How do you teach someone to pitch in softball?

Plympton91

bubble burster
SoSH Member
Oct 19, 2008
12,408
So, I'm coaching my daughter's middle school softball team.  It is made up of 4 players who'd never picked up a bat or ball and didn't even know the basic rules a month ago, 4 other players who'd never played outside of their own backyards (one of whom is my daughter), and 4 players who had some experience but aren't as good as I was when I was 12.  I think that I have found an infield and one or two people who can catch flyballs in the outfield.
 
The team has no pitcher.  We have two girls trying, but they throw a strike about once every 10 pitches.  The first game is in 2 weeks, one of which is school vacation when both "pitchers" are going somewhere and won't be available.
 
So, I'm trying to teach my daughter, who has a reasonably strong arm and who I can guarantee at least will practice regularly for the next two weeks.
 
If this were baseball, I would be confident that I could at least have her mechanics straight and not get her hurt.  But, I know nothing about windmill techniques or how much a softball pitcher should throw without hurting an arm. 
 
SOS!
 
 

TimNJsoxfan

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 14, 2004
2,717
NW New Jersey
I thought I had read/heard somewhere that the motion of the windmill creates ALOT less stress on the arm/shoulder than overhand pitching.  That's why you will see some high school teams have one pitcher who pitches almost every inning of every game of a season.  
 

PortlandSoxFan

Father of Idontgiveafuckism
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
I believe it's the exact opposite, that the windmill is a more natural motion.  It's just when you have a good pitcher, you use her as much as possible.
 
I coach 11/12 softball, and have been coaching my 13 year old since she was 7.  I've learned a little bit about softball pitching just from watching her take the clinics, I am by no means an expert.
 
As with anything, it is all about repetition.  I know when my pitchers warm up, we do it in 4 steps...snap and drag, half butterfly, full butterfly, and full pitch.  Use these terms on Google and I'm sure you'll find plenty of instructional videos. 
 

Plympton91

bubble burster
SoSH Member
Oct 19, 2008
12,408
Thanks, there's definitely quite a bit out there that I can sort through.  Are there any that are known to be mainstream and quality products/instruction (like Golf Digest for golfers), or do you just go with the most popular hits on Google?
 

PortlandSoxFan

Father of Idontgiveafuckism
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
There seems to be a few that put a lot of instructional videos on Youtube...I'm just suggesting that if you find examples of the above 4 steps, you'll be in pretty good shape.  I learned them in taking my daughter to pitching clinics.  Softball-spot is one I recall using quite a bit over the years.