Pitcher's Case

In pitching, there are three main factors that determine the effectiveness of a fastball: velocity, control, and movement. Control will come from throwing bullpens, and movement is natural. Velocity is the hardest to increase, but I will tell you how to do it. In the game of softball, pitching is a key aspect of the game, so naturally the individual that is pitching must have a great amount of endurance to last her the length of a game, or at least be strong in the amount of time she is pitching. There are many drills that an individual can do to make sure her endurance is what it needs to be for her required pitching time. The pitchers have to have the strongest legs on the team, so naturally they must run and work their legs harder than anyone. Another key aspect is the individual's mental game, pitching is ninety percent mental and ten percent technique. If the individual tells themselves that they can go further and longer, their endurance benefits from it. At the end of the day, if the individual gives time and effort in their pitching craft, they will be successful at the end of the day.

The first step to improving a pitcher's endurance is a workout program. Softball workout programs need to be specific to the sport and focus on the movements and muscle groups that are used when playing the game. Players need to have speed and agility. Endurance workouts need to be three times per week in the preseason and twice per week during the season. It is mainly important to develop arm strength as well as core strength needed to transfer energy from the legs and hips to improve throwing motion. A plan that includes cardio, weight training, sprint drills, agility drills as well as long distance running will be most beneficial. Since pitcher's need endurance, it is better for them to go on a mile run than run twenty sprints. The longer am individual can run the more endurance that individual has obtained in her workout. Legs are not the only part of the body a pitchers needs to have endurance in, the arm must be just as in shape as the legs are. A fast arm circle accompanied by an aggressive push off the pitcher rubber makes for a more effective pitch. A pitcher must work out her arms in a specific way, not the typical bench press. Pitchers are said to need to do band workouts, which gives them a good workout and works the muscles, without putting too much weight on the muscles. Pitches need tome arms not "muscled up" arms. The more muscular a pitcher is, the less affective her pitching technique will be.

The second first step to improving a pitcher's endurance is a healthy diet. The most important aspect of being healthy as a pitcher is drinking a lot of water. You should always carry a bottle of water with you, and try to have at least seven or eight glasses of water a day. A pitcher also needs to load up on carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are an athlete's leading fuel. They are converted to glucose, a form of sugar, which is stored in muscles as glycogen. When you exercise, your body converts glycogen into energy. "To achieve maximum carbohydrate storage, experts recommend eating a diet that gets about seventy percent of its calories from carbohydrates, including breads, cereals, pasta, fruit, and vegetables" (Jaret). A pitcher also needs to consume enough protein. Protein does not provide a lot of fuel for energy, but it is important for maintaining muscle tissue, which is very important for a pitcher. The more muscle maintenance a pitcher achieves the higher performance an individual has.

Recovery after a game or a workout is very important for a pitcher as well. Milk is one of the best foods for recovery, because it provides a good balance of protein and carbohydrates. Milk also contains protein. "Research shows that whey protein is absorbed quickly, which can help speed recovery immediately after an event" (Jaret). Milk also contains calcium, which is important for maintaining strong bones. The healthier the bones of an individual are, the stronger an individual will be, which greatly helps with the endurance of a pitcher. Drinking plenty of fluids is also important for the endurance of a pitcher, it is very easy to get dehydrated if an individual is pitching in the heat and does not properly hydrate themselves. "High-intensity exercise, especially in hot weather, can quickly leave you dehydrated. Dehydration, in turn, can hurt your performance and, in extreme cases, be life-threatening" (Jaret). It is recommended to drink Gatorade and water on a frequent basis during the length of the activity. Sweating causes both fluid and electrolyte loss. Electrolytes help transmit nerve signals in your body, and play many other important roles. To replace lost electrolytes, many athletes reach for sports drinks, such as Gatorade or PowerAde. "If an individual loses a lot of fluid sweating, experts recommend diluting sports drinks with equal amounts of water to get the best balance of fluid and electrolytes"(Jaret).

Strengthening a pitcher's arm is crucial to a pitcher's endurance and performance. The first step in strengthening an individual's arm is to do long toss three or four times a week. Make sure there is a rest day in between. Stretch well, and do not throw until you can't throw anymore, this exercise is meant to stretch your arm out. After long tossing, take a nice jog to flush out all the blood that is in your arm. After, ice your arm to prevent soreness or pain. Doing this process three or four times a week will greatly improve the strength in an individual's arm. Conditioning and lifting weights between days of long toss helps build up the individual's arm endurance. A great endurance workout is: "using a stretch cord, three-pound dumbbells, and ten-pound dumbbells. Do not do heavy weight; do curls and that kind of thing 50 reps, two or three sets. Only use the ten-pound dumbbells for squat jumps (hold them in your hand, squat down, and jump as high as you can from that position), lunges, and bench press, for which you should be doing 25 reps, two or three sets. Stretch again, and drink about a quart of water" (Viren). These workout are great for endurance but keep in mind that: "the long-tossing tears your arm down. You drink plenty of water so your body can rebuild the muscles more quickly. The weight lifting does pretty much the same thing. Use light weights because, as a pitcher, you want to build muscle density, not muscle mass. Muscle mass decreases flexibility" (Viren).

A majority of pitching injuries are a product of fatigue, lack of strength or conditioning, and bad technique. Anyone of these three conditions greatly increases the chance of injury. "We commonly think that the underhand motion, even under the ideal conditions of an un-fatigued state as well as pinpoint mechanics, will never