Top Causes of Crow Hopping in Windmill Pitching

By Carly | August 6, 2012 |

Ah, crow hopping. This topic has been causing frustration and controversy among windmill pitchers, softball coaches, parents, and probably umpires for years. MANY pitchers—even many elite pitchers, some of whom you may have seen on television—do it, yet it’s illegal according to the rules of fastpitch softball. Over the next two posts, I’m going to talk a bit about what crow hopping is, what causes it, and how to fix it.

Read More

Pitching Drills for a Smoother Drive-through

By Carly | June 11, 2012 |

A little while ago I received an email from a Fastpitch Power reader asking for specific windmill pitching drills to address the issues of turning the load foot and dragging it during the drive-through. The reader was right; though we’ve discussed these issues at length, we’ve been a little light on info regarding how to fix them. I see more pitchers every day having problems dragging their feet, and since it’s so prevalent, I want to share my response with all of you.

Read More

Video: G-flop Drill for Windmill Pitching Acceleration

By Phil | June 1, 2012

Acceleration in the windmill pitching motion is critical to the success of the pitch. It’s logical: if you’re not accelerating your arm at delivery, you will not release the ball with maximum speed. Despite this, so many pitchers get into the habit of slowing down or even stopping their hands at the delivery of the pitch, resulting in compromised velocity and accuracy.

Read More