Weight Back and Balanced Pitching Drill
by Hal Skinner

As a pitcher, it's important to understand how important it is to start your pitch off in a balanced pitching stance. For the smoothest motions, you must also maintain that same balance through the entire course of your motions when you pitch.

Here is a pitching drill that gives you a feeling of balance during your pitching motions, the feeling of a slight lean forward at the start and of having the weight back at the end of the motions.

How to do the drill

Part One

Stand on the rubber and bend your stride knee to 90 degrees, like a flamingo.

Throw three pitches like that balancing on your pivot foot only while keeping your balance.

Don't let your foot come down until the catcher catches the ball.

Part Two

Now, take an empty coffee can and set it upside down about 1 foot directly in front of your stride foot.  Place your foot against the top edge of the can, lean SLIGHTLY forward, and throw three pitches from that position while keeping your balance.

Part Three

Now, place the upside down can about 3 feet out in front of your stride foot and do the same thing.  You might need to use your arm to steady yourself as you put your foot against the can. Make sure you keeps your balance and do not push over the can.

Doing this drill allows you to experience how balanced you must feel at the very start, part way into, and near the end of your pitch.

You will also experience how you must have your weight slightly forward at the push off and must also keep your weight back at the end of the pitch.

———————————————————-

Find more useful and effective pitching tips, advice, strategies, and drills from Coach Hal in his book Sneaky Softball Pitching.

Former Olympian and Professional pitcher Lauren Bay demonstrates a simple softball pitching drill for increasing your pitching speed and power.

Here's a philosophy on being a successful pitcher as shared by legendary pitcher and instructor Coach Hal Skinner in his book Sneaky Softball Pitching.

The best and most widely respected pitchers are those who pitch the smartest games.

They don’t have to throw the quickest fastball, or have a large number of different pitches to choose from, or even have great ball movement on those pitches. The best pitchers are the unpredictable pitchers. The unpredictable pitchers are the smart pitchers!

Years ago, my goal was to become a smart pitcher; to outsmart the batters, the teams I faced. Every good pitcher needs a bit of an ego when it comes to their pitching. I am no exception to this rule.

My pitching philosophy is different from any other I’ve encountered in the sport. Most do not even agree with me. But my philosophy is simple: a pitcher must be smarter at pitching than the batter is at hitting…

Do you agree or disagree?

Note from Coach Hal: Many years have passed and injuries now prevent me from competing in the position of this sport that I love so well, and I have retired from coaching. The time has come for me to pass on to a much wider audience what I have learned and coached all these years. I have nearly 50 years of experience being in and around fast pitch softball. These are some of the things that helped make me and my teams winners. I hope some of my advice can help you be a winner, too.

Get Coach Hal's best pitching tips and advice in his book Sneaky Softball Pitching

One of the most powerful traits a softball player can have is the ability to bounce back from mistakes, overcome obstacles, and keep pushing through adversity. Of course, this is often easier said than done. How do you bounce back when you just cost your team a run on defense or stranded the tying run in scoring position after you struck out looking with two outs?

While there are various sports psychology tips and tricks for improving your mental game, here are 3 simple tips you can start using today to help you bounce back from your softball mistakes:

Accept: Accept that you made a mistake and that you're upset about it.   If you feel mad, frustrated, embarrassed, sad, upset or any other negative emotion because you messed up, that's OK!  It just means your human and means you care about what happens on the field.  Don't fight that or beat yourself up for feeling that way.  Allow it for a moment, accept and acknowledge that you felt it, then side it aside for the rest of the game.  There will be lots of time to evaluate it further later.  Right now, you need to reset your mind and body for the next play!

Remember the big picture: No game ever comes down to just one play or just one mistake. Even if your mistake stands out the most, chances are there were many, many, many other missed opportunities during the game that could have made a difference in the final outcome.  If every player on a team did exactly what they were supposed to do in every given situation, your mistake wouldn't be such a big deal.  Unless everyone on your team went 3-3 in the batter's box today and did everything perfectly on defense, you're not the only one who could've done better.  You're not the only player that had an opportunity to make a difference in the game and failed to do so.  Remember that the entire fate of the team does NOT lie upon your shoulders only.

Also, think back to when you've seen other players make mistakes then go on to do great things and help their team win. It DOES happen and can happen for you too, if you let it! The only person that stops that from happening for you is you. If it can happen for others, it can happen for you.  You know very well that players DO come back from mistakes, you just need to adjust your mindset to believe you can be one of them!

GUADALAJARA, MEXICO - OCTOBER 23: Lauren Gibson #25 of the United States scores a run and gives a high five to teammate Valerie Arioto #20. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

Take in and return the high fives: One of the greatest things about being on a team is the built in support system. When your teammates try to pick you up after a mistake, let them!

