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Pitching Mechanics: Drills to Build the Foundation

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with Myndie Berka,
owner/pitching instructor of BreakThrew Fastpitch

Myndie Berka has trained hundreds of successful pitchers. Her pitchers have:

  • earned scholarships at over 60 different colleges and universities
  • competed at the Women's College World Series at the NCAA DI, DII, NAIA and JUCO levels
  • been named collegiate All-Americans
  • been collegiate national strikeout leaders at both the NCAA DI and DII levels

Pitching is a complex motion made up of several small movements of the upper and lower body, sequentially executed with proper rhythm and timing. Bad habits are hard to break, so it's important to teach younger players the correct mechanics and build a solid foundation from the get-go.

Pitching coach Myndie Berka explains the correct mechanics of pitching, and offers 13 drills to help reinforce proper pitching technique.

Upper Body and Grips

Every pitch begins with a grip and is crucial to great spin and control. Learn how to throw the basic fastball with two different grips, including the 2-seam grip, which can be easier for younger pitchers with smaller hands. Learn the correct mechanics of the wrist snap and create looseness with the arm circle, which causes whip and leads to speed. Coach Berka also offers a variety of drills using grips that help reinforce and create great spin. Additionally, you'll see drills featuring three training aides (such as spinners, socks etc.) to develop consistency and efficiency.

Lower Body Mechanics and Drills

Isolate the lower body and learn how to properly setup on the mound as Coach Berka teaches how a pitcher should create leg drive by loading the legs, shifting weight, and aggressively striding out towards the plate. Most of these drills don't even involve a ball, which helps the player focus on leg drive and reinforces great technique.

The Wind Up

After isolating the lower body, Coach Berka adds in the wind-up. In order for a pitcher to be successful, a fast and tight arm circle is necessary. Coach Berka offers three different wind up options with variations within each one to help pitchers generate power at the beginning of their motion. This is also where the pitcher begins to combine upper body and lower body movement to learn proper sequencing. Drills are added to help pitchers understand different checkpoints throughout the pitch, proper glove side mechanics, as well as drills for balance.

Full Motion Drills

Coach Berka introduces seven drills she uses with her pitchers to practice pitching fundamentals, in addition to reacting to balls hit back at them. No catcher? No problem! Learn how to improve pitching by throwing self-pitches, where the pitchers flip the ball to themselves. This will help your pitchers improve glove mechanics, as well as practice upper body timing.

You will hear Coach Berka give positive feedback to her players on what corrections to make and why they are important. She also includes different challenges and competitions for pitchers that will help them stay focused and begin to develop their competitive drive.

It is often said that the mark of a great teacher is breaking down complex material and making it easy to understand. By that measure, Coach Berka is a great teacher. She takes the complex pitching motion and breaks it down to the basics and makes it easy for anyone to digest, understand, and teach to others.

74 minutes. 2016.


Developing Championship Hitting

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featuring Mike Candrea,
University of Arizona Head Coach;
8x NCAA Champions, winningest coach in NCAA Division I Softball history (1500+ wins);
4x National Coach of the Year; named the Pac-12 Coach of the Century;
Distinguished member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Hall of Fame (1996);
2x US Olympic Softball Coach (Gold in '04, Silver in '08)

If you want to be the best, study the best! Mike Candrea has been a successful hitting coach for more than three decades, and he shows you how he's done it in this video! Candrea opens up about his hitting philosophies, the mechanics of the swing and all of the required elements for hitters to develop, nine of his favorite drills that will help any hitter achieve a consistent and successful swing, and how his teachings have changed over the years.

Three Measures of the Swing

How do you know if a swing is successful? Coach Candrea begins by identifying three measures of the swing: force, the hitting zone, and efficiency.

  • Force has three factors and he explains how your "gears," bat speed, and square contact put together create the force needed to hit the ball well.
  • He demonstrates how a short hitting zone can occur and why it's important to get the bat to the correct position to have it in the hitting zone for the longest amount of time.
  • There's little time to swing the bat, so being efficient in your swing is critical. Candrea demonstrates a common error of "bat rap" and how to correct it.

Simplifying the swing by focusing on the major categories instead of the minute details increases confidence, which will increase consistency.

Candrea acknowledges that players have many different stances. He identifies three things to look for: an athletic stance, plate coverage, and a rhythm. He explains each of these areas and also shares what to look for in the front knee and how it should move back and in toward the pitch. He demonstrates what this looks like, and, what happens when it isn't done correctly.

Lower Body Mechanics

Candrea offers three drills to put the lower body in the correct position to drive the ball and how to get into the front side longer to hit off-speed pitches more effectively.

Upper Body Mechanics and Connection

Candrea offers three drills to help any batter release the bat head to and through contact. In one drill, he shows how to use a rubber mallet to train the correct hand path. The key to an effortless swing is connection, adding the forces from the lower body and upper body together at the right time. Candrea shares his favorite connection drill, as well as an independent hands drill.

The video concludes with Coach Candrea's 9 Absolutes of Hitting and 10 Characteristics of Successful Hitters; these represent decades of experience working with and developing some of softball's greatest hitters. These will help you to recognize natural talent, develop missing elements, and produce better hitters for your team!

This video is essential for anyone who is coaching softball at any level. Coach Candrea uses common terms while demonstrating what to look for as a coach and what to do as a player to be a successful hitter. Mike Candrea offers something for everyone!

60 minutes. 2017.

The Softball Pitching Factory

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SD-02348A: with Nancy Evans,
#1 all time pitching record in NCAA history and 3rd all time in wins,
1998 National Player of the Year (Honda Award), 6 NCAA Championships (as player & coach);
was an assistant softball coach at her alma mater, Arizona, and also at DePaul University; coached the Dutch National team to their first European Championship title in 19 years,
3x All-Star in the National Professional Fastpitch (NPF), a member of the 30 player Pac-12 'All Century Team'

Coach Nancy Evans has been successful at every level of her playing and coaching career, as she developed into the top college pitcher as a two-time All-American and has the all-time NCAA best winning percentage (.938), currently plays professional softball and coaches at one of the premiere college softball programs in the US. Through her experience and instruction, Coach Evans has gained a comprehensive knowledge in every aspect of becoming a complete pitcher and shares in this video the step-by-step progression to develop and succeed as a windmill pitcher. Using one-on-one player-coach demonstration, Evans breaks down every step in the pitching process from choosing the best grip to the full pitch and fielding position. Coach Evans moves through a progression of drills to develop the correct mechanics in every stage of the pitch and strongly emphasizes mastering skills through relentless repetition and consistent practice routines in route to better accuracy, correct spin, and pitch speed. This step by step progression of the basics and fundamentals of windmill pitching can be applied and practiced at any level from beginner to advanced, and is essential to learning how to pitch the correct way!

77 minutes. 2005.

SD-02348B: with Nancy Evans,
#1 all time pitching record in NCAA history and 3rd all time in wins,
1998 National Player of the Year (Honda Award), 6 NCAA Championships (as player & coach);
was an assistant softball coach at her alma mater, Arizona, and also at DePaul University; coached the Dutch National team to their first European Championship title in 19 years,
3x All-Star in the National Professional Fastpitch (NPF), a member of the 30 player Pac-12 'All Century Team'

When thrown effectively, the "ruthless" rise ball is a great strikeout pitch and a fun pitch to throw. Nancy Evans shows you how to throw the rise ball that catapulted her to the top of the records books in Division I collegiate softball. Evans demonstrates for you how, when, and why you should throw the rise ball. She includes grips, body mechanics, the release, and the follow-through. Full speed demonstrations show you the full pitching motion and how the pitch moves for all three variations of rise ball: the high, medium, and low rise. Coach Evans demonstrates her favorite drills that will give your rise ball speed and accuracy. When done correctly the rise ball is one of the best strikeout pitches you can throw.

48 minutes. 2005.



SD-02348C: with Nancy Evans,
#1 all time pitching record in NCAA history and 3rd all time in wins,
1998 National Player of the Year (Honda Award), 6 NCAA Championships (as player & coach);
was an assistant softball coach at her alma mater, Arizona, and also at DePaul University; coached the Dutch National team to their first European Championship title in 19 years,
3x All-Star in the National Professional Fastpitch (NPF), a member of the 30 player Pac-12 'All Century Team'

Nancy Evans provides valuable troubleshooting advice for 15 of softball's most common pitching errors. Coach Evans demonstrates practical tips and drills to correct flawed pitching motions that hamper a pitcher's speed, accuracy, and throwing motion. She includes general pitching corrections for pitches that are too high, too low, too far inside or outside, as well as mechanics and spins for the screwball, curveball, change-up, rise ball, and drop ball. These are the skills Coach Evans perfected during her playing days making her the all-time NCAA leader in winning percentage (.938) and helped her, as a coach, guide the 2004 Wildcat pitching staff to a 1.03 team ERA! Every coach and pitcher should watch this to make sure you are getting the maximum potential out of every pitch.

65 minutes. 2005.



SD-02348D: with Nancy Evans,
#1 all time pitching record in NCAA history and 3rd all time in wins,
1998 National Player of the Year (Honda Award), 6 NCAA Championships (as player & coach);
was an assistant softball coach at her alma mater, Arizona, and also at DePaul University; coached the Dutch National team to their first European Championship title in 19 years,
3x All-Star in the National Professional Fastpitch (NPF), a member of the 30 player Pac-12 'All Century Team'

One of the most frequently asked questions from softball pitchers is, "How can I increase my speed?" Coach Nancy Evans addresses this question by teaching and demonstrating the key catalysts, components, drills, mechanics, and principles that will increase your pitch velocity. Evans knows what it takes to become a dominant pitcher. She is the all-time NCAA leader in winning percentage (.938) and was an integral part of three NCAA championships as a starting pitcher. By sharing the key components that both contribute to and inhibit pitch speed, Coach Evans will help you to maximize your velocity on the mound. In addition, she discusses how your physical makeup and training program can influence pitch velocity and how to set realistic goals to strive for at various stages of development. Leg drive, wrist snap, arm strength, proper mechanics--Coach Evans includes everything you need to throw as fast as you can

48 minutes. 2005.



SD-02348E: with Nancy Evans,
#1 all time pitching record in NCAA history and 3rd all time in wins,
1998 National Player of the Year (Honda Award), 6 NCAA Championships (as player & coach);
was an assistant softball coach at her alma mater, Arizona, and also at DePaul University; coached the Dutch National team to their first European Championship title in 19 years,
3x All-Star in the National Professional Fastpitch (NPF), a member of the 30 player Pac-12 'All Century Team'

The three most common pitches thrown in softball are the fastball, rise ball, and an off speed pitch. Often, the only difference between a good pitcher and a great pitcher is an effective breaking ball. This informative DVD features two effective breaking balls: the screwball and the curveball. Nancy Evans teaches and demonstrates how, why, and when to throw the curveball and screwball. Coach Evans builds each pitch from the ground up. She includes grips, body movements, the releases, and the follow-through for both pitches. With the help of on-field demonstrators, Evans shows you each pitch in slow motion from three different angles and teaches drills that you can use to improve and develop your breaking pitches. These drills will help you practice your pitching motion and will give you instant feedback as to whether you are throwing the pitch correctly. Evans shows both pitches at full speed so you can see the finished product.

65 minutes. 2005.



SD-02348F: with Nancy Evans,
#1 all time pitching record in NCAA history and 3rd all time in wins,
1998 National Player of the Year (Honda Award), 6 NCAA Championships (as player & coach);
was an assistant softball coach at her alma mater, Arizona, and also at DePaul University; coached the Dutch National team to their first European Championship title in 19 years,
3x All-Star in the National Professional Fastpitch (NPF), a member of the 30 player Pac-12 'All Century Team'

The "challenging" change up is a great pitch to throw to keep opposing hitters guessing and off-balance. Nancy Evans presents the most comprehensive session available on DVD on how to effectively throw and utilize an effective change up. She demonstrates grips, mechanics, the release, and follow-through for seven variations of the change. Evans not only shows you how to throw the change, but discusses when to use it in a game to maximize its effectiveness. She provides progressive drills that help teach the pitch one step at a time and will improve your motion. Using full speed demonstrations, Coach Evans shows exactly how the pitch should be thrown and gives tips on proper placement. She includes a look at common errors pitchers make when throwing the change and how to correct those errors. When disguised and thrown correctly, the change up is a very effective pitch and a great compliment to the fastball and rise ball.

43 minutes. 2005.



SD-02348G: with Nancy Evans,
#1 all time pitching record in NCAA history and 3rd all time in wins,
1998 National Player of the Year (Honda Award), 6 NCAA Championships (as player & coach);
was an assistant softball coach at her alma mater, Arizona, and also at DePaul University; coached the Dutch National team to their first European Championship title in 19 years,
3x All-Star in the National Professional Fastpitch (NPF), a member of the 30 player Pac-12 'All Century Team'

Arizona Softball pitching legend Nancy Evans shares the "daily dozen" drills that catapulted her to 1998 National Player of the Year and have made the University of Arizona a "softball pitching factory" (Evans, Jennie Finch, and more) and a national powerhouse in collegiate softball. Coach Evans presents a wide variety of unique, practical pitching drills for pitchers of all levels and abilities. These individual drills will help pitchers develop and master all of the elements of successful pitching such as 'violent' wrist snap, correct spin, control and accuracy, muscle memory, effective leg drive, proper mechanics, arm strength, and velocity. Coach Evans strongly emphasizes building an arsenal of pitches using these drills by teaching the principles and mechanics of the fastball, rise ball, curveball, screwball, drop ball, and change-up. Effective teaching points and quality demonstrations will help you put a polish on your favorite pitches!

76 minutes. 2005.

