The outcome of a softball game is usually decided by who which pitcher is the more dominant on the mound on that particular day. A lot of skills is required for softball pitching and so pitchers should always look for ways on how they can improve their game. One of the better ways any pitcher can improve and perform better on the mound is with use of pitching drills. In this article, there are a lot of great softball pitching drills that pitchers can use to improve their skill and as a result their winning percentage.



Drill 1 - Spin Drill

Purpose: To teach the fingers the proper grip and ball spin.

Procedure: The pitcher stands three feet from her partner, either a catcher or another pitcher, grips the ball for the pitch she chooses, and then spins it to her partner. The pitcher takes the time to do 15 of each of her pitches. If the person receiving the ball is also a pitcher, she can always do the spin back; if not the catcher can catch it and give feedback.

Drill 2 - Walk Drill

Purpose: To strengthen the lower body and build endurance.

Procedure: One of the partners should stand 60 feet away from her partner with the ball in an area where there's a lot of grass, a gym space, or even a ball diamond. She begins walking and takes around three steps before she steps into her pitching motion. Once in the motion she attempts to throw the ball to her partner. She wants the ball to get to her partner in the air. In order to do this she has to use her legs and lower body so that she can get a good lift on the ball. Once she releases, she takes three steps back to the 60-foot distance. Once the partner gets the ball, she will then do the same technique back to the first thrower. This drill works on the legs and teaches the player to use the lower body as the force for the pitch. Have each player pitch 20-30 balls.

Drill 3 - Wall Pitching

Purpose: To develop speed without worrying about accuracy.

Procedure: The pitcher stands 10 to 15 feet from a wall and throws hard, working on mechanics and the feel of throwing the ball hard. Doing this over and over again will make the ball soft after a short amount of time, so the pitcher should use the same ball. Don't use a rubber balls that does not have seams because the pitcher has to always be able to grip the ball the right way. One of the great advantages of this kind of practice is that the pitcher can always do it by herself and any time she wants.

Drill 4 - Wrist Snap Behind Back

Purpose: This drill works on developing the wrist snap by isolating the wrist, and this forces the pitcher to not use the elbow to snap the ball.

Procedure: The pitcher should place herself sideways from the catcher or a wall, 5 to 10 feet away,. The glove side faces the target, and the ball is behind the back. By snapping the wrist, the pitcher flips the ball.

Drill 5 - Long Toss

Purpose: To practice getting under the ball for rise-ball release. This is a great drill to work on body and arm strength.

Procedure: The pitcher pitches to a catcher from second base or even farther, lobbing the ball up as if she is throwing it over a telephone pole. This action gives the pitcher no choice but to get under the ball. In order to increase her strength, the pitcher keeps backing up (from second base, to center field, to the fence) to see how far she can actually throw it.