One of the worst things you can do after making a mistake is shut out the help your teammates offer you. Not only do you keep the mistake with you longer than necessary, you also spread the negativity you feel to your team by ignoring their positivity. Don't be that person. You already made one mistake, don't compound it or spread it's negativity to the rest of your team.

Instead, accept the high fives or verbal pick-ups your teammates offer you.  Allow their positive talk into your mind instead of shutting it out.  Start encouraging others on your team when it's their turn to bat or make a defensive play.  Cheer like crazy if one of your teammates helps make up for your error by making a great play or getting a great hit. All of these things small actions help squash negativity after a mistake while spreading positivity and shifting, or keeping, momentum in your team's favor.

======================

Written by Stacie Mahoe
Founder, AllAboutFastpitch.com

Guest Post by Mike Tully

My 4-year-old grand-daughter put her arms around me, kissed me goodnight and then said, “Your hair smells like beach house.”

One sniff of my newly washed hair took her mind to memories of our family vacation.

Her train of thought is one that can take you to greatness in sports, with a technique called anchoring.

It’s based on a principle so simple that even a 4-year-old noticed it. As mammals, we are wired to associate physical sensations with emotions. For instance, you probably have a song that reminds you of some person, place or thing. Tasting a certain food may bring to mind some memory, like grandma’s kitchen. To this day, the smell of the sun hitting a telephone pole on a warm day takes me back to my childhood, when we spent our summers sitting around a big wooden picnic table.

You can use this principle to lock in all the good things you do in sports. All you must do is perform some action every time you do something you would like to repeat.

Let’s say you’re a softball pitcher working on a change-up. When you throw one that makes you happy or confident, perform some physical action. I’ve seen athletes bite their lip, snap their fingers, brush their hand through their hair, or scratch the inside of their arm. Whatever your action, if you anchor often enough you will soon associate the action with positive emotions.

When you get to that point, you can anchor even before you try the skill. It’s almost like typing in a request on your computer. You can order anything you want. You bite your lip, you feel strong and confident, and then you throw your change-up when you’re in a tight spot.

Keep two things in mind as you begin to experiment with anchoring. First, make sure your action is a special one that you use only for anchoring. Don’t pick an action that you do all the time.

Second, use your anchor only when you do something that really gives you positive emotions like confidence and strength.

By using this link between emotions and physical actions, you will have a tool to put you in the right frame of mind to perform like a champion.

*** *** *** *** ***

Mike Tully coaches people to get the most out of their practice time. He speaks to sports teams, schools and businesses. He blogs at www.totalgameplan.com.

Guest post by Ken Krause, Life in the Fastpitch Lane blog

There is an old parenting saying that goes "The days are long but the years are short." With the high school and travel seasons coming up in many areas right now, fastpitch parents would do well to heed that advice.

It wasn't long ago that some of us were in your shoes. We were madly rushing from practice to game, or game to game, or lessons to practice or some other combination, wondering how we were ever going to do it all and keep up our houses and lawns and all that too.

Rest assured, however, that one day it will end. There won't be anymore lessons, or practices, or games to get to. There won't be any injuries to nurse or feelings to massage. And you may just find yourself wishing you had one more day of hot, sweaty tournament play to enjoy.

The time goes fast. It really does. And between running from here to there like a crazy person and being disappointed by an unexpected loss, sometimes it gets easy to lose your perspective. Don't let that happen.

Take a little time to stop and drink it all in. Sure you may be freezing watching a HS game up North, but one day before you know it you will be all snug in your house on a cold April day because you don't have a game to go to anymore.

Yes, today your lawn may be looking a little ragged, but one day soon you'll have time to cut it with a pair of scissors if you want. Most importantly, yes your daughter may have gone 0 for today. But it won't be long before she has the final at bat of her career and you will wish you were back pacing the sidelines hoping for a duck snort just to get her out of her painful slump.

We all rush through our lives so much these days that we sometimes forget to enjoy the moment. Don't let that happen to you. Remember that the years are short, so it's important to live for today. You'll find your memories are a whole lot better if you do.

Anyway, that's the way I see it.

Most softball players and coaches dedicate quite of bit of time to softball each week. In fact, you may even fall into the category of spending a "ton" of time on softball when you're in season. However, it's surprising how often players or coaches train, compete, and spend hours of their time on this game with only the vague purpose of having fun or wanting to "get better."  It almost boggles my mind how much time and energy some commit to softball without really giving much thought to exactly what they want to accomplish this season or even over the course of the next 2-3 seasons.

Are you one of those people? Think about it. If I asked you right now to tell me where you want to be softball-wise at the end of this season, what would you tell me? How specific would your answer be? Do you even know what your first and biggest goal would be? If you only accomplished ONE thing, what would you want it to be? Is it a hitting goal or a defensive goal? Is it a speed and agility goal or softball skills goal? Is it more of a personal goal or one for the team you're on?

