Softball Pitching Tip No.3: Initial Arm Swing
To start the arm-motion push, the glove with the ball being gripped by the throwinghand, down and slightly back on the throwing side of the body. This will enhancethe pivot of the throwing-side foot.
The shoulders should follow the glove down and back turning slightly to also enhancethe pivot. Weight should transfer back to the inside of throwing side foot.
The glove serves as a guide to the arm so it can stay on one of two llines of force.The first line of force (LOF1) is the line that is created by the completion of thepivot when the front foot lands.
That line is created by drawing a line from the frontof the back foot to the target. The second line of force (LOF2) is the line drawnfrom the release point to the target. Both lines will be close to parallel. LOF2 willbe slightly outside LOF1, but they will both meet at the target.
Ideally, we want to start the arm swing forward as the pivot foot begins to turn andour body begins to "open" to the target. As our arm begins to move forward wewant to keep the ball in our glove as long as "naturally" possible. This will hidethe ball as long as possible to the hitter.
When the front foot lands (at around a 45-degree angle), the arm has completeda circle-like motion over the top on the throwing side of our body. The elbow andwrist have led us up and over. Our arm position should be close to the parallelto the ground and our palm should be faced slightly away from our body pointedthe same was as our chest.
Our glove hand should also be parallel with the glovepointed at the target, palm also facing away. Our shoulders should be on LOF2creating a ball path in front of our hips, knees and chin. Our hips, knees, and chinshould be of LOF1.
Courtesy of Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA)– the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States.
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