top of page
Coaches-Corner-logo

THROWING

Teaching good throwing fundamentals as early as possible helps create great softball players confident in their skills 

High Level Throwing was developed by Austin Wasserman and is the best throwing instruction out there. It was designed to maximize throwing velocity, accuracy, and efficiency while reducing the risk of injury. You will find a lot of his publicly available drills on this page

​

Overall, key fundamentals you are looking to teach when coaching throwing to youth softball players are:
 

  1. Good athletic position sideways to target

  2. C-grip on the softball ("find the seams")

  3. Throwing shoulder blade pulls back as glove works out. Ball often should be near the player's rear ear.

  4. Back knee rotates in (internal rotation of rear hip)

  5. Torso/Shoulders twists forward 

  6. Ball works up and forward while glove gets tucked into front shoulder. Avoid elbow dropping in throw.

  7. Good follow through across your body

​

PHILOSOPHY & APPROACH

6U & 8U or Newer Players - Consider teaching with easy to understand verbal cues:

  • "Ready" - Player facing forward with ball in her glove

  • "Jab Step" - Player steps in front with right foot (righties) at 45 degree

  • "Skateboard" or "Sideways" -> Player gets other foot forward to land sideways to their target in athletic position

  • "Transfer" - Player get ball into their throwing hand

  • "SuperGirl" or "Bow & Arrow" -> Player pulls shoulder blades back / reveals SuperGirl logo

  • "Ball Near Ear" -> Player makes sure the ball stays near their ear. We do not want the ball facing away behind them nor have a "big" angle between their upper and lower arm

  • "Knee" -> Just like in hitting, we want the rear hip to rotate with the knee moving in to start the throw with lower body movement

  • "Shoulders" -> Twist torso & shoulders forward before moving the ball forward

  • "Throw & Follow-Through" -> Ball moves up and out, is released, and player follows through across their body

10U+ Players

  • Similar to above, but can use more complex language: "Ready" -> "Right, Left" (to get sideways + transfer), "Scap Pull w/ Ball Near Ear" -> "Knee" -> "Torso" -> "Release"​​

THINGS TO AVOID:

  • Do not teach wrist flicks

  • No "push" throws. We want the throwing arm to unravel as she throws.

  • Ball never faces "back away" or "behind you"

  • Watch for players just throwing with their arms. Instead teach full body movement (especially low body movements) as key fundamentals

  • For most throws at young ages, focus on infielder-type through where elbow stays higher and ball stays near player ear. Helping players get rid of a bad habit of dropping their elbows when throwing is crucial

THINGS / TIPS TO CONSIDER:

  • Use tennis balls when starting out! Especially good for smaller hands on young players

  • Use "line" drills. Players can all be in a line facing the fence with 3-5 balls each working on fundamentals (see some drills below)

  • Plyo balls can be great for throwing into fences as a team

  • Try to include throwing specific drills as part of almost every practice you hold

  • Use bownets instead of "player at 1B" - Removes the catching element & allows players to move fast through drills.

  • Use two buckets on top of one another as target for a more game-like activity

THROWING VIDEOS TO CONSIDER

EXAMPLE 1: GREAT THROW

Great example video showing a great throw with key fundamentals highlighted

DRILL 1: KNEELING THROW

Fantastic fundamental drill for youth. Can do next to a fence where player throws over and over focusing on scap pull and good throwing & glove arm movement

DRILL 3: KNEELING AWAY

Kneeling player faces away, then turns and throws ball to target

DRILL 5: PIVOT THROWS

Separating upper and lower body while teaching player rotation is a key to good throws

DRILL 7: DOUBLE HOP

Single leg double hop drill. Better for 10U+

DRILL 9: ROCKING DRILL

Simple rock back and forth to bring movement into throw, plus focuses on leg power in throws

DRILL 11: DYNAMIC THROWING

Good video demonstrating 3 key dynamic throwing drills: Hop Back, Shuffle Throw, and Backpedal Turn & Throw

WARMUPS & ACTIVATIONS

Good quick video showing various throwing related warmups & throwing fundamental activations

DRILL 2: SHUFFLE DRILL

Simple two shuffle drill into throw. Gets players moving and helps teach how shuffling can get your closer to target and more power on your throws

DRILL 4: KNEELING AWAY 2.0

More detailed instruction on ideal movements during the kneeling away, turn and throw drill

DRILL 6: STAGGERED STANCE

One of my personal favorites. Helps players get into athletic stance and reinforces scap pull + good follow throughs

DRILL 8: SIMPLE SCAP PULL

Teaches players scap pull + glove working out then in. Drill works with no throws so everyone can do this together in a circle / line

DRILL 10: CORRECTING PUSH

Summary video for helping correct incorrect push throws that are often seen in youth throwing

DRILL 12: QUICK THROWS

Focues on quick feet and quick throws to partner

bottom of page