8 Reasons Softball Players Struggle with Throwing Mechanics

[@SnapSoftball]

What can we do to change the culture around throwing in softball? Leave a comment below!

[@kennethdante]

Awesome vid, coach! I've thought most of these things watching our daughter at practice and it is def uncomfortable to see the way they are being taught to throw. It's robotic and stiff and they get almost zero body momentum energy. The funny part is the girls who throw hardest do none of that when they throw. My daughter had a better more fluid throwing motion when it was just us playing catch w a baseball ages 6-8. All you are saying here aligns with everything I have witnessed also.

[@chefgregarious]

Good stuff Coach. It's tough to overcome some of the old school beliefs and it can be tricky informing parents what they're telling their daughters is outdated. I just found your site and I'll be binge watching to pick up new or different tools and ideas to help my girls. Will start by adding a bucket of baseballs. Thanks.

[@MrSleep-ju3pf]

Such gold. Thank you for championing this

[@TomasQ]

Dang. Glad i found this. Just started coaching 14u fast

[@chloro8306]

I played T ball as a little kid and quit when we switched to softball because the ball was large and awkward to throw, even to catch it in the mitt was hard because it was so big. I really wish girls' baseball was more popular, I would've kept playing then.

[@AsesssInvestmentsLLC]

This sounds so lame 😂 thx for sharing.

[@CDidIt2U]

So true!!! It is an unfortunate epidemic. Thanks for the knowledge.

[@JuanRodriguez-yl9oq]

We are seeing a lot of 14u and up that don’t use their feet and lower half to help them throw. I was always taught to move and position body before we even threw a ball.

[@SnapSoftball]

absolutely. I tell everyone at my clinics, if they learn one thing, its to just move your feet every time you throw. Footwork and fast feet is huge!

[@teresahardison177]

What would you recommend for throwing progressions if not the old way of doing it?

[@SnapSoftball]

I have some drills I recommend - in the description of the video you'll find a webinar and ebook link - both are free and help fill in some of those blanks.

[@Fearlessly-Kristen]

I wish I had this information when I played in high school. I played center field and throwing was my weakness

[@SnapSoftball]

yeah, its a weakness for a majority of players, unfortunately

[@Mavrk14]

The only comment I’d make is about pregame warm ups… Typically travel softball warm ups are in the outfield or side of a field around the field you play on next. Not a lot of space for proper warm ups and coaches get lazy with their practice time and just run glorified bp for 2hrs.

[@SnapSoftball]

you're spot on - good comment, and you're right. The tournament format does make it really tough.

[@jmartinez9332]

I agree 100% with what you said about softball girls not getting their legs and body into the throws. I'm a baseball guy but have coached little league softball and some club ball and I have to really emphasize proper footwork and getting their bodies into their practice throws. Have you noticed also many players not getting lower when fielding grounders? I emphasize getting lower to get a better view and to have a lower center of gravity so that the players have better balance throwing the ball after fielding it.

[@SnapSoftball]

yeah, I have to an extent - Im not sure fielding is taught the same way, either, on ground balls and being dynamic through them, funneling, etc.

[@hujanair2]

Thanks for the tip!

[@stephenhill4430]

Do you provide any analysis through video. Would love to get your feedback on my daughter.

[@SnapSoftball]

No, but my advanced online course helps you do that yourself and provides the drills and program to make huge improvements without an analysis.

[@QuesesienteGA]

I worked with both my daughters who play softball more baseball mechanics as well and in the cages I would throw over hand to them to get used to faster pitchers. And when we went to practices they would tell them that what they did was wrong.

[@SnapSoftball]

but their skills improved, didnt they?

[@QuesesienteGA]

@@SnapSoftball yes they did. I have. To work on more footwork with them

[@kevinmcdonald6863]

Great content in all your videos! Could I send you a three second video of my daughter throwing and get some feedback? She played baseball until she was 10 and transitioned from there.

[@SnapSoftball]

Sorry - I get too many requests.

