Pitching Pointer: Defending the Middle, and Yourself
As a pitcher, being threatened or hit by a line drive or a hard ground ball is inevitable. Hitters in our game are getting scary good and the advancements in bat technology give fielders less reaction time. Most hitters are taught to hit the ball back up the middle at the pitcher. Pitchers are taught to hit their corners to avoid balls being hit back up the middle. Even if a pitcher executes a spot perfectly, the hitter may still find a way. Line drives and hard ground balls up the middle are going to happen, it’s part of the game and the pitcher needs to be ready.
In order to avoid taking a shot as a pitcher, there are a few ways coaches can prepare their pitchers for when they step in the circle against a batter. First, it’s important that pitchers are taught how to finish their pitch and have their glove ready to field the ball. Reaction time sometimes isn’t enough. As pitchers get older and they begin to learn movement pitches that require exaggerated finishes, they still need to have their glove ready. If a pitcher finishes with her glove down at her side, which is how most instructors teach, they still need to learn how to react and get their glove up after the ball leaves their hand.
It is super important that coaches use pitchers in practice, especially during infield reps. When pitchers take fielding practice, encourage them to first go through their pitching motion. Coaches should learn how to start the swing and produce the ground ball right when the pitcher reaches the release point of her dry pitch. This will help train the pitcher to focus on her pitch and work on her reaction time and field the ball off the bat. Always have the pitcher go through her motion when taking fielding practice, even if it’s not off the pitching mound. These reps and little details matter and will help the pitcher field the ball with confidence.
Let’s say the inevitable happens and your pitcher takes a hard line drive or ground ball off her body during a game. This can be a scary moment for the pitcher, parents, coaches, teammates, opponents, and spectators. After evaluation, the pitcher may appear to be okay physically, but her mental game and confidence may be down. This is perfectly normal and every pitcher will handle and overcome this outcome differently.
As a coach, you may notice that your pitcher flinches or even pitches timid her first time back on the mound after taking a direct hit. The thought of being hit again is probably lingering in the back of her mind. It’s much easier said than done to just “tough it up and forget about it.” Try to implement ways to encourage your pitcher with verbal cues as well as taking the time in practice to give her some extra fielding work.
One drill that a coach could use with pitchers in practice is hitting tennis balls off a racket from the batter’s box. It’s important to make this drill as game-like as possible. With a catcher behind the plate receiving the pitch from the pitcher, the coach will hit a tennis ball back at the pitcher once she releases the ball. This drill again teaches pitchers how to first execute their pitch and be ready to receive a ball traveling towards them immediately afterward. Start out hitting the balls at a slow to medium speed before tapping into harder shots. It’s important that the pitcher gets comfortable and begins to trust herself and her fielding abilities. Tennis balls are a great substitute for real balls because they are the same color, they aren’t as hard, and if a pitcher can react to a tennis ball which is much smaller than a softball, she can field a real ball.
Being threatened or hit by a line drive or a hard ground ball in softball is inevitable. It’s important that young pitchers understand that it will likely happen at one point or another in their pitching career. It’s up to the pitchers and coaches to prepare and be able to defend the middle and protect the pitcher. Fielding masks are made to protect the face and the head. The glove is the pitchers greatest shield and it’s critical that she learns how to react and use it. Sometimes the hitter is just too good and the middle shot comes too fast off the bat. Even pitchers with great reaction time and experience get hit. It’s part of the game and it’s more than likely going to happen. Prepare your pitchers the best you can and if the direct hit comes, there are ways to help your pitcher mentally and physically overcome the fear of it happening again.
