By Marc O. Dagenais, MHK, CSCS, ChPC
http://www.softballperformance.com

They say: “speed kills.” It couldn’t be truer in softball whether you are pitching, fielding a ball or running the bases.

Speed is something every pitcher is concerned with and would like more of. While we know that speed is less important than movement, it’s still crucial. Faster pitching means better breaking pitches and less reaction time for the batter. Just about every one of the best pitchers in the world has great velocity.

While speed is somewhat genetic, you can still improve it through optimization of pitching mechanics, specific strength and power training, and specific pitching drills. Here are 10 drills that you can use to boost your pitching velocity by a few MPH.

1. Dry Pitching. This simple exercise is one of the easiest and most effective activities for improving speed. It can be used as a warm-up exercise or even during a game to keep loose. Stand in a pitching position with your stride foot well in front. Complete a number of arm rotations concentrating on making large circles (Windmill). If you add gradually increasing weight to your pitching hand you will be doing an exercise that builds arm strength. Use weights with caution however; limit them to what you can handle easily.

2. Wall Pitching. This is a good drill for beginning pitchers early in the spring. It consists of pitching against a wall of some type and catching the rebound. This enables you to perform a high number of repetitions in a short amount of time. Stand about 3 to 5 meters from the wall. Throw the ball hard enough to have it bounce back to you. Catch the ball with your glove and continue pitching as long as you wish. As your technique improves move back slightly and throw a little harder. You can also improve your concentration during this drill by placing a mark of some type on the wall, and trying to hit it with each pitch.

3. Speed Pitching. This exercise is based on the “overload” principle and requires you to work at or near maximum capacity. In this drill you throw a regulation softball to a catcher, increasing your workload as your strength increases. Pitch from regulation distance. Don’t try to throw “stuff” and don’t worry about control. Concentrate on “EXPLODING” off the mound and throwing as hard as you can. The goal is to try and throw each successive pitch a little harder than the previous one. Before you start decide how many pitches you want to throw this way, then increase that number by five or ten each week.

4. Three-Step Drill. (For leap-and-drag pitchers only.) This drill is designed to increase ball speed by developing more aggressive footwork. The pitcher should take three long steps back from the pitcher’s plate. Starting with the pivot foot, take three running steps to the pitcher’s plate and perform the normal pitching motion on the run. The idea is to get a running start so that an especially long leap off the pitcher’s plate can be achieved. The ball can be thrown much faster with the running start and it builds confidence in players that they can throw faster. It also helps develop the strength and athleticism to perform the leap-and-drag motion at a higher level.

5. Speed Drill. The pitcher should take her place on the mound. After someone says, “Go,” the pitcher begins to pitch a predetermined number of pitches, pitching the ball as fast and as quickly as she can. She drives her back leg through normally and stays in tune with other correct mechanics. As soon as she finishes a pitch, she hurries back to the rubber and sets her feet for the next pitch. Meanwhile, the catcher catches the ball and throws it back as fast as she can. The pitcher should be on the rubber to catch the throw and immediately pitch again. She omits the windup and makes just the circle before release. The scale that follows is a good guide for timing a series of pitches. It if helpful to use two balls. The pitcher starts with one, and the catcher with another. The catcher, who should be standing, should not throw her ball until she has caught the pitch.

 Number of Pitches Minimum Time in Seconds
10 30
12 36
15 45
20 60

6. During the year the pitcher should build up to a speed-drill workout of 60 pitches, which could be six sets of 10, five sets of 12, four sets of 15, or three sets of 20. She should do the sets at the end of a normal workout.

7. Fast and Slow. The purpose of this drill is for the pitcher to practice changing speeds. Working with her catcher, the pitcher alternates fast and off-speed pitches. The goal is to keep the delivery time the same.

8. Bag Drill. This drill involves pitching a bag with a ball in it. Take any kind of plastic shopping bag, and drop a ball in the middle of it. Now, put your fingers through the holes of the bag, and then pitch the bag, just like you would if it were a ball. Now, it will probably go straight up the first time, a common occurrence with almost everyone who tries it. All you need to do is let go sooner. Remember that the faster your hand moves, the sooner you have to let go of the ball. Try it again this time and let go sooner. Practice getting the right release point, and on feeling your hand go faster as you let go of the bag. What makes this drill helpful is the weight of the ball and the length of the bag, which create a momentum that forces your hand to go faster than it normally does.

9. Carpet Drill. This drill is used to improve pitching speed. Find a heavy tarp or carpet remnant at least 6 feet wide and 10 feet long, hang it from a joist in the basement or a rafter in the garage, and then just wail the ball at it with all of your might. Don't worry about control, just throw hard. Use your full wind-up and good pitching mechanics, but throw each pitch as hard as you can, without worrying about accuracy. There's no one to call balls and strikes, just think that each pitch needs to be a little harder than the last.

10. Mixing Speeds and Locations. One of the best drills a pitcher can do is to work in practice on mixing speeds and locations. This is how a typical game will be, so it is advantageous to work like a game in practice. This type of precision and pitch control is going to take a lot of practice. The pitcher should stay on the pitch until she hits it. For example, she may throw 10 inside fastballs and only one outside fastball. Hopefully as she practices more and more, it will take less and less time for her to hit the pitches. Mix the sequences up as she becomes more skilled at hitting the target. Only use the pitches that your pitcher throws. You will see quickly what targets or combinations need more work.

Marc Dagenais, MHK, CSCS, is a softball peak performance coach. or for more FREE Tips on how to increase performance and develop talent, please visit www.softballperformance.com and sign-up for my “Softball Performance Secrets Journal”. You can also contact through the website.