
When the distance to the target is short or if the objective is speed, then the follow-through will be much shorter (e.g., in fast-pitch softball pitching). Activities requiring height (e.g., slow-pitch softball pitching and horseshoes) will require that the follow-through be exaggerated. Often, the purpose of underhand throwing will dictate exactly how it is performed. With the addition of a racket, underhand throwing is essential to the game of badminton. In addition, the critical elements of underhand throwing are very similar to those of the underhand volleyball serve. Underhand throwing is essential to softball pitching, and underhand tossing can be used to assist a fielder in making an out from a close distance in softball or baseball. While many people believe the only purpose of underhand throwing is pitching a horseshoe or playing cornhole, it is in fact an integral part of many sport skills. Making things more complicated doesn’t make you smarter, it just makes your players more confused.This is an excerpt from Teaching Fundamental Motor Skills 4th Edition With HKPropel Access by A. Simplify your coaching by connecting the dots for your players. Sure, there are nuances to each of these skills that may not be in the others, but those are advanced layers we should only add when our players are ready for them. We would better assist our players by tying the skills of throwing, hitting and pitching together, rather than separating them and making each one seem so complicated and unique. Looking at the 3 pictures below shows that while the softball pitcher starts a little farther back, both pitchers end up with identical positions on their stride leg, drag leg, glove position and in the Entering Release and Follow-Through – even their throwing arm positions are the same.įreaky, isn’t it?! Too often we separate skills and teach them as if their movements exist in a silo, when in fact, hitting, pitching and throwing pretty much involve the same body movements, simply on different planes. Even this picture starts to show some similarities, although slight.īut what still blows my mind, even after I’ve seen this video hundreds of times, is how identical both pitchers are in 3 particular phases: The video starts with the picture on the right – both pitchers at their belt and ready to start their particular motion. Now, I’ve got proof, and it’s compelling! Before this video, I always felt these two skills were similar, but I only had my gut to go on. This is an incredibly powerful video because everyone who sees it takes a deep breath and realizes how much pitching underhand resembles throwing overhand. In my newest eClinic, The Comprehensive Pitching Blueprint, I show a video overlay of a baseball pitcher and a softball pitcher. If you don’t believe me, then check this out. Softball pitching isn’t much different from baseball pitching or simply throwing overhand. We’ve made pitching so complicated we don’t think we can teach it. You might be surprised to learn that pitching overhand and underhand are almost identical. We all know how important it is to have good pitching, but pitching is too complicated for most of us to teach it. The world governing body for the sport of softball including the Olympics. WPF will showcase the best athletes in softball,

#Softball underhand throw professional#
Women’s Professional Fastpitch (WPF) is the official professional softball league in the United States, founded by USA Softball, USSSA, and Smash It Sports. United States Specialty Sports Association is a volunteer, sports governing body, non-profit organization based in Kissimmee, Florida. USA Women’s National Softball Team Program

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) is the professional growth organization for fastpitch softball coaches from all competitive levels of play.Ī volunteer driven, not-for-profit softball organization and the National Governing Body of Softball.
