Fastpitch Softball Fielding Tips - Infield

When playing fastpitch softball it is important to understand the proper mechanics of fielding the ball. If you don't understand and use proper fielding mechanics some bad things can happen. Not the least of which is missing the ball.

One of the first things you need to know is to get your softball infielder glove down in the dirt. Keep the glove vertical as opposed to horizontal so you can stop the ball. This will keep the ball from rolling into the glove and popping up into your chin.

Get your rear end down. Bend your knees to get your eye level down even with the ball. This allows you to see the movement of the ball much better. Your reaction time will be quicker.

Position yourself so you can hold your girls softball glove a little out in front of your body. This allows you to "receive" the ball as opposed to just stopping it. Lets you use the soft hands technique of infield play.

Keep checking back for more tips on this subject.

Just keepin' it real....

Fastpitch Glove Care Part 2

Playing Fastpitch Softball is a great experience. Running onto the field with your perfectly broken in fastpitch gloves gives you a feeling of confidence. When the batter hits a hard hit grounder to your zone you recieve the ball and make the throw over to first for the out. Awesome!

Now, after the long tournament your perfectly broken in fastpitch gloves are dirty, dusty and feeling a little dried out. Its time to do some maintanence.



Review the post about in season glove care for the Basics of glove care. Here are a few things you need to know before working on that fastpitch softball glove.

1. Don't put anything on your glove that you wouldn't put on your own skin. The leather in your fastpitch glove is skin, remember that and you will be good.

2. Don't use dishwashing liquid or any kind of detergent to clean your glove. These will remove the essential oils that were tanned into the leather during crafting.

3. Do use a good quality leather conditioner such as Akadema Glove Conditioner, Lexol, Glove Loogie or mink oil. Shave cream with Lanolin can also be used.

There you go, now remember to take care of your glove so it can take care of you on the field.

Just keepin' it real...

Basic Softball Glove Maintenance

After a long weekend of tournament fastpitch softball it is time to do some glove maintenance. If you are using a professional quality infield glove or one from the local box store, you need to take care of it.

1. Start by wiping it down with a damp cloth or sponge to get all the dirt and dust off. Try to get as much as you can off the lacing, between the fingers and off the stitching. The dirt on softball fields can be very gritty and abrasive, almost like sandpaper. This will eat your glove away over time if you don't tend to it soon.

2. Use a small amount of glove conditioner or foamy shave cream and rub it into the leather and lacing of your glove. This will add needed conditioners back into the leather that the sun, dirt and sweat have removed from a long tournament of play.

3. Place a softball deep into the pocket of your glove, tie it with a rubber band or shoe lace and let it sit until practice time.

Check back for more tips on in-season glove and equipment care.

Just keepin' it real...

Softball Pitching Article You might Enjoy

Are you ready for the Big Time? Are you the kid next door that everyone is talking about as being the next softball superstar? The girl in This Article certainly is. She may try to stay anonymous for a while but all the coaches know who she is by now. Read the article and see how you compare.

She definitely has all the physical attributes necessary to be a standout college player. Coaches across the country know who she is and whats amazing is that she is just 15 years old.

Are you ready to go for the big time? Or do you just want to be the best you can be? Both are great goals. Keep up the hard work. Do you have all the right softball stuff you need, new pitchers glove, maybe a third base glove. Check your shoes, are they clean and polished. College coaches look for things like that. Is your uniform clean and not all wrinkled? Check your other things like your softball glove. Did you remember to recondition it after a rainy game day? These things will all help you perform better when it counts.

There is still time to get into great softball shape too. Remember to workout during the season also.

Just Keepin' it real...

Softball Pitchers Favorite Color - Blue?

That may be my favorite color but it may not be a fastpitch softball pitcher's favorite color. After all, that's the color of the umpire uniform. You know, we all call them "hey blue".

As a softball pitcher you need to at least try to make the umpire think that is your favorite color. You definitely don't ever want to put an umpire on display in front of the whole ball park by letting her know you are upset about a pitch call. Just put the ball back in your fastpitch glove and head back to the circle.

Fastpitch pitching requires you to cleverly use your mind as well as your body when a questionable pitch call comes into play. Don't glare at them for several seconds or stomp around the mound between pitches. Umpires are people just like we are. They are out there doing a job to allow us to play this game. You wouldn't like to be shown up in front of the whole crowd now would you?

If you use bad judgement and glare down the umpire you will likely not get any more close strikes called the rest of the day. Treat the umpire with respect. If you think the call was bad, give him a very quick glance and then turn away. Don't stare, make it only about a half second or less. Just long enough for her to know you didn't like that call.

