A Few of My FAVORITE Things - For Pitchers

Hey There Friend!

This week I wanted to share 7 MUST HAVE training tools for pitchers! These are things you can either make or purchase pretty inexpensively!  All of these items are tools I use regularly. I've seen the results they help produce and recommend that your pitcher gives them a try!

1. The Spin Right Spinner

• All pitchers that train with me are required to have spinners. I love them because they give immediate feedback and allow pitchers to learn correct spin on their own! Click on the link above to watch Cheri Kempf (the inventor) show the many ways you can use a spinner!

2. Arm-Pro Bands (or J-Bands)

• Arm care is very important for ALL ages. My pitchers are asked to incorporate a 10-minute pre-throwing routine that includes jumping rope, dynamic stretching/mobility exercises and band work. HERE are a handful of the exercises that are included in their routines. The bands can also be used for the drive leg power and quickness as shown in the video clip.

3. Balance Beam

• This is one of the best tools to teach pitchers the concept of a powerline AND how it feels to be balanced/strong through release. The beams shown in the video clip above and the ones I use with pitchers are about 10 inches wide by 8 feet long. The are super easy to make and are a great tool to strengthen a pitcher's foundation. I also use beams when teaching the rise and drop balls to help pitchers understand body position and feel weight shift. NOTE: Make sure the beam is on a stable surface and secured before your pitcher throws off it. I use a non-slip rug pad indoors and a stake outdoors on the dirt.

4. 2-Colored Softball

• Combining the use of a spinner and a 2-colored ball helps pitchers (and catchers) see and understand spin the BEST.  Check out the video clip above to see how to make one.

5. Jump Rope

• My pitchers do 200 jumps as part of their pre-throwing routine. Jumping rope is a quick way to warm-up and improves coordination and athleticism.  I do a 1-minute pretest when pitchers start training with me and re-test after a few weeks. I've had pitchers improve the number of jumps they are able to do in 60 seconds by 100 after using this training tool consistently before their pitching workouts. It's also fun to see the smiles when they understand that their consistent practice showed up in a BIG way after a relatively short amount of time!

6. Sock Ball (or Nerf Ball)

• Many of my pitchers use sock balls to pitch into a wall in their room when they want to get in a quick workout. All you need is a couple pairs of softball socks to make a nice "ball" to use! A Nerf ball would also work well, in fact they even have 2-colored Nerf balls that can be used in the house to work on spin!

7. Bucket of softballs and a Net (or a ball and a wall)

• I personally use the PowerNet shown in the link above. It sets up in about a minute and is perfect to use for at home workouts. Invest in a net and bucket as soon as your daughter/pitcher shows real interest in pitching - they are the  perfect "partners" for her to practice all by herself and anytime she wants!

I use LOTS of training aids with pitchers and have many others I love, these are just my TOP 7 that I believe all pitchers should have to use! ; )

2 Ways to Incorporate Measurement into Practice:

Being able to track progress using technology has become really easy, affordable and is something I do regularly with my students. I LOVE being able to show them how they are progressing and allow them to see the results of the changes they are making during workouts. A couple of my favorite technology tools to consider for your at-home use:

• If you are wanting a tool to measure radar speed accurately, I suggest checking out the Pocket Radar.
• If you want to do video analysis for your pitcher, I own a software called "Dartfish" to do side-by-side voice-over video analysis for pitchers. It's a fairly expensive product BUT there are many apps available that would work for at-home use. Check out the Dartfish Express that is very inexpensive to use! A phone with slow motion video is very helpful to SHOW pitchers exactly what they look like! No arguments, just proof! ; )
  • BONUS: If you'd like ME to pair your pitcher up against a model AND provide you with a checklist so that she/you can do a self-assessment of her mechanics, check out this FREE offer. I will give you MY feedback after you complete your checklist, all completely free!

I hope you found something here that will help you! As always, don't hesitate to email me at: [email protected] if you have any questions or have a topic you'd like me to cover in a future post! I answer all the emails I receive personally and would love to hear from YOU!

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

All my Best,

Myndie