SD-02348H: with Nancy Evans,
#1 all time pitching record in NCAA history and 3rd all time in wins,
1998 National Player of the Year (Honda Award), 6 NCAA Championships (as player & coach);
was an assistant softball coach at her alma mater, Arizona, and also at DePaul University; coached the Dutch National team to their first European Championship title in 19 years,
3x All-Star in the National Professional Fastpitch (NPF), a member of the 30 player Pac-12 'All Century Team'

If you want to become a dominant softball pitcher, you need to have three pitches you feel confident throwing in any situation. An effective drop ball is a "must have" pitch for your arsenal and with the insight and instruction provided, you will learn how to master the "deadly" drop ball pitch! Coach Evans provides teaching and demonstrations of the techniques, drills, and skills for throwing this tremendous pitch. In addition, she highlights a number of game-time situations where this pitch is most effective. Every step of the way she provides easy to understand instruction on techniques such as grip variations, mechanics, footwork, and release. She also provides a five-step drill progression to give you instant feedback on how you are progressing with the pitch. Having trouble learning the drop ball? Want to give your drop ball some extra pop? Coach Evans troubleshoots your drop ball by revealing common errors and how to correct them. The Deadly Drop Ball provides all the tools you will need to have your drop ball falling off the table.

38 minutes. 2005.



SD-02348I: with Nancy Evans,
#1 all time pitching record in NCAA history and 3rd all time in wins,
1998 National Player of the Year (Honda Award), 6 NCAA Championships (as player & coach);
was an assistant softball coach at her alma mater, Arizona, and also at DePaul University; coached the Dutch National team to their first European Championship title in 19 years,
3x All-Star in the National Professional Fastpitch (NPF), a member of the 30 player Pac-12 'All Century Team'

Why is it that two athletes of similar physical caliber often perform differently in the same situation? The answer is mental toughness. The mental toughness aspect of athletics is one of the most important, yet one of the most often overlooked. Arizona's Nancy Evans, 1998 Honda Award Winner and National Softball Player of the Year, shows you how to develop the mental toughness necessary to be a winner on the mound! With a degree in psychology (U of AZ) and the pedigree of a national champion softball pitcher and now coach, Evans combines her knowledge of the human mind with her on-field experiences to demystify the secrets of performing well under pressure, revealing nine areas that will help you maximize your mental toughness on the mound and help you excel under pressure. Excellent!

68 minutes. 2005.

Building a Championship Pitcher

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with Beth Torina, LSU Head Coach;
2012 Women's College World Series qualifier;
former Head Coach at Florida International; 2x Sunbelt Conference Coach of the Year; former Head coach of the USSSA Florida Pride of the National Pro Fastpitch League

Join LSU Head Coach Beth Torina as she teaches and demonstrates the pitching mechanics and drills that have helped the Tigers rank among the nation's best in ERA on an annual basis.

Coach Torina's program starts at the ground level with the initial push to create forward motion and then moves into the stride, front side resistance, the arm circle and the wrist snap.

Initial Push and Forward Motion
With proper use of her legs, a pitcher will be more explosive in creating speed and drive toward the plate. And she will take stress off of her arm.

Are you creating timing issues and "hip hitting" with your coaching? Coach Torina breaks down the forward push and the mechanics of loading the legs and driving forward. You'll see six drills she uses to practice the load and drive.

Torina also talks about the forward motion and how to avoid "hip-hitting" with the arm circle. She shares the drills you need to perfect timing and to get your pitcher's arm in the slot so they can effectively execute their spins and pitches.

The Stride and Front Side Resistance
Improve your pitcher's power and control! Coach Torina offers three drills to perfect your pitcher's power line, stride length and improve explosiveness and accuracy.

You will also see three drills to develop front side resistance and learn how to troubleshoot pitchers who lean forward or backward. With optimal front side resistance, your pitchers will create more power from their stride, allowing them to throw harder.

Arm Circle and Wrist Snap
The pitcher's arm circle should be loose and relaxed to create fast circles and maximize whip. Coach Torina introduces six drills you can use to get great whip from the arm and wrist. The arm circle and wrist snap are essential for producing that final burst of speed on a pitch and for maximizing movement on your pitches.

From Bullpen to Live Game
How do you transfer practice fundamentals to a live game? Pitchers often struggle transferring what they practice into game situations. Torina offers ideas to make bullpen practice more game-like and competitive. She also offers ideas on how to teach your pitchers to make location adjustments and control the game.

It is easy to see why Beth Torina is one of the best pitching minds in the game. She offers an extensive knowledge of pitching mechanics, but also has a vast array of fun and innovative drills to practice and perfect these fundamentals.

53 minutes. 2013.

All Access Softball Practice with Mike Candrea

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featuring Mike Candrea,
University of Arizona Head Coach;
8x NCAA Champions, winningest coach in NCAA Division I Softball history (1500+ wins);
4x National Coach of the Year; named the Pac-12 Coach of the Century;
Distinguished member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Hall of Fame (1996);
'04, '08 US Olympic Softball Coach (Gold in '04, Silver in '08)

with Stacy Iveson,
University of Arizona Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach;
former Head Coach at Pima Community College and Yavapai College . winning four NJCAA National titles (two at each school); 2004 NJCAA Coach of the Year

and Caitlin Lowe,
University of Arizona Assistant Coach;
member of the 2008 US Olympic Team (Silver Medal); 4x All American at Arizona, winner of the adidas Golden Shoe Award (for the nation's best base-stealer) as a senior; Arizona's all time leader in stolen bases and ranks second all time in career batting average (.446)

One of the fundamental issues softball coaches have is learning how to run a great practice. With this video, you'll gain a unique experience as you learn from one of the best coaches the game has to offer

Mike Candrea provides exclusive in-depth access to four days of practice with the University of Arizona softball team. Practice organization and fundamentals are discussed as the foundations of defining and building a quality team culture. Coach Candrea introduces you to the general practice structure he uses and the philosophies and techniques of the program that he integrates into every workout. You will also go behind the scenes and see how the team focuses its strength and conditioning program toward building softball players who are more complete athletes.

This all access video provides coaches and teams the knowledge of how to maximize game-like repetitions of all facets of the game in every practice drill. The coaches' open mics allow them to actively commentate on the drills, sprinkling in coaching tips along the way. You'll also get to hear them strategize through different situations.

Practice: Day 1

Individual infield and team defense play is the focus of the first practice, which gives players numerous reps and throws along with situational play. Each day, practice begins with an active warm-up that includes dynamic stretching and arm care to help maintain the health of the athletes. After throwing the position, players go through an extensive defensive warm-up. The infielders pair up and work glove drills such as picks, short hops and backhands while the outfielders pair up and work on long toss and footwork drills that are outfield-specific.

After glove work, players get together with the coaches and work on a ground ball progression for both fielding and throwing. Candrea rolls the players a variety of ground balls to simulate different game situations, such as underhand flips, glove feeds, and backhand feeds. The progression moves onto ground balls off the bat. Infielders man their positions to field and throw to different bases in a rapid succession, which provides many reps in a small amount of time.

Once the ground ball progression is over, Candrea puts a live game element into practice to work on bunt and bunt defense. This high-intensity drill prepares players both offensively and defensively for game situations. Set your players up to get more outs at second base on bunts to help eliminate big innings.

Practice ends with a live batting practice. Candrea puts players into groups of five . a runner at each base, a hitter, and an on-deck batter. The batters get three rounds of five pitches. Each round, batters work a different situation. The base runners work on their base running leads on each pitch and hit. There's minimal standing around and players are learning or reinforcing what they know on every pitch. The team ends practice with a conditioning session.

Practice: Day 2

This practice focuses on infield positional play, pitchers' fielding practice, outfield play, and throwing to bases with various team-controlled situational play. The practice builds on the individual work from day one and adds a more game-like progression.

Day two's practice begins in the weight room. Strength & Conditioning Coach Rob Harris, shows you a softball-specific workout used to develop strength and flexibility. He provides the benefits for each exercise and shows how to adapt each exercise to help with injured athletes.

Infield practice features infielders working on their footwork and glove work from rolled balls and ground balls off a fungo. A pitcher's fielding practice is included that allows pitchers to be the fifth infielder without sacrificing their pitching mechanics. You'll see how Candrea teaches throwing from every position in the outfield to every plausible location on the infield, creating players who are comfortable with playing every outfield position.

The team transitions into 21 Outs, which is a great game-like drill for putting the entire defensive workout together with active runners. Additionally, the team works on defending bunts, first and third situations, and rundowns.

Practice: Day 3

Day three features a full batting practice along with a bunting station, followed by pre-game infield and outfield, and then a live controlled scrimmage. Throughout the entire practice, some type of competition is built into every activity, which gives you a better understanding of what a motivated, competitive team scrimmage looks like.

Softball-specific activities begin with batting practice and you'll get a drill to help your hitters identify balls and strikes. Learn to be an active coach during batting practice with techniques like charting if hitters are hitting strikes and taking balls. You'll see how a Wildcat batting practice is divided into four groups working simultaneously to minimize down time and maximize repetitions.

After batting practice, Candrea shows you the pre-game infield/outfield routine he uses to get his team ready to play.

The bulk of this practice consists of an inter-squad scrimmage. The unique thing about Arizona's scrimmage is that the coaches predetermined the conditions by picking which hitters, runners, counts, and situations they wanted to see. This puts players into situations more challenging than game situations in order to make practice more difficult and stressful than the game. Candrea, while coaching third base, gives insight into how he coaches runners and hitters. You'll also hear Coach Iveson's interactions with the pitchers and catchers.

Practice: Day 4

The final practice begins with Coach Candrea talking about different aspect of coaching and preparing his team. He addresses topics like building progressions, developing culture in practice, and creating a season-long plan. The emphasis in practice is with outfield play. Individual positional work is shown, as well as making numerous types of throws to every base from each outfield position.

Practice begins with the positions split up, and while the infielders field rolled balls, the outfielders work on ball-in-glove and drop step footwork drills. Train catchers to cover bunts and make all types of throws while simultaneously training infielders to receive throws, including what happens on failed bunt and slap attempts. One unique part about the practice is all players work at a variety of positions, not just the one they primarily play.

Practice concludes with batting practice. You'll get an unobstructed view from the side of hitters, which provides you the chance to see how players may start their swings differently, but all of them get to the same contact spot.

Candrea's successful style of player development is on full display in this all access video. Watching this series of practices will allow you to gain insight on how one of the top coaches in the country runs his practices, and more importantly, gets the most out of his team. Use Candrea's drills in your practices to get your athletes performing to their potential!

649 minutes (6 DVDs) 2017.

All Access videos are designed to allow viewers from all over the world to see how successful coaches run their practices in a "live" practice setting. All Access videos allow viewers to see the practices un-edited and in real-time. You will see how top coaches run their drills, interact with their team and staff, how they motivate their team, the cue words they use, the atmosphere of the practice and how practices are structured from day to day. Many coaches visit successful colleges and high schools to watch practice. But if you live out of state or out of the country, visiting another coach's practice can be costly. That's why we created the All Access Practice Series of videos -- to bring the practices to you!

Mega Softball Drills: Hitting

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with John Tschida,
University of St. Thomas Head Coach;
member of the NFCA Hall of Fame (2016);
Over 900 career wins; highest winning percentage in D-III softball history (.840 winning percentage);
3x national championship coach, first coach to win national title at two schools;
2x NFCA Division III National Coach of the Year; 12x MIAC Coach of the Year;
has now led St. Thomas to the NCAA Tournament each of the last 15 seasons

Develop a short, quick, efficient swing!

Step into the batter's box with three-time national championship coach, John Tschida, as he leads you through a comprehensive video library of all the drills needed to perfect the fundamentals and the mechanics required to drive the softball.

To open, Coach Tschida demonstrates, step-by-step, how to build a mechanically proper swing. He then leads you through 70 common mistakes players make in their swings and shows you how you can help them correct these faults. Tschida's covers the fundamentals, faults and corrections for the:

  • Stance
  • Loading Phase of the Swing
  • Unloading Phase of the Swing
  • Rotation Phase of the Swing
  • Bat Lag Phase of the Swing
  • Contact Phase of the Swing
  • Extension Phase of the Swing
  • And more.

From there, Tschida demonstrates over 110 hitting drills that you can use with your team to ensure they are using proper form. These drills cover the areas of rhythm and timing, load and trigger, linear stride, rotation, power and bat speed, elbow connection and contact, extension, bat control, and adjustments.

The fundamentals, drills and corrections shown in this video will help you develop more fundamentally sound hitters for your team.

265 minutes (2 DVDs). 2009.

LSU Softball Skills and Drills Series

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SD-04344A: with Beth Torina, LSU Head Coach;
2012 Women's College World Series qualifier;
former Head Coach at Florida International; 2x Sunbelt Conference Coach of the Year; former Head coach of the USSSA Florida Pride of the National Pro Fastpitch League

Join LSU Head Coach Beth Torina as she teaches and demonstrates the pitching mechanics and drills that have helped the Tigers rank among the nation's best in ERA on an annual basis.

Coach Torina's program starts at the ground level with the initial push to create forward motion and then moves into the stride, front side resistance, the arm circle and the wrist snap.

Initial Push and Forward Motion
With proper use of her legs, a pitcher will be more explosive in creating speed and drive toward the plate. And she will take stress off of her arm.

Are you creating timing issues and "hip hitting" with your coaching? Coach Torina breaks down the forward push and the mechanics of loading the legs and driving forward. You'll see six drills she uses to practice the load and drive.

Torina also talks about the forward motion and how to avoid "hip-hitting" with the arm circle. She shares the drills you need to perfect timing and to get your pitcher's arm in the slot so they can effectively execute their spins and pitches.

The Stride and Front Side Resistance
Improve your pitcher's power and control! Coach Torina offers three drills to perfect your pitcher's power line, stride length and improve explosiveness and accuracy.

You will also see three drills to develop front side resistance and learn how to troubleshoot pitchers who lean forward or backward. With optimal front side resistance, your pitchers will create more power from their stride, allowing them to throw harder.

Arm Circle and Wrist Snap
The pitcher's arm circle should be loose and relaxed to create fast circles and maximize whip. Coach Torina introduces six drills you can use to get great whip from the arm and wrist. The arm circle and wrist snap are essential for producing that final burst of speed on a pitch and for maximizing movement on your pitches.

From Bullpen to Live Game
How do you transfer practice fundamentals to a live game? Pitchers often struggle transferring what they practice into game situations. Torina offers ideas to make bullpen practice more game-like and competitive. She also offers ideas on how to teach your pitchers to make location adjustments and control the game.

It is easy to see why Beth Torina is one of the best pitching minds in the game. She offers an extensive knowledge of pitching mechanics, but also has a vast array of fun and innovative drills to practice and perfect these fundamentals.

