Posts Tagged ‘body’
5 Softball Pitching Tips to Help Avoid Injury
Tuesday, December 28th, 2010Softball Pitching – The Mechanics of the Fastball
Thursday, December 23rd, 2010Developing a good fastball is a requirement for all softball pitchers. This is the first pitch that should be learned and can be both challenging and frustrating. The best way to learn the fastball is through repeating the motion over and over again until it becomes second nature. Then, and only then, should a pitcher move on to other pitches.
Here are the mechanics of a good fastball:
1. Start off relaxed. If you start tense, you will tense throughout the pitch and it is increases the likelihood of a bad pitch.
2. Lean forward slightly and get a good push off of the rubber. It is OK to lean a little in order to get a better push off. You should stand tall before starting the windmill portion of the pitch.
3. As you begin the windmill motion, your body should open up. Your body should open towards the side of your pitching arm. Picture your body as a door. At the start of the pitch, the door is closed. As your start the windmill, the door should open up.
4. The arm windmill should be in a straight line with the catcher. Keep your arm straight during the windmill but be careful not to lock your elbow.
5. You should push off in the direction of home plate. Your stride foot should land turned at a slight angle. For a fastball down the middle, it should land on the power line. The power line is an imaginary line that extends from the middle of the pitcher’s rubber to the middle of home base. For pitches on the outside or inside corner, adjust where your stride foot lands in proximity to the power line. Sometimes it helps to actually use some chalk and draw the power line for a beginning pitcher.
6. As the windmill motion reaches the release point, be sure to keep your arm tight to your body. Your body should close (remember the door analogy) as your arm gets to the release point. The ball should be released at the hip. Snap your wrist at release and continue your motion so that you have a natural follow-through.
7. Finish the pitch by sliding your push-off foot up so that it end up close to the stride foot. Get in the ready position so you will be prepared for any balls hit right back up the middle.
Learn to pitch the right way with Softball Pitching Drills.
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Continue reading here: Softball Pitching – The Mechanics of the Fastball
Softball Pitching – The Mechanics of the Fastball
Thursday, December 23rd, 2010Developing a good fastball is a requirement for all softball pitchers. This is the first pitch that should be learned and can be both challenging and frustrating. The best way to learn the fastball is through repeating the motion over and over again until it becomes second nature. Then, and only then, should a pitcher move on to other pitches.
Here are the mechanics of a good fastball:
1. Start off relaxed. If you start tense, you will tense throughout the pitch and it is increases the likelihood of a bad pitch.
2. Lean forward slightly and get a good push off of the rubber. It is OK to lean a little in order to get a better push off. You should stand tall before starting the windmill portion of the pitch.
3. As you begin the windmill motion, your body should open up. Your body should open towards the side of your pitching arm. Picture your body as a door. At the start of the pitch, the door is closed. As your start the windmill, the door should open up.
4. The arm windmill should be in a straight line with the catcher. Keep your arm straight during the windmill but be careful not to lock your elbow.
5. You should push off in the direction of home plate. Your stride foot should land turned at a slight angle. For a fastball down the middle, it should land on the power line. The power line is an imaginary line that extends from the middle of the pitcher’s rubber to the middle of home base. For pitches on the outside or inside corner, adjust where your stride foot lands in proximity to the power line. Sometimes it helps to actually use some chalk and draw the power line for a beginning pitcher.
6. As the windmill motion reaches the release point, be sure to keep your arm tight to your body. Your body should close (remember the door analogy) as your arm gets to the release point. The ball should be released at the hip. Snap your wrist at release and continue your motion so that you have a natural follow-through.
7. Finish the pitch by sliding your push-off foot up so that it end up close to the stride foot. Get in the ready position so you will be prepared for any balls hit right back up the middle.
Learn to pitch the right way with Softball Pitching Drills.
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http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_J._Todd
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Faster Softball Pitching Is As Easy As 1, 2, 3
Monday, November 29th, 2010Softball pitchers are often taught to pitch in 3 distinct phases. They start off in the closed position, then open up during the downswing, returning to the closed position as they release the ball. A pitcher can increase their velocity on the ball simply by improving in the three “phases” of the pitch.
A pitcher should strive to “explode” off of the rubber. The speed the pitcher comes off the rubber is directly correlated to the speed of the pitch. Pitchers often focus too much on the length of their stride and not enough on the power of their stride. An explosive stride will result in a much faster pitch.
