US Sports Softball - How to Become a Softball Pitcher and #14 Oregon vs #6 UCLA Women's College Softball Highlights

 

• By Brandon Ogle
 

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Getting started as a softball pitcher is certainly something that’s easier said than done. At the same time, it shouldn’t be confused with the techniques and strategies utilized on the baseball side. It requires a different approach and of course, plenty of practice. In this article, I’ll walk you through some of the basics of fastpitch softball pitching. Whether you’re a coach, parent, or player, these points will help start you on the path to success.

Mechanics

First and foremost, mechanics are critical. This can’t be stressed enough. Without the proper mechanics, you’re not only going to struggle to find success on the field, but there is an increased susceptibility to injuries later on down the road. While mechanics is a broad term and could easily fill an article by itself, I wanted to stress the primary points here.

Stretching - Something as basic as stretching is ignored countlessly by young athletes. The truth is without an appropriate stretching routine, don’t be surprised when you see shoulder injuries pop up later on.

Proper Stance - Stand straight and tall with your shoulders back. The foot on your throwing arm side will be placed in front of the pitching rubber with the glove-side foot behind the rubber. As a side note, keep in mind that a lot of leagues and associations specify how much of the foot can be touching the rubber.

Backswing - A common misconception is that the speed or height of your backswing is truly what’s generating the heat on the pitch. Yes, it might help a little, but the key is to work at a speed where you still feel comfortable and in control. Don’t rush it too much!

Arm Moving Forward - Here’s where you’re going to generate the majority of your speed. As you move towards your push-off foot, make sure you’re utilizing your body weight to transfer over more power.

Obviously, there’s more things involved in terms of the entire pitching process, but I wanted to be sure to highlight these items as they tend to be overlooked.

Proper Release

When you’re arm is moving towards the release point, try your best to keep the wrist back. This will allow you to whip it forward upon release. As you release the ball, keep your arm outstretched. Not completely straight, but no more than a little bend. Lastly, continue to stand tall throughout the process. Any bending of the knees will likely result in a loss of speed on the pitch.

Confidence

As is the case in nearly every other sport, confidence is critical to success. If you’re not confident in basketball, you’re not going to trust your shot. If you struggle with confidence in golf, you’re going to miss easy puts. Starting to get the point? Well, this is no different when it comes to fast-pitch softball, particularly for pitchers. Here’s a few tips to think about, whether you’re coaching up a young pitcher or are one yourself:

Don’t let one bad inning spoil your day. You’re going to have some bad games. No matter how good you are, it just happens. Even one of the greatest softball players of all time, Jennie Finch, had some not-so-great performances on the mound.

Learn from your mistakes. A tip that can be used in all walks of life is yet again a viable strategy for softball. If a pitch isn’t working early on in a game, try using some other options you have in your repertoire. It’ll even possibly keep your opponents a little off-balance later on in the game.

Practice Makes Perfect

It can’t be stressed enough the importance practice plays in pitching. If you want to be a successful softball pitcher, you need to have the entire process down to the point where you can consistently repeat it time and time again. The only way to do this is through continuously practicing. If you’re just starting out, work on throwing 10-15 pitches to the point where they’re all strikes. Then, gradually build up that pitch count. A second technique is to work on spins. Toss the ball in the air to yourself and focus on generating some spin on it. What may seem like a trivial exercise can be definitely beneficially is building the right techniques. In the end, the key to developing pitching skills is through careful instruction and constant practice!

Want to help kids #GetActive through youth sports? Learn how parents, coaches, and volunteers can get involved in @HealthGov’s National #YouthSports Strategy: https://bit.ly/2lIHPUc

US Sports Coachlab Softball: Amanda Wolf-Schramm: Building a Year-Round Softball Culture

Winning programs aren’t built in a single season — they’re built month by month, decision by decision, from June to June. In this course, Coach Amanda Wolfram, Head Softball Coach at Smithson Valley High School, shares the blueprint she has used to restore one of Texas’s premier programs to state championship contention.

