If someone at that level, with all her accomplishments and championships wasn’t afraid to get out of her comfort zone so she could grow, the rest of us shouldn’t be either. Came across a version of the headline of this post yesterday in another context this week and thought “How appropriate for fastpitch softball!” Of […]

Sometimes, though, it’s not dangerous, just painful. If you can “rub some dirt on it” as we used to say and fight your way through it, you clearly have ample helpings of mental toughness. Last weekend once I was done with lessons I went out to watch a tournament where some of my students were […]

The good news for my students is my lesson schedule (not to mention my wife) keeps me busy so I don’t have a lot of time to get out to games. The fact is our eyes (and brains) have an amazing ability to adjust to our surroundings, and to take in and process information while […]

“We just wanted to figure out a way for her to get around all the bases and give her a chance to have fun, get out there, swing it,” he said. Her grin is the first thing most people notice about Reese Ramirez. “When I met her, she was smiling ear to ear,” Rudy Mendoza, Reese’s […]

If I can rattle the opposing pitcher just by showing bunt, it’s going to be a long day for that pitcher. Bunting strategy Besides hitting the ball to the fence, there is no greater offensive weapon than a robust bunting strategy. This is true of all age groups in fastpitch softball. A good “short game” will turn […]

You should feel a stretch around the stomach area if the hips are leading the shoulders properly. By now the arm should have completed the circle and be in a position to come forward. If there is one universal truth in fastpitch softball it has to be this: basic overhand throwing is the most under-taught […]

Leaving the leg behind also tends to put the pitcher into a forward-leaning position, which not only hurts speed and accuracy but can also put stress on the pitcher’s back. Last night, as I often do, I was doing a pitching lesson. The pitcher in question was also doing what many pitcher do – reaching […]

Catchers will come up out of their crouches, take a step forward with their right foot, then take a step forward with their left foot, then throw. When I work with catchers, I often tell them two of the most important things they will be judged on by coaches is their ability to block pitches […]

If you have to think about how you’re throwing, or guide the ball to get it to where you want it to go, you’re an error waiting to happen. Probably at a key point in the game. Recently I flew down to Nashville with my wife to visit my daughter (yes, a former fastpitch pitcher), […]

Getting stuck on the back side during the load is deadly to hitters. What they need to do instead is “bounce off” of it. Tell me if you’ve seen (or personally experienced) this before. A hitter looks great on the tee. All her mechanics are correct and her movements are correctly sequenced. She’s pounding the […]