Man, I sure wish this guy kept making videos! I was a college pitcher back in my heyday, and it took a LOT to get my ego and baseball ways beaten out of me to grow into a good softball pitcher, but this channel has been a huge help! I watch these videos multiple times each pre-season as I’m getting ready for league season, and I’m now a really good pitcher with solid command of a slider, screwball, sinker and knuckleball. These lessons are SPOT ON. Now if only I could hit! 😂
Definitely look forward to part 3 in your grip, release pressure, alternates like the knuckleball. Everything will eventually get there with repetition. I am starting to get the ball to tail in on a RHB with your tips, just the curve comfortably releasing the ball is going to take more practice. Thank you for the great science and clear instructions!
I appreciate the videos. Much needed in slow pitch. I agree on the knuckle ball. It's a great pitch in small doses when the wind is right and you feel confident throwing it. Some days it just doesn't come out of the hand right and ends up getting mashed. I've never tried throwing a slider with spin on it so I'll definitely have to give it a shot. Mine naturally curves by the way I grip and release the ball(Magnus affect). I've always thrown a four seam screwball with the all 4 fingers and thumb on a seam and twisting clockwise before release. Anxious to try the 2 finger grip and hopefully get better rotation. Thanks again for the videos...keep em coming! 🙂
@@joelreynolds6251 they must have some stellar knuckleballs then. I am anything but consistent throwing them unfortunately. That's why I keep them to a minimum
Could you do a video like this on your slider? I've got the screwball down pretty well and love it. Having difficulty with pronating my wrist and getting movement on my slider(right to left). Thanks
Working on it now Jim, "SLIDER" will be the first video in my next series, "PITCHES". Each video will feature one pitch with full description, instructions, grip, release, slo-mo and situational use. Stay tuned!
Hi Barry, I'm going to be making very detailed videos featuring a single pitch per video soon but for now you can see how I throw this pitch at the 2:08 minute mark of this video: th-cam.com/video/teDXCFz_Il8/w-d-xo.html Let me know how it goes. Good Luck!
That's a short question with a long answer! If I could give you only one suggestion today it would be this, begin by establishing control or command of your pitches. Do this for at least one pitch so you can throw it for a strike 8 out of 10 times. I really can't over emphasize this point. I've seen experienced pitchers who still struggle with this very basic skill and frequently get into trouble because they can't seem to overcome it. I'll be doing some videos for beginners soon so subscribe and keep in touch. I'm releasing a video this week, Part 4 of my series, "Slow Pitch Power Pitching". It's designed for more advanced pitchers but there is a part of this video that you should watch covering drills for accuracy. Make sure you watch it and get back to me with any questions. Good Luck!
It’s 12”, and I speak from experience when I tell you that it takes WORK to develop a wider spread that’s not only comfortable but also controllable. I promise you though, it is well worth it! Two things to help you get there: 1) Keep a 12” ball in places you normally hang around with time to kill. I have one each in my car, my office, my home office, my kitchen and so on. Whenever you have a spare minute or two, pick up a ball and work your grip. It’s like learning to do the splits or old man yoga; lots of repetition and exercise, but little by little you build up the strength and flexibility to widen your grip and actually increase rotation and control. 2) Throw BP or toss at a bucket daily for a few weeks, no exceptions. This builds up muscle memory and confidence in control and real movement. If you only throw a few before each game, it won’t work. These two things will change how you throw in major ways. Guaranteed.
Another great vid!!! I had a question. Might seem silly, but i am a beginner. Was wondering where i should be looking when pitching. While practicing i find myself looking at the mat. Should i instead be looking at the batter? Thanks!
Hi Geo, when you say you're looking at the mat I'm assuming you mean the plate. Good mental imaging/targeting is an essential element in mastering command. Generally, it is best to visualize the smallest possible target, for example, instead of pitching to the plate, visualize only the corner or side of the plate. When you first begin to pitch it can be helpful to split the plate into 2 halves, pitching to the center of the left or right half. I have a pvc pipe hammered into the ground at the back edge of the center half of the right side of the home plate in my practice pit. It sticks up about an inch so I can use it as a visual reference for practice. If I hit it, I know it's right on the back edge of the plate, centered on the inside half of the plate to a right-handed batter. Nothing magic about where I have it, it just works for me as a precise point of reference.
