Fastpitch Instruction Resources for Beginners

September 7, 2023 7:33 PM

Can anyone recommend any good resources for teaching an absolute beginner (8-year old) fastpitch pitching? I’ve searched YouTube but am having trouble finding anything that starts from ground zero. I’m willing to spend a reasonable amount of money if that’s what it takes.

My daughter is just finishing up her first season of House League U9 softball (fastpitch) and will be in U9 again next year. At this level there is no live pitching, but she has expressed interest in learning how to pitch.

Our league does have pitching clinics during the off-season but she might still be too young to participate. I’m looking for some drills we can do in the backyard to ease our way into pitching and get a bit of a jump start.

posted by howling fantods to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (2 answers total)

Ask around and see if any of the league coaches have older pitchers they can recommend who you can pay to show her the basics. You don't need a professional here, really just a decent teen player would be great. Your kid can pick up some basic skills, have a girl to look up to, and a teen makes some cash.

My dad did this when he was trying (and failing) to get me into sports that would get me college scholarships. He paid a high schooler to teach me, a tennis idiot, some tennis fundamentals a few days one summer. The girl and I became decent acquaintances (friends on insta today!), so even though the tennis went nowhere it was still a positive experience.
posted by phunniemee at 8:08 PM on September 7, 2023

Response by poster: Thanks, that sounds like a great idea. It seems like a skill that’s passed down from generation to generation – “I’ll teach you what I was taught.” I’m certainly not looking for a professional here, more along the lines of some exercises/drills we can do in the backyard.
posted by howling fantods at 4:25 PM on September 8, 2023