Seven Step Guide To Windmill Pitching - Want To Learn Or Improve Your Game?

Although I'm not particularly a fan of swinging the arm back at the start of the delivery, as it requires a significant amount of extra energy without an equal amount of added power generation and can tip off the opposing team to the incoming pitching, the rest of the video is quite good.

By all means, feel free to add your input, make suggestions, and question certain aspects. 

Keep in mind, this is a general guideline and is focused more for beginners. Always work within a pitcher's natural movement (unless there are serious issues with their delivery). Forcing a pitcher into a strict mold will not allow them to develop on their own, and has a good chance of reducing their
effectiveness.

As well, you always want your pitcher to be challenged. That is, whatever guidelines and goals you set, they should attain a ~80% success rate. What that means is if they are at step 1 and hitting their target 100% of the time, try moving them on to step 2 or have them throw from farther away. Tweak various aspects to challenge them, and remember to keep things fun.

Pitching Clinic

Attention All Ball Players: Fantastic Video On Creating A Consistent And Confident Routine In The Batter's Box

A great video that touches on many of the important aspects for a batter to be wary of, and do to be properly prepared. Ball is not a particularly fast paced sport, especially when you compare it to the likes of something like basketball, but requires significant mental readiness and toughness.

Although there may be nine players to a side, when you are up to bat it's just you and the pitcher. Yes, being mindful of where the fielders are playing, the catcher, the umpire's tendencies to call certain pitches, etc etc... are all important, but the very act of hitting come down to you against one other person - and they throw that ball fast!

You have the ability to make a choice - swing or don't swing. 

You have the ability to make a choice - portray confidence or timidness

To stay focused or not...

And finally, and perhaps most important of all - patience. To be patient for the right pitch, and to be patient to get a hit. Hitting three out of every ten at bats is considered a VERY good average. But, if you ever got 30% on a test, you probably weren't very happy (neither were your parents or teacher :P). It is this mental side of the game that is very important.

Beyond that, comes the specific aspects, as shown in the video.

ENJOY!

Stittsville Minor Softball Pitching Clinic

Left to Right: Kolin & Kampbell Pristanski, Juliana & Fred
Barbieri, and Paige & Mark Galbraith

Here are three sets of our younger pitchers after working long and hard over the course of the session.

For the last six weeks 20 of our finest young pitchers and their parents have been dragging themselves out to South Carleton High School to work on their pitching.

We have had world class and local pitchers, both young and old helping developing these young rising stars. Pitchers like Neil Cooke, Duane Bromley, and Dale Aiken. As well, both myself and our other facilitator Al Read have been working tirelessly with these extremely hard working super stars.

www.stittsvillesoftball.org
Twitter - @SMSAsoftball / @SMSAFunLeague
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Our goal at the SMSA was to provide an extremely affordable clinic, that also provides the pitchers an opportunity to spend a significant amount of time over the few months leading up to the ball season warming up, and preparing their bodies for the ball season.

Additionally, we have designed an E-manual covering all the aspects of the pitching mechanics that we were working on, which will allow these kids to work on all the important aspects even when we are no longer working with them one-on-one.

The end of the pitching clinic is unfortunately fast approaching. I know I will personally miss all of these fantastic youths and their equally committed parents. Hopefully we will see them be part of the SMSA for many years to come.