Learning how to throw a softball is inevitable if you want to succeed in the sport and this is more so if you intend to be playing as a pitcher. However, knowing how to do it is not enough if you want to prosper but you should instead focus on doing it perfectly. Unfortunately, some pitchers will not bother to know how to improve their pitches because they think that it comes automatically. However, this could not be further from the truth because you need to work on your throwing and below are five ways of doing it.
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Shoulder Stability is Vital
The body governs the loose joints, and it has a way of reducing their speed so as to limit the risk of injury. If your body senses that the joint is too loose, then it will not produce any extra force because the joint may not be able to handle the velocity. This mechanism or working of the body shows that a stable shoulder joint can tolerate very high speed compared to a loose one. And so if you want to add more power to your pitch it is important to work on strengthening your shoulder joint and making it stable. Stability will require you to exercise the shoulder using different drills, and your coach should be able to guide you in this.
Use the Legs and Stride Further
Knowing how to use your legs is important if you want to get a harder and powerful throw. Your legs are what will support you when pitching and in most cases, you have to stand on one foot meaning that it should be powerful enough. If your legs are weak, you will have a hard time controlling your body when in the air and at high speeds. A further and dynamic stride is also vital for a perfect throw. Striding further gives you a lot of momentum, and so the torso and hips will help accelerate your arm to ensure that you can make a perfect pitch.
Understand the Mechanics of a Good Throw
The precise motions of a good throw may not be very clear for new players but understanding them is essential to succeed when pitching or fielding. A good player will always use a lot of backspin because this helps to ensure that the ball fly’s farther. Professional players also use their entire body instead of only the arm to make sure that there is enough power behind the throw. It is also vital to align the shoulders and legs with the target for accuracy. The other essential mechanics on how to throw a softball that you should understand is that it is important to use your dominant hand and also to have the glove on when practicing as this is how you will be throwing the ball in an actual game.
Always Get a Perfect Grip
You should not expect to throw a ball well if you do not have an excellent grip. And so before anything else it is important to ensure that you know how to grip the ball. The easiest way to make sure that you get a perfect grip is to grab the ball by the laces and turn it so that the lace patterns form a “C.” Ensure that your thumb rests on another lace on the side of the ball. Gripping the softball on the laces will give you a surface that you can grip onto, and you also get to pull on the laces when throwing to give the ball a backspin for stability and maximum speed.
Throw with Intensity
It is important always to throw the ball like you mean it and this is regardless of whether you are practicing or playing a game. You can do everything from the grip to the stride according to the book, but the intensity of your throw is what determines your success. To ensure this it is perfect you need to maximize the involvement of your hand and wrist. Apart from this, you will also have to maintain your concentration until the ball is out of your hand and also practice a lot to improve the intensity of your throw.
Throwing a softball is one of the easiest things in the game and although seasoned players and professionals make it look effortless it takes some work to get good at it. However, this should not worry you because if you follow the five simple tips above you will not have any trouble getting hard and perfect throws.