How to increase speed?

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Oct 1, 2014
2,219
113
USA
Traps71 offered sound advice above. Focus on overall mechanics. Throw long toss, keep it fun and measurable. Core strength, wall sprints (revisit the Drive Mechanics sticky posted in this forum). Avoid weighted balls. Work on mental toughness for her overall as an athlete in one of the most demanding positions possible. Spring is just around the corner....
 
Feb 10, 2018
496
93
NoVA
Traps71 offered sound advice above. Focus on overall mechanics. Throw long toss, keep it fun and measurable. Core strength, wall sprints (revisit the Drive Mechanics sticky posted in this forum). Avoid weighted balls. Work on mental toughness for her overall as an athlete in one of the most demanding positions possible. Spring is just around the corner....
Couldn’t agree more about mental toughness. I think that the ability to handle the pressure and adversity that inevitably comes with being a pitcher is key to why some girls keep pitching and most do not. There are innings, games, days, tournaments, and entire seasons that are NOT going to go well. They just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other, work hard to get better, and go out there and compete. The next thing you know, 7 years have gone by and the girl that walked every batter in Little League is throwing drop balls on the outside corner and wiping girls out with her change up.

I think @sluggers has said something like this before: To be a pitcher, you have to love it, do the work, and have at least one crazy parent who is willing to do everything to help turn you into one.
 
May 16, 2016
1,024
113
Illinois
Lots of good advice. My daughter is also a pitcher. All I will add is don't forget to take a break from pitching and throwing overhand. We play our last tournament this weekend. My daughter will not pitch or throw overhand until after Christmas. We will continue to hit, and get more serious about strength and conditioning.
 
May 15, 2008
1,913
113
Cape Cod Mass.
If you're comfortable with her mechanics there are some things you can work with. Having the intent to throw fast is key. Long toss is a good start, if you are inside you can use a screen. Having a radar gun is a big plus, it gives feedback and helps in terms of her knowing what is working and what is not. I have some verbal cues that I like to use: 'loose is fast', 'move everything faster' and 'move the ball through the circle faster'.
 
Jul 31, 2015
761
93
There are innings, games, days, tournaments, and entire seasons that are NOT going to go well. They just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other, work hard to get better, and go out there and compete. The next thing you know, 7 years have gone by and the girl that walked every batter in Little League is throwing drop balls on the outside corner and wiping girls out with her change up.

I think @sluggers has said something like this before: To be a pitcher, you have to love it, do the work, and have at least one crazy parent who is willing to do everything to help turn you into one.


🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼
 
May 5, 2019
67
18
Mechanics and leave it alone! All girls make huge strides in speed initially when they begin pitching (8-10 YO) because they figure out timing and sequencing of pitching. Additionally bigger/stronger girls will dominate because, well they are just bigger and stronger, and with similar sound mechanics by two players, the bigger/stronger or more athletic players will excel. After this age, gains are minimal, a few MPH here and there until puberty kicks in and then the speed increases once again substantially, hence this is why we move 12U to 40' feet and increase the ball size and then 43' for 14U. I would recommend challenging yourself on spin numbers not speed numbers, although they often correlate, the spin type and efficiency can be mastered over time. Do not rush the speed, enjoy your girl being, well a little girl, because with the puberty speed increase, you also get a big serving of some attitude too haha!
 
Jul 19, 2021
630
93
My daughter's 10u Fall season just finished up. Her high of right now is 47mph. Since she's done playing until the spring, my question is what's the best way to add more speed in the offseason? IE: drills, weighted ball etc... Thanks in advanced!
This is going to sound over simplistic but it is often overlooked at the younger ages. I know I definitely overlooked it with my young DD pitcher. What I would work on the most is simple. Have her practice throwing hard. As hard as she can. Throw with the intent to throw hard. All while maintaining proper mechanics.

Too many young pitchers focus on accuracy to the point that they only throw at about 80% of full effort. So they build all their timing throwing at 80% and when it is time to air things out, guess what? They have no accuracy. Why? Because they have no reps throwing at 100%.

Start by having her throw 100% into a net from 10 feet away. Doesn't matter where it goes, just throw hard. Then move back over the course of a few weeks to where she is throwing from game distance into the net for a few bullpens. Work on accuracy throwing at 100% from game distance to your glove for the rest of the break.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,482
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top