With 20 years of coaching experience and a proven record of building sustainable success, Coach Wolfram walks you through a month-by-month roadmap that covers every aspect of running a high-performing softball program.

In this course, you’ll learn how to:

• Grow your program’s future by building strong pipelines through youth camps and community outreach.

• Create summer accountability systems that foster communication, leadership, and team buy-in.

• Implement boot camps, leadership boards, and player evaluations to elevate culture and accountability.

• Run efficient, high-intensity practices that maximize reps, pressure situations, and player development.

• Integrate mental training tools like affirmations, visualization, journaling, and the “think tank” routine.

• Involve parents and the community in ways that build trust, unity, and program pride.

• Develop off-field leadership and service projects that prepare athletes to win in both life and sport.

This isn’t just a practice plan — it’s a comprehensive, year-long system for building sustainable success on and off the field. From culture and leadership to conditioning and competition, Coach Wolfram shows you how to create a program where athletes, parents, and coaches all row in the same direction. Book this course.

The Coach

THSCA Softball

Amanda Wolf-Schramm is the Head Softball Coach at Smithson Valley High School, where she has built one of the most respected and consistent programs in Texas. With more than 20 years of coaching experience, she is known for her ability to blend technical excellence with culture-driven leadership, helping athletes succeed both on the diamond and in life.

Under her leadership, Smithson Valley has become a perennial contender, reaching deep playoff runs and consistently competing against the best programs in the state. Coach Wolf-Schramm’s approach emphasizes year-round development — from summer accountability programs and youth camps to in-season practice systems that sharpen fundamentals and prepare athletes for high-pressure situations.

She is widely respected for her innovative methods that go beyond physical training, incorporating mental performance tools, leadership development, and culture-building systems into her program. By focusing on communication, resilience, and character, she has created an environment where athletes buy in, parents feel included, and the community rallies behind the team.

Admired as both a mentor and motivator, Amanda Wolf-Schramm continues to shape future leaders while cementing her legacy as a coach who develops not just great players, but great people. Book this course.

Want to help kids #GetActive through youth sports? Learn how parents, coaches, and volunteers can get involved in @HealthGov’s National #YouthSports Strategy: https://bit.ly/2lIHPUc

US Sports Coachlab Softball: NFCA Youth Virtual Coaches Clinic: An Introduction to Pitching

 

If you’ve ever wondered, “Where do I start with youth pitchers?” this course is for you. The NFCA Youth Pitching Virtual Clinic is designed specifically for coaches and parents working with pitchers ages 6U–12U.
Across two dynamic sessions, you’ll learn directly from some of the game’s best instructors as they break down the essentials every young pitcher needs to succeed.
Learn more @ https://bit.ly/45s3aUF

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US Sports Softball Coachlab Youth Softball Strength: A Guide to Foundational Training

 

Presented on US Sports by CoachTube.
Youth Softball Strength: A Guide to Foundational Training
by Austin Wasserman
The Youth SOFTBALL Strength Book: A Guide to Foundational Training was created to help youth athletes (Ages 7-14), Master the Basics and learn the Foundational Blocks of Strength Training!
Makes a great gift for the student-athlete and coach in your life!
https://tinyurl.com/YouthSoftballStrength

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US Sports Softball Feat. Kim Ng talks about the AUSL on SportsCenter

Presented on US Sports by CoachTube.

Featured course:
Drills, Drills, Drills: Hitting feat. Josh Bloomer
Move, Move, Move - Interactive session on ways/techniques to immediately help your players move in a more efficient way offensively. These drills can be used by players just learning to hit or hitters at the highest level.
https://bit.ly/4hReQp7

Video credit:
Kim Ng talks about the AUSL on SportsCenter from the espnW Summit
Athletes Unlimited
https://theausl.com/

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US Sports Coachlab Softball: Drills, Drills, Drills: Hitting feat. Josh Bloomer

Move, Move, Move - Interactive session on ways/techniques to immediately help your players move in a more efficient way offensively. These drills can be used by players just learning to hit or hitters at the highest level.