Recently have started pitching because my team does not have a solid strike throwing pitcher. My first game is coming up and Id say I have thrown close to 1000 pitches in a live practice setting(offense and defense), as well as an additional 1000-1500 at my own pace. I have found great accuracy in my meatball, slider and i even throw in a knuckleball that doesn't have much movement but seems to drop really fast right before the plate which is a nice changeup, Im having issues with getting the spin right on my screwball. Being that I have found a pretty good consistent throw with these other pitches and even some good command with the slider and knuckleball, I would like to have another pitch with movement to throw a batter off, any suggestions on getting the right rotation on the screwball to get that breaking pitch?
Wow! That's a lot of work and preparation Van. And you have yet to pitch in your first game. Very impressive! So, let's get to the nub of your issue. You'd like a breaking pitch to counter your Slider. Good Idea. The Screwball will break to your pitching arm side; this is true for left or right-handed pitching. I'll give you a couple of tips, but unfortunately, I can't give you a comprehensive solution here. I'm presently working on a new video series called "PITCHES." In this series, I feature one video for each pitch with a full description, instructions, and drills. The first video is on the Slider, and the second will be on the Screwball. In my very first video on this channel, I describe the Screwball at the: 58-minute mark: th-cam.com/video/teDXCFz_Il8/w-d-xo.html If you're pitching the Screwball as instructed here and you're not getting the break you need, try turning your wrist more toward the little finger side of your hand on release. Also, you should be using a striped ball to check for correct rotation. The ball should have backspin, and the stripe of the ball should angle toward your pitching arm side, the direction of the break. Let me know if this helps and good luck with your first game!
@@utah32804 Well we won. It was about a 15mph wind into our faces. My knuckle moved like I have never seen before and even the ump looked a bit shocked. I adjusted my grip a bit on the screw ball and the wind really exaggerated that break. Made me feel good. This week will be a better idea on how much my pitch is truly breaking on its own. Either way the movement definitely threw off the hitters and I managed to throw strikes or atleast hittable pitches.
Ok, Van, so it sounds like you've found your groove on the screwball, and, you're right, a headwind exaggerates any breaking pitch. Let me know how it breaks without the headwind. Pitching into the wind can be a blast, loosen you up and, get you to forget the strategy. Just throw those crazy breakers up there and watch 'em trying to hit. But, when the wind is calm, go back to precision with your location as ball movement will decrease, and pitch location again becomes the primary factor. Good Luck!
Hey, I'm more comfortable doing this pitch. Would you be able to make a similar video but that breaks the other way? So if I am left handed pitcher and I want it to break into a right handed batter (away from left handed batter) how would I hold the ball and release it?
Hi Nicholas, If you're pitching lefthanded and you want your pitch to break in on a right-handed batter then you should throw a slider. Go to the 2:08 mark in this video: th-cam.com/video/teDXCFz_Il8/w-d-xo.html and this is where I show how to pitch the slider. The mechanics are the same as shown here but just opposite for the left-handed pitcher. I plan to make more in-depth videos, one for each type of pitch in the near future. I hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions. Good luck!
I hear you mention your knuckle ball pitch. Will you be showing how to throw that at all? Do you throw it with back hand or front hand technique? While I agree you shouldn't throw that pitch all the time I have seen people throw in regularly with success. I umpire upper league ball players often and I see variations of it thrown that are effective. I myself just want to learn how to throw it effectively and save it for about 3-5 pitches a game (depending on the situation).
Hi Virgil, thanks for the question and I appreciate your comment. I think your idea of throwing the knuckleball just a few times a game is a good one, maybe more, depending on the team, or if it's really working for you. Every seasoned pitcher should have it in his toolbox and I will be making a training video covering this pitch. I'd be less than honest if I didn't admit to going to it as my primary pitch in times past when having a tough inning. But, looking back, I usually got into trouble because I didn't execute as I should have with my primary pitches. I was leaving pitches fat, missing my spots, getting behind in the count. I've found that it's been better (for me at least) to just deal with the command issues in practice, fix those problems and use the knuckleball for specific situations and not rely on it to get me out of a jam. Sometimes it's just got me into more trouble. I also find the nature of the pitch at odds with my pitching philosophy. To me it's like throwing dice, hoping the right combination comes up. My idea of pitching is to be aggressive and try to dictate the terms of the at-bat to the hitter... a knuckleball by its random nature is inconsistent with this idea.
