Advice+From+An+Expert

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=****__Advice from an Expert__****= === I learned a lot through my reseach but I found that there are some aswers you can only get through personal expierence. I contacted Audra, my expert, to answer some of these questions for me because she has seen lots of different fastpitch softball pitching. Here are the questions: === = =

​1. What are the main differences of pitching in college and pitching as a young kid?
=== The biggest difference in pitching in college versus pitching as a younger kid, is the caliber of hitters at the college level. At a younger level, there are some good hitters but very few teams have a solid lineup of good hitters but each new level that you get to, the hitters become better and better up and down the lineup. It gives the pitcher much less room for error. The pitcher also has to take a much more intentional approach to facing the hitters. Every pitch has to be thrown for a specific reason. Another difference is the distance of the pitching rubber from home plate. In younger levels, the mound is 40 feet from home plate; at the college level the mound is placed at 43 feet. The three foot change makes a pretty big difference in how much movement the pitcher can get on the ball. If a pitcher has pretty good movement on her pitches at 40 feet, she can expect that there will likely be even better movement from 43 feet. ===

2. How many different pitching motions have you seen and do they affect how the pitcher throws?
=== I've never seen 2 pitching motions exactly the same. Everyone has a slight difference in either her pre-motion, her windmill, or her release. The uniqueness of pitching styles is not bad. It is what makes a pitcher different from another. There are some specific things that make one motion stand out from another such as their windmill, release, and pre-motion. The biggest difference I notice is in the pitcher's pre-motion. Those who do a lot of up and down movement before the pitch seem to waste a lot of energy before they even get started into the pitch. Some view an elaborate pre-motion as a way to generate speed but I feel that keeping the pre-motion short and conciese is more efficient. ===

3. What makes a pitcher good versus average?
=== Hard work and training is the difference in a good pitcher versus an average one. Practice is essential to improvement as a pitcher. And not just a little bit of practice. To really see true improvement, a pitcher needs to be dedicated to throwing on average at least 4 times a week. Other types of training are needed as the pitcher advances as well such as weight training and endurance. The stronger the pitcher, the better they will be. ===

4. What is one main thing you would tell people to focus on that want to learn pitching?
=== To someone new to pitching, I tell them how important it is to practice. Nothing good comes without practicing. I remind them that it isn't easy, nor is supposed to be. If it were easy, everyone would do it. Many people stop pitching after a short amount of time because they see how hard it is, but for those who stick it out and work really hard, the rewards are so great. It is so absolutely rewarding when you can stand out on the mound in a game and throw all kinds of pitches and be successful. It makes all the hard work worth it. For new pitchers, and not new as well, it is so important for them to remember where hard work and dedication can take them. ===

​ = Thank you Audra, my expert, who spent lots of her time helping me and giving me very useful information. =

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