Learn more @ https://bit.ly/4hReQp7

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News you can use.
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US Sports Softball: Developing Hitters - Steve Singleton, Univ. of Texas and USA vs New Zealand Highlights

 

Developing Hitters - Steve Singleton, Univ. of Texas

The Coach

THSCA Softball

Texas head softball coach Mike White officially announced on July 1, 2019, the addition of Steve Singleton as an assistant coach on the Longhorns staff. 

A former shortstop and second baseman with the Minnesota Twins organization of Major League Baseball, Singleton possesses 14 combined years of college and pro playing and coaching experience. Book this course...

Prior to Texas, he spent two seasons (2017, 2018) as the hitting coach of the Fort Myers (Fla.) Miracle (High Single A) and was originally contracted to be the hitting coach for the Pensacola (Fla.) Blue Wahoos (AA) in 2019 before deciding to accept the open assistant coach role with the Longhorns. He served as the U.S. hitting coach for the 2018 MLB All-Star Futures Game and spent time with the Twins during 2019 Spring Training. Prior to his time with the Miracle, Singleton led all offensive development for the rookie level Gulf Coast League Twins (Fort Myers, Fla.) in 2016. With the squad he served as both a first- and third-base coach. At the collegiate level, Singleton was previously an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Florida SouthWestern State College (Fort Myers, Fla.) from Jan.-Dec. 2015.  

Singleton served as the Vice President of Baseball Operations for Scout Sports (Sealy, Texas) in 2014, where he ran the scout baseball division, a high school recruiting, video and showcase company. He also spent time in 2013 as the hitting and head infield instructor for Baseball Rebellion (Durham., N.C.) An 11th round draft pick out of the University of San Diego (2006), Singleton played in 654 career games from rookie to AAA level as a shortstop and second baseman in the Twins organization. Singleton began his scholastic career at the University of San Diego before leaving school early when drafted by the Twins. He eventually went on to earn both a bachelor’s degree in sports management (2014) and a master’s degree in athletic administration (2017) from Southern New Hampshire University. He has two sons, Steven and Matthew.  Book this course....

US Sports Softball: Fastpitch Softball Conditioning Training and HIGHLIGHTS 🇲🇽 Mexico vs 🇺🇸 USA WBSC U-18

 

• Bruce Smith

Sport specific conditioning or game speed practicing are not new concepts, but often overlooked is the different workout needs of softball position players. Softball athletes perform short explosive movements followed by time at rest, but each position has different amounts of rest time. Softball pitchers and catchers operate at a different interval than either infielders or outfielders. This at rest frequency difference needs to be taken into consideration during their strength and conditioning program. Many athletes now have specifically tailored fitness programs. Taking this into consideration, let us look at how a fitness program can be developed for three different groups.

The Power Hitters:

The power hitters are players whose greatest asset is their ability to generate bat speed through the strike zone. These players can hit home runs and for a high average. Power players defensively typically be the catcher or corner infielder players. For this group, the fitness program emphasizes the lower and upper body and core strength development. Conditioning sessions put added emphasis on incorporating medicine ball plyometrics for trunk torque and power development and improving speed-endurance to condition them for distances less than 40 yards.

The Speed Players:

The speed player's role is defined by their ability to quickly accelerate and maintain a high terminal running velocity. Offensively this group includes your slappers, single hitters and base stealers. Defensively, this group is usually your middle infielders and outfielders. Even though speed player's training emphasizes speed and agility, they can also be some of the strongest players on the team. Speed player's typical strengthening routine involves full body exercises like lunges and squats, with less of an emphasis on upper body strength. Agility can be enhanced through cone drills, ladder drills, and short shuttles. The speed endurance targets acceleration and running distances under 40 yards through resistance sprints and form running.