53 minutes. 2013.



SD-04344B: with Beth Torina, LSU Head Coach;
2012 Women's College World Series qualifier;
former Head Coach at Florida International; 2x Sunbelt Conference Coach of the Year; former Head coach of the USSSA Florida Pride of the National Pro Fastpitch League

LSU and USSSA Florida Pride Head Coach Beth Torina gives you the tools necessary to stifle opposing batters with two pitches that look enticing, but jump out of the strike zone with late breaking movement - the Drop Ball and the Rise Ball.

Coach Torina fully explains the mechanics of each pitch and demonstrates drills that coaches and athletes alike can use to perfect these pitches.

The Drop Ball
The drop ball is safe for young arms, because it has a similar spin to a fastball. It also keeps the ball in the ball park. The drop ball is great when you need a ground ball or to keep the ball in the infield.

Getting the drop ball to spin correctly is critical, since the spin dictates when and how the pitch will break. In this segment, you will learn three ways to release the drop: the peel, turnover, and half turn. These options will allow your pitchers to select the drop ball that works best for them.

To ensure success, the drop ball should break late, right as it approaches the hitter. To do this effectively, Torina introduces six drills to practice getting the correct spin on the pitch.

Your pitcher's forward body position is another essential part of what makes the drop ball move in a downward path. Coach Torina demonstrates five drills to help the pitcher achieve a slightly forward body position. She also offers four drills for practicing the whole pitch and working on break points. If the pitch breaks too early or too late, it will not be nearly as effective, as the batter will either recognize the pitch and/or hit it.

The Rise Ball
Keep opposing hitters off balance with a killer rise ball!

Coach Torina explains five spin drills your pitchers can use to get their rise ball to jump versus being just a high pitch.

Unlike the drop ball, the rise ball pitcher wants her body position to be slightly back. Coach Torina explains the correct technique and offers six drills to work on achieving optimal body position to throw the rise. In addition, she explains two more drills that can be used to work on getting the pitch to break at the proper time - right as it approaches the batter.

This DVD is an excellent resource for coaches and pitchers alike aiming to develop or improve two pitches that are crucial to any pitcher's or team's success.

48 minutes. 2013.



SD-04344C: with Beth Torina, LSU Head Coach;
2012 Women's College World Series qualifier;
former Head Coach at Florida International; 2x Sunbelt Conference Coach of the Year; former Head coach of the USSSA Florida Pride of the National Pro Fastpitch League

Each phase of a year round pitching program is important and has its own goals and objectives for maximizing your pitchers' abilities. Beth Torina, head coach at LSU and with the USSSA Florida Pride, guides you through the thought process for building year round workouts.

Off-Season
Fundamentals and conditioning form the back bone of Coach Torina's off-season pitching workouts. Torina lays out how the Tigers structure their off-season workouts breaking down each pitch and developing their pitchers' spin and body position.

Off-season workouts are essential to ensure that your pitchers come into the season with their pitches working, as there is not a lot of time for major overhauls once the season begins. This is also an important time to focus on conditioning and speed development, and Torina offers four drills to develop this area.

Pre-Season
At LSU, the pre-season is a time to work on a little bit of everything. One major focus of the pre-season is location. If a pitcher misses their spots frequently, they will either give up a lot of walks or hits. Torina offers eight workout drills to practice location, as well as throwing "believable balls" on 0-2 pitches. She also provides ideas for working on the break points of pitches to make them deceptive and for getting the pitcher in shape to throw 7 innings (a full game).

In-Season
Now it's time to get results! Although it's important to continue to maintain fundamentals, Torina explains how you can develop workouts that involve situations and counts on imaginary batters. Learn how you can get your pitchers thinking in terms of game situations and their thought process behind each pitch, because the pitcher should understand and have confidence in every pitch she throws.

Using Coach Torina's ideas and philosophies, any coach can easily develop a structured plan for how to best prepare their pitcher for when the games mean the most.

59 minutes. 2013.



SD-04344D: with Lindsay Leftwich, LSU Assistant Coach (Catchers/Hitters);
All-conference player at Northwestern State

Lindsay Leftwich shares her extensive knowledge of the catching position including framing, blocking, throwing, and fielding bunts. For each skill, Coach Leftwich provides you with a thorough explanation of the mechanics involved, explains why the mechanics are such, and offers several drills and work-ups.

Framing
When done properly, framing can help make borderline pitches look like strikes to the umpire. Coach Leftwich has her catchers demonstrate four drills to practice framing fundamentals. She also demonstrates the basic stance catchers should assume to ensure move quickly and effectively receive the ball.

Blocking
Being a good "blocking" catcher will give your pitchers confidence that they can throw any pitch in any situation, because they know their catcher will stop the ball, no matter where it goes. Coach Leftwich explains the correct mechanics of blocking and offers eight drills and work-ups to help catchers master the skill. You'll see how to block pitches right at the catcher and pitches thrown to either side.

Throwing
Learn the quickest way to transfer the ball from glove to throwing hand and learn the footwork required for throwing to each base. Ball transfer and foot quickness can compensate for average arm strength or enhance a catcher with a strong arm. Leftwich also explains several drills and work-ups for throwing out runners attempting to steal second base, as well as pick off throws to first and third base.

Bunts
Take the pressure off of corner infielders and stifle your opponent's short game! Catchers who are proficient at fielding bunts can wreak havoc on your opponent's offense. Learn the drills, footwork techniques and approaches to the ball that your catcher needs to make plays on any bunt.

Coach Leftwich does a great job not only explaining the proper mechanics for the catching position, but also the "why" behind her philosophy and teaching, often citing research and video analysis.

This DVD will produce a more productive and efficient catcher to get your pitcher more strikeouts and to get those tough outs on defense.

68 minutes. 2013.



SD-04344E: with Howard Dobson, LSU Assistant Coach;
2016 USA Women's Softball National Team Assistant Coach;
Assistant Coach for the 2014 USA Softball Elite Team; former Southern Mississippi Head Coach

Not every hitter is the same, but to be successful, every hitter needs to master the basic fundamentals of hitting.

USA Softball Elite Team assistant coach Howard Dobson explores every facet of the swing, showing some of most common flaws that hitters exhibit, while demonstrating his overall philosophies on hitting to develop the correct mechanics a hitter needs to be successful at the plate.

The Stance
As elementary as it may seem, the batting stance has a significant impact on the swing, setting a hitter up for success or failure. Coach Dobson develops the swing from the ground up, because power and force come from the ground. He covers every detail of an effective set-up for the lower body - an athletic, balanced position with the body stacked.

Bat Placement
By starting with your body in the correct position, there are fewer moving parts that can break down. Dobson delivers an essential demonstration lecture on gripping the bat, bat placement, body posture, head angle, and more. Each technique relates back to minimizing bat movement to create a quicker, more effective swing.

The Stride
Coach Dobson takes on a somewhat contentious topic in softball, the linear weight shift. He begins by discussing the load and stride, and also explains when to load based on the pitcher you are facing. He also explains the correct technique for the stride, which part of the foot should land first, and purposes of the stride. A proper load is necessary for good weight transfer, and a well-timed stride will help enhance timing.

Contact
Learn why it's important to keep the hips behind the barrel and the hands close to the body. Good hip movement helps batters deliver strong contact on an outside pitch. Learn how to extend through the ball to stay in the zone and develop consistency in your swing.

Finishing
At times, too much emphasis is placed on the finish of the swing. According to Coach Dobson, the finish of the swing should happen naturally. He also tackles questions like where to stand in the box and how to make adjustments to box position based on the pitcher. Each pitcher throws differently and will dictate a somewhat different approach.

It is easy to see why Coach Dobson has produced some of the best hitters in the game. His passion and enthusiasm for the art of hitting are contagious!

87 minutes. 2013.



SD-04344F: with Howard Dobson, LSU Assistant Coach;
2016 USA Women's Softball National Team Assistant Coach;
Assistant Coach for the 2014 USA Softball Elite Team; former Southern Mississippi Head Coach

Howard Dobson shares twenty-seven of the drills he uses at all levels of the game to build better hitters starting from the ground and working up.

These are the same drills he uses with his hitters at LSU. Dobson provides a thorough explanation of how to correctly perform each drill - including any variations. He explains drills to work on every aspect of the swing working from the ground up, starting with the legs and moving on to the upper-body.

Lower Body
Power for hitting comes from the ground. By leveraging their legs correctly, your hitters will maximize their power in every swing. Coach Dobson introduces several drills that will develop your hitter's lower body.

These drills help the hitter get their legs in the correct position and set them up for a correct load, stride, and weight shift. Each drill is designed to help the hitter recognize the correct feeling associated with whatever hitting skill is being taught.

Upper Body
Develop your teams' ability to make consistent contact with the ball and stay long through the zone. Coach Dobson introduces drills designed to teach the hitter the correct grip, path to and through the ball, and finish. He shows how proper hand placement during the swing brings the contact point out in front of the body allowing the hitter to have better control of ball placement.

Dobson also shares a few drills he uses to improve a hitter's bat speed, which is an important component for power.

Using Coach Dobson's innovative drills, your hitters will develop the feeling of a correct, mechanically sound swing, which will ultimately help them reach their potential and put runs on the board.

102 minutes. 2013.



SD-04344G: with Sharonda McDonald,
University of Florida Assistant Coach;>br />Chicago Bandits (NPF) Head Coach;
former Texas Tech Associate Head Coach; former LSU Assistant Coach;
4x All Big 12 performer at Texas A&M; is second all time on Texas A&M's career hits list (249) and holds the program's sixth-best career average (.338); won the 2005 Golden Shoe Award as the nation's best best runner (led the nation with 48 steals that year); a six year National Pro Fastpitch career that has included an All-Rookie team selection, an All Star honor, and in 2012 shared the NPF's Golden Spikes Award (given to the player that led the league in stolen bases)

As the common phrase goes, 'speed doesn't slump.' In this DVD, Sharonda McDonald shares the mechanics, strategy and 20+ drills for multiple types of slaps and bunts.

Slapping
Coach McDonald teaches and demonstrates correct footwork, the crossover step, and the ideal contact position that will improve your slappers' ball placement to the left side and their explosive movement after contact. McDonald offers five effective drills she uses with her slappers to practice the basic mechanics of slapping.

Power Slap
Depending on where the defense is playing the slapper, she may need to use a power slap to drive a ball through the infield. Coach McDonald explains the strategy and mechanics of the power slap, as well as how the power slap differs from the basic slap. She demonstrates four drills to master these fundamentals.

Soft Slap
Another weapon you can use to pressure the defense is the soft slap. The soft slap is a great option if the defense is playing deep on the slapper. Coach McDonald explains the mechanics and introduces five drills to perfect the soft slap. The soft slap is all about speed, so McDonald also highlights five drills to quickly get your slappers out of the batter's box.

Bunting
Another option for the slapper to use when the defense is playing deep is the bunt. Coach McDonald explains how to drop a bunt from the slapping position. She explains the mechanics of drag bunting to help keep the defense at bay for as long as possible. She also offers three drills to practice bunting.

Coach McDonald provides you with all the tools you need to disarm any defensive alignment.

40 minutes. 2013.



Practice Planning Series

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SD-05316A:

with Megan Smith,
University of Kansas Head Coach;
six straight seasons of 30+ wins (2011-16);
Over 300 wins all time; former LSU Assistant Coach

In this video, Megan Smith brings you drills that she has used over the years to improve her team's fielding. Smith will help keep your practices engaging with 17 innovative drills designed to improve footwork, turns, throws, and fielding position.

Footwork Drills

A player must move her feet to get into position. Learn how to help your infielders get into great fielding position with four footwork drills. Smith instructs how to practice quick feet and rhythm, which will help your infielders on routine ground balls and balls that they have to range to the sides to field.

Glovework Drills

Get your players' hands faster and more efficient with five drills. These drills are designed so that every player involved is working on some part of the game. For example, the Triangle Drill uses three players fielding, turning, and throwing to help improve on infield throws. In one fun drill, Light-Flight Pepper (a spin-off of the classic Pepper drill), the infielders play Pepper using light flight balls. This allows the hitter to pepper the ball harder without fear of injuring a fielder, and allows the infielders to work at a closer distance to improve their glove reaction.

Fungo Drills

Put it all together with eight fungo drills that will keep your infielders challenged. Smith offers several drills to improve fielding fundamentals, and drills that will challenge your fielders to make web-gem plays.

Let Coach Smith show you how to develop fundamentally sound, record-breaking infielders without sacrificing fun!

42 minutes. 2018.



SD-05316B:

with Megan Smith,
University of Kansas Head Coach;
six straight seasons of 30+ wins (2011-16);
Over 300 wins all time; former LSU Assistant Coach

The skills required to play the various infield positions are unique to each position. In order to be an effective infield coach, one must understand the diverse needs for each position.

Megan Smith offers 27 drills to build fundamentally sound infielders, position-by-position, by breaking down their technique and building correct mechanics using proven drills.

Her instruction covers:

  • Ready position
  • Fielding position
  • Throwing position
  • Drop step and angles to balls hit to the forehand and backhand
  • Bunt fielding and throwing
  • Double play feeds and footwork for middle infielders

Coach Smith even has a short segment on how to throw on the run. This is a fully comprehensive video on the basic fundamentals for infield play!

Drop Steps

The drop step is used on both forehands and backhands, so a good drop step is very important to help fielders increase their range. Smith explains the technique of a drop step and offers four drills to practice it. Get your players' feet moving faster and more efficiently and you will find them getting to more ground balls deep in the hole or up the middle!

Corner Fielding

Corner infielders have diverse job descriptions, as they must field ground balls like other infielders and also have bunt responsibilities. First basemen must also be able to pick a ball thrown in the dirt. Smith covers the techniques involved for each position and offers nine drills for these skills. In one drill called Hot Dog, players practice staying low and having their feet beat their hands by fielding a rolled ball behind their backs and between their legs.

Double Plays

Making two outs off of one batted ball can bail a defense, and your pitcher, out of a jam. Smith goes over feeds and footwork for both middle infield positions to help decrease the amount of time it takes to make the play and increase the chance of getting two outs. She then teaches the art of multiple "feeds" and the different footwork needed to turn a double play at second base. These tips save time and create more outs. In all, you'll get 12 drills Smith uses with her middles to practice initiating and turning the double play.