Another way is to politely ask where that pitch was. Wait until the play is over, politely ask "hey blue - where did I miss on that pitch?" Then tell him Thanks. You have to be very polite or it could come out sounding like you are chastising the umpire. YOu don't want that.

Remember, as a fastpitch softball pitcher you are trying to Not put the softball over the plate anyway, just close enough to make it look like a strike. So maybe that pitch was close but not quite close enough in the umpires view. Tell yourself that you will get the next one and go on.

As mentioned above, umpires are out on the fastpitch softball field doing a job that allows you to pitch softball. So be greateful. Be sure to tell the umpire if you think he made a good call in the field. Maybe it was a close call sliding under the third base glove. Those are tough calls, let the umpires know you appreciate the job he is doing. Politics in fastpitch softball can be a good thing.

We have all seen the prima donna pitcher that misses outside and stomps around, cusses and raises her arms in disgust. Don't be that pitcher.

Be the fastpitch softball pitcher that the umpire respects. She will tell other coaches and umpires about you. What she tells about you is determined by your actions. Give the umpire good stories to tell about you.

Make Blue your new favorite color!


This is from Barry Lovelace, The King of Core. If you are looking for an excellent pitching workout, this is it.

In Softball Its The Team That Counts

Over the weekend I was fortunate enough to watch a couple of the best college programs in the country battle it out on the field. They are both highly ranked teams and deservedly so. One in the top 5 and one in the top 15.

Both teams came into the series with good records and strong players. One team recently lost their ace pitcher. That really shouldn't matter that much to a top 5 team, should it? The outcome - well I'll tell you...

In this game of Fastpitch Softball that we all love, it can sometimes revolve around one or two key players. Or so it kind of seems that way. Perhaps your team has an ace pitcher, a really good ERA and some serious movement on the ball. Most teams just aren't ready to hit that junk. She keeps you in most games and helps you win the others.

Perhaps you have a couple elite batters, a slapper like Caitlyn Lowe or a girl that is fast as lightning and can steal bases at will. Maybe its a shortstop that never misses anything even if the ball is 20 feet to her side.

What happens when this person goes down with an injury or has to be away for a few games for whatever reason? Does the team just fold? Do you just give up and wait for her to return?

Season Specials on Position Specific Gloves...

NO! Your team keeps going. You put in another pitcher, you move positions around to replace that elite shortstop. The rest of the team steps up to the plate and hits lights out.

You've been working all winter and into the season. You don't quit now. You want to show your injured teammate that you respect her by trying even harder.

These traits you have just learned on the ball field will carry over into your normal life also. Later, when you are in the working life you will be able to help your "team" by stepping up to the plate and hit lights out again.

Perhaps later in life there is a family trauma. Your training in softball will be there to support you and your family. So don't let the loss of one player drag down your whole team or season.

Ok, I was hoping for a good ending to that top 5 team but it turns out they kind of fell apart. They didn't make many errors but made several mental mistakes that allowed an extra run to score and they lost the game. I am sure they will be back up to their regular game the next time out. They are just too good as a team to stay down.

So don't be like that top 5 team. Get back in there and play the best you can and come out with a win in the game and in life.

Just keepin'it real...

Manifesting Your Goals in Softball

Manifesting Your Goals. What the heck does that even mean? Is that some kind of new age music group? Read on to find out.

Most of us, whether player, coach, parent or fan want to be successful. We have all heard it from parents, teachers, bosses, gurus for the longest time. But what does it mean to be successful?

Here is a long worded definition that really hits it on the head.
Progressive realization of a worthy goal.


To become a Successful Softball player you must have goals. To become successful as a person in life you must have a worthy goal.

What are worthy goals for Softball?

Well, that is really up to you. You need to decide what it is that you consider to be worthy. For some it would be an ultimate goal of playing softball in the Olympics. With the sport being removed from the games that might be a lofty goal, but a worthy one all the same.


Perhaps your goal is to play college softball. Perhaps to play in the Womens College World Series. Perhaps to become a coach of a college softball program. Perhaps even a professional softball career.

Those are all worthy goals to most players. Maybe your goals in life are little different. Maybe you want to play for your high school team and become a letter winner. Maybe your goal is to help your competitive team win Nationals. Maybe you want to be a starter on your competitive and high school softball teams. Those too are all very worthy goals for softball players.

How do you attain these goals?

