In this softball podcast, Coach Marc shares key softball tips to help softball players recover faster. Specifically, he explains why you MUST take time off after the end of the competitive season (it's called a transition period), how long it should be and what you should do during that transition period.  You'll also why it's dangerous to skip it.

 

 Softball Tips - Importance of Transition Period: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (94)

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There aren't too many softball players who don't want to improve their throwing power, so here are 3 tips to help you throw the ball with more power:

1. Improve Your Flexibilty - it's not something many people think of, but this often overlooked aspect of training can help you throw 2-3 mph harder
2. Train Your Core - I know, I know, core again?  YES!  Your core is essential in your performance!  All movement begins with your core and core training really can help you gain more power on the field.  I've seen it with my own eyes.  My daughter is not very big.  Right now, she is 13 years old and only 90lbs.  Obviously, power isn't one of her biggest assets on the field.  HOWEVER, I've seen a drastic improvement in her throwing strength and power since she started going core training exercises.  It DOES work!
3. Improve Your Throwing Mechanics - just like hitting, fielding, and running, there is a proper way to throw.  The better your technique and throwing mechanics are, the harder you're going to be able to throw the ball.  Improve your mechanics and, not only will you gain more power, but you're likely going to be able to have more throwing power with less strain on your body.  Double bonus!

Guest post by Ken Krause, Life in the Fastpitch Lane blog

It's funny the difference a few years can make in youth softball development. Sometimes players who are studs at 10U become average or even below average by the time they're 14U. And other times, a kid who is sort of an also-ran at the younger age levels will suddenly have it all come together as they get older.

I've certainly seen both in my coaching career. But today I want to focus on the latter with a specific story, because it shows what you can do with a fair amount of passion — and more than a little hard work.

Emily is a girl I've known for several years now. I have never been her team coach, but I've given her pitching lessons since she was 10. She was always rather on the small side, not very strong, and didn't have a lot of endurance.

"Fastball" was more of a description of the way she was throwing the ball than the speed of the pitch. When she ran the bases you wanted to get behind and push. But she loved the game and never seemed to notice her physical abilities and skills weren't quite up to most of the other girls.

Guest post by Ken Krause, Life in the Fastpitch Lane blog

Most of the time when you’re hitting in fastpitch softball, you have to deal with covering the full strike zone. As a hitter you find a location at the plate that allows you full coverage and you stay there.

But sometimes you’ll run into a pitcher who lives on the outside corner. Sometimes it’s because they’re afraid to come inside because they fear hitting a batter. Sometimes they just realize most hitters don’t hit the outside pitch very well. Combine that with an umpire willing to give the outside corner, or maybe a little more, and it can spell a long day at the plate.

When that occurs, the best way to deal with it is to move in and crowd the plate as much as the umpire will let you. By doing so you essentially take that outside pitch that’s hard to hit and turn it into a middle pitch you can hit hard.

Guest post by Ken Krause, Life in the Fastpitch Lane blog

You see it at any softball park: the dynamics between fathers and the softball playing daughters. While it mostly applies to coaches, it probably really extends to any father who is involved at any level in his daughter's playing career.

This is something I have first-hand knowledge of. I coached two daughters through their softball careers. They were far enough apart in age that when one finished I was able to start with the second.

Each experience was different, yet there were also some similarities. First, understand that I was probably more into the game than either of them. In fact, they don't get why I have continued to coach once their careers were over, but have more or less come to accept it.

What that meant, though, was that I would often want to talk about a particular game, or the team, or a technique or skill and they wouldn't. It could be frustrating on both sides.

Yet when it came down to it, both were actually happy that their father coached them. It's a complex dynamic to be sure, and more than a little difficult to explain unless you've experienced it.

Make a Better Read - Know the situation and pick up as many cues about the pitcher as you can before you step into the box.  Does she have more speed than movement?  What pitch is her bread and butter?  Does she work more up and down or in and out or all of the above?  Is she throwing the first pitch over the plate or trying to get hitters to chase?