Let Coach Smith help you develop fundamentally sound infielders that will shatter records with their consistency!

63 minutes. 2018.



SD-05316C:

with Megan Smith,
University of Kansas Head Coach;
six straight seasons of 30+ wins (2011-16);
Over 300 wins all time; former LSU Assistant Coach

Throwing and catching are fundamental building blocks in the game of softball. Unfortunately, they are also some of the most overlooked and under-taught skills in the game. Megan Smith gives you a comprehensive look at throwing and receiving techniques, sequencing, and progressions that can easily be integrated into the practice setting. This will allow your players to understand efficient movement patterns from a variety of receiving positions and also learn transitions that can be easily repeated to help create accurate throw and get outs.

Throwing Mechanics and Drills

Coach Smith takes you step-by-step through a throwing progression that will not only allow your players to loosen up their arms, but will help create a fundamentally sound throwing pattern. Using Smith's towel whips training, players use a towel to create and improve whip, resulting in more wrist snap and better throws. She also explains a throwing progression for use during warm-ups. Start by isolating the upper body, and then progressively add in the legs and work to achieve proper throwing footwork. Coach Smith helps you build your throwers from the ground up.

Receiving Mechanics and Drills

Smith first breaks down receiving and transfer techniques. Receiving is incorporated with throwing just as it occurs during a game, making it extremely transferable. These techniques are then synced up with footwork to help the viewer understand sequencing of footwork and glove work to throw the ball accurately. Players also learn how to deal with bad throws, which is when most errors occur and games are lost.

Coach Smith introduces seven kinds of footwork that receivers must use during the throwing progression, and explains when the receiver should use each. These receiving footwork drills will allow your receivers to practice every kind of reception they could possibly need to make during a game.

Special Throws and Drills

In addition to regular throwing, Smith teaches how to transition from fielding a ball to throwing using her ball-in-glove series of drills. She provides drills for infielders and outfielders to work on the movements necessary to take a ball from the fielding position to throwing position. She also covers different types of throws, like relays and off-balance throws, which may pop up at a critical moment in the game and force your throwers to make a highlight-reel worthy play.

Additionally, Smith shows how your throwers can safely strengthen their arms using long toss and weighted balls.

The most valuable part of this video is that all these concepts can be incorporated into the throwing routine that you are already doing. Coach Smith explains how to make throwing more than just a part of warm-ups and how to make it a component of practice in and of itself!

54 minutes. 2018.



SD-05316D:

with Megan Smith,
University of Kansas Head Coach;
six straight seasons of 30+ wins (2011-16);
Over 300 wins all time; former LSU Assistant Coach

Running an effective team practice with a large roster can be complicated. It is often difficult to find engaging and efficient team drills that will challenge each player.

In this practice, you will witness exactly how Megan Smith works her team through various situations and gets all players prepared for upcoming games. Instead of players standing around and getting little out of the time, Smith does a terrific job of keeping things fast-paced and up-tempo.

On display are eight full team drills and a batting practice rotation that will help make your practices more engaging and efficient.

Team Defense

Get your whole team involved with full field long toss. Practice important throwing and receiving skills with your full team in a fast-paced, challenging environment. The expectation of proper technique for throwing, catching and making tags is on full display and is crisply executed.

Smith shares a pregame defensive sequence where you can get your outfielders and infielders several reps in only five minutes, which is ideal for pregame, where you are often limited on time. You will see the fundamentals that all coaches emphasize and hear the specific coaching points that Smith shares to make all players perform at their best.

Coach Smith also introduces communication drills that will help assure that no fly ball goes uncaught because of poor communication.

Defending the Running Game

Shutting down an opponent's running game can be a critical component of team success. Make sure your catchers and infielders get practice reps working on pick-off plays and steals to ensure a well-rounded defensive practice. Smith will also help you simplify first and third defensive plays, which are commonly chaotic situations that cause the team on defense to make mistakes.

Batting Practice

Smith shows you how to run an efficient batting practice where all players are involved and productive. Her three-group batting practice rotation allows your hitters to get live reps off a pitcher, your base runners to get live reads off of batted balls, and your defense to get game-like reps. Get more accomplished in less time!

Coach Smith shows you how to get more out of your players by getting more out of practice in this fantastic video!

58 minutes. 2018.




Lonni Alameda's Coaching Softball Series

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SD-04953A: with Lonni Alameda,
Florida State University Head Coach;
2018 NCAA National Champions;
2018 NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year;
Back-to-Back-to-Back ACC Coach of the Year (2013-15);
Back-to-Back ACC Champions (2014-15),
2014 Women's College World Series; three straight NCAA Super Regional appearances (2013-15)

As the head coach and pitching coach at Florida State, Lonni Alameda coached 2014 USA Softball National Player of the Year and two-time ACC Pitcher of the Year, Lacey Waldrop. Under Coach Alameda's guidance, Waldrop was a three-time All-American and finished in the top five all time on four different FSU pitching lists, including the all-time record for wins and third all time in strikeouts. She was the third overall pick in the 2015 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) draft.

With offensive numbers continuing to increase at all levels of softball, pitchers are under attack. Successful teams need pitchers who can withstand the pressures of the position and catchers who can effectively communicate with the pitcher to make them better during games.

Lonni Alameda, Florida State University head coach, will show you how to structure your pitching practice to produce mentally tough pitchers who are ready to compete on the mound.

Bullpen Work

Bullpen work is vital for developing the relationship between the pitcher and catcher, which will help them become more successful together on the field. Coach Alameda introduces a four-step progression she uses with her pitchers, taking them from loosening up their arms to throwing pitches to mock batters with simulated counts and situations.

Throughout the pen work, Coach Alameda offers ways to get the catcher and pitcher on the same page while holding each other accountable so they can pull the best out of each other in the biggest moments of the game. Great communication is necessary to deliver the best performance, and you'll learn how to teach your catchers to effectively talk to your pitchers

Creating Competition

Coach Alameda introduces a "PIG" drill she uses with her pitchers to create competition and teach them to execute pitches under pressure. Each pitcher must throw a specified pitch to the desired location and match what the other pitcher has accomplished in the round. Opposing pitchers in the drill can try to distract each other, teaching the pitcher to focus in clutch situations.

Pitcher Fielding Practice

A pitcher who's great in the field can help take pressure off the rest of the defense by making plays on balls hit back up the middle. Coach Alameda works with her pitchers to develop them as the "fifth infielder." You'll be able to help your pitchers become more athletic and efficient fielders using proper footwork and throwing fundamentals.

Coach Alameda's pitching session shows you how to help your pitchers translate successful bullpen work into being dominant in the circle. Better pitching will lead to more success on the field for your team!

58 minutes. 2016.



SD-04953B: with Travis Wilson and Craig Snider,
Florida State University Assistant Coaches;
2018 NCAA National Champions;
; 2018 NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year;
Back-to-Back ACC Champions (2014-15),
2014 Women's College World Series; three straight NCAA Super Regional appearances (2013-15)

Coaches Wilson and Snider have been a big part of the offensive explosion at Florida State over the past four years. In the past three seasons (2013-15), the team has had at least 335 runs scored, 460 hits, 50 home runs and 300 RBI. In 2015, the Seminoles were among the top three in the conference in eight categories and led the ACC with 18 triples. At the start of the 2016 season, seven of the top eight home run, the top four walk, four of the top six RBI and three of the top seven run totals in Florida State single-season history have come from players coached by Snider and Wilson (2012-15).

Creating successful hitters happens by design. Craig Snider and Travis Wilson bring you an in-depth look at Florida State's hitting philosophies and show you what they do in the cages to improve their team's offensive statistics.

Included in this presentation are more than 15 hitting drills ranging from tee work to front toss so you can enhance every aspect of your team's hitting process. Eye control, upper and lower body control, hand control, bat control, mental routine, situational hitting and plate coverage are all covered by Snider and Wilson.

Approach to Tee Development

Coach Wilson demonstrates several tee drills to help batters hit pitches in any part of the strike zone and isolate the upper and lower half of the body. He shows drills working the plate outside and inside and discusses mechanics for increased power with an inside stack alignment of the load leg to generate maximum force production. The softball swing happens in fractions of a second, so isolating certain components of the swing will help players achieve better results.

Approach to Front Toss Development

Front toss is a large part of batting practice at Florida State. It's a great for eliminating flaws and enhancing both general and specific components for building explosive hitters. Coach Snider teaches how to use the front toss to increase offensive production and reinforce good hitting habits. He covers more than 30 progressions, breaking down keys to success, mechanics, hand placement, bat direction, and plan of action for how to attack the ball up into the zone.

One particular drill uses seven numbered softballs laid out in front of home plate to help to train the batter's eyes along with their bodies to recognize what pitch is coming. It also helps hitters identify where the pitched ball crosses over home plate. Batters who understand what pitches to look for will make solid contact more frequently.

Situational Hitting

Having the ability to advance runners will help you win close games. See how Coaches Snider and Wilson help their hitters practice common situations like the sacrifice bunt, hit and run, runner at second base, and runner at third base with a front toss drill. If your hitters know where to hit the ball in certain key situations, your team will be more successful.

Approach to Crushing the Change-up

Hitting the change up is one of the hardest things for an aggressive batter to do. Coach Wilson believes the change up is one of the easiest pitches to hit, and shares the secret of how to dominate it at the plate.

Building great hitters doesn't happen by accident. Learning and implementing what Coach Wilson & Snider teach will improve the mechanics, conditioning, explosive hitting power and hitting I.Q. of your players and any athlete who wants to compete at a high level.

62 minutes. 2016.



SD-04953C: with Lonni Alameda,
Florida State University Head Coach;
2018 NCAA National Champions;
2018 NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year;
Back-to-Back-to-Back ACC Coach of the Year (2013-15);
Back-to-Back ACC Champions (2014-15),
2014 Women's College World Series; three straight NCAA Super Regional appearances (2013-15)

and Travis Wilson, Florida State University Assistant Coach

As the phrase goes, defense wins championships. Speedy base runners are a challenge for even the best defenses, as fielders are forced to work efficiently, wasting no time or movement. Lonni Alameda and Travis Wilson use over 15 drills to prepare their defense to be fast and efficient, to get out even the fastest runners.

Coaches Alameda and Wilson spend time breaking down the technique necessary on tag out procedures at each base, proper footwork at each base and how to provide a variety of feeds to those bases to ensure more outs on defense.

Catchers

Plays at the plate are some of the most exciting and most difficult plays catchers will encounter. Catching the ball and applying the tag with a runner approaching is critical because any failure or inefficiency in either the catch or tag could result in giving up a run. Coach Alameda explains the proper mechanics and offers a drill to work on catching and tagging from the left and right side of the field.

Infield

The average runner in softball gets to first base in less than three seconds, so defenses have to play fast! With so little time to get the out, it's important to be efficient with footwork and throws. Coach Alameda shows you in-depth information on how your players should position themselves at each base when applying a tag out as well as force out.

Coach Wilson breaks down how to turn a double play from any position on the field. Footwork from both the second basemen and shortstop are covered while turning a double play as well as three different types of feeds to the base. The flip feed, the pivot throw and the outside turn throw are all thoroughly discussed and demonstrated. Coach Wilson also covers a few key aspects of corner play, such as footwork and picks at first base and cut offs.

Throwing

Different defensive positions on the field require different throws. You never know exactly where the ball is going to be hit and, in turn, fielded. It is extremely important to be able to provide accurate throws to the proper bases based on where the ball has been fielded. In one drill, Coach Alameda uses a hula-hoop to give outfielders a visual of where she wants their throw to bounce to give the catchers a long hop, which is easier to receive on a play at the plate. Coach Wilson runs through five drills with the infielders to perfect their inside and outside turns, load and throws, glove flips, and throwing on the run.

Outfield

Train your outfielders to make "do or die" throws to the plate utilizing proper footwork and throwing mechanics. Throws on the run, which are crucial for bang bang plays, are also discussed and demonstrated.

Great defenses make the whole team better because they take pressure off the pitcher and the offense. Let the Florida State coaches show you how to help your defense go from good to great by making them more efficient.

41 minutes. 2016.



SD-04953D: featuring Lonni Alameda,
Florida State University Head Coach;
2018 NCAA National Champions;
2018 NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year;
Back-to-Back-to-Back ACC Coach of the Year (2013-15);
Back-to-Back ACC Champions (2014-15),
2014 Women's College World Series; three straight NCAA Super Regional appearances (2013-15)

and Travis Wilson and Craig Snider,
Florida State University Assistant Coaches

Keeping a team practice organized and efficient is a challenge all coaches face. It's difficult to cover all the facets necessary for success within the time constraints of practice. In this presentation, the Florida State coaching staff runs through a typical practice with their team that hits on all major factors of the game and shows the viewer how to prepare a team for any situation.

Baserunning

Smart and aggressive baserunnning can help teams win close games, which is why the FSU coaches have their players work on baserunning often. You'll see players run through a seven step baserunning progression which covers almost every typical baserunning scenario.

Defense

The FSU coaches have an innovative drill called Sheet Knock to work on defense while keeping all of your players involved. This drill encompasses fifteen different defensive scenarios, including outfielders, infielders, pitchers and catchers throwing to each base. Sheet Knock offers a great way to cover many situations and plays in a quick and efficient manner.

Batting Practice

You'll receive a blueprint for running an efficient batting practice by splitting your team into groups and having those groups go through several different hitting stations. One group hits on the field while other groups run bases, shag batted balls, and hit in the cage. This batting practice system provided by the FSU coaches will keep your players moving around and engaged in productive activities while minimizing time spent standing around waiting to hit.

Pitching Bullpen

Coach Alameda takes her pitchers to the bullpen where they participate in a quick workout. She explains ways she helps her catchers develop strong working relationships with each pitcher during bullpen work. The group works on throwing pitches in different mock situations before practicing pitch-outs and pick-offs. At the end of the workout, pitchers practice executing a pitch in a pressure scenario, throwing a 3-2 count, 2 outs pitch with the bases loaded.

The FSU coaching staff will show you how to maximize productivity with minimal practice time. You'll run through a team practice and learn to prepare your team in all aspects of the game.

102 minutes. 2016.