In the second phase of the pitch, the pitcher’s body needs to open up as far as possible. This is achieved by reaching back towards 2nd base during the pitch. A wide “open” position will allow for a hard close and will add even more power to the pitch. A pitcher who doesn’t open up will have a tough time achieving the same velocity as a pitcher who opens up wide.
A good, hard close at the end of the pitch will also increase speed. As the ball reaches the release point, the pitcher should close her body so that it is once again facing the batter. Just after release, the drag foot should close the gap between it and the landing foot.
Correctly combining all 3 of these phases will add a significant amount of speed to a pitch. Pitchers should be trained to pitch right at the edge of control. Explode off the mound, reach back and open wide and then close hard to add power to the pitch.
See my website for softball pitching drills that will help increase your pitching speed.
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Softball
Friday, November 19th, 2010America has always been one of the most innovative and inventive nations of the world when it comes to sports. Softball is one of the finest innovations in the history of American sports. Softball is another close relative of baseball, but with slight and significant alterations.
However, softball is basically a team sport where, like baseball, the ball is thrown by a player to another player on the opposing team. The player who is throwing the ball is better known as the pitcher. The player to whom the ball is thrown is known as the batter, who holds the bat (the round smooth stick like thing made of wood). The game gets its name after the ball with which it is played – the softball. Just like the game of baseball, where the score depends on the player who holds the bat and hits the ball, the game of softball also depends on the batter. Nonetheless, scoring is accomplished through hitting the softball and by running and touching a series of four markers on the ground, called bases.
It is very worthwhile to throw light on certain differences between baseball and softball:
A. the first and foremost point one might put forward is the difference between the balls; baseball is played with a hardball and the game of softball is played with a relatively softer ball.
B. the ball is always thrown or pitched to the batter in an underarm fashion. It is released when the hand is below the hip and no further from the body than the elbow. But in baseball games, the ball is pitched over arm or sidearm.
C. usually the playing field for softball is much smaller in comparison to baseball.
D. the game of softball is much shorter than baseball. Baseball is played for nine innings (the number of times the whole team gets the opportunity to bat), but in softball a game is only seven innings long.
Softball provides detailed information on Softballs, Fastpitch Softball, Softball Equipment, History Of Softball and more. Softball is affiliated with Miken Softball Bats [http://www.e-SoftballBats.com].
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Softball Pitching – Steps to Becoming a Successful Pitcher
Sunday, November 7th, 2010Many girls have the potential to succeed as softball pitchers. However, developing the right skills is a slow and challenging process, and it is easy for players to become discouraged. In order for a beginning player to make it as a pitcher, she needs to have the patience to spend months and maybe years honing her skills.
The following plan breaks down the steps necessary to develop a beginning pitcher. Coaches should remember to take it slow and provide positive encouragement.
Step 1: Mechanics
A player should remember to:
Start with a relaxed upper body
Lean the body forward and push off the rubber for good speed
Open the body – toward third base if right-handed – as she begins the rotation
The arm circle should be fast, smooth, and consistent with the arm straight
Keep the stride straight toward home plate and land with her stride foot turned at a slight angle
Close the body as she nears the release point by turning toward the catcher, starting with the shoulder
Keep the wrist slightly bent as she nears the release point and snap it forward as she releases the ball
Have a loose and natural follow through after the release
Step 2: Speed
Softball pitching requires proper mechanics, but after that is mastered, a player should be able to increase speed over time without having to worry about maintaining control. Focus on keeping mechanics smooth and gradually work on throwing harder over time.
Step 3: Accuracy
After a few months of focusing on mechanics and speed, a pitcher should start working on controlling the location of the pitch. Over time, she should be able to pitch into any of the four corners (low-outside, low-inside, high-inside, and high-outside) so accurately she will not have to throw down the middle.
Step 4: Change-Up
With mechanics, speed, and accuracy under control, a pitcher can now develop pitches other than her fastball. Her change-up should be around 30% slower than her fastball. Her approach can utilize any number of techniques, including:
adjusting the wrist snap
flipping the ball out
following through low and toward the catcher
moving the ball back in the palm
One important thing to keep in mind is that the hitter should have no indication of a change-up.
Once a pitcher has mastered these steps, she can move on to developing additional pitches, like the drop ball, screw ball, and rise ball.
And if you’d like to see more free softball drills and coaching tips, go here to watch a free video:
http://www.softball-spot.com/vid/
Becky Wittenburg is a kids softball coach, and the owner and publisher of Softball-Spot.com, the web’s #1 resource for softball drills, tips, and practice ideas for youth and high school coaches.
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Excerpt from: Softball Pitching – Steps to Becoming a Successful Pitcher
Power Hitting – Ultimate Strength And Conditioning For The Softball Elite!
