4 Ways to Help Your Pitcher Move Forward Faster

Hey There Friend!

Does your pitcher have good mechanics but you struggle to get her to attack every pitch?

Does she seem to be holding something back with her effort?

Do you believe she could gain move velocity if she would just be a little more aggressive off the rubber?

In this week's article I'm sharing 4 things you can start incorporating into your pitcher's bullpens that will help her learn to move her body forward faster (and gain some velocity)!

Did you know that how fast your pitcher's stride foot sets/lands, determines how fast her arm and body move throughout her motion? That if you can get her to land faster with her stride foot, you are actually helping her increase her arm speed/whip as well?

1. Assisted Harnesses

 Using an assisted harness forces your pitcher to move her legs/body faster!

When your pitcher trains with an assisted harness regularly, it gives her an understanding of what it feels like to generate quickness forward.  I would suggest starting with a harness on the stride leg to help your pitcher feel setting her stride foot faster and then progressing to the full body harness.

• Stride Leg (click to watch video)
• Full Body (click to watch video) - This video shows how to use a full body harness for both quickness and strength. If you are wanting to get your pitcher to move forward faster, focus primarily on the ASSISTED version of this drill!

IMPORTANT NOTE: If your pitcher doesn't have a strong foundation yet, I would wait to use a full body harness with her until she has consistent mechanics.

2. The "Load and Explode" Drill (click to watch video)

This is a drill that many of my pitchers use throughout training and continue using during pre-game warm-ups to help them feel how to drive forward FAST. It truly helps them understand that the faster they set their stride foot, the faster the ball will get to their catcher!

I have my pitchers compete during class to see who can get their stride foot set that fastest doing this drill. Check out the video above that shows what this looks like!

3. Speed Drills (click to watch video)

This drill is an oldie but goodie! Your pitcher is trying to throw as many pitches as she can in a set amount of time. It's also a great drill for your catchers that are working on a quick release with their overhand throw.

Make sure you have some extra balls handy when doing this drill so your pitcher can grab another ball if the one she is using gets away from her catcher!

4. Ranking EFFORT (click to watch video)

Another effective way to help your pitcher understand the aggressiveness she has off the rubber, is to have her catcher rank her "effort" level during her bullpen.

Take a look at the video above. It shows a class of 10U pitchers/catchers. The catchers are using a number scale from 5-10 to help their pitchers understand the amount of effort THEY SEE each pitch. This can be a super effective way to get you pitchers to dig down and give a little more!

In summary, once your pitcher has a solid foundation with her mechanics, help give her ways to learn to move forward into her pitch more aggressively.  Remember, the faster she sets her stride foot, the faster her arm circle and backside will move to stay on time! All of these things can affect the velocity she is able to create!

Give one or more of these things a try in your bullpens this week. I'd love to hear what helps your pitcher generate more quickness off the rubber the most my friend! You can tell me by contacting me HERE anytime!

I'll be in touch again next week...same time, same place!

All My Best,

Myndie