Patty Gasso Coaching Softball 3-Pack

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SD-04526A: with Patty Gasso, Oklahoma University Head Coach;
2017 WCWS Champions - Back-to-Back WCWS Championship Seasons (2016-17) - 4x WCWS National Champions including 2013 - the first ever WCWS champion to lead the nation in scoring and ERA;
Distinguished member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Hall of Fame (2012);
2017 Big 12 Coach of the Year - the 10th time she has won the award, which includes six straight honors (2012-17);
16x Big 12 Champions; Over 1,100 career victories

As Patty Gasso says and many coaches would agree, defense wins championships. In this DVD, Coach Gasso explores the aggressive defensive mindset, strategies, and drills that have helped her Oklahoma Sooners win two NCAA National Championships. She begins with bunt and slap defense, moves on to defending the steal, covers first and third situations, and touches on relays.

Bunt and slap defense
The defense can better prepare itself if it knows what to expect from the offense. Coach Gasso begins her presentation by explaining the different defensive approaches she uses with a runner at first base, a common bunting scenario. Coach Gasso explains how her team handles bunt defense, and has her defense demonstrate coverage. She also delves into defending against slappers and bunt coverage with multiple runners on base, situations that place pressure on the defense to execute.

Steal
With one or more runners on base, many offenses will choose to challenge the catcher by stealing to advance runners, rather than give the defense an out with a bunt. Coach Gasso shows how to neutralize the steal, using good communication between the fielders and different steal coverage. A steal attempt requires the defense to be quick and accurate, so knowing how to anticipate steals and position the defense accordingly is critical.

Double plays
Coach Gasso believes in an aggressive style of defense with fielders playing to get the lead out when runners are on base. This opens up the door for double plays. Coach Gasso and her team demonstrate turning double plays from all positions on the field. A defense that can convert a double play when there are runners on base has a better chance at getting out of the situation without giving up a run.

First and third situations
First and third situations put pressure on a defense to execute as players must make quick decisions and accurate throws. Even though first and third situations don't happen very often, Coach Gasso places special emphasis on them. If these situations aren't handled correctly, the offense can score without the batter ever touching the ball. She has six options for defensive plays that she runs against a first and third situation. Gasso has her defense demonstrate the plays, and offers advice on when to use each option.

Relays
A good relay will get the ball from the outfield to the infield quickly, preventing an offense from advancing and scoring. Coach Gasso's team demonstrates different ways to handle relays depending on where the ball is hit, and offers advice on how to set up the cut-offs.

Although offense is becoming a focal point of the game of softball, a good defense can help neutralize an opponent's powerful offense. If an opponent can't score on your team, they can't beat you. Coach Gasso shows you how to keep an opponent's offense at bay by creating an airtight defense. The results will show in the win column.

54 minutes. 2014.



SD-04526B: with Patty Gasso, Oklahoma University Head Coach;
2017 WCWS Champions - Back-to-Back WCWS Championship Seasons (2016-17) - 4x WCWS National Champions including 2013 - the first ever WCWS champion to lead the nation in scoring and ERA;
Distinguished member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Hall of Fame (2012);
2017 Big 12 Coach of the Year - the 10th time she has won the award, which includes six straight honors (2012-17);
16x Big 12 Champions; Over 1,100 career victories

In this incredible DVD, Patty Gasso offers her ideas and strategies on building an aggressive offense that can capitalize on defensive miscues to score more runs. Coach Gasso delves into rundowns, bunting, moving runners with hit and runs and angle-down plays, how to use slappers, first and third plays, and squeezes.

Rundowns
Properly executed, an aggressive offense can use a rundown to pressure the defense into making a mistake. Coach Gasso outlines situations that can result in rundowns. She discusses what the base runner should do to avoid being tagged out and also demonstrates how to stay in a rundown for as long as possible, thus increasing the chance of a defensive miscue.

Bunts
Bunts are a good way to advance runners because they allow the batter to place the ball wherever the defense is weakest. Coach Gasso explains five options for bunting and advancing runners, including the sacrifice, split grip, bunt for a hit, show-pull backslap, and the bunt-and-run. . Having multiple bunting options keeps the defense guessing and gives you the opportunity to select the option that you think will work best.

Slappers
Slappers are an important part of an aggressive offense because their speed puts pressure on the defense to get outs even on routinely hit balls. Coach Gasso shares five options for advancing runners and/or getting on base themselves. Having so many options will make defending the slapper nearly impossible.

First and Third Situations and Squeezes
First and third situations offer the chance to score runs without ever having a batter touch the ball. By putting runners in motion, the pressure is shifted almost entirely to the defense, forcing them to make decisions about which runner to attack and which play to execute. The more pressure an offense can put on a defense, the more likely they are to make mistakes. A first and third situation is also an ideal time to call a squeeze bunt, which has the potential to score a run and advance a runner.

Many teams rely solely on power hitting for offensive production. While this is a valid strategy, an aggressive offense will put pressure on defenses and result in more consistency in run production. Let Coach Gasso show you how to put together an aggressive offense that will frustrate the defense and score more runs.

54 minutes. 2014.



SD-04526C: with Patty Gasso, Oklahoma University Head Coach;
2017 WCWS Champions - Back-to-Back WCWS Championship Seasons (2016-17) - 4x WCWS National Champions including 2013 - the first ever WCWS champion to lead the nation in scoring and ERA;
Distinguished member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Hall of Fame (2012);
2017 Big 12 Coach of the Year - the 10th time she has won the award, which includes six straight honors (2012-17);
16x Big 12 Champions; Over 1,100 career victories

See how Patty Gasso molds her team into one of the best, year after year. Coach Gasso opens practice with aggressive angle-down plays and drills, and then moves on to infield and outfield defensive drills. Finally, the team takes batting practice in the cages and pitchers get a quick pitching workout in the bullpen.

Here's a breakdown on how Coach Gasso proceeds through her DVD presentation.

Team Drills: Angle Down, Range, and Ball Reading Drills
Coach Gasso begins practice with angle-down plays, as players alternate between hitting in this situation, and running the bases. This is a very quick-paced routine with lots of offensive skills being practiced in a short period of time. Players are then challenged to extend their range as they move on to infield and outfield drills. Gasso pulls the entire team together for ball-reading drills, in which coaches hit bloopers between the infielders and outfielders. This gives the defense a chance to improve communication and overall awareness of the field.

Infield drills
Coach Gasso breaks the team into positions and focuses on the foundation of a good defense. The infielders use smaller gloves and balls to perfect their footwork and glove work before moving on to practice executing on balls hit to either side, throwing on the run, and double plays. You'll see Coach Gasso's time-based drill, where the infielders try to beat the clock. This is one of several techniques that Coach Gasso to prepare her defense for pressure they'll encounter in game situations.

Outfield drills
Similar to infield drills, the fundamentals and drop steps of outfield drills are practiced using smaller balls and no gloves. Players gradually progress to drills where they must track batted balls and field fly balls from a pitching machine. Coach Gasso spends a significant amount of time working with her outfielders on balls hit into the gaps. These plays require the outfielder to cut off the ball and come up throwing quickly, while keeping the arm action of the throw short. By getting these balls cut off and back to the infield quickly, the defense can stop runners from advancing and scoring.

Batting cages
The action shifts to the batting cages where the hitters rotate through four different stations. Multiple stations enable hitters to accomplish more in a shorter amount of time. The Sooner hitters work on fundamentals from two tee stations. They also have a front toss and live cage, allowing them to see several pitches thrown live to them, giving them a chance to practice their timing and approach.

Bullpen Pitching
Coach Gasso's practice session ends at the bullpen, where one a pitcher goes through a series of drills, preparing to throw live on the field. After performing a few drills to work on fundamentals, the pitcher warm-ups up all of her pitches in a specific sequence. The first few drills are physical drills, but the final drill is a performance drill involving pitch sequence combinations. It is important to work both on physical drills and performance-execution drills, as pitching live to hitters requires proficiency in both.

One player at a time, position by position, until they're working in unison, Coach Gasso shows you her secrets for preparing her team. This is a must-see video to help bring your team to the next level.

93 minutes. 2014.



Myndie Berka's BreakThrew Fastpitch Series

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SD-04984A: with Myndie Berka,
owner/pitching instructor of BreakThrew Fastpitch

Myndie Berka has trained hundreds of successful pitchers. Her pitchers have:

  • earned scholarships at over 60 different colleges and universities
  • competed at the Women's College World Series at the NCAA DI, DII, NAIA and JUCO levels
  • been named collegiate All-Americans
  • been collegiate national strikeout leaders at both the NCAA DI and DII levels

Pitching is a complex motion made up of several small movements of the upper and lower body, sequentially executed with proper rhythm and timing. Bad habits are hard to break, so it's important to teach younger players the correct mechanics and build a solid foundation from the get-go.

Pitching coach Myndie Berka explains the correct mechanics of pitching, and offers 13 drills to help reinforce proper pitching technique.

Upper Body and Grips

Every pitch begins with a grip and is crucial to great spin and control. Learn how to throw the basic fastball with two different grips, including the 2-seam grip, which can be easier for younger pitchers with smaller hands. Learn the correct mechanics of the wrist snap and create looseness with the arm circle, which causes whip and leads to speed. Coach Berka also offers a variety of drills using grips that help reinforce and create great spin. Additionally, you'll see drills featuring three training aides (such as spinners, socks etc.) to develop consistency and efficiency.

Lower Body Mechanics and Drills

Isolate the lower body and learn how to properly setup on the mound as Coach Berka teaches how a pitcher should create leg drive by loading the legs, shifting weight, and aggressively striding out towards the plate. Most of these drills don't even involve a ball, which helps the player focus on leg drive and reinforces great technique.

The Wind Up

After isolating the lower body, Coach Berka adds in the wind-up. In order for a pitcher to be successful, a fast and tight arm circle is necessary. Coach Berka offers three different wind up options with variations within each one to help pitchers generate power at the beginning of their motion. This is also where the pitcher begins to combine upper body and lower body movement to learn proper sequencing. Drills are added to help pitchers understand different checkpoints throughout the pitch, proper glove side mechanics, as well as drills for balance.

Full Motion Drills

Coach Berka introduces seven drills she uses with her pitchers to practice pitching fundamentals, in addition to reacting to balls hit back at them. No catcher? No problem! Learn how to improve pitching by throwing self-pitches, where the pitchers flip the ball to themselves. This will help your pitchers improve glove mechanics, as well as practice upper body timing.

You will hear Coach Berka give positive feedback to her players on what corrections to make and why they are important. She also includes different challenges and competitions for pitchers that will help them stay focused and begin to develop their competitive drive.

It is often said that the mark of a great teacher is breaking down complex material and making it easy to understand. By that measure, Coach Berka is a great teacher. She takes the complex pitching motion and breaks it down to the basics and makes it easy for anyone to digest, understand, and teach to others.

74 minutes. 2016.



SD-04984B: with Myndie Berka,
owner/pitching instructor of BreakThrew Fastpitch

Myndie Berka has trained hundreds of successful pitchers. Her pitchers have:

  • earned scholarships at over 60 different colleges and universities
  • competed at the Women's College World Series at the NCAA DI, DII, NAIA and JUCO levels
  • been named collegiate All-Americans
  • been collegiate national strikeout leaders at both the NCAA DI and DII levels

There's more that goes into pitching than just throwing a ball across home plate and hoping that batters don't hit it. All too often, developing pitchers focus on throwing strikes and fail to develop the discipline to throw to precise locations while mixing speeds.

Myndie Berka delves into the art of pitching, showing more advanced pitchers how to control and neutralize hitters by hitting spots and varying speed. She takes you through an ordered and detailed development of drills to help pitchers improve their ability to hit locations. You'll also learn a series of instruction on the development of alternative change-up techniques that will help keep hitters off balance.

Developing Focus Points

Teach your pitchers the physical adjustments they must make to hit their spots consistently. Coach Berka discuses focus points and release points, which helps pitchers develop the feel and visual focus needed to control the ball both in the zone when they need a strike and around the zone when they are ahead of the count.

Drills for Hitting Spots

Missed spots often result in the opposing batters making solid contact, so having good command is something pitchers need to excel at. Coach Berka offers 12 drills for pitchers to employ when practicing hitting their spots. These practical visual feedback drills require simple tools available to any pitcher. Advanced location drills are demonstrated and explained to provide a simple and effective training routine for pitchers to hone their location performance and begin to understand the selection of location, based on the count.

In one particular drill - One Skips - pitchers try to skip the ball off home plate to practice keeping the ball low. Gradually, pitchers progress to hitting a knee-high, then chest-high target. Throughout the drill, Coach Berka reinforces the art of pitching by helping players understand where they want to miss, if they happen to miss their spot. All pitchers miss spots, so it's important to know where to miss when it happens.

Change-ups

The changing of speed can be the most crucial part of controlling the hitter. Coach Berka teaches a variety of change-ups starting with the Flip, modifying it to develop a Curve Change, and then the Shove change using six different grip variations. For all change-up techniques, Coach Berka provides a logical sequence of drills and progressions for learning the pitch, as well as which one may be most beneficial based on the strengths of the pitcher.

Coach Berka teaches not just mechanics, but the art of pitching. This video will teach your intermediate and advanced pitchers how to control hitters by hitting their spots and changing speeds.

91 minutes. 2016.



SD-04984C: with Myndie Berka,
owner/pitching instructor of BreakThrew Fastpitch

Myndie Berka has trained hundreds of successful pitchers. Her pitchers have:

  • earned scholarships at over 60 different colleges and universities
  • competed at the Women's College World Series at the NCAA DI, DII, NAIA and JUCO levels
  • been named collegiate All-Americans
  • been collegiate national strikeout leaders at both the NCAA DI and DII levels

Superior spin is the secret weapon of dominant pitchers. Blazing speed is an effective weapon for an inning or two, but late-breaking movement pitches can keep batters guessing for a full seven innings.

Too often, developing pitchers believe that once they have the grip, movement is automatic. Myndie Berka covers the rise, curve and the peel and turnover drop balls to give your pitchers what they need to get maximum spin on every throw.

She begins with variations of grips for each spin and ends with drills to help pitchers learn where pitches should be breaking. Coach Berka uses her own students to demonstrate each drill and includes feedback as they move through the progressions. This feedback will help you learn what to look for in your pitchers as you introduce them to the different pitches.