Start by picking an Ultimate Goal - say the Olympic dream. Then work backwards in time until you get to today.

Then ask yourself what do I need to do to get there. You will probably need to play very well on a college team. Perhaps maybe a very good Gold level comp team might get you noticed.

I found this cool way of attaining your goals by just watching movies every day.

You will have to go to Olympic tryouts and make the team.
Do this by practicing and playing and leaving everything you have on the field. Learn as much as you can about the game, your positions.

Play and perform well enough to be noticed by college coaches.
Again, practice and learn. You must keep your academics up also. Good grades get you good spots. One of my college professors knowing I was a hunter told me "To get the Big Bucks, you have to do your homework". That made sense - big bucks meant a big deer and big money. You have to do your homework in life to get the things you want. To learn the game of fastpitch softball you have to do your homework.

Ok, so keep working backwards until you get to today.
Today, at home I need to practice my hitting and fielding. I had a few errors on 3rd or I dropped a ball in the outfield. I need to learn how to be better at those things.


Then tomorrow at team practice I need to listen well and use the team time wisely. No messing around. Learn from the coaches and ask questions.

So think of some goals.

Maybe just work on goals for this season until you get the hang of goals and making them work. Then put some longer term goals on paper and work towards them in the same manner.

Think about your goals every day. Think of the joy that goal will bring you. If a negative thought creeps in, stop and then think again of your goal and how much fun it is to play softball.

If you keep your goals in mind and think about them every day, they will happen.
Make today's goal happen and enjoy the good feeling. Then make tomorrow's goal happen, and then this week's goal, this month's goal. The complete season goal.

Just remember to look at your goal every day and think about it.

This is a link to a long video but very good stuff about goals.

Defense Counts in Fastpitch Softball

In Fastpitch Softball a game can come down to 1-0 in the bottom of the 7th inning. Your defense has held them all game. It's 90 degrees out and you are sweating and about out of gas. Then your pitcher loses grip from the sweat and floats one over the inside corner of the plate at thigh level. Here it comes right into that 5-6 hole. Are you ready for it? Where are the runners? How many outs? Is your outfield gonna back up the play? Do I have any gas left to make the stop and the throw over to 1st?

These are all questions running through your head in a situation like that. Your coach is thinking the same things. Hopefully you were paying attention at practice and you all know what to do and how each other is going to react in this situation.

To get to a situation like this you had to play nearly perfect defense all day. Good Defense is the key to winning in today's game of Fastpitch Softball. Pitchers are becoming great, hitters are becoming great and you have to be a great defensive player to stop them.

Here is a link to a good article I think you'll like.
Sea's success a true glove story

That High School team knows the value of getting your softball glove dirty and knowing how to use it. They spend most of their practice time working on defensive drills and strategies. The players understand that to win at a high level it takes perfect practice, every time.

A lot of times with the excellent pitching on most travel and competitive teams, the defense gets a little lazy. It's understandable when you go 3 or 4 innings with nothing more than a bunt or a blooper pop up for an out.

Then comes that hard hit grounder or line drive right at your head. You gotta be ready. To be ready you have to know What to do and How to do it. That comes from practice and doing your drills at home before practice.

When that high floating fly ball to the outfield comes unexpectedly you better have your glove and your legs ready to go. As an outfielder you know you are the last line of defense and the team is counting on you. That's why your coach puts some of her best athletes out there. All those drills chasing fly balls way over your head now seem to make sense to you. You know How to get to that ball and make the play to save the game.

Just Keepin' it real...

Softball Positions - Should You Have Just One?

I was watching some TV the other day and a show about kids and softball came on so it caught my attention and I watched it. Oh and by the way Jennie Finch just happened to be on there too. Ok, she caught my attention too...

These kids really knew a lot about baseball, they were mostly boys but a couple of girls were there too. They were young, probably under 9 years old but into the game.

Jennie was interviewed by a boy and a girl. They asked her all kinds of different questions about her playing in the Olympics and the fastpitch softball WCWS and things like that. She was asked if there was a difference in how to throw a curve in baseball and in softball. There is by the way. It's quite different.

Then she was asked if she played anything besides pitcher because most baseball players seem to only play one position. Her answer was a good one I thought.

She said that she played several positions other than pitcher. She is just most famous for pitching in the world series and the Olympics. She told them that she played first base, shortstop and some outfield when she was younger. She went on to say that she feels it is important for every kid to play as many positions as possible. Helps them to learn the game better.



