Holiday Wish List for Pitchers
Seeking a little something special for your pitcher this Holiday Season?
Look no further!
We sat with Coach Jillian, lead pitching instructor at GD Athletics, to ask for her to list some of her essential training tools for fast pitch softball pitchers to personally grab.
Before this interview, Coach Jillian made sure to remind us that she is a firm believer in "the athlete makes the athlete, not the equipment," but these are the top products she recommends to her athletes to pick up!
1. Mini Loop Bands
For some reason, band work has been lost in fast pitch softball, despite the enforcement band work seems to have in our counter-sport, baseball. Any sport which depends on an explosive, over-head movement should in fact be using bands to help strengthen and prep the shoulders of the body.
A pack of mini-loop bands cost on average, less than $10, and typically come in a pack of 3-5 different levels of resistance. Most exercises required of a fastpitch pitcher can be done with the mini loop bands, including internal/external rotations for shoulders, shoulder abductions, pull-a-parts, etc.
2. J-Bands
While we are confident your Mini Loop Band set can get the job done, but for the more progressive athlete, J-Bands can be a nice compliment to your band work routine. The benefit of a J-Band is its ability to be clipped to an anchor point on the go. For example, prior to team warm-ups at a competition, our pitchers typically latch their J-Band to the fence to get their shoulder work in prior to throwing. A J-Band typically runs for about $30, and depending on the brand, can come with alternative attachments to further advance your band routines.
3. Spin Form
I've used countless variations of the Spin Form, from the Spin Disc, to Hockey Pucks, Plunger Tops, and Double Balls, but I find this tool works for the majority of my athletes, which span various ages and spin levels. Athletes seem to understand the spin of a pitch quicker with the Spin Form's visual, as it is simply a flattened softball. My favorite part, is it can be thrown full distance! I definitely recommend for pitchers of all ages. It's a tool that can be available for them throughout their athletic career!
4. Finger Dexterity Bands
A great, inexpensive stocking-stuffer for your pitcher! In sessions, besides using these for grip strength exercises, we work spins of our various pitches while wearing the bands . Doing so, allows the athlete to focus more on the fingers in the spin of the pitch, and gives a nice resistance workout in addition. A great, extra tool to have around as spin can be our deadliest weapon from the circle.
Finger Dexterity Bands on Amazon
5. Set of Weighted Plyo Balls
Aside from the velocity training benefit of using these tools, the plyo-soft cover enables a pitcher to train her skill without need for much space. Most drills using the plyoballs consist of close-distance, modified pitching, which on the East Coast, is great for the preseason when stuck indoors. A set allows the pitcher to work through various weights, to suit their level or adjust depending on their competition season. Coach Jill recommends sticking to under 7oz. and making sure to schedule rest time after a plyo-ball session when in season.
Wishing everyone a happy & healthy Holiday Season from Game Day Athletics !
We will see you in the New Year :)
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