Sorry about that Duane, I have a lighting problem when illustrating the ball at my desk and haven't quite figured out how to resolve it yet. Thanks for watching!
The absolute top level pitchers (Conference USSSA) throw almost exclusively knuckleballs. Most notably, the best pitcher in the game, Andy Purcell. With your claim on knuckleballs in the video, and in the comments, it is directly contradicting the best in the game. Are you claiming to know better than him?
Hi Joel, a couple of things to think about. Pitchers who watch this channel and benefit from my videos are generally not pitching against the quality of hitter faced by top-level tournament pitchers. The local game is a different animal than the big league game both in the way the games are officiated and the level of hitter talent. Local leagues can have excellent if not top-level hitters scattered throughout their teams. But, a local league pitcher is not likely to face an entire lineup of these guys. Also, most local league umpires call the game pretty close to the book in a couple of ways that you don't see on the higher level. For one, they enforce the "stay in the box" rule most of the time. This keeps the hitters honest and allows for a legitimate low strike, from the belt to the knees. This strike is non-existent in the big game as the batter's box is not enforced, allowing the hitter to step forward, out of the box and take away low strikes. Also, most local league umpires will call a legal low arc 6.5' to 7' pitch whereas on the higher level the pitch must be in the 7.5' to 8' high range to get the ok. This, combined with no low strike, leaves the pitcher with very little to work. Hence, the predominance of the knuckleball. The style of pitching I teach, excellent command, low strikes with movement on and off the corners fits well on the local league level but would not necessarily be productive in the big league game. And to answer your question, no. I don't claim to know more than anyone else about slow pitch softball pitching. Just sharing my experience with anyone interested.
Man, I sure wish this guy kept making videos! I was a college pitcher back in my heyday, and it took a LOT to get my ego and baseball ways beaten out of me to grow into a good softball pitcher, but this channel has been a huge help! I watch these videos multiple times each pre-season as I’m getting ready for league season, and I’m now a really good pitcher with solid command of a slider, screwball, sinker and knuckleball. These lessons are SPOT ON. Now if only I could hit! 😂
Definitely look forward to part 3 in your grip, release pressure, alternates like the knuckleball. Everything will eventually get there with repetition. I am starting to get the ball to tail in on a RHB with your tips, just the curve comfortably releasing the ball is going to take more practice. Thank you for the great science and clear instructions!
I appreciate the videos. Much needed in slow pitch. I agree on the knuckle ball. It's a great pitch in small doses when the wind is right and you feel confident throwing it. Some days it just doesn't come out of the hand right and ends up getting mashed. I've never tried throwing a slider with spin on it so I'll definitely have to give it a shot. Mine naturally curves by the way I grip and release the ball(Magnus affect). I've always thrown a four seam screwball with the all 4 fingers and thumb on a seam and twisting clockwise before release. Anxious to try the 2 finger grip and hopefully get better rotation. Thanks again for the videos...keep em coming! 🙂
This is where I learned my slider from.
th-cam.com/video/j_hJbiRil7o/w-d-xo.html
The best pitchers in the world throw nothing but knuckleballs...
@@jimpeterson3806 hey jim... i'm the guy who posted that video... nice to see you...
@@joelreynolds6251 they must have some stellar knuckleballs then. I am anything but consistent throwing them unfortunately. That's why I keep them to a minimum
Could you do a video like this on your slider? I've got the screwball down pretty well and love it. Having difficulty with pronating my wrist and getting movement on my slider(right to left). Thanks
Working on it now Jim, "SLIDER" will be the first video in my next series, "PITCHES". Each video will feature one pitch with full description, instructions, grip, release, slo-mo and situational use. Stay tuned!
@@utah32804 perfect! Thank you sir!!
I’m a righty wanting ball to curve away from a righty. Can you show the grip and a slomo clip of the release?
Hi Barry, I'm going to be making very detailed videos featuring a single pitch per video soon but for now you can see how I throw this pitch at the 2:08 minute mark of this video: th-cam.com/video/teDXCFz_Il8/w-d-xo.html Let me know how it goes. Good Luck!
