ASA Softball: ACE Coaching Manual - Pitching Part 1 (Stance)

Fast pitch pitching - the one skill above all others that we tend to place the most emphasis on. Because the pitcher is so crucial to the flow of the game and ultimately a team’s success, we put an unfair amount of pressure on the pitcher.

For the most part, we recognize that skills like catching, throwing, and even hitting take a few years to develop. So we are relatively patient as they do develop. Yet when it comes to pitching, patience goes out the window. We expect kids who maybe have never even pitched before to master the skill to the point of throwing strikes in a matter of weeks. After all, your first game is only days away, right?
Well Coach, pitching is not easy . First of all, it is an extremely difficult skill to learn. Secondly, what really makes pitching so hard is the number of times the child is asked to perform the skill successfully. The pitcher touches the ball on every play of every game. We expect the pitcher to perform successfully over 80% of the time. That is a tall order for anyone to fill.
The following are some points to keep in mind when working with your pitcher. These tips will help shorten their development time and increase their rate of success.

  1. Keep it Simple. While this has been said over and over about all the skills of softball, keeping pitching simple is almost more important than anything. If you can simplify the learning process, the easier it will be for your pitcher to remember what they are supposed to do. Break the pitching motion into understandable parts, and keep it simple!
  2. Be Patient. Learning takes time and you have to allow pitchers time to develop their skills. If you get angry or frustrated your pitcher won’t learn faster. In fact, it will only scare them, make them tense, and hinder their development. Before talking to your pitcher take a deep breath and count to 10. The key is for you to be relaxed and calm when working with your pitcher.
  3. Be Confident. If you are positive with your pitchers and let them know you can see their improvement, they will have more confidence in themselves and their abilities. They will work hard for your approval and your positive feedback. Coach, trust that your pitchers will “get it.” Every great pitcher started out throwing balls behind the batter and over the backstop—so just be patient and be confident.

The following are the basics for your young pitchers:

I. Grip

The fingers should be on or across the seams on the ball to form the grip. Just like overhand throw grip (see Throwing) * 4 seam grip or 2 seam grip depending upon objectives.
    • 4 seam grip lends itself to straighter movement or a straight line.
    • 2 seam grip lends itself to more variation off that line
  • A 4 seam grip is good for beginners. However, the key is a comfortable grip. Hand shapes and sizes are different; therefore, grip comfort varies based on hand size and shape.
  • The thumb and middle finger are the strongest digits on the hand. They establish the initial line of force for the pitch.
  • When forming the grip across the seams (2 or 4 seams) the seam should fit into the 1st groove of the middle finger for maximum snap at release.
  • For a proper grip hold the ball in the fingers, not the palm of the hand.
  • Your pitcher should never experience any pain when throwing a pitch.

II. Stance


Softball pitcher standing on the mound properly.
Figure 1
  • Begin with two feet touching the pitching rubber (ASA rules). This does not mean the middle of both feet need to be in the middle of the rubber. It simply means that any part of each foot must touch the rubber. (Figure 1) Teach your pitchers to begin with their throwing foot forward just like they do when they throw overhand.
  • Start with both hands relaxed and down in front of the body, with the ball in the glove.
  • The feet should be balanced and approximately shoulder width apart
  • The ball of the pitching hand foot should be over the front of the rubber.
  • The toe of the back foot should be pushed against the back of the rubber.
  • Beginners should make every attempt to learn to pitch from the center of the rubber (the line of force at its most central point), with both feet pointed toward home plate.
  • The pitcher should take the signal from the catcher with their weight on the front foot, which allows the transfer of weight to the back foot.
  • While the weight is on the front the hands should come together and the pitcher must pause to comply with the pitching rules. The weight will transfer to the back foot during this move.
  • The rules also dictate that the front foot must remain in contact with the rubber during the transfer of weight.