[@kevinmcdonald6863]

@@SnapSoftball I understand. My daughter has great throwing mechanics but was a baseball pitcher. Any suggestions/drills for girls that separate their hands after gather closer to their throwing shoulder? She needs to separate her hands in the center of her body to continue playing SS as everything gets faster.

[@bigdaddydon1974]

My daughter went from baseball to softball and I was horrified at how these softball coaches were showing these girls how to throw. Just brutal.

[@SnapSoftball]

there just hasnt been the trickle-down from higher levels like there has been in baseball, unfortunately. kind of a bubble

[@bigdaddydon1974]

@@SnapSoftball it's so bad where we live my daughter had to play the whole season at shortstop for her 10u team and she's stinking LEFT HANDED! But no other girl can make it from short to 1st. It's sad.

[@SnapSoftball]

yeah, it's a shame. Unfortunately, it's not THAT easy to flip the switch and be a solid throwing coach - coaches have a lot to think about as it is, but hopefully the culture shifts over time

[@kaarman1]

My daughter is a 16 yo 18u catcher. We got her a bownet with the big mouth for hitting off the tee at home and just put together a ball return i just bought her. She got a new rico mitt but she needs to break it in the old fashioned way so it lasts. Question: the ball return came with a target that can be weaved into the ball return. She’s not a pitcher, she likes playing with them at the batting cages so i thought anything to help break her glove in. Not gonna lie I’m TERRIFIED to play catch with her and her dad works a lot. But she NEEDS to break that catchers mitt in as fast as she can. It was not steamed or anything - we heard if broken in the old fashioned way it’ll be the last glove she ever has to buy. So i thought the ball return would be good plus i don’t want to die. Yes it’ll have to be returned to her to break it in or i can throw it - I’d be lucky to get to the pitcher from home lol. But after its broke in WHAT HIGHT SHOULD THE TARGET BE to emulate throwing down to 2nd? Also what distance should i measure off to emulate a regulation field? She aims low like shortstops shins for the tag. The video here obviously is good throws but sometimes she throws into center field (she knows she’s standing up to high usually when that happens) - blocking, those are all day long. I think 3-4 balls got by her all season only bc they bounced off the front of the plate. She’s all conference catcher and academic all state and the hardest working catcher ive ever seen. She’ll work (once the snow here melts lol) but should i put the target on the bownet maybe instead for throw down practice? They say don’t practice until you get it right, practice until u can’t get it wrong. Thats her philosophy. So any advice would be appreciated!!! Thanks coach! kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3yyqIehd6qVadU

[@SnapSoftball]

probably 8 feet high. I dont think, though, that the force from a rebounder will break in her mitt - very unlikely. You need reasonably high speed throws hitting the mitt to break it in. Agree though that steaming is a terrible thing to do. Take her to a batting cage to catch balls there - LOTS of catchers break in their mitts by catching machines. Plus, she should be volunteering to go and catch pitchers - during their pitching lessons, for the school, etc - thats how she'll get better AND break in her mitt.

[@kaarman1]

@@SnapSoftball great idea! She has caught lots for friends lessons. Only other option is her 27 yr old brother who throws fire at her and she loves it. Gotta get him over here. Thank you so much for responding!!! Did u check out her video? She’s even better now. And that arm, right? ♥️

[@kaarman1]

On topic though, how does her throw look to you? She’s got a great arm but she’s also had tendonitis twice. Imo bc school ball has her throwing every day after school….?

[@SnapSoftball]

It's a policy that I dont watch/comment on videos, but I appreciate the kind words ❤️

[@abelbertaud7580]

Young boys aren't throwing with correct mechanics either..Most coaches just dont focus on correct throwing mechanics but instead push lifting weights and long toss as a fix all. Nothing worse than incorrect long toss

[@SnapSoftball]

they throw much better than the girls do; I've coached and watched enough of both sports to have seen it. And, at higher levels, the bad throwers are weeded out in baseball almost completely, leaving only good throwers. In softball there are greater than 50% bad throwers in D1, which is nothing like baseball.

[@mathswithgarry7104]

Uh, when you say 10-8 spin, Dan, I think you mean 10-4!

[@SnapSoftball]

yeah, sometimes I get words wrong