you jog out to the fence and back? Follow that up with toe touches and shoulder circles? If that’s the case you are under-preparing your body, and seriously undermining your performance. Warming up might be the last thing you want to spend time on (that goes for you too, coaches), but I’m here to demonstrate how you can literally turbo-charge your athletes in just ten minutes.
Read MoreIf you really want to reach your maximum potential as a pitcher or a catcher and help your team as much as possible, pitchers and catchers from the same team MUST practice together. We love dedicated parents and siblings who catch for their daughters/sisters, but pitchers who never throw to their catchers during their workouts leave so much potential untapped, and the same goes for catchers.
Read MoreDo you need to improve your flexibility? Could you actually be TOO flexibile? This week I’m offering a free assessment and exercise plan for anyone who submits their video of this simple, three-exercise test!
Read MoreA particular play in the Yankees-Orioles game on September 6th reminded me how a single strike call can make or break a game, and how important a catcher’s influence can be in getting calls. Want to learn how to use this to your advantage?
Read MoreJust a few short months after our launch, we’ve exceeded 100 subscribers to our newsletter! We’re so excited to be able to share our softball training info with all of you, and we’re extremely thankful to all our readers. As a little celebration and a thank you, we made some totally free Facebook cover photos for you to use! Take as many as you want, use them as much as you want, share them with your friends, and enjoy!
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Newsflash: sports drinks really aren’t very good for you. Many of them contain multiple different sources of sugar, including high fructose or other corn syrups. If you’ve got a zero-calorie sports drink, you’re likely contending with artificial sweeteners, and no matter which you choose you’ll likely be consuming artificial flavors, “natural” flavors (which aren’t as natural as you think), artificial colorings, and preservatives. If you’ve got a practice or a single softball game ahead of you, you really only need water to stay hydrated; however, if you’re facing a 90+ degree summer day under full blazing sun with three or more tournament games to play, something with extra carbohydrates and electrolytes can definitely be beneficial. So what should you drink? I’ll tell you!
Read MoreHave you ever watched an amazing athlete and thought “Wow, it looks like they’re not even trying”? Or have you seen a pitcher who looks completely relaxed even though she’s delivering a 65mph fastball? Using a simple analogy, Joe will explain how and why this happens. He will also describe how athletes and coaches should design strength training programs to promote effortless, optimal performance.
Read MoreWhat follows is one of my favorite muscle memory drills which helps pitchers see and feel their bodies at various, crucial points in the delivery. Please note the following when performing this drill:
1. The pitcher should be 25 – 35 feet from the catcher, depending on age and level.
2. Coaches commands should be a minimum of 2 to 3 seconds apart to allow the pitcher to sense and adjust any mechanical flaws, as well as keep her balance (if she cannot keep her balance, it’s an indication that she needs to strength train).
3. This video is a demonstration for a fastball. The drill can be adapted for any pitch. Look to future posts for other pitches.
Read MoreWant 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.
Read MoreAh, 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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