<Expectations>
- You can't expect to improve from 1 hour of work once a week. You have to work on skills outside of lesson time and implement what you are learning week to week.
- Limit to 80 pitches per session (focus on QUALITY not quantity)
- 3 days maximum of pitching per week - on days when you are NOT pitching do a strength or mobility workout
- Have 2 full days off a week
- Accuracy and pitch command is KEY. Being able to hit spots (8 out of 10 pitches is ideal). Accuracy always comes before speed and different spins.
- Coach Kara will take data (velocity, videos of pitchers for examples) to analyze once per month
<Warm Up Exercises>
Do these exercises before every pitching session (games and practices). If you don't know what they are YouTube them.
- Jaegar bands 2 sets of 10 reps
- Overhead extension
- Forward fly
- Reverse fly
- Internal rotation
- External rotation
- "X's"
- Spiderman lunge with hip lift and rotation 2 sets of 10 reps
- Prep hip hinge (against wall or fence) 3 sets of 30 reps
- Hip mobility - sit on butt, in figure 4 position, leg straight on the ground, slide one leg out as far as you can to the side as possible. This is an introduction to putting pressure on pinky toe side for external rotation and pressure on big toe side = internal rotation. Repeat on both legs, 2 sets of 8 reps on each hip
- Bootstrappers - hold onto ankles and bend into squat position and lift up holding ankles the entire time 2 sets of 10 reps
<Mobility Exercises>
Do these exercises after every pitching session (games and practices)
- Scorpion stretch while laying on back - 5-8 reps on each side
- Scorpion stretch on stomach - 5-8 reps on each side
- Kneeling hip flexors - on one knee, squeeze butt and hold - 30 seconds each leg
- Half pigeon stretch - 30 seconds each leg
- Seated half hamstring stretch - 30 seconds each leg
- Laying quad stretch - 30 seconds each leg
- Calf stretch in down dog position, push heel into ground - 30 seconds each leg
- Laying on back glute stretch, pull one bent leg into body while other leg straight out - 30 seconds each leg
<Mental Training>
** SLIGHT CHANGE: Mental training workbook coming soon! **
As well as we will implement funnelling into our practice and games routines (see video below).
Softball is a failure sport. We will fail more than we will succeed. The importance is how we overcome each mistake and "failure". Maintaining composure through attitude and effort and mindset. You have a whole team behind you. It isn’t all on you :)
<Strength Training>
Every exercise performed 3 sets with 12 reps
Start with no weights and as you progress you can safely add heavier weights to your exercises. Please watch the attached links in order to properly execute each exercise.
Squat swings
<Shoulder Health>
As a softball pitcher a mobility and strengthening routine for the shoulder complex is vital to maintaining shoulder health, optimizing performance and preventing injury.
A proper warm up and cool down are necessary to activate the correct muscles in the proper sequence and to allow muscles to recover properly after a workout.
Key components to shoulder health also include rest schedules/breaks, awareness of early signs of injury, proper pitching mechanics, and preparation/progression with supervised coaching.
Let your pitching coach know if you ever experience soreness, pain, heaviness or tingling in your shoulder/arm/hand.
Respecting your shoulders health will enable you to enjoy a long and successful pitching career.
<EXTRA INFORMATION & THINGS TO NOTE>
Bull Pens
- Work batting counts
- Do you know your “go to” pitches, strike out pitches, weak pitches
- Do you have your pitch sequencing - high low, off-speed… KNOW WHY
- Split the zone up to 4+ zones
- Throw full pitches with purpose
- How to get back hip to rotate? Apply constant pressure in your back foot, so you can rotate your hip against the ground, creating tension
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:
- Hips are like a rubber band.
- With an elastic hair band - when you pull back and release it, the further back you pull aka more tension you create the further it goes in the air AKA the more power you generate in your pitch.
- Use both feet!! Back foot first when starting pitching motion
- Hamstrings and glute muscles control the hip
- Hips drive the shin angle drop (like when we do standing board jumps)
- Butt is over back calf in our load position!
- *** REMEMBER: Spins always coming from a palm up position and using hips at all times***
THINK ABOUT IT: You can rotate your back hip way more powerfully if you’re actively engaging your upper half and providing resistance/tension from your opposite shoulder side. Energy transfers between. So when the glove foot connects with the ground it transfers energy to the throwing arm (your glove arm to your right leg and same with the pitching arm and glove foot). Therefore, you do not want your glove foot still in the air when you’re past about 10 o’clock in your arm rotation.