If you haven’t already, you’ll come across these terms in your pitching journey. These terms explain 90% of the main mechanics you and your daughter will learn throughout her development. If you can accomplish these positions you will have become an advanced pitcher prepared to perform at the highest level. In Practice Pro terms, you’d be a Level 4 pitcher. You’d put yourself in a position to throw hard and execute all movement pitches, and deliver the ball in a consistent manner. Study up!

Stacked

At the point of release, if mechanics are performed to maximum efficiency and power, a pitcher's hand, ball, drag knee, and shoulder will line up. Here I am next to a beginner. This is what 90% of beginners look like. If a player is older but has never had formal instruction before, she might look like this as well (Caitlyn’s much better now, I swear, I just couldn’t find her new video).

Resistance

The push-off leg creates momentum in the motion. The stride leg, or leg that steps out, creates the resistance to this force, allowing the power to transfer to the ball. A pitcher without good resistance usually topples over her front leg, falling towards the catcher after she pitches. She neglects to produce torque in her back side against her front side.

Use Your Legs

It’s another one of those things shouted by coaches all around the globe. We yell this because pitchers hate using their legs. Many coaches aren’t quite sure why certain motions look weird but there is a specific reason. Once a player creates resistance with her stride leg (above) signified by the leg being flexed but firm, the drive leg behind it moves towards the front leg extremely fast, eventually becoming stacked (above). If a player is not “using her legs’ sub-optimally, she will not be stacked.

Snap The Ball

The fastest part of the entire motion is the hand at release. The speed your hand is going is the speed the ball is going. Snapping the ball refers to the wrist and finger motion your hand does to the ball at release. A pitcher's wrist is pronated as it enters the release zone and becomes supinated as it exists. If either of these is not performed, a lack of speed is a result.

Internal Rotation

From 9 o'clock through the follow through a pitcher's arm, hand and wrist internally rotate as the ball is released. Imagine at 9 o’clock the ball is facing up with the palm facing up. By the release point the palm is facing the catcher, and at the end of the follow through the palm is facing towards first or down. This is the natural movement of the arm and creates a whipping motivation. This adds speed. Most pitchers naturally develop this over time, but it can be taught with drills as well.

Open/Closed

This confuses many baseball-pitcher dads. In softball when a pitcher is open, she is sideways to the catcher. Her chest and waist is facing third base. When a pitcher is closed she is facing the catcher. It’s also known as “square” to the catcher. When a pitchers should be closed and opened is subject for another blog.

Power Line

The imaginary line between the center of the pitching rubber and the center of the plate. Most softball pitching matts have a power line printed on them. A power line is helpful for improving your alignment.

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