Slow-Pitch Softball- The Importance of Drills
Slow-pitch softball is a great game to stay physically and socially active. Games are fast paced, and it is easy to find a team that matches your skill level and desired commitment level. For the pitcher’s position, there are many pitching drills that should be done often to improve your skills.
Even though a lot of teams play mostly for fun, it is still important to do the best that you can do. Doing drills to practice and improve your skills can be very helpful in performing better during your slow-pitch softball games. Pitching drills can really help you take your softball skills to the next level.
Before you start working on your drills, you should make sure that you are properly loosened up. It is also important to have equipment and a location that is in good condition for your own safety. That being said, you should run your pitching drills with decent frequency if you are really trying to improve your skill level. Pitchers are one of the most important positions on the team, and can set the pace for the entire game.
Slow-Pitch Softball- Grip
Your grip on the ball should give you full control over the softball. The grip is one of the most important factors to throwing an accurate ball. If your fingers are too far apart, they will put a side spin on your throw that you might not want. Putting the ball where you want it to go is essential to being a good pitcher.
A poor grip can reduce your throwing speed by at least 2-3 mph. It can also make the ball veer off target, and decrease the likelihood of throwing a strike. Slow-pitch softball has a slightly larger ball than fast pitch, so it may take some time to adjust if you just recently made the switch.
Slow-Pitch Softball- Speed and Reaction Time
A drill that can be beneficial to your slow-pitch softball gameplay is practicing throwing from the pitcher's mound to each of the bases. A slow-pitch softball field is small, so your throws have to be made quickly. Game play in these games can be rather quick, so you need to be able to react with the same speed, but also maintain accuracy.
Throwing sidearm on a slow-pitch softball field might give you a slight advantage, so you should practice this movement often. As your hands separate downward to make a play, your shoulder blades should pinch back. This movement should give your throws the max velocity
Slow-Pitch Softball- Fielding Techniques and Balance
Working on your footwork and positioning is also an important drill to practice for a slow-pitch softball pitcher. It is important to have good fielding techniques for the times when a line drive is headed straight for you.
Slow-pitch softball pitchers should run fielding drills from the mound to prepare themselves for throwing out the other team. This is a great drill to run with a teammate who needs to get in some batting practice. A custom batting glove from Spiderz offers you the quality and durability that you need and deserve to get the best grip possible while gripping your bat!
A good drill to encourage pitchers to stay in a balanced position, without moving too far forward is a front fence or wall drill. The pitcher should stand facing a wall or fence, with their toes about one foot away. The pitcher should move from his initial pitching stance into their wind up stance without hitting the barrier. This drill can help pitchers to have better and more precise control of their movements.