Pitching - How to get more strikeouts | Women's Sports Blog Network: Women Talk Sports

Pitching - How to get more strikeouts

posted by Softball Performance Blog
Friday, April 1, 2011 at 1:38am EDT

We provide softball tips, drills, and advice to players, coaches, and parents on hitting, pitching, coaching, training, and more.

baseballpictesti Pitching How to Get More Strikeouts Baseball of Famer, Warren Spahn once said "Hitting is timing, pitching is upsetting timing."

If you want to get more strikeouts and more wins this season, find another way to upset the timing of the hitters you face.

One super simple way to do this is vary the length of your set. Some pitchers barely have a set. Their hands come together, pause briefly, then they are immediately beginning their pitching motion.

Others have a nice long pause with their hands together before they start their pitching motion.

Still others are in continuous motion as they bring their hands together then move directly into their pitching motion.

Using a different set from time to time or lengthening/shortening the pause you have after bringing your hands together and before you start your motion can be a simply way to disrupt hitter's timing.

I first heard of this strategy from Hal Skinner, Hall of Fame Men's Fastpitch pitcher. Hal actually has a pitching book full of different ideas for keeping hitters off balance.

In addition, Hal also shares his Foundation Method which allows a pitcher to gain optimal speed AND pitching accuracy.

Here's what a softball dad had to say about Hal's book…
Not only did the mechanical drills in your book assist Ashley in her development of strength and speed, the mental toughness advice made her the dominating pitcher she is today. With your book I have been able to successfully instruct Ashley to pitch at a top level. "She had me and I had your book for instruction". She was started off with your 'Foundation Method', we have continued using that method all along and still use it today.

Ashley is one of the Top Recruited High School pitchers in the Nation.
Schools that have expressed interest in Ashley and / or actively recruited her: Oregon State, Boise State, Oregon, Washington, Tennessee, Stanford, Florida State, and many, many others. Ashley verbally committed to UAB - University of Alabama Birmingham, just a few days ago. All the schools mentioned are D1 including her final choice of UAB.

The 'Foundation Method' is what we stuck to. I truly believe this is why she throws so hard today.

So if you want to increase your pitching speed and accuracy while fooling the hitters you face, check out Hal's book, Sneaky Softball Pitching.

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Pitching - How to get more strikeouts

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