Speed is key in softball pitching as it gives the opposing hitters less time to prepare for the ball. This then rushes them into decisions, often leading to mistakes. One drill that can improve pitching speed is Wall Throws.
You need:
A flat, solid wall
A soft ball, e.g. tennis ball
This drill only involves the movement of the arm rotation. It begins with you standing close to a wall while still being able to complete a full arm swing. The aim is to perform a pitch as hard and as fast as possible. Do this by only focusing on power because this then translates into speed.
Repeat this a few times, then take a step back from the wall and continue performing the full swings with maximum power.
Keep taking steps back until you reach “breaking point”. This is where you are not able to perform a full swing serve. Over time, you should be able to extend your breaking point when doing this drill.
Note: if you feel you are losing power, take a step forward to regain it.
The goal of the Wall Throw Drill is to have the same power at your normal pitching distance that you have up close to the wall.
Make it a challenge:
To adapt it to an accuracy drill, add targets to the wall that you need to hit every time.
Then take what you’ve learnt into practice at a softball camp!