Okay, how many fastpitch softball websites have you gone to that talk about pitching instruction and start out by saying something like; "Learn and Improve your: Fastball, with this gizzmo." Notice that I've highlighted the word fastball, and I've done so because this is a great selling point to softball Mom's and Dad's that never played the game and are willing to spend good money on fastpitch softball instruction with hopes of grooming their daughter into the next high school or college pitching star. If you're spending your good money taking your daughter to a coach that says "I can improve your daughters fastball," put your money back in your pocket and head on down the road! Now don't get me wrong we all want our daughters to develop Monica Abbott's speed, but here's the newsflash, Monica Abbott throws a high velocity pitch with up or down movement, never a fastball and if she does it was a mistake!

This is an easy trap to fall into, and there are many websites out there today that are truly considered authorities on pitching instruction that say just this, as well as many well intended, yet less experienced local fastpitch softball pitching instructors. In the early stages we see a lot of young girls who are getting this instruction begin to dominate their rec fastpitch softball leagues, mom's and dad's begin to feel good about the money they're spending and think it's time our little pitching ace moves up to the fastpitch softball travel leagues, but here's where something strange happens... our little pitching ace begins to get hit and hit hard, she's not striking out the kids like she use to, what could be going on???? The short answer; she's throwing a fastball.. The more detailed answer is that in the softball rec league she is facing the young softball player who is just putting her toe in the water in terms of game experience, the hitters aren't nearly as developed and anything faster than a coaches underhand toss is devastating to them. However, when they get into the travel fastpitch softball circuit they are going up against kids that have more of a concept when they step into the batters box and have developed enough bat speed and swing mechanics to catch up to a fastball with no movement.

From the fastpitch softball hitters perspective we're glad they're being taught a to throw a fastball, because in fastpitch softball this is the easiest pitch to hit! Having played against some of the best male fastpitch softball pitchers in the world I can personally speak on this. Here are some examples; Chuck D'Arcy, current Olympic pitching coach, excellent velocity but better movement, if he ever threw anything that didn't have up or down movement it was a mistake, Steve Padilla a teammate of D'Arcy's for many years, good velocity but pinpoint accuracy with a very heavy and sharp breaking dropball, Jimmy Moore, in my opinion a lot like Padilla in terms of velocity but with great command of every movement pitch,  Peter Finn,  lefty with solid velocity and excellent movement, Peter Meredith, probably the best velocity of all with a wicked riseball... All of these men could get the ball up to the plate in a hurry, but more importantly they got it there with movement. I also had the good fortune of facing the late Eddie Feigner probably the most recognized name in the game of fastpitch softball as he barn stormed the country for many years known as "The King and His Court"  just him and four other players. Before he became more of a show he was the real deal when it came to velocity and movement, here's what he said in 1967 (a good 20 years before I faced him) after striking out  Major League Baseball Stars and future Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Brooks Robinson, Maury Wills, Harmon Killebrew and Roberto Clemente in succession. "It was a mismatch," Mr. Feigner says "A baseball batter has no concept of how to hit a fastball that rises like mine, or sliders and curves that break 18 inches."  Just for fun google these fastpitch softball names and you'll see for yourself that their softball pitching credentials are long and deep, and trust me it wasn't because they just threw hard and fast.

It's topics like "how to throw a fastball in fastpitch softball" that provoked us to start The Softball Clinic website. The girls fastpitch softball game has exploded and within the last 10 years so have the opportunist looking to make a fast buck on the internet. You'll find hundreds of websites out there, most of them selling softball bats along with numerous softball websites that offer softball forums where we can ask questions to improve our daughters game, or improve our coaching knowledge as we volunteer our time to assist with our daughters softball team.  But as I mentioned earlier, when you read or hear about a fastpitch softball pitching instructor that teaches a mean fastball you're going to want to ask more questions..

Every Pitch in fastpitch softball should have movement! Yes, even the change up! When you're searching for a softball pitching instructor in or near your home town or surfing the net for "do it yourself answers"  make sure you're looking for a pitching coach or website that is discussing instruction on the movement of the pitch along with the basic fundamentals and mechanics of the fastpitch softball pitching motion and pitching grips that will allow your daughter or the youngster you're coaching to begin seeing results as soon as they learn to get the ball near the strike zone on a consistent basis. The first grip they should learn is the grip of the peal drop! Along with this grip the pitching instructor should also have the knowledge to be teaching them the correct body position to get the most movement from this fastpitch softball pitch at the release point!  Don't be afraid to ask questions! After all it's your money...

At The Softball Clinic  our goal is to provide you the best fastpitch softball instruction and information and sometimes that may require us to point you away from our site to other sites that we feel provide solid information. Two softball websites that we would endorse for pitching out of the thousands that are out there are House of Pitching and Jerrys Fastpitch. If you were to google or yahoo "fastpitch softball pitching" House of Pitching won't pop up until site 103 and Jerry's Fastpitch at 187, so as you can see from our point of view sometimes the best instruction can get lost in the popularity of web. I never had the opportunity to face Bill Hillhouse as he was just coming into the game of Mens Major Division fastpitch softball as my career was ending, but after reading his stuff and asking around from those that I respect in the game, and that saw him pitch he clearly gets it and is worth looking into. As for Jerry Johnson, I wouldn't know him if he were standing next to me in the grocery check out line, but he too seems to have a solid understanding of the game as I study his site.

Lastly, I will share a conversation I had with Rich Balswick a former MVP pitcher in the Mens Major Division National Tournament and current fastpitch softball pitching instructor, who's list of pitching students that have gone on to be major college stars at Division One schools around the country could be considered the "who's who" list of pitching instructors said " there is no such thing as a fastball in fastpitch softball!" "There are pitches thrown with great velocity, but they all have movement!"

Fastpitch Softball is a great game and there is nothing more rewarding then teaching the game so that the softball player can get positive results, and the next time someone tells you that they can teach your daughter how to throw a fastball in fastpitch softball, just smile and head on down the road.



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Ed Monroe is a contributor to The Softball Clinic and former A/Major Division player.