Category: Pitching
Type: Tip
SOFTBALLTODAY.COM
Tip #1
Attacking the Hitters
By: Jocelyn Forest
New England Riptide Pitcher, National Pro Fastpitch
There are, obviously, many different approaches a pitcher can take to beat a good hitter. I often see pitchers working the low outside corner (with say drops and curves) on "Big hitters" in order to keep them from getting the sweet part of the bat on the ball. However, batters today are getting smarter and better and learning to go with those outside pitches.
One of my favorite ways to beat a big hitter is to throw hard and at the hands with inside pitches. When you bust a batter hard and inside it is difficult for them to get their bat head around and/or to get extended on the ball. And often, if they do get a hold of one, it's nothing more than a foul ball.
I like to start low and inside with a low rise or screwball for the first strike (getting that first pitch in there for a strike is extremely important and gives you as a pitcher more room to "play".) Then I like to "climb the ladder", meaning, throw the next pitch slightly higher than the one before. Once they bite, I continue to climb. To the batter it seems as though it's that same pitch (the strike) over and over.
But if you're going to go inside on a big hitter, you've GOT to make sure you get that ball INSIDE and be careful not to hang the pitch over the plate. Otherwise you just might be waving goodbye to the ball as it leaves the park.
Tip #2
Choosing the right pitch (Part 2 of 3 part series)
By Michael Cisneros
Editor, Softball Today Magazine
From what I have seen, most outs in the course of a ball game are due to swinging at the wrong pitch. There are two ways to avoid doing this. One, use what I call the ever increasing strike zone: with no strikes on you, decide to hit a pitch only if it is in a specific zone - for me it is chest high in front of the plate - and if the ball is there, hit it, and more importantly if it isn't there, don't swing. It is OK to take a strike; hitting the pitch just because it is a strike lowers your chances of getting a hit because the pitch was not what you were looking for. Now with one strike, your zone should expand a bit. Look for something in a wider area and follow the same discipline. If the pitch is not where you want it but is still a strike, don't worry. You still have one more strike coming. Now, with two strikes, you must hit anything that is a strike, but don't panic, look at it this way - in the past you were swinging at this pitch on the first strike. Now you only swing at it on the third. So if you were a .500 hitter before, now you are a .500 hitter with two strikes on you and, by being patient and pickier, you are a better hitter with one strike and a much better hitter with on strikes.
The other thing you can do is take a lot of batting practice. During batting practice, you will swing at hundreds of pitches, as opposed to the four that you swing at in a game. And chances are the majority of those practice pitches will be bad pitches. But since it is practice, you will swing at them. And that is OK; by hitting bad pitches in practice you slowly figure out that hitting short pitches allows you to drive the ball back through the middle, that in addition to hitting outside deep pitches to right field you can use an inside-out swing to hit inside short pitches down that line as well, or that flat pitches are easy to hit into the corner down the left field line. This way you give yourself a better chance for success even if the pitch you choose to swing at is not necessarily a good one.
Tip #3
Training during your noncompetitive season?
Pam Newton, ASA Junior Olympic Coach
First, I would suggest to all athletes that building their stamina and leg strength comes in the off season. It is imperative that you start a 3 day per week running regime for long distance during this time. Running 20 to 30 minutes three times a week will help to build a strong mind and body. If running is not your thing then you can ride a bike, kick box, aerobics or swim doing these for 30 minutes to one hour. This starter program should go for 5 to 6 months for maximum results and convert to sprint training during season.
Submitted by: www.SoftballToday.com
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