I have to agree completely with Miss Jennie
. I have always been an advocate of kids playing several positions. Over the years the kids that play several different positions become better overall players than those that stick to just one spot on the field.

I have been around coaches that believe a kid should be pigeon holed into a single spot and left there. The thinking there is that the kid will learn that position better and be the best at that spot. I don't agree with that line of thinking and here is why.

When you are stuck in one spot on the field whether it is pitcher, catcher, outfield or wherever, you begin to get tunnel vision. By tunnel vision I mean you only see the game from one angle - from your position.

Tunnel vision keeps you from understanding how the play develops. You have a hard time understanding when to backup a throw and more importantly - why to back up a throw. You will have a hard time understanding why the other players don't catch your throws or why you don't catch their throws to you.

Playing other positions will give you a "view" of the game from a different angle. You will get a different feel for it. Maybe you should be trying to move to a slightly different angle to make a catch across the infield at your regular position, maybe you need to learn to use a 4 seam grip to throw across the infield to 1st to keep the ball from tailing off just as it gets to the 1st baseman. If you never play shortstop or 3rd or outfield you may never know why that ball does that to you. If you never play 1st you may never understand that you are making bad throws over to 1st. It's kind of like the old saying - "The shoe feels different on the other foot".

When it comes to bracket play and your team really needs to win, then maybe the coach should put the best players at the positions. I agree with that completely, but if the players have not experienced the game from those other spots when it comes down to make or break time, your team just might break down.

Now, most players are not gonna be able to cut it at all positions, maybe 2 or 3 different spots. There are a few kids that can play any spot on the field as well as anyone and they should be given the chance to do it. Even those kids will have a best spot. I feel that coaches shouldn't pressure players into a single position until college days or beyond. I will concede that there are some kids that will only be suited for a single position. If they are happy playing one spot and taking the bench a lot that is fine. I always wanted to be on the field myself.

So, if you are in a single spot situation ask your coach to let you try some other spots just to get a feel of how the game looks from the other side of the field. Coaches, give it a shot and try it out in practice first then maybe in a couple of pool games switch the positions up and see what happens (I would not suggest moving everyone at the same time though).

Just keepin' it real...

Softball Coaches First Aid Kit - Top 10 Items

Every time we go out to the softball field whether for practice or for games we take the chance of someone getting hurt. I hate to have to worry about this but that is the reality.

How do we deal with this? We start by being prepared. Guess that comes from being an Eagle Boy Scout. That bodes well for all aspects of life too.

A First Aid Kit is probably the one thing that every one know we need to have on hand. It is also the thing we forget to bring the most.

Here is a short list of the 10 most needed things to have in a First Aid Kit.

(these are just suggestions and you can add or remove based on your experience)

1. Ice or chemical ice bags, or plastic bags to hold ice.
2. Band-Aids: Lots of them in all sizes
3. Adhesive Tape: the athletic type
4. Gauze
5. Scissors
6. Antibiotic Ointment
7. Ace type Bandage: for wrapping ice bags etc
8. Towel or cloth
9. Cotton Swabs
10. Medical Release forms

Now obviously there can be many more things added to this list. You should bring as much as you can fit into your first aid kit and know how and when to use them.

Remember the RICE too!

The R-I-C-E principles for injuries and treating injuries.

R- Rest: stop the activity as soon as the pain or injury is noticed.
I- Ice: apply an ice pack immediately to a new injury. Never directly on the skin. Apply for intervals of 20 minutes until swelling stops.
C- Compression: Start with a wet wrap then add an ace bandage later. Start farthest from the injury and wrap towards the heart. If the swelling is severe, loosen the wrap until it subsides.
E- Elevation: elevate the injured part so that it is higher than the heart. Keep elevated until swelling stops or you see the doctor.

I'm not a doctor, I don't even play one on TV so if your child is injured use the RICE and get them to the doctor if needed.

Fastpitch Softball Video Pitching Machines - Cool!

Ok, we all know we need do some hitting practice. Whether we use a tee in the driveway or take some soft toss from Dad or actual batting practice off a live pitcher it is all great stuff and we can learn a lot. If we take it serious and work on good solid mechanics.

In the last few years there has been some really cool technology brought into the softball and baseball arena. We all know about radar guns, the spin monitoring devices like the Rev Fire and others.

Some of the coolest, although expensive things to come out is the video pitching machines. These machines actually have a video of a real pitcher winding up and throwing the pitch. The ball actually comes from a standard pitching machine inside the box, but they are really cool. It takes some time to get used to them.