You will also learn when a pitcher is ready to progress from one stage to the next, appropriate cues to use so pitchers will know what the pitch should feel like and look like, different ways to challenge a pitcher to master a pitch. You will learn what are some fixes for some common problems that pitchers have when learning a pitch and what drills work when a pitcher is struggling with a particular spin.

Rise Ball

The rise ball is the ultimate strikeout pitch. Coach Berka explains the grip and snap necessary to develop late-breaking movement on the rise ball, and offers two drills for rise ball spins. She also explains eight spin stations with spin trainers to help the pitcher feel coming underneath the ball, which will create the backwards spin that makes the rise ball jump.

Curve Ball

Throwing the curve is similar to the grip and snap of the rise ball, except the pitcher snaps around the ball to give it the sideways spin that makes the pitch dance away from the hitter's bat. Coach Berka explains how to put proper spin on the curve ball and uses a spin progression with Frisbees to demonstrate. This is a fun drill that teaches pitchers the snap move of the wrist, while providing them with immediate feedback as to how successful they are. Coach Berka also offers five spin stations to help pitchers get the feel of proper spin.

Drop Ball

The drop ball is a great pitch to have in a pitcher's arsenal as it produces a lot of ground ball outs and is not frequently hit for home runs. The drop can be thrown two different ways, and Coach Berka explains each while having her pitchers demonstrates a four-step drill progression for learning and perfecting the wrist snap.

Body Position and the Full Pitch

Once the grip and snap is mastered, the goal is to put the body in the correct position to help the pitch spin. Coach Berka has her pitchers demonstrate three body position drills, which are different for each of the three movement pitches. She also offers a drill for each of the three pitches to help your pitchers execute late-breaking movement, and one light flight drill that can be used with any pitch.

Coach Berka breaks down the grips, wrist snaps, and body positions required to throw the rise ball, curve ball, and drop ball. You'll get 24 total drills which will help your pitchers feel the correct movement and execution of each pitch.

73 minutes. 2016.



SD-04984D: with Myndie Berka,
owner/pitching instructor of BreakThrew Fastpitch

Myndie Berka has trained hundreds of successful pitchers. Her pitchers have:

  • earned scholarships at over 60 different colleges and universities
  • competed at the Women's College World Series at the NCAA DI, DII, NAIA and JUCO levels
  • been named collegiate All-Americans
  • been collegiate national strikeout leaders at both the NCAA DI and DII levels

Pitching is a complex skill that must be performed correctly for the pitcher to maximize her power and control. Because each movement in the pitching motion builds sequentially on the prior movement, any flaw or inefficiency can cause the pitcher to lose power, accuracy, or even result in injury.

Myndie Berka provides a great understanding of what the proper mechanics and key checkpoints in the pitching motion are by using slow motion video analysis software. She discusses correct pitching mechanics, then shows pitchers with inefficiencies and identifies 12 common flaws in the pitching motion. Coach Berka also offers 25 drills to help correct the flaws.

Correct Mechanics

For any motion, it's helpful to know what the correct mechanics look like in order to learn and successfully execute the movements. Coach Berka uses video to identify key checkpoints within the pitching motion from the set up, weight shift and load, and upper and lower body position at toe touch. She then works through the pull down phase into the release and finish position, again identifying key upper and lower body checkpoints. With each movement, Coach Berka explains why it's important to the overall pitching motion.

Lower Body Mistakes

Coach Berka identifies eight common pitching mistakes associated with lower body mechanics and four mistakes pitchers make with their upper body. Some of the mistakes covered include:

  • The weight shift and load
  • Drive foot problems
  • Glove arm problems
  • Balance problems
  • Locking out the pitching arm
  • Arms and legs not in sync
  • Tight or unnatural follow through

For each mistake, Coach Berka shows the flaw on video, fully explains the issue by identifying what happens when pitchers haveeach flaw and how it hurts them, and then offers several drills to correct the issue.

Drills to Correct Pitching Flaws

After identifying particular flaws in the motion, Coach Berka introduces a variety of drills to help correct each of them. These drills are done using live pitchers and provide appropriate progressions and cues to help pitchers feel what an efficient motion should feel like.

For example, one of the mistakes is when pitchers lock out their pitching arm, which makes their arm circle and subsequently pitch slower. To remedy this flaw, Coach Berka offers a bottle drill, which involves a pitcher holding a water bottle and performing their arm circle. If the pitcher locks out her arm (the incorrect movement), the water will spill out of the bottle, while the correct movement causes no spillage.

Coach Berka's simplifies the pitching motion into key checkpoints and then shows what poor pitching mechanics look like. You'll also receive drills to correct common flaws, making this one of the best pitching videos on the market.

73 minutes. 2016.



SD-04984E: with Myndie Berka,
owner/pitching instructor of BreakThrew Fastpitch

Myndie Berka has trained hundreds of successful pitchers. Her pitchers have:

  • earned scholarships at over 60 different colleges and universities
  • competed at the Women's College World Series at the NCAA DI, DII, NAIA and JUCO levels
  • been named collegiate All-Americans
  • been collegiate national strikeout leaders at both the NCAA DI and DII levels

Competition between the pitcher and batter is at the heart of the game of softball. With the ball in the pitcher's hand, the outcome of the game is usually also in their hands. Pitchers must practice these pressure-packed, competitive situations to excel in live game situations.

Pitching coach Myndie Berka introduces multiple competitive games that can be done individually or with a fellow pitcher. Consequences are also built into the drills to help pitchers learn how to deal with the failure or stress that can occur during a game. Coach Berka's games and drills will force your pitchers to be uncomfortable and she discusses different strategies of how to deal with the pressure situations and failures that often occur during games.

Mechanics

Having a good mechanical foundation is important part of pitching, as poor mechanics can result in inefficiencies or injury. Mechanics can break down under pressure, so Coach Berka starts off with four mechanical competitions. These drills feature pitchers competing against a partner and challenges the pitchers to conquer basic mechanical concepts like staying balanced.

Movement Pitches, Change-Ups and Target Pitching

Throwing late-breaking movement pitches is vital to success on the mound, as these are the pitches that will cause batters to swing and miss. Coach Berka has her pitchers compete with a different drill for throwing fastball/change-ups, drop balls, and rise balls. Location is another critical component for success on the mound, and Coach Berka has three stations of drills to prepare her pitchers to hit their spots when the pressure is on.

Conditioning

Pitching is a demanding cardiovascular activity, so pitchers must be in top shape to be able to throw full 7-inning games. Coach Berka offers four competitive conditioning drills to challenge pitchers to execute their pitches while fatigued. In one drill, players must throw a pitch and sprint to the catcher to retrieve the ball, and then sprint back to the mound to throw another pitch. In this drill, the pitcher is competing with the clock, as the goal is to get seven pitches thrown as quickly as possible.

Games

Coach Berka helps pitchers develop the mental toughness it takes to work through the adversity that can occur during a game. She offers two competitive pitching games and two drills to replicate game-like situations. These drills focus on important concepts for pitchers like throwing strikes, hitting spots, and also challenge pitchers to understand the strategy behind pitching.

Pitching is one of the most pressure-packed positions a player can assume on the field. Coach Berka's drills will help prepare your pitchers to thrive in competitive game situations.

77 minutes. 2016.



SD-04984F: with Myndie Berka,
owner/pitching instructor of BreakThrew Fastpitch

Myndie Berka has trained hundreds of successful pitchers. Her pitchers have:

  • earned scholarships at over 60 different colleges and universities
  • competed at the Women's College World Series at the NCAA DI, DII, NAIA and JUCO levels
  • been named collegiate All-Americans
  • been collegiate national strikeout leaders at both the NCAA DI and DII levels

Speed is a typical concern for pitchers; almost all pitchers want to throw harder. Throwing faster pitches puts pressure on opposing batters to make quicker decisions, which makes the pitcher more difficult to hit.

In this softball pitching video, Myndie Berka offers 25 drills and four circuits to make pitchers stronger. She breaks down the body into lower and upper body and drills each separately before putting it back together and training the whole body for producing power and speed. These challenging workouts teach hurlers not only the physical toughness they'll need to be successful on the mound, but also the mental toughness and discipline to become dominant pitchers.

Coach Berka does a remarkable job of explaining what some of the common flaws are and how to correct them during many of these challenging drills. She explains the value and purpose of every exercise and tool she introduces so you have a better understanding of the drills. Each drill reinforces proper mechanics as Coach Berka explains variations of many of the drills so you can cater them to each of your own pitchers.

Lower Body: Harness and Loading

The strongest part of the pitcher's body is their legs. Therefore, most of the power generated by a pitcher must come from the legs and lower body. Coach Berka introduces five harness drills that show pitchers what it feels like to get more power from their lower body. Three loading drills are also demonstrated, which put pitchers in a position to generate more power from the legs. Proper mechanical principals are emphasized and reinforced during these challenging drills.

Upper Body: Weighted Balls

If a pitcher has good mechanics, throwing with heavier or oversized balls can help strengthen the shoulder, arm and wrist, while also creating a faster arm circle. In these four drills, Coach Berka has her pitchers train with oversized softballs, over-weighted balls, and two softballs taped together to strengthen the arm and make pitchers be faster with the snap. She pairs this with throwing with a lighter ball to increase arm speed, resulting in stronger and faster pitches.

Walk-throughs and Distance

Putting the whole motion together, Coach Berka introduces three walk-through drills to help pitchers understand what it feels like to be more powerful. She also has her students demonstrate a distance throwing drill, and offers four drill options for throwing distance when confined in a small space. These drills are ideal for indoor practices when space is limited.

Circuits and Drills

Get in a challenging pitching workout while pressed for time! Coach Berka offers four pitching circuits, which combine several pitching drills and demand maximum effort from pitchers in minimal time. She also explains four other demanding pitching drills that are good for conditioning and can be used as an entire pitching workout. These drills will teach your players the physical and mental discipline necessary to complete a challenging workout.

The challenging drills taught by Coach Berka will help your pitchers develop physical strength and mental toughness, which will translate to more wins on the mound.

63 minutes. 2016.



Mike Candrea's Championship Softball 6-Pack

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SD-05294A:

featuring Mike Candrea,
University of Arizona Head Coach;
8x NCAA Champions, winningest coach in NCAA Division I Softball history (1500+ wins);
4x National Coach of the Year; named the Pac-12 Coach of the Century;
Distinguished member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Hall of Fame (1996);
2x US Olympic Softball Coach (Gold in '04, Silver in '08)

If you want to be the best, study the best! Mike Candrea has been a successful hitting coach for more than three decades, and he shows you how he's done it in this video! Candrea opens up about his hitting philosophies, the mechanics of the swing and all of the required elements for hitters to develop, nine of his favorite drills that will help any hitter achieve a consistent and successful swing, and how his teachings have changed over the years.

Three Measures of the Swing

How do you know if a swing is successful? Coach Candrea begins by identifying three measures of the swing: force, the hitting zone, and efficiency.

  • Force has three factors and he explains how your "gears," bat speed, and square contact put together create the force needed to hit the ball well.
  • He demonstrates how a short hitting zone can occur and why it's important to get the bat to the correct position to have it in the hitting zone for the longest amount of time.
  • There's little time to swing the bat, so being efficient in your swing is critical. Candrea demonstrates a common error of "bat rap" and how to correct it.

Simplifying the swing by focusing on the major categories instead of the minute details increases confidence, which will increase consistency.

Candrea acknowledges that players have many different stances. He identifies three things to look for: an athletic stance, plate coverage, and a rhythm. He explains each of these areas and also shares what to look for in the front knee and how it should move back and in toward the pitch. He demonstrates what this looks like, and, what happens when it isn't done correctly.

Lower Body Mechanics

Candrea offers three drills to put the lower body in the correct position to drive the ball and how to get into the front side longer to hit off-speed pitches more effectively.

Upper Body Mechanics and Connection

Candrea offers three drills to help any batter release the bat head to and through contact. In one drill, he shows how to use a rubber mallet to train the correct hand path. The key to an effortless swing is connection, adding the forces from the lower body and upper body together at the right time. Candrea shares his favorite connection drill, as well as an independent hands drill.

The video concludes with Coach Candrea's 9 Absolutes of Hitting and 10 Characteristics of Successful Hitters; these represent decades of experience working with and developing some of softball's greatest hitters. These will help you to recognize natural talent, develop missing elements, and produce better hitters for your team!

This video is essential for anyone who is coaching softball at any level. Coach Candrea uses common terms while demonstrating what to look for as a coach and what to do as a player to be a successful hitter. Mike Candrea offers something for everyone!

60 minutes. 2017.



SD-05294B:

featuring Mike Candrea,
University of Arizona Head Coach;
8x NCAA Champions, winningest coach in NCAA Division I Softball history (1500+ wins);
4x National Coach of the Year; named the Pac-12 Coach of the Century;
Distinguished member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Hall of Fame (1996);
2x US Olympic Softball Coach (Gold in '04, Silver in '08)

While all infielders must share certain fielding skills, each position requires a different skill set and mentality. Coach Candrea provides you with the essential background knowledge to make your infielders more efficient and more powerful.

Candrea dives into the intricacies of each position on the infield, while also addressing the basic fielding mechanics that all great infielders must master. You'll learn footwork, throwing techniques, base-covering tips, and other infield responsibilities to give your players the ultimate advantage.

Principles by Position

Most errors that occur in the game of softball happen in the infield. Coach Candrea provides an in-depth look for each infield position, by breaking down the necessary skills for third base, shortstop, second base, and first base. He provides specific tips to help each position player reach her full potential, covering:

  • Throwing - Warm up and types of throws.
  • Mentality - Fearless, athletic, creative.
  • Mechanics - Glove work and basic infield footwork.
  • Pop fly responsibilities.
  • Cut-off responsibilities.
  • Base coverage and tagging techniques.
  • Double play footwork.
  • Fielding bunts.
  • Pre-pitch preparation.

Throwing Techniques

Teaching throwing mechanics is step one to having elite players. Coach Candrea describes how athletes at each infield position should throw the ball to maximize their power, strength, and decision-making. He demonstrates the "thumb flick" to describe the action used by the hands to get into a strong throwing position.