If you're not sure and can't answer any of those questions with any certainty in less than 30 seconds, don't feel bad. You're not alone and I'm going to help you do something about that right now.

Is it really that important to do all that thinking and know all that stuff?
Before we get into the details of all that, let's talk about why it's so important.

You probably wouldn't get in your car and start driving without first knowing where you want to go.  Right? 
If you would, then go ahead and stop reading right here.

If not, read on…

Imagine if you live in California and just start driving "somewhere," what are the chances you'll actually end up in a place you really want to be?  If you live in California and KNOW you want to get to Las Vegas, however, you have a much better chance of actually ending up exactly where you want to be and quicker than if you just got in your car and started driving without a specific destination in mind.

Well guess what…The same is true with your softball journey!  How can you end up where you want to be next month or at the end of the season or at the end of next season if you have no specific destination in mind?

Do you have a vision of where you want to be at the end of this season or next?  Do you know what your BIG softball dreams are? Do you have a clear, specific, detailed idea of what you want to accomplish? Or are you wandering around just trying to become a "better" softball player?

If not, now is as good a time as any to sit down and figure it out.  Get out a piece of paper and a pen or pencil (or simply open up a word processing document on your computer) and just start jotting down your biggest softball dreams.  After you've listed a bunch of "stuff" go through it and choose your Top 5 softball wants (or 10 if you're feeling ambitious). 

Once you have your top picks chosen, the ones that really, REALLY matter to you most, get more specific about them.  What exactly do you want to do and when do you want to do it by? 

Make your list and keep it in a place you'll see it often.  Tape it next to your mirror in the bathroom.  Take a picture of it on your phone and set it as your wall paper.  Post it on the door of your refrigerator.  You get the idea.  Just put it somewhere you're reminded of it daily.  Put your softball dream list up in multiple places if you have to.  Having your goals and dreams IN sight constantly will help you make the best choices you need to get you there on a daily basis!

Guest Post by Stacie Mahoe
Former softball player. Current softball coach, mom, and fan!

Guest post by Ken Krause, Life in the Fastpitch Lane blog

Last year just for fun I downloaded a book onto my old smartphone that had nothing to do with fastpitch softball. While I quickly discovered that reading a book on a smartphone is not an easy task for someone of my age, the book itself was quite interesting.

It was called "What's the Worst That Could Happen?" and its purpose was to give people the tools they need to decide if global warming is real and what (if anything) should be done about it. What the author, a fifth grade science teacher, was trying to do was give readers the tools to make their own decisions.

In the very lengthy discussion leading into the tools, the author talked about something called "confirmation bias." The basic principle of confirmation bias is that when you are trying to prove a point, you will look for evidence that proves your point and ignore evidence that goes against it.

Sound familiar? It's something most of us do naturally and sub-consciously. We have certain beliefs about the game of fastpitch softball and the skills required to play it, and we don't want anyone telling us different. So if someone challenges us, we immediately look for "evidence" to support our position, usually in the form of video.

Here's the problem. If you have sufficient time, energy and access to video you can prove or disprove just about anything. If common sense says you should do X, by golly there's going to be someone who can come up with a video of a high-level player doing Y instead.

Some do it because they actually believe in Y. Some do it just because they like to "prove" other people are wrong. And some do it so they don't have to consider changing their long-held beliefs.

In the book I read the author talks about how important it is to look out for confirmation bias when trying to make an important decision or examining evidence. In softball the same is true.

If you want to improve your understanding of the skills involved, you're better off looking for the arguments against what you believe. Approach them with an open mind rather than dismissing them out of hand, and try to see if what's being said makes sense.

If it doesn't, determine WHY it doesn't. Then compare it to what you've always believed (or at least most recently believed). You may surprise yourself by finding that the way you've always done things isn't quite the way you want to keep doing them.

The other thing you'll find with an open mind is that the more nit-picky the piece of information, the more subject it is to confirmation bias. It's fairly easy to see the big things with a skill, e.g. hitters getting a weight shift. But the more finite you get, such as what certain muscles are doing during the swing, the more subjective it becomes — and thus the more prone it is to confirmation bias.

The final piece in this particular puzzle is not letting one exception distract you from what the vast majority of the evidence shows. There will always be exceptions. If you choose to make the exception the primary guiding force in your understanding of the skills required to perform fastpitch softball skills at a high level you could be taking yourself — and your players/students/children — down a destructive path.

Again, the key is keeping an open mind. When you start with the question how do top players do something, and then move into why they do it that way, you'll be much better off than those who start with the conclusion of how it's done then look for evidence to back up that opinion.

Avoid falling into the confirmation bias trap and you'll ultimately be more successful. Anyway, that's the way I see it.