Great Videos! My team lost our pitcher and I’m going to give it shot, any advise or tips for me? Thank you
That's a short question with a long answer! If I could give you only one suggestion today it would be this, begin by establishing control or command of your pitches. Do this for at least one pitch so you can throw it for a strike 8 out of 10 times. I really can't over emphasize this point. I've seen experienced pitchers who still struggle with this very basic skill and frequently get into trouble because they can't seem to overcome it. I'll be doing some videos for beginners soon so subscribe and keep in touch. I'm releasing a video this week, Part 4 of my series, "Slow Pitch Power Pitching". It's designed for more advanced pitchers but there is a part of this video that you should watch covering drills for accuracy. Make sure you watch it and get back to me with any questions. Good Luck!
Is that an 11" or 12" softball? It looks like youre getting a much wider split finger grip than I seem to be able to get.
It’s 12”, and I speak from experience when I tell you that it takes WORK to develop a wider spread that’s not only comfortable but also controllable. I promise you though, it is well worth it! Two things to help you get there:
1) Keep a 12” ball in places you normally hang around with time to kill. I have one each in my car, my office, my home office, my kitchen and so on. Whenever you have a spare minute or two, pick up a ball and work your grip. It’s like learning to do the splits or old man yoga; lots of repetition and exercise, but little by little you build up the strength and flexibility to widen your grip and actually increase rotation and control.
2) Throw BP or toss at a bucket daily for a few weeks, no exceptions. This builds up muscle memory and confidence in control and real movement. If you only throw a few before each game, it won’t work. These two things will change how you throw in major ways. Guaranteed.
Another great vid!!! I had a question. Might seem silly, but i am a beginner. Was wondering where i should be looking when pitching. While practicing i find myself looking at the mat. Should i instead be looking at the batter? Thanks!
Hi Geo, when you say you're looking at the mat I'm assuming you mean the plate. Good mental imaging/targeting is an essential element in mastering command. Generally, it is best to visualize the smallest possible target, for example, instead of pitching to the plate, visualize only the corner or side of the plate. When you first begin to pitch it can be helpful to split the plate into 2 halves, pitching to the center of the left or right half. I have a pvc pipe hammered into the ground at the back edge of the center half of the right side of the home plate in my practice pit. It sticks up about an inch so I can use it as a visual reference for practice. If I hit it, I know it's right on the back edge of the plate, centered on the inside half of the plate to a right-handed batter. Nothing magic about where I have it, it just works for me as a precise point of reference.
@@utah32804 hey thanks for getting back to me! Great advice. Looking forward the the rest of the power pitching series.
WeekNight Ace
Do you do private lessons?
Recently have started pitching because my team does not have a solid strike throwing pitcher. My first game is coming up and Id say I have thrown close to 1000 pitches in a live practice setting(offense and defense), as well as an additional 1000-1500 at my own pace. I have found great accuracy in my meatball, slider and i even throw in a knuckleball that doesn't have much movement but seems to drop really fast right before the plate which is a nice changeup, Im having issues with getting the spin right on my screwball. Being that I have found a pretty good consistent throw with these other pitches and even some good command with the slider and knuckleball, I would like to have another pitch with movement to throw a batter off, any suggestions on getting the right rotation on the screwball to get that breaking pitch?
Wow! That's a lot of work and preparation Van. And you have yet to pitch in your first game. Very impressive! So, let's get to the nub of your issue. You'd like a breaking pitch to counter your Slider. Good Idea. The Screwball will break to your pitching arm side; this is true for left or right-handed pitching. I'll give you a couple of tips, but unfortunately, I can't give you a comprehensive solution here. I'm presently working on a new video series called "PITCHES." In this series, I feature one video for each pitch with a full description, instructions, and drills. The first video is on the Slider, and the second will be on the Screwball. In my very first video on this channel, I describe the Screwball at the: 58-minute mark: th-cam.com/video/teDXCFz_Il8/w-d-xo.html
If you're pitching the Screwball as instructed here and you're not getting the break you need, try turning your wrist more toward the little finger side of your hand on release. Also, you should be using a striped ball to check for correct rotation. The ball should have backspin, and the stripe of the ball should angle toward your pitching arm side, the direction of the break. Let me know if this helps and good luck with your first game!
@@utah32804 Well we won. It was about a 15mph wind into our faces. My knuckle moved like I have never seen before and even the ump looked a bit shocked. I adjusted my grip a bit on the screw ball and the wind really exaggerated that break. Made me feel good. This week will be a better idea on how much my pitch is truly breaking on its own. Either way the movement definitely threw off the hitters and I managed to throw strikes or atleast hittable pitches.