Footwork and Fielding

Candrea discusses how to field the ball at each base, utilizing "rake throughs," "get arounds" and "short hops" to get the ball in your players' gloves effectively and efficiently. These techniques lead to a higher fielding percentage and result in fewer errors and more outs.

A fielding drill Candrea shares will teach your infielders to choose the good hop by having them count the number of hops as the ground ball is being hit to them. The drill helps your players:

  • Pick the short hop, not the long hop.
  • Open up on the long hop.
  • Make sure the glove is on the ground when the ball takes its last hop.
  • Field the ball out in front of their nose.

Candrea provides philosophy on what type of athlete should play each position, as well as how they should line up. Also included is the strategy on when to play up or back, as well as multiple ways to cover a bag when receiving throws from both the infield and outfield. These points are often overlooked by young or inexperienced coaches and they can be the difference between a win and a loss.

If you want to know the ins and outs of infield play that oftentimes get overlooked and under-coached, you need this video from Coach Candrea!

55 minutes. 2017.



SD-05294C:

with Stacy Iveson,
University of Arizona Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach;
former Head Coach at Pima Community College and Yavapai College - winning four NJCAA National titles (two at each school);
2004 NJCAA Coach of the Year;
coached some of Arizona's most decorated pitchers and catchers, including: Becky Lemke, Jennie Finch, Nancy Evans, Carrie Dolan, Leah Braatz and Lindsey Collins

Looking for a complete pitching program from one of the top programs in the nation? Stacy Iveson has developed several of the most dominant pitchers in college softball at the University of Arizona. In this video, she shows how to maximize the development and success of your pitching staff year-round. Discover concepts and practice plans that allow you to divide your pitching program into phases. You'll learn how to train to maximize your pitchers' development individually, and as part of a staff.

Seasonal Plans

Depending on whether you're in the off-season, preseason, or in-season, you'll want to prepare your pitchers differently. Iveson explains when and how you should work to improve your pitchers' strength, stamina and speed, and how to maintain those attributes throughout the season. Each skill required is covered in drill routines that can be incorporated into daily or 2-3 practices per week to work the pitching staff through the nine month cycle of off-season through in-season training.

Coach Iveson shares the Wildcat blueprint for the three-stage training of pitchers. Her coaching plan covers:

  • Off-season workouts focusing on building a base of physical and mental skills. Pitchers will build a rapport and communication with the catchers and rest of the defense. Pitchers are developed physically through strength training to build stamina and velocity.
  • Pre-season workouts to shift the focus to live situations. Pitchers are challenged with pre-determined counts and batters standing in to work on specific outcomes. You'll also see how scrimmages are used as an opportunity to practice in-game adjustments.
  • In-season training that centers on the involvement of the pitchers in the overall team defense. Pitching staffs are integrated into the fielding drills and are prepared for their roles in the weekly game plan.

Bullpens

See how to run a live bullpen session with Coach Iveson and several of Arizona's pitchers. Iveson opens the doors to two of her bullpen workouts, where each pitcher has a specific focus and works on a different drill. This session highlights drills for developing accuracy and improving velocity and stamina. PFP (Pitcher Fielding Practice) is showcased as the cornerstone for integrating your pitchers into the overall defense. Iveson also offers ideas about how to transfer the success attained in the bullpen onto the field during games.

Coach Iveson also explores philosophies behind managing the physical and mental aspects of pitchers. Pitching comes with a tremendous amount of physical and mental stress, so being able to help the pitcher and the team manage it is critical to the team's success.

Help prepare your pitchers to peak when it matters most by altering workouts based on what phase of the season you're in. Learn the approach and drills that have led to consistent success on the pitcher's mound at Arizona!

66 minutes. 2017.



SD-05294D:

with Stacy Iveson,
University of Arizona Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach;
former Head Coach at Pima Community College and Yavapai College - winning four NJCAA National titles (two at each school);
2004 NJCAA Coach of the Year;
coached some of Arizona's most decorated pitchers and catchers, including: Becky Lemke, Jennie Finch, Nancy Evans, Carrie Dolan, Leah Braatz and Lindsey Collins

Your catcher is the most important person on the field. Avoiding a passed ball, catching a runner stealing a base, or framing a good pitch for a strike are all skills that require drilling catcher technique. Stacy Iveson explains the University of Arizona's philosophy to catching and then takes you inside a UA practice to demonstrate more than 15 drills focusing on leg strength, throwing, framing, and blocking used throughout the season.

There are three major phases of this video. The early part of the video focuses on ways to get warmed up and to improve foot speed and leg strength. The bulk of the video centers on the multitude of drills that can be used to help catchers become more natural and athletic within the game of softball. These 19 drills are sure to improve the strength, speed and consistency of all catchers. Finally, Iveson breaks down many of the situational activities that all catchers need to understand, including retrieving wild pitches or passed balls, tag plays at the plate, and more.

Attributes of a Great Catcher

In addition to the physical tools necessary to be a successful catcher, they must be a leader on the field and demonstrate great mental toughness. Iveson explains the mental and physical skills that all great catchers share. Not only must catchers frame pitches, but they may be called on to block pitches in the dirt, receive throws at the plate, field bunts, retrieve balls at the backstop, and throw out potential base stealers.

Drills

Learn many of the drills and skill development techniques used by the Arizona coaches to make catchers perform at a world-class level. Catchers are often overlooked in practices because of the specialized activities of the position. At Arizona, position-specific activities from other positions are incorporated into the catcher development plan:

  • Daily throwing with the outfielders to develop arm strength in a gradual way
  • Taking ground balls like infielders would to improve their ability to receive throws from the outfield.

Iveson offers 22 drills, plus a 5-step throwing progression, to help build the physical skills required to be a top-notch catcher. You'll see drills for:

  • Building leg strength and quickness needed to execute defensive throws and block errant pitches.
  • Working on arm speed, release time and arm strength - all critical to improving defense and giving the catcher a better chance to throw out runners.
  • Reinforcing position body and hands to properly "frame" a pitch to get more called strikes.
  • Improving throwing from one knee after a passed ball to make a good throw to home plate to get runner out and keep the pitcher in a safe position.
  • Blocking technique and practical training sets for passed balls that can be used on a daily basis.
  • Fielding short hops with both the backhand and forehand to practice receiving a less-than-perfect throw at the plate, which reduces passed balls and improves defense on plays at home plate.
  • And much more!

In the Mirror Drill, catchers must mimic each other's movements while blocking, working on reaction and quickness. Conditioning has never been as fun as when two catchers try to out-do the other while working their legs and core muscles. In less than 2 minutes, your catchers will have finished a grueling blocking series and have had fun competing with their partner.

Coach Iveson explains what it takes to be a great catcher, and gives you the drills to take your catchers to the next level!

43 minutes. 2017.



SD-05294E:

with Caitlin Lowe,
University of Arizona Assistant Coach;
member of the 2008 US Olympic Team (Silver Medal); 4x All-American (and only one of two players in Arizona history to be named 1st team All-America 4x at Arizona);
part of 2 NCAA Championship teams, winner of the adidas Golden Shoe Award (for the nation's best base-stealer);
Arizona's all time leader in stolen bases, 2nd all time in career batting average (.446), 4th in hits and triples and 7th in runs scored;
played for the USSSA Pride for 6 seasons, 3 National Pro Fastpitch titles, 2012 Player of The Year & USSSA Hall of Fame (2106)

Outfielders are often an overlooked aspect of the game, and this video allows you to see how a commitment to these players can help develop world-class technique and solid and repeatable performance of your athletes.

Caitlin Lowe takes you through the full slate of outfield training activities used at the University of Arizona. She offers 10 drills, plus a 4-step rolling progression and a 9-step throwing progression, to build an outfielder's physical skills. She also addresses the mentality and anticipation that separate good outfielders from great ones.

Characteristics and Philosophy

Learn the mentality every outfielder needs, as well as the pre-pitch preparation needed to be in the right position. Lowe explains five characteristics of a good outfielder, and also explains her philosophy on outfield play. Outfielders must have certain physical tools to be successful, but they also must embody several mental characteristics, like fearlessness. Learn to instill the fearlessness necessary for your outfielders to aggressively and intelligently make the routine and big plays.

Throwing Progression

One physical tool great outfielders must possess is a strong and accurate arm. The outfielders at Arizona demonstrate a 9-step throwing progression to help improve throwing mechanics, arm strength, and simulate some of the throws they may make during a game. Learn how to get rid of the ball quickly to get a force out, or run through a do-or-die and crow hop for more strength on a longer throw.

Drills

Coach Lowe begins with the outfielders gloveless and catching tennis balls, then incorporates a 4-step roll progression before hitting balls to the outfielders. She also introduces a drill series to practice robbing home runs over the fence. In one particular Fly Ball Ladder Work drill, the outfielders must use quick feet to step through an agility ladder, then sprint out and gather themselves as they round a cone and catch a fly ball. This helps teach outfielders to get behind the ball, which will help them avoid drifting and allow them to make a stronger and more accurate throw.

Great outfielders make the game look easy because of their pre-pitch preparation and anticipation skills - they always seem to be in the right spot at the right time.

From throwing out a runner rounding third and heading home to robbing a home run over the fence, Coach Lowe shows you the skills and drills that help great outfielders make difficult tasks look easy!

71 minutes. 2017



SD-05294F:

with Caitlin Lowe,
University of Arizona Assistant Coach;
member of the 2008 US Olympic Team (Silver Medal); 4x All-American (and only one of two players in Arizona history to be named 1st team All-America 4x at Arizona);
part of 2 NCAA Championship teams, winner of the adidas Golden Shoe Award (for the nation's best base-stealer);
Arizona's all time leader in stolen bases, 2nd all time in career batting average (.446), 4th in hits and triples and 7th in runs scored;
played for the USSSA Pride for 6 seasons, 3 National Pro Fastpitch titles, 2012 Player of The Year & USSSA Hall of Fame (2106)

Over the years, one thing the University of Arizona has been known for its speed. Former Wildcat great-turned-coach, Caitlin Lowe, shows us the mentality and skills that helped make her one of the best ever.

Lowe shows you what to look for at each base for base running, and then dives into slapping mechanics, types, and strategy.

Slapping Mechanics

Knowing where to stand in the box and having good footwork is important to minimize time to first base after hitting the ball. Coach Lowe shows you the footwork that will keep you on-line, but allow you to move quickly out of the batter's box. Learn the bat path and contact point that will keep your bat in the zone as long as possible to increase the chance of making contact with the pitch. Lowe also offers advice for how to get to first base faster - every slapper's ultimate goal!

Types of Slaps

Give your slappers the tools they need to make the defense wrong and improve your chances of getting on base. Lowe discusses and demonstrates the different "weapons" a slapper can utilize during an at-bat. The drag bunt, soft slap, chop slap and hard slap are all discussed, demonstrated and taught.

Lowe also shares what to look for in the defense to know when to use each type of slap. She also covers situational slapping and how you can use each type of slap strategically depending on where runners are on base

Base Running

Proper base running techniques are often overlooked and under-practiced. Smart, aggressive base runners are a commodity, and win you more games. Lowe shows how you can incorporate base running practice into your batting practice to get more done in a shorter amount of time

Base by base, Lowe shows you how to anticipate and react to the situation. As demonstrated by the Wildcat players, runners start at first base and react to the batted balls. Learn when to be aggressive and when to be a little more conservative at second base, and how to be aggressive with a down angle at third base, as well as the philosophy behind what type of leads to take at each base.

Use Coach Lowe's tactics to turn your offense into a nightmare on the base paths for the opposing team!

44 minutes. 2017



The Blueprint for an Aggressive Hitter: Mechanics and Drills

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with Shonda Stanton,
Indiana University Head Coach;
former Marshall University Head Coach;
the winningest coach in Marshall softball history;
2017 Conference USA Coach of the Year;
2013 Conference USA Tournament Champions; 4x Conference champions;
former Coach for the Akron Racers of the Women's Professional Fastpitch League

Becoming a great hitter isn't an easy task. In addition to having solid swing fundamentals, good hitters need to have great timing and a plan for which pitches they want to hit. Shonda Stanton teaches you how to build a fundamentally-sound swing by using specific, yet simplified swing cues, progressions, and drills. She also addresses ways to help a hitter practice rhythm and timing of the pitch as well as drills to work on mental approach and situational hitting.

Coach Stanton builds from the ground up, stressing a few important aspects of hitting while keeping the batter comfortable while in the box. Her drill progression allows for players to develop an effective swing and then, more importantly, a great ability to execute at game speed.

Swing Mechanics

Make hitting a little easier to understand for your athletes. Coach Stanton uses a simplified approach to teach the mechanics of the swing by breaking it down into manageable parts, including:

  • Stance
  • Rhythm
  • Negative move
  • Stride
  • Contact
  • Finish

Learn the key points for each part of the swing and what to look for in each segment. She also discusses problematic areas of the swing and potential causes and cures.

Progression Drills

Coach Stanton demonstrates 16 drills that progressively increase in difficulty, building into the ultimate challenge of live hitting. Learn how to warm-up properly and prepare the body to swing ferociously with six bat calisthenics. Coach Stanton accentuates the phases of the swing while implementing a series of drills that build hitters from their foundations, including:

  • No ball drills
  • Still ball drills
  • Tossed ball drills

  • Timing & Approach Drills
  • Timing is one of the most difficult aspects of hitting. Coach Stanton offers six drills designed to emphasize different aspects of timing. You'll get four approach drills that work on bat control and pitch identification. There are also drills that force a batter to make decisions on which pitches to look for and how to hit them. The Spray Drill helps the batter learn bat control and place balls where they want them to go, while also learning to take pitches they might not be able to handle.

    Finally, batting practice ends with live situational hitting drills where the hitters must execute in five common situations:

    • Hit and run
    • Hit behind the runner going first to third base
    • Score the runner from second base
    • Runner at third base, sacrifice fly
    • Runner at third base, score them anyway

    Get your players hitting more strategically to drive in more runs with this great video from Coach Stanton!

    66 minutes. 2017.