Guest post by Ken Krause, Life in the Fastpitch Lane blog

Anyone who has played Pictionary, Charades or other games where one person gives clues to others knows how frustrating it can be. (Particularly if your partner is your significant other, but that's a story for another day.)

You draw what you think is an accurate and brilliant representation of the concept you're trying to get across. And then all you get are blank stares and confused looks from your partners.

As time ticks away you frantically gesture and point at your drawing, which elicits no more recognition from your partners than it did originally. Finally the buzzer sounds and you're spent, with nothing to show for your efforts.

Sound familiar? That's the experience fastpitch softball coaches often have when working with their players. You explain a concept the way you always have, in a way that makes perfect sense to you and that has worked before. Yet it's met with blank stares, and more importantly it doesn't make the change you want to make in the player.

This is one of the great challenges in coaching. Because it doesn't matter how much you know, only how much you can convey to your players.

As a coach you always need to be looking for the cues that a player is understanding what you want. You can also directly ask, although the odds are they'll say yes whether they get it or not. Either way, if you can see what you're saying is not getting through, it's up to you to find a new way to say it.

Sometimes it helps to come up with an analogy to explain a concept. I once explained the release of a changeup by saying you're going to take a little red wagon, drag it forward and send it down to your catcher.

Other times you need to show them, either by doing it yourself or showing a video of someone doing it the way you want. Sometimes shooting video of the player herself will show her what she's doing; if you have software or an app you can draw on it can help illustrate the point more clearly.

It may take some trial and error before you hit on the winning formula. The key thing is saying the same things over and over, and getting more frantic about it, isn't going to work.

Whether you're playing Pictionary or coaching, if something you're doing isn't working, find another way to show it. Everyone will be happier in the long run, and you'll all have more success.

Anyway, that's the way I see it.

Guest post by Ken Krause, Life in the Fastpitch Lane blog

Hard to believe that it wasn’t so long ago that fastpitch softball was a game played by kids for the – wait for it – fun of it. Sure, there were a few adults around regularly in the form of coaches and umpires, and parents would regularly come out to see them play if they weren’t working. But it wasn’t life-and-death, with every player’s future prospects for a good education apparently hanging on the result of every pitch.

All that seems like some sort of pastoral dream, like a Norman Rockwell painting of America as we always imagined it should be. Today parents seem to be way too wrapped up in their children’s athletic endeavors.

Some are unabashed boosters/braggarts for their kids. You never want to be cornered by them lest they start to regale you with tales of Lindsay’s might line drive, or the diving catch Erin made in center field, or the 13 Ks Alice racked up in her last appearance in the circle. Still, they’re relatively harmless.

The ones who are of real concern are the ones who go the other way – fitting former Vice President Spiro Agnew’s description of “nattering nabobs of negativity.” Unlike the boosters, these parents only see their kids’ failures – and they make sure their kids hear about so they’re “inspired” to improve their performance the next time.

That’s a category that, as a parent, you definitely don’t want to fall into. Yet it seems to come naturally to some. Perhaps they don’t realize how they sound (or look, because they’re usually scowling). Perhaps they think they’re setting high standards for their kids. But the fact is nothing can take the enjoyment out of an activity like an adult you trust – like a parent – telling you how bad you are at something.

Now, I’m not saying you have to blow sunshine up their softball pants. But there are ways to get a point across without being quite so negative about it.

Take the evaluation of a hitting performance. Let’s say the player had a couple of weak hits that got her on base, plus a legitimate hit or two. Rather than focusing on the failures and the mis-hits, you could say “you took some good swings, and at least you were making contact. A duck snort single looks like a line drive in the scorebook. But let’s keeping working so you get more hits like that double. That was a beauty.”

Same message, but said a lot differently. You want to build off the one good hit out of however many at bats instead of saying you only had one good hit, and implying that one was probably lucky.

As has been said many times before, fastpitch softball is a game built on failure. Great hitters fail seven out of 10 times. A brain freeze here, an errant rock there and you can quickly become the goat for the day. And believe it or not, adults, kids know when they’ve screwed up.

Instead of harping on it or replaying it, the best thing you can do is put an arm around her shoulder and let her know that home run or strikeout, no hitter or pulled early, she’s still your daughter and you still love her. Spend as much time talking about what she did right as what she did wrong – maybe more – and you’ll be surprised how her performance actually improves. After all, no one really performs at their best with a gun to their head. Especially when a loved one is holding it.

There’s plenty of negativity already in the world. We see it around us every day, in the news and sometimes in our own lives. Don’t add to it, and don’t make negativity a part of something that should be bringing your player pleasure.

Focus on the positives and support your player no matter what. Even if she never becomes the star you hoped she’d be when you signed her up, the two of you will have a much better relationship for it. She’ll be your daughter far longer than she’ll ever be a softball player.

Anyway, that’s the way I see it.