Ok, Van, so it sounds like you've found your groove on the screwball, and, you're right, a headwind exaggerates any breaking pitch. Let me know how it breaks without the headwind. Pitching into the wind can be a blast, loosen you up and, get you to forget the strategy. Just throw those crazy breakers up there and watch 'em trying to hit. But, when the wind is calm, go back to precision with your location as ball movement will decrease, and pitch location again becomes the primary factor. Good Luck!
Hey, I'm more comfortable doing this pitch. Would you be able to make a similar video but that breaks the other way? So if I am left handed pitcher and I want it to break into a right handed batter (away from left handed batter) how would I hold the ball and release it?
Hi Nicholas, If you're pitching lefthanded and you want your pitch to break in on a right-handed batter then you should throw a slider. Go to the 2:08 mark in this video: th-cam.com/video/teDXCFz_Il8/w-d-xo.html and this is where I show how to pitch the slider. The mechanics are the same as shown here but just opposite for the left-handed pitcher. I plan to make more in-depth videos, one for each type of pitch in the near future. I hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions. Good luck!
If your stripe is wabling it will also not break.
You have to practice a lot to get the ball to spin on the correct angle
I hear you mention your knuckle ball pitch. Will you be showing how to throw that at all? Do you throw it with back hand or front hand technique?
While I agree you shouldn't throw that pitch all the time I have seen people throw in regularly with success. I umpire upper league ball players often and I see variations of it thrown that are effective. I myself just want to learn how to throw it effectively and save it for about 3-5 pitches a game (depending on the situation).
Hi Virgil, thanks for the question and I appreciate your comment. I think your idea of throwing the knuckleball just a few times a game is a good one, maybe more, depending on the team, or if it's really working for you. Every seasoned pitcher should have it in his toolbox and I will be making a training video covering this pitch. I'd be less than honest if I didn't admit to going to it as my primary pitch in times past when having a tough inning. But, looking back, I usually got into trouble because I didn't execute as I should have with my primary pitches. I was leaving pitches fat, missing my spots, getting behind in the count. I've found that it's been better (for me at least) to just deal with the command issues in practice, fix those problems and use the knuckleball for specific situations and not rely on it to get me out of a jam. Sometimes it's just got me into more trouble. I also find the nature of the pitch at odds with my pitching philosophy. To me it's like throwing dice, hoping the right combination comes up. My idea of pitching is to be aggressive and try to dictate the terms of the at-bat to the hitter... a knuckleball by its random nature is inconsistent with this idea.
Appreciate these videos- but this one was hard to see as there was a glare on the ball when you gripped the ball.
Sorry about that Duane, I have a lighting problem when illustrating the ball at my desk and haven't quite figured out how to resolve it yet. Thanks for watching!
Mort Katz
The absolute top level pitchers (Conference USSSA) throw almost exclusively knuckleballs. Most notably, the best pitcher in the game, Andy Purcell. With your claim on knuckleballs in the video, and in the comments, it is directly contradicting the best in the game. Are you claiming to know better than him?
Hi Joel, a couple of things to think about. Pitchers who watch this channel and benefit from my videos are generally not pitching against the quality of hitter faced by top-level tournament pitchers. The local game is a different animal than the big league game both in the way the games are officiated and the level of hitter talent. Local leagues can have excellent if not top-level hitters scattered throughout their teams. But, a local league pitcher is not likely to face an entire lineup of these guys. Also, most local league umpires call the game pretty close to the book in a couple of ways that you don't see on the higher level. For one, they enforce the "stay in the box" rule most of the time. This keeps the hitters honest and allows for a legitimate low strike, from the belt to the knees. This strike is non-existent in the big game as the batter's box is not enforced, allowing the hitter to step forward, out of the box and take away low strikes. Also, most local league umpires will call a legal low arc 6.5' to 7' pitch whereas on the higher level the pitch must be in the 7.5' to 8' high range to get the ok. This, combined with no low strike, leaves the pitcher with very little to work. Hence, the predominance of the knuckleball. The style of pitching I teach, excellent command, low strikes with movement on and off the corners fits well on the local league level but would not necessarily be productive in the big league game. And to answer your question, no. I don't claim to know more than anyone else about slow pitch softball pitching. Just sharing my experience with anyone interested.
Sorry for re-visiting this so long after the original! Your answer is top-notch! I agree with what you are saying, and appreciate the reply!