Have a Routine - Watch the best hitters in the world and you'll see that they approach the box and get into the box the same way every time (much like how a basketball player goes through the same routine before shooting a free throw shot).  Without a routine, which starts from the time you done taking your signal and lasts until the time you're ready to start your swing, you're lost.  Giving yourself a routine will help put you in the right frame of mind for maximum hitting success. Without it, your mind will be more likely to wander to random, unnecessary and unhelpful thoughts and can make you uncomfortable.  The last thing you want to be in the box is uncomfortable!

Guest post by Ken Krause, Life in the Fastpitch Lane blog

There is an old saying that many coaches profess to follow: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. In other words, if a player is successful as a hitter, fielder, pitcher, etc. coaches should let them continue doing what they're doing — even if it is less than optimal.

I don't know about you, but I personally have a problem with that type of thinking. Many a player has been set behind on their overall goals by coaches putting short-term wins ahead of a player's long-term development.

One of the most obvious areas is pitching. Coaches prize strikes, especially at the younger ages. "We can't defend a walk," they will yell to their young pitchers. So the message is delivered: do whatever it takes to get the ball over the plate. And that's what their pitchers do — whatever it takes, whether it's mechanically sound or not, and whether it will lead to long-term success or not.

Guest Post by Don McKay, Softball Editor for Bellaonline

I’ve seen polar opposites this season when it comes to Softball schedules. My older daughter’s team has purposely scheduled the very easiest tournaments they could find leading up to their end-of-season tourney. In contrast, my younger daughter’s team has played the toughest competition at friendlies and qualifying tournaments possible in preparation for their end-of-season tourney. Both teams’ scheduling philosophies were so different that it begs the question:

“Is it better to play a Soft Schedule or Hard Schedule to prepare for post-season play and/or the ‘Big tournament’?”

I see definite advantages and disadvantages to both approaches.

I’ve observed that the team with the soft schedule has become very confident because they have had a lot of success, albeit against weaker competition (though I don’t think that the girls realize how soft the schedule has been). Additionally, they’ve been rewarded because in most of the tournaments they’ve played, they’ve ended up in the championship game and so they have taken home a lot of trophies (most for 2nd place, but I don’t think that matters for a 12 year-old girl). Even if their season ended today, I think each player would think that it was a successful season and that they had a lot of fun.

By Stacie Mahoe

I received an e-mail about softball training from a softball dad. He wanted to know…

What are some exercises and lifts that a 17 yr. old can do working towards playing college ball? Mostly weight training to get stronger.

Great question! Here was my response…

Thanks for writing. Most of the weight training I did IN college was your basic:

• shoulder press
• bicep curls
• triceps extensions
• flys
• bench press
• upright rows
• power cleans
• squats
• calf raises
• leg press
• leg extensions
• leg curls
• etc etc etc

However, I find that Core Training requires less equipment, is much more "useful" as far as translating to on-the-field performance, and is excellent for building a strong foundation to move on to more muscle specific training if you wish to do that later.

Weight training is great and you can definitely gain strength doing it, but I now lean more toward doing exercises that don't isolate muscles since that is not the way your muscles are used on the field. Plus, there is SOOOOOOO much you can do with your own body weight. I also feel that the more you learn to work with and control your own body and it's movements, the better your agility and reaction will be on the field.

Guest post by Ken Krause, Life in the Fastpitch Lane blog

Lately I've been hearing a lot of talk about A teams and A players. Of course, every parent wants to think their daughter is an A player, and a lot of good ballplayers want to think they're A players.

Yet it takes more than talent to make an A player. There's a whole other thing going on with real A players which relates to their attitude and approach. I've coached a few in my time and I can say without a doubt there's a difference between a true A player and a wannabe.

For one thing, a true A player loves the game, and will play with anyone any time anywhere. She doesn't care if the team is good or bad, or the other players are great or average, or if it's a major tournament or just a pickup game. As long as she's playing ball, she's happy.

A wannabe, on the other hand, complains if the rest of the team isn't up to her "standards." Instead of picking up her teammates when they make a mistake she gets all over them. Never mind she's not perfect either. She only wants to play with what she perceives as other A players because she puts winning ahead of the game.