Softball Training - Pitching Kneeling on a Stability Ball

I've never met Monica Abbott's trainer but this dude gets 2 thumbs up from me for his creativity and forward-thinking.

As you can see on the video, he has Monica pitching while kneeling on a stability ball during her workouts. This type of softball conditioning forces her to learn how to use her core muscles to stabilize while pitching. This is very softball-specific (or pitching-specific) core training.

I definitely approve this and even strongly recommended to all young pitchers. However, kneeling on a ball isn't that easy. Here's the progression to follow before you get to actually pitch kneeling on the ball:

Step 1 - Learn how to kneel on the ball (that will take some time)
Step 2 - Learn how to remain balanced and in control while kneeling
Step 3 - Exchange a few chest passes with a simple basketball with a partner while kneeling on the ball
Step 4 - Mimic the softball pitching motion without actually throwing the ball and practice remaining stable
Step 5 - Model Monica and pitch from the ball with a real ball.

Be patient, all this may take you a few weeks to master.

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