The Pitchers:

Arguable, the pitcher is the most influential player that effects the game's outcome. Not only do they need to be pitch explosively, but they also must have the endurance to pitch multiple games per week with, potentially, long innings. Their lower body and core must be exceptionally strong and powerful while maintaining wide range of motion and flexibility. Like speed players, pitchers strength training focuses are full body workouts with a slightly greater emphasis on lower body strength. Pitchers also need to do extra grip strengthening work and as hip flexors and adductors to improve lower body mobility.

Final Training Considerations:

Off-season and in-season fitness training sessions have dramatically different emphasis. In the off-season, a strong emphasis is placed on strength development and explosive power. Conversely, in-season training is for maintenance, fine-tuning, and injury prevention.

All three groups have the same basic training, but the amount of sets and repetitions differ depending of the areas of emphasis. All groups should perform full body strength training like squats, lunges, and plyometrics to develop strength and power. Injury prevention is also addressed with abdominal stability, full body flexibility, low back strength development, and shoulder and rotator cuff work. All groups also have conditioning days for endurance development where they run stadium sprints or shuttle runs. Over the course of a week, the athletes have covered all the strength and conditioning development areas, but with varying amounts of time based on their emphasis.

Learn more about softball conditioning from Fastpitch at Youth-Athlete

US Sports Softball: Softball Conditioning - Core Training is the Secret to More Power and Pitching by THSCA Softball

 

• Author Marc Dagenais

We know that the trunk plays an important role in softball.

More specifically, the trunk and the muscles of the abdominal region are responsible for (1) generating rotational power and (2) stabilizing the trunk which necessary to transfer a maximum amount of power from the lower body muscles to the upper body (the trunk links the two). The power generated by the trunk and the lower body muscles (transmitted to the upper body through a stable trunk) are vital for actions such hitting, pitching, and throwing.

As you can see, it's very important for a softball player to have a stable, strong, and powerful abdominal region not only to be successful on the field, but also to prevent injuries.

This is why proper abdominal training is so important. However, too many softball players don't train their abdominal region properly. Too often, most of their abdominal training consists of leg raises and floor-based crunches and sit-ups. While these exercises help develop a "six-pack" and good-looking abs, they do very little to increase performance and prevent injuries.

 

The abdominal region is often referred to as the "core". However, the "core" is more than just the rectus abdominis (the "six-pack" muscle). According to many exercise specialists, the core can be defined as the lower trunk musculature. The major muscles of the lower trunk musculature are the rectus abdominis ("six-pack" muscle), the external and internal obliques, the transversus abdominis (deep internal abdominal muscle) and the erector spinae (lower back muscle). abs big Softball Conditioning Core Training is the Secret to More Power

Now, the problem with leg raises and floor-based crunches and sit-ups is that they mostly target one muscle: the rectus abdominis ("six-pack" muscle) and while it may help make you feel good about yourself by developing good-looking abs, this muscle doesn't contribute to the generation of rotational power or the stabilization of the trunk (transmission of power from the lower to the upper body).

In other words, it is a pretty useless muscle in softball. So, if your routine consists mostly of leg raises and floor-based crunches and sit-ups, you are pretty much shooting yourself in the foot!

Most of the influence in abdominal training comes from the bodybuilding field where the only goal is to make the abdominal muscles that you can see (mainly the "six-pack" muscle) bigger, more defined and good-looking. They really don’t care about performance but we do and that's why we need to do things differently.

To train your core properly, you must integrate into your routine exercises that will (a) involved many muscles of the core and (b) force the trunk to stabilize. The key is to target deeper abdominal muscles such as the transversus abdominis, a deep internal abdominal muscle that plays a key role in stabilizing the trunk and transferring power from the lower to the upper body. Any exercise that is not a leg raise or a floor-based crunch or sit-up (or a close variation of it) is likely to accomplish these two goals. Throw away that old-school and ineffective ab exercises and starts using innovative, highly effective core training exercises.

Marc Dagenais, MHK, CSCS, is a softball peak performance coach that helps players and teams hit with more power and be more dominant on the softball field. To get tons of great FREE softball drills to boost your game, visit us at: http://www.softballperformance.com/softball-drills