Pitching Fundamentals

Overview

This introduction to pitching was prepared to help SYA parents and coaches get their kids started in pitching. To become great pitchers, girls must practice nearly every day. The fundamentals that follow provide a good foundation for getting started in pitching, but they are not a substitute for professional coaching. If a girl shows talent, she should attend pitching clinics periodically or receive one-on-one instruction so an expert can offer advice and correct the inevitable flaws that can hinder progress. The tough part is getting started, and these instructions can help in that regard.

For additional information about pitching clinics or instructors, or if you have other questions, call your League Coordinator.

Getting Started

A few of the most often asked questions about pitching include: at what age should a girl start pitching; should she use the windmill when she starts out; and should she concentrate on accuracy or speed at first?

In SYA, players begin to pitch competitively in the Minor League. However, it is not too early to teach a girl the mechanics of pitching at the age of six or seven. At all levels of play, the preferred, and practically only, style of pitching is the windmill (as described in this guide) and girls should use that style as early as possible. It is far better to teach one method and stick with it, rather than first teach something like the slingshot and then change to the windmill later.

The last question, whether to work on accuracy or speed when a girl first starts pitching, always seems to be controversial. The correct answer, however, is to work on the mechanics first. To become a very good pitcher, a girl must throw hard while executing the mechanics properly. While control is important, it should not override everything else. To sacrifice proper mechanics and speed to achieve control will result in the development of bad habits that will have to be broken later. It takes a few years for most pitchers to be able to throw strikes at will. It takes a few more years for pitchers to attain the necessary control so they can spot the ball anywhere in the strike zone. However, pitchers cannot achieve this skill level unless they learn and practice the mechanics first. Correct arm speed, wrist snap, body rotation, balance, stride length, and follow-through are the prerequisites to becoming a great pitcher.

The following instructions describe how a typical pitcher executes the windmill style in fastpitch softball. They are not meant to be the last word about pitching fundamentals. Many very fine pitchers execute some of the mechanics differently than described here. However, this guide is useful in getting a young pitcher started and in helping a parent or coach teach basic techniques. All descriptions that follow are for right-handed pitchers and should be adjusted, as appropriate, for left-handers.