For a young pitcher one of the hardest things to master is consistent mechanics that will allow her to throw a strike every time she pitches. This mechanical prowess and muscle memory is developed over many, many, hours of practice. Being mentally focused during these practice sessions is mandatory if a pitcher wishes to be successful in competition. Honest and constructive assessments of a pitcher's skill development are one of the most important parts of a practice routine. Many parents and coaches want to boost a young athlete's confidence by seeing movement or accuracy that just isn't there yet. Many coaches want to propel their players forward and progress too quickly by adding additional pitches and spins when their pitchers have not yet put in the time to master basic mechanics. This all leads to a very unfortunate situation when the pitcher hits a wall or feels overwhelmed and unsure of herself. There is no room for her to progress because the foundation of her pitching practice is not solid. A coach who is truly invested in a pitcher's best interest will work with the pitcher, from the beginning, to attain perfection within the pitching motion before moving on to more advanced drills /spins. As a coach I am incredibly dedicated to this. I am extremely particular, especially in the beginning, about the details of the motion. It is paramount for a pitcher, no matter what level she is at, to understand the necessity of practicing basic skills on a DAILY basis.
The following guidelines from Cheri Kempf can help focus a pitcher on getting the details right:
- She must insist on correct movement
- She should use drills to reinforce proper mechanics
- She must not let pushy or overzealous parents rush the learning of pitches she is not yet ready for
- SHE MUST TRY TO HELP HERSELF. A time will come when she much be able to analyze and adjust on her own.
*I would add - She must visualize and commit herself to excellence with EACH PITCH. It doesn't do anyone any good to go through the motions. Why throw a pitch if you haven't put in the mental energy to focus on making it a perfect pitch?
Note: Please see Pitch Types under Drills and Skills to gain a basic knowledge of what each type of pitch/spin can do and how it moves to better understand how each pitch should be utilized in game situations.
Pitch Selection:
An advanced pitcher must be able to throw any of her pitches confidently at any point during a game. This means hitting her target with the correct spin whenever she pleases. A pitcher's goal should be to throw as few strikes as possible. Sound counter-productive? What I mean is, if a pitcher can throw a curveball just outside the strike zone that breaks away from a right handed batter, and she is consistently fooling the batter into believing they should swing, why would she ever want to bring the ball back into the strike zone? That being said, throwing breaking pitches is important to establish the strike zone early in a game. If an umpire is able to see the movement a pitcher has early on and she convinces the umpire that she can consistently throw each pitch for a strike, the umpire will be more likely to see breaking pitches that are just off the plate as strikes. Similarly, once a pitcher has mastered moving pitches she should retain the use of her fastball for very seldom, very specific, circumstances. A moving pitch is much harder to hit and results in a higher level of control by the pitcher and much easier outs for her team. A pitcher must also be able to read the swing and athleticism of the batter she is facing. She must remember what each batter has done in the past and which pitches were most effective at producing the outcome she desires.
***Remember: A strike-out is not always the best outcome for every situation. Sometimes the best thing is a ground-ball, a pop-fly, or a pitch-out. Each coach will have preferences on when specific situations should occur so remember to ask your coach about her/his preference and game strategy.
Locations:
Inside Pitches: will jam a batter and likely result in foul balls or lazy pop-flies. At advanced levels batters will begin to turn on the ball and drive it to left or left center. If a pitcher is adept at throwing on the inside corner she can use this location on experienced hitters to consistently obtain foul ball strikes.
Outside Pitches: will allow a batter's arms to fully extend so they must be thrown with pin-point accuracy. A perfectly placed outside pitch can make a batter reach for the ball and sacrifice her footing and power. Outside pitches off the very end of the bat can result in ground ball outs. If a batter dips and drops her bat head the result will be a pop-fly. A curve ball that breaks around the end of the bat on the outside of the plate can be a go-to strike out pitch for many pitchers.
High Pitches: will force a batter to connect with the ball by raising/lifting their bat-head. Many times this results in pop-flies or long fly balls. With more advanced hitters that like to see the ball up by their eyes working up and out of the strike zone can prove effective. High pitches are dangerous. If a pitcher misses her target, even by a few inches, the ball could end up in a batter's powerhouse and be driven for a hit.