    Year Round Pitching Workouts

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    with Beth Torina, LSU Head Coach;
    2012 Women's College World Series qualifier;
    former Head Coach at Florida International; 2x Sunbelt Conference Coach of the Year; former Head coach of the USSSA Florida Pride of the National Pro Fastpitch League

    Each phase of a year round pitching program is important and has its own goals and objectives for maximizing your pitchers' abilities. Beth Torina, head coach at LSU and with the USSSA Florida Pride, guides you through the thought process for building year round workouts.

    Off-Season
    Fundamentals and conditioning form the back bone of Coach Torina's off-season pitching workouts. Torina lays out how the Tigers structure their off-season workouts breaking down each pitch and developing their pitchers' spin and body position.

    Off-season workouts are essential to ensure that your pitchers come into the season with their pitches working, as there is not a lot of time for major overhauls once the season begins. This is also an important time to focus on conditioning and speed development, and Torina offers four drills to develop this area.

    Pre-Season
    At LSU, the pre-season is a time to work on a little bit of everything. One major focus of the pre-season is location. If a pitcher misses their spots frequently, they will either give up a lot of walks or hits. Torina offers eight workout drills to practice location, as well as throwing "believable balls" on 0-2 pitches. She also provides ideas for working on the break points of pitches to make them deceptive and for getting the pitcher in shape to throw 7 innings (a full game).

    In-Season
    Now it's time to get results! Although it's important to continue to maintain fundamentals, Torina explains how you can develop workouts that involve situations and counts on imaginary batters. Learn how you can get your pitchers thinking in terms of game situations and their thought process behind each pitch, because the pitcher should understand and have confidence in every pitch she throws.

    Using Coach Torina's ideas and philosophies, any coach can easily develop a structured plan for how to best prepare their pitcher for when the games mean the most.

    59 minutes. 2013.

    The Blueprint for an Aggressive Hitter: Mechanics and Drills

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    with Shonda Stanton,
    Indiana University Head Coach;
    former Marshall University Head Coach;
    the winningest coach in Marshall softball history;
    2017 Conference USA Coach of the Year;
    2013 Conference USA Tournament Champions; 4x Conference champions;
    former Coach for the Akron Racers of the Women's Professional Fastpitch League

    Becoming a great hitter isn't an easy task. In addition to having solid swing fundamentals, good hitters need to have great timing and a plan for which pitches they want to hit. Shonda Stanton teaches you how to build a fundamentally-sound swing by using specific, yet simplified swing cues, progressions, and drills. She also addresses ways to help a hitter practice rhythm and timing of the pitch as well as drills to work on mental approach and situational hitting.

    Coach Stanton builds from the ground up, stressing a few important aspects of hitting while keeping the batter comfortable while in the box. Her drill progression allows for players to develop an effective swing and then, more importantly, a great ability to execute at game speed.

    Swing Mechanics

    Make hitting a little easier to understand for your athletes. Coach Stanton uses a simplified approach to teach the mechanics of the swing by breaking it down into manageable parts, including:

    • Stance
    • Rhythm
    • Negative move
    • Stride
    • Contact
    • Finish

    Learn the key points for each part of the swing and what to look for in each segment. She also discusses problematic areas of the swing and potential causes and cures.

    Progression Drills

    Coach Stanton demonstrates 16 drills that progressively increase in difficulty, building into the ultimate challenge of live hitting. Learn how to warm-up properly and prepare the body to swing ferociously with six bat calisthenics. Coach Stanton accentuates the phases of the swing while implementing a series of drills that build hitters from their foundations, including:

    • No ball drills
    • Still ball drills
    • Tossed ball drills

  • Timing & Approach Drills
  • Timing is one of the most difficult aspects of hitting. Coach Stanton offers six drills designed to emphasize different aspects of timing. You'll get four approach drills that work on bat control and pitch identification. There are also drills that force a batter to make decisions on which pitches to look for and how to hit them. The Spray Drill helps the batter learn bat control and place balls where they want them to go, while also learning to take pitches they might not be able to handle.

    Finally, batting practice ends with live situational hitting drills where the hitters must execute in five common situations:

    • Hit and run
    • Hit behind the runner going first to third base
    • Score the runner from second base
    • Runner at third base, sacrifice fly
    • Runner at third base, score them anyway

    Get your players hitting more strategically to drive in more runs with this great video from Coach Stanton!

    66 minutes. 2017.


    The Softball Pitching Factory: The "Daily Dozen" Pitching Drills!

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    with Nancy Evans,
    #1 all time pitching record in NCAA history and 3rd all time in wins,
    1998 National Player of the Year (Honda Award), 6 NCAA Championships (as player & coach);
    was an assistant softball coach at her alma mater, Arizona, and also at DePaul University; coached the Dutch National team to their first European Championship title in 19 years,
    3x All-Star in the National Professional Fastpitch (NPF), a member of the 30 player Pac-12 'All Century Team'

    Arizona Softball pitching legend Nancy Evans shares the "daily dozen" drills that catapulted her to 1998 National Player of the Year and have made the University of Arizona a "softball pitching factory" (Evans, Jennie Finch, and more) and a national powerhouse in collegiate softball. Coach Evans presents a wide variety of unique, practical pitching drills for pitchers of all levels and abilities. These individual drills will help pitchers develop and master all of the elements of successful pitching such as 'violent' wrist snap, correct spin, control and accuracy, muscle memory, effective leg drive, proper mechanics, arm strength, and velocity. Coach Evans strongly emphasizes building an arsenal of pitches using these drills by teaching the principles and mechanics of the fastball, rise ball, curveball, screwball, drop ball, and change-up. Effective teaching points and quality demonstrations will help you put a polish on your favorite pitches!

    76 minutes. 2005.

    35 Competitive Drills to Build a Complete Catcher

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    with Shonda Stanton,
    Indiana University Head Coach;
    former Marshall University Head Coach;
    the winningest coach in Marshall softball history;
    2017 Conference USA Coach of the Year;
    2013 Conference USA Tournament Champions; 4x Conference champions;
    former Coach for the Akron Racers of the Women's Professional Fastpitch League

    Although pitchers often get most of the attention, the skill of catching is central to the success of any team. Give your catchers the attention they deserve!

    Catchers have a wide variety of skills they must master to be successful, including receiving, blocking, and throwing out runners. In this video, Coach Stanton gives you drills to mold your athletes into complete catchers.

    Coach Stanton includes 35 drills that isolate certain aspects of a complete catcher or serve as a progression into game-like situations. Her focus ranges from conditioning to blocking, and receiving to transferring. Drills progress from those performed by catchers only to drills and progressions that include all of the infield. All of these drills can be performed without having to spend big money on fancy gadgets, as everything can be done with basic equipment.

    Warm-up and Receiving Drills

    Get ready for practice or a game with 12 drills to physically prepare catchers and help get them mentally focused. Become a pitcher's best friend by mastering six receiving drills that will help any catcher get more called strikes. In one particular drill, "Receiving Off the Wall," the catchers stand facing a wall and have to react to the bounce of the ball off the wall and frame it. Limiting a catcher's reaction time and making them react quickly to the bounce will help make catching a pitch from 43 feet away seem easy!

    Blocking Drills

    Give your pitcher the confidence to throw a pitch in the dirt by mastering 13 blocking drills. These drills will help your catcher be explosive and quick to get down to the ground, while getting their body in the correct position to redirect the ball right in front of them to prevent runners from advancing.

    Throwing Drills

    From footwork to glove work, Stanton shows you how to throw out runners with ease. Catchers can improve how many runners they throw out by improving their release times. Stanton shares nine throwing drills, which incorporate everything from correct footwork to getting the ball out of the glove faster in the release.

    Stanton not only provides you with the tools to build complete catchers, but also models how to coach athletes to hold themselves accountable and expect more of themself at practice. You will learn a variety of drills to improve catcher performance in all facets of the position and avoid utilizing them solely as ball flippers in practice.

    80 minutes. 2017.

    Developing Championship Infielders

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    featuring Mike Candrea,
    University of Arizona Head Coach;
    8x NCAA Champions, winningest coach in NCAA Division I Softball history (1500+ wins);
    4x National Coach of the Year; named the Pac-12 Coach of the Century;
    Distinguished member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Hall of Fame (1996);
    2x US Olympic Softball Coach (Gold in '04, Silver in '08)

    While all infielders must share certain fielding skills, each position requires a different skill set and mentality. Coach Candrea provides you with the essential background knowledge to make your infielders more efficient and more powerful.

    Candrea dives into the intricacies of each position on the infield, while also addressing the basic fielding mechanics that all great infielders must master. You'll learn footwork, throwing techniques, base-covering tips, and other infield responsibilities to give your players the ultimate advantage.

    Principles by Position

    Most errors that occur in the game of softball happen in the infield. Coach Candrea provides an in-depth look for each infield position, by breaking down the necessary skills for third base, shortstop, second base, and first base. He provides specific tips to help each position player reach her full potential, covering:

    • Throwing - Warm up and types of throws.
    • Mentality - Fearless, athletic, creative.
    • Mechanics - Glove work and basic infield footwork.
    • Pop fly responsibilities.
    • Cut-off responsibilities.
    • Base coverage and tagging techniques.
    • Double play footwork.
    • Fielding bunts.
    • Pre-pitch preparation.

    Throwing Techniques

    Teaching throwing mechanics is step one to having elite players. Coach Candrea describes how athletes at each infield position should throw the ball to maximize their power, strength, and decision-making. He demonstrates the "thumb flick" to describe the action used by the hands to get into a strong throwing position.

    Footwork and Fielding

    Candrea discusses how to field the ball at each base, utilizing "rake throughs," "get arounds" and "short hops" to get the ball in your players' gloves effectively and efficiently. These techniques lead to a higher fielding percentage and result in fewer errors and more outs.

    A fielding drill Candrea shares will teach your infielders to choose the good hop by having them count the number of hops as the ground ball is being hit to them. The drill helps your players:

    • Pick the short hop, not the long hop.
    • Open up on the long hop.
    • Make sure the glove is on the ground when the ball takes its last hop.
    • Field the ball out in front of their nose.

    Candrea provides philosophy on what type of athlete should play each position, as well as how they should line up. Also included is the strategy on when to play up or back, as well as multiple ways to cover a bag when receiving throws from both the infield and outfield. These points are often overlooked by young or inexperienced coaches and they can be the difference between a win and a loss.

    If you want to know the ins and outs of infield play that oftentimes get overlooked and under-coached, you need this video from Coach Candrea!

    55 minutes. 2017.

    Teaching the Drop Ball and Rise Ball

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    with Beth Torina, LSU Head Coach;
    4x Women's College World Series qualifier (2012, 2015, 2016 and 2017);
    former Head Coach at Florida International; 2x Sunbelt Conference Coach of the Year;
    former USSSA Florida Pride Head Coach (National Pro Fastpitch League);
    pitched for the University of Florida; 60 career wins (tied for fourth all-time at UF)

    LSU Head Coach Beth Torina gives you the tools necessary to stifle opposing batters with two pitches that look enticing, but jump out of the strike zone with late breaking movement - the Drop Ball and the Rise Ball.

    Coach Torina fully explains the mechanics of each pitch and demonstrates drills that coaches and athletes alike can use to perfect these pitches.

    The Drop Ball
    The drop ball is safe for young arms, because it has a similar spin to a fastball. It also keeps the ball in the ball park. The drop ball is great when you need a ground ball or to keep the ball in the infield.

    Getting the drop ball to spin correctly is critical, since the spin dictates when and how the pitch will break. In this segment, you will learn three ways to release the drop: the peel, turnover, and half turn. These options will allow your pitchers to select the drop ball that works best for them.

    To ensure success, the drop ball should break late, right as it approaches the hitter. To do this effectively, Torina introduces six drills to practice getting the correct spin on the pitch.

    Your pitcher's forward body position is another essential part of what makes the drop ball move in a downward path. Coach Torina demonstrates five drills to help the pitcher achieve a slightly forward body position. She also offers four drills for practicing the whole pitch and working on break points. If the pitch breaks too early or too late, it will not be nearly as effective, as the batter will either recognize the pitch and/or hit it.

    The Rise Ball
    Keep opposing hitters off balance with a killer rise ball!

    Coach Torina explains five spin drills your pitchers can use to get their rise ball to jump versus being just a high pitch.

    Unlike the drop ball, the rise ball pitcher wants her body position to be slightly back. Coach Torina explains the correct technique and offers six drills to work on achieving optimal body position to throw the rise. In addition, she explains two more drills that can be used to work on getting the pitch to break at the proper time - right as it approaches the batter.

    This video is an excellent resource for coaches and pitchers alike aiming to develop or improve two pitches that are crucial to any pitcher's or team's success.

    48 minutes. 2013.

    Foundational Pitching: Setting Up Beginning Pitchers for Future Success

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    with Lin Casciato,
    Softball Coach and Clinician (since 1989) at all levels of softball - club, high school and college;
    coach for NW Fastpitch (2018 ASA Oregon State Championship);
    several Casciato-coached athletes have gone on to play for college programs at all levels

    Pitching is the name of the game, yet many youth coaches have limited experience with such a critical skill. In this video featuring long-time coach Lin Casciato, you'll learn the basic pitching movements, along with appropriate progressions, to feel confident in your ability to develop a strong foundation for your pitchers.

    Progressions and Drills

    Coach Casciato incorporates a teaching progression that helps beginning pitchers understand the necessity of repeatable actions in the pitching motion. Additionally, he offers an extensive list of drills that players can pick and choose from to get the repetitions they need during practice.

    This video incorporates isolation drills and a progression that builds a synchronous approach for the upper and lower body. You'll get techniques for isolating the mechanics of the pitching motion, allowing players of all ages to "feel" when they are using the correct method and better focus on the individual elements of the pitching process.

    Build Confidence and Understanding

    Fast-pitch mechanics can be difficult to master for an inexperienced player. Casciato provides exercises that will take pitchers to a place of confidence and comfort within the pitching circle. He offers direct instruction and provides explanations that will help you and your players understand proper mechanics.

    Coach Casciato does a great job of simplifying the pitching motion so that you can understand it and have your pitcher work through progressions to get the ball on line. Additionally, this video suggests a variety of drills that players can do at home in a small space to reinforce the motion, which can help them learn the motion without the stress of throwing a strike.

    Develop better pitchers today!

    80 minutes. 2018.

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