Fastpitch Softball TV Network Free fastpitch softball videos, fastpitch softball blogs, fastpitch softball clinics, and softball drills. More than just free fastpitch softball videos, and softball bat reviews, This is a full media site dedicated to fastpitch softball training, With a collection of softball video shows, softball podcasts, and softball blogs. Fastpitch softball pitchers commonly experience tendonitis, or inflammation of the tendons. Tendonitis can happen in any area of the body involved in the pitching motion, such as the shoulder, elbow, rotator cuff, wrist, biceps, or forearm. Tendonitis usually develops after overuse.
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- Fastpitch Softball Pitch Calling Strategy
Knowing which pitch to throw and at what location…then being able to do it… is an important element of every pitcher’s effectiveness.However, there are nearly as many ideas and answers regarding pitch selection as there are pitchers, catchers, and coaches.Everybody has their own idea on what pitch to throw in what kind of situation, and where the pitch should be placed.And THAT is the key…pitch selection and pitch placement should be situational…NOT a flat rule for every batter.
We need to know:
(1) our pitcher’s capabilities with pitch type and placement
(2) the batter’s history…what did she do in her previous at-bats
(3) what we might expect her to do in this situation
(4) whether or not there are runners on base
(5) what her coach might want her to do
(6) how many outs there are and what the current count is
(7) what WE want the batter to do this time
PITCH PLACEMENT –
As mentioned previously, the selection of the pitch and the intended placement should be based on the situation and what you would like to have as the outcome.However, there are some recommendations based on the conventional wisdom of experienced pitchers and coaches…what usually works in typical circumstances:
BUNTING situation – likely runners are on base.You want her to pop it up and perhaps even get the runner doubled-off.Keep it high in the zone, on the batter’s hands.
HITTING AWAY with runners in scoring position – Go for the ground ball.Throw a good drop ball or off-speed up and in.
LEFT SIDE SLAPPER – Up and in again.She’s trying to put it on the ground or through a hole left or right of the pitcher.Be care to not let it go over the middle or outside corner chest high…that’s the easiest place for her to hit it.
Optional pitch – If the batter is standing far back from the plate, or is has the habit of starting down the line early, throw a curve away from her (screw ball from a right handed pitcher) that stays low and just outside the zone…a “chase” pitch
ANXIOUS / JITTERY BATTER – Throw her an occasional off-speed pitch
DEEP IN THE BOX – Up and inside, or an off-speed low and away
CROWDING THE PLATE – Screw ball up and in on her hands
WIDE STANCE (a “no-stride” batter) – Off-speed or drop ball placed low
Again, this is a topic where everyone is the expert.These guidelines are based on our experiences, and those of veteran coaches, pitchers, and hitters.
Have you ever wondered why they call it “fastpitch” softball? Is the ball really traveling that much faster?
Average Pitch Speeds in Softball
Some people would be surprised to know just how fast a pitch travels in fastpitch softball, especially when you consider that girls as young as 7 or 8 are doing the pitching in some leagues. This article is actually designed more for batters than for pitchers so that batters can get prepared for what they may be facing in the batter’s box. Keep in mind that speed in pitching is not everything, accuracy and consistency are just as important if not more so than pure speed.
The average pitching speed of a youth softball player will differ greatly from pitcher to pitcher. However, we have compiled the average pitch times for each age group. These are broken down into two categories. First is the Average Pitch Speed which are the speeds you could expect to see by pitchers in a C Level and some B Level Rec leagues. Second is the Top Pitching Speeds which are speeds you could expect to see by pitchers in some B Level Rec leagues, all star teams and travel ball clubs. Please don’t be offended if your player is consistently pitching at higher or lower speeds than listed. This list is just the average softball pitching speeds by age, not what you might see in above average pitchers or the maximums they might be able to occasionally pitch.
Fastpitch Softball Pitch Speed Chart Hadesall about myths.
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Softball vs. Baseball Pitching Speeds
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You also may be wondering how this compares to baseball pitching speeds. I mean a 12 year old softball player pitching 45mph sounds kind of fast but not as impressive as a 12 year old baseball player pitching a 60mph fastball – or is it?
To compare the softball and baseball speeds you really need all the information. The primary factor in comparing the two is distance from the release point to the plate or the distance a batter has to react to the pitch; this is the effective pitch speed. A 12U softball pitcher stands 40 feet from home plate to start her pitch and about 35 feet from her release point. If she pitches a 45mph ball it is the equivalent of approximately a 78mph pitch in baseball, if the baseball was thrown from a full MLB distance of 60.5 feet. That’s pretty impressive in anyone’s book and 45mph for a 12 year old is a pretty average pitch speed. A college level softball pitcher will often pitch speeds in the mid-high 60’s and even low 70’s. This isn’t to compare softball to baseball or say which is better it’s just illustrate that just hearing the number for speed of a pitch isn’t the whole picture. Remember that next time you want to get frustrated when a player strikes out at bat, how many of you could hit a 78mph fast ball?
Fastpitch Softball Pitch Calling Strategy
This chart gives a comparison of softball pitch speed (pitching rubber 43’ from home plate) and baseball pitch speed (pitcher’s mound 60.5’ from home plate). Read more about what it takes to be a pitcher on a girls fastpitch team.