Low Pitches: will force a batter to drop their bat-head or bend their knees and sacrifice some of their power. A low target that is effective will most consistently produce ground ball outs. In some cases a batter may drop their bat-head and make contact that will result in a pop-fly. It is always better to keep the ball low rather than high.
Drop-Ball:
The drop ball should spin with 4-seam rotation and take a drastic dive toward the ground about a foot in front of the plate. A peel drop has the force of gravity on its side and should ultimately be one of the fastest pitches in a pitcher's arsenal. Backhand/turnover drop will never be quite as quick or effective but can be used as an alternative pitch if necessary. An effective drop ball should be released at the batter's knees and end up IN THE DIRT.
When to Throw the Drop: Due to its spin and downward movement the drop is most consistently effective at creating ground-ball outs. Sometimes, depending on her mechanics, a batter will be able to drop the bat head and make contact resulting in a pop-fly. Occasionally, at advanced levels, a batter will begin to stay low with her legs and drive the drop ball as a line drive. This is when keeping the batter off balance by switching up the pitch rotation can be incredibly effective.
Change-up:
The change-up should be at least 10 - 15 Mph slower than the pitcher's fastest pitch. It is meant to fool the batter by changing the timing of their swing. Many batters will swing before the ball reaches the plate or will shift their weight too early sacrificing their power and hip turn.
When to Throw the Change-up: The change-up should be thrown any time a batter is timing the pitcher or getting too comfortable with a pitcher's faster pitches. If a batter is fouling fastballs straight back over the umpires head that means they are timing the ball well. Throw a change-up and the batter will usually swing too soon resulting in a strike call for the pitcher's team. If a batter is pulling the ball consistently toward the left field foul line a pitcher can throw a change-up on the inside corner to make the batter swing too soon and miss the ball entirely.
Curve Ball:
The curve ball can be thrown inside or outside to right or left-handed batters. This pitch should always break to the pitcher's left for a right-handed pitcher and to the pitcher's right for a left-handed pitcher. A backdoor curve ball is one that is thrown inside to the batter and breaks toward the plate.
When to Throw the Curve: The curve should be thrown to a right-handed batter when a pitcher wants to keep the batter off balance. For a right-handed pitcher, an effective outside curveball to a righty will break away from the bat resulting in the batter reaching for the ball and sacrificing their footing and hip drive. An effective inside curveball for a left-handed batter will brush the batter back opening up the opposite side of the plate to the pitcher on her next pitch. An effective backdoor curve is thrown inside to a righty or outside to a lefty and causes the batter to believe the pitch is not a strike. The pitch then breaks back toward the plate and the catcher frames the pitch just on the inside corner. (Reverse movements respectively for a left-handed pitcher). An curveball can be a go-to pitch for pitch-outs, steals, and strikeouts.
Screw Ball:
The screw ball moves opposite the curve. This pitch should be thrown inside to a right-handed batter or outside left-handed batters. This pitch should always break to the pitcher's right for a right-handed pitcher and to the pitcher's left for a left-handed pitcher.
When to Throw the Screw: The screw can be used to brush a right-handed batter off the plate or make a left-handed batter reach outside for the ball. This pitch is incredibly effective against slappers because it moves down and away from the batter as she moves forward in the batter's box. This pitch should always be thrown low as it moves best down and away. If thrown low it can result in ground-ball outs and strikeouts for the pitcher's team.
Rise Ball:
As its name suggests the rise ball breaks upward. NOTE: IT IS NOT JUST A HIGH PITCH. An effective rise ball will bend upward and pass over the top of a batter's level swing. This pitch can be incredibly effective at getting pop-ups and strike-outs for a pitcher's team.
When to Throw the Rise: A pitcher wants to throw the rise when she knows the batter will go fishing up high. Many batters like to see the ball up in their eyes because they feel more confident in knowing where the ball is. The rise ball looks like a strike at the top of the zone, many batters feel that this is their power-house, but breaks above the bat as the batter swings. Working up out of the zone in increments can be incredibly effective.
**Note: These are general guidelines for breaking pitches and locations. There will always be anomalies and situations where these guidelines do not hold true. That is what makes softball such a dynamic and challenging sport to play. **