Saturday, October 30th, 2010Being a strength professional and fitness trainer in the Atlanta, Georgia area now for over 10 years I have had plenty of experience in training athletes of all kinds. I remember when I played baseball and looking back I wished I knew then what I know now about strength training and athletic performance. Even though I didn’t play softball on a regular basis the act of hitting comes from the same motion and the integration of the same muscles that are involved in swinging the bat. If I would have had the opportunity to add something to my strength training program it would have been the kettlebell swing lift. This is a great strength and conditioning drill for softball players to develop some serious hitting power.
Strength Training Softball
You see as a player you already get plenty of skills training in terms of your hitting and fielding when you are at practice. This is a common theme with baseball and softball players and is also something that can tend to hurt your softball playing performance to a degree. So you are probably wondering Brandon how can this hurt my game? Well, its not the practicing that will hurt your softball game, but I have seen many players neglect the implementation of a smart strength and conditioning program over the years by putting all of their emphasis on skills practice and none on strength training. The only way you are going to improve your hitting, throwing, and fielding abilities is by making yourself a better athlete and this starts with lifts such as the kettlebell swing.
The kettlebell swing is the base strength endurance lift that is performed with this ancient device and it involves all of your big core muscles in order to pull it off. You are basically implementing a swinging motion with the bell by moving it at an arc back and forth from between your legs up to at least chest level. This is done by you having to engage your hips and knees in a state of constant flexion and extension in order to create the necessary momentum to swing the bell. By doing this you are involving all the major muscles that work together in order to hit the ball for some serious power.
Kettlebell training is a movement based style of training which is why it is so effective for preparing you for all sports. You move during the game so you should train your body in the same way. If you haven’t already started to implement the swing lift into your softball strength and conditioning program then you are falling behind. Remember that most any athlete can train hard, but only the best train smart!
To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com.
To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at: http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html.
I’m Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!
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Dramatically Improve Your Softball Game With These Sport Specific Exercises
Friday, October 8th, 2010It has now become accepted fact that weight training can help softball players become better. In the last decade, specific training programs have really developed. There are different training programs for each type of sport, and softball is not an exception. The weight training programs for softball players mainly focus on the core stability of a player. They serve as a base for power conditioning that is required in the game. The program takes about 4 to 6 weeks and should be combined with a complete body workout.
Unfortunately, most of the softball players lay a limit to their muscle strengthening by working out only on a specific group of muscles. However, a number of muscles should be included in the best strengthening programs. Some of the muscles that are ignored are the lower back, abdominal muscles, hip flexors, hip abductors, and hip adductors as well as all the upper body muscles. To avoid injuries connected to the game, all these muscles have to be exercised. Some of the exercises that should be combined with the softball-training program include:
The Horse Stance Exercise
Start while you are on your knees and hands, with your spine in a neutral position. The abdomen should be drawn in and the chin tucked. Then slowly raise your arm with the thumb up as well as the opposite leg. The arm and leg should be kept straight as you lift your body to a given height and hold it for about 5 to 10 seconds. After this, return the leg and the arm to the ground slowly. This should be repeated on alternating sides while you maintain optimal alignment. As you become better at this exercise, try holding it for a longer time and also include weights.
Stork Stance
The stork exercise works on core stability and balance. You stand on your left leg with the knee slightly bent. Once in this position, draw your belly button toward your spine. While extending the other leg behind you, bend at the waist. Try keeping the leg straight by forming a parallel line from the head to the toe. While maintaining this position, lift the arms so that the upper arm is parallel to the floor. The position should be maintained throughout the exercise as you repeat the exercise for each leg.
Cobra Stance
This works on the core upper, lower back and the gluteus muscles. With your face laying on the floor, the legs straight and the core and gluteus tense, squeeze the gluteus muscles and slowly retract the shoulder blades. The arms should be at the side with the thumbs facing the ceiling. Tuck the chin towards the chest as you keep the neck and spine aligned. The head should not be allowed to extend backwards. There should be slight discomfort in your lower back while you concentrate on squeezing the gluteus muscles.
If these three exercises training exercises are performed regularly, you should see dramatic results in your softball game within just four to six weeks. Keep up the training, and you will leave the competition in the dust.
Bill has been an online article writer for nearly 6 years. In addition to his normal topics of diet, fitness and weight training, you can also check out his latest website on Brother Embroidery Machines as well as Garden Tractor Tires to see reviews and product comparisons.
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Original post: Dramatically Improve Your Softball Game With These Sport Specific Exercises