I recently came across one I think the fans of Fastpitch Softball Talk will appreciate. It is an LED version of the famous Japanese phenom Yukikko Ueno. I think we all remember her unraveling of our Team USA in the Olympics.
Below is a link to a video of that machine. From the looks of it, she is even better at striking out batters as a video machine.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm6Sx0fgDiA&feature=player_embedded

I haven't seen any of these around yet, but there are several baseball versions. They will probably start to show up soon though.

Get out and get some hitting practice in, and do it at home or with your teammates. Be ready for practice. Remember to Practice Before Practice...

Keepin' it Real...

Practice Softball Before Softball Practice

Ok, I can already here all you fastpitch players saying that I am nuts. Well, I think we already know that to be true but read on young all stars and maybe you will become a nut as well!!

You already know that to become a great fastpitch softball player you have to practice. You not only have to practice but you have to practice perfectly. I mean that you have to do it correct at practice or you are just forming bad habits and "muscle memory" that is really hard to overcome later.

But what the heck are you talking about - Practice Before Practice? What I am talking about is the same thing you have been told at the end of just about every practice you have been to be it softball, basketball, football, band, debate, cheerleading, etc. Your coach always reminds you to work on things at home.

In other words your coach told you to Practice Before Practice, right? So why don't we do more of that? During the school year you have so many things that take up your "Practice" time like homework, eating dinner, taking a bath, and the most important seems to be ...texting and facebooking with your friends.

We all agree the homework and eating are very important and I myself take a bath at least once a month whether I need it or not. I have a little trouble with the last two items on that list. So let's try to lay off them a little.

To become a good softball player you need to put in some quality time doing some hitting off the tee, throwing into a blanket or wall or with your Dad, taking some grounders and just playing catch. If you spend 30 minutes a day doing these you will become a good softball player.

**Serious Gloves for Serious Players at BuyFastpitchGloves.com**

To become a great softball player you need to add some focus into that thirty minutes every day, and maybe up it to 45 minutes. By focus I mean concentrate on hitting one day, pitching another, fielding, throwing another.

Work on specific hitting concepts like hitting low tee, high tee, inside, outside. Work on hitting the inside seam every time trying to make the ball come straight off the tee. If you have a hitting coach - work on what she tells you to do.

Throwing needs to be worked on for specific weaknesses you may have. Every player has a weakness - just watch them throw and you will agree. Maybe you have started side-arming again, or your back leg is kicking up, or you aren't finishing the throw across your body. Ask your coaches to give you some things to work on. Just make certain you are using correct throwing mechanics and throw 100-200 throws perfectly.

Fielding - work on soft hands techniques if your an infielder. Practice the ponytail flop to help keep your head down and watch the ball all the way into your glove. Practice receiving the ball and using a rounding motion to get back into transition and throwing position. Work on proper mechanics, work on quick release.
If you don't have a partner maybe you can use a tennis ball and throw against the wall or garage door - caution:ask parents first(from experience, ask first).

Pitchers need lots of practice. Try to get in about 100-200 pitches every day or at least 3 days a week. You can work on hitting or fielding the other days. Just be sure you make each pitch perfect.

To become great at anything you have to practice that craft. You can't just show up to the stage and be a great actress. You can't design a new switch mode fly-back power supply without practice. You can't be a great person without practice. So remember to work on your craft and skills every day.

Practice Before Practice to become a great fastpitch softball player and an even greater person.

Keepin' it real...

Are You an Elite Softball Player?

I bet that is a question that you ask yourself a lot, or at least once anyway. I know I used to think so myself, back in the day. Little did we know back then of all the advanced training necessary to be an elite athlete.

Training like an Elite softball player is hard work but not that far off from what most of you are doing now. I don't claim to be an expert in the field, I'll leave that to guys like Marc Dagenais and Barry Lovelace;you can find out from those guys more of what you need to do.

Some things that the Elite Softball players do is use elite softball gear. They use the best softball gloves, the best bats, the best training gear and the best mental training they can get.

The best athletes, in any sport understand they need to begin with dynamic warmups to get the body warm and stretched. This gets the muscles moving and the nervous system firing early. There are many studies that show static stretching to be detrimental to an athletes performance if done before performance. It actually takes an hour or two for your muscles and nervous system to get back into form after static stretching. This is why elite athletes use dynamic warmup routines specific to their sport. Stretching is to be done after the workout or game, and at home.

Advanced softball players use advanced workout routines. They spend a lot of time building and strengthening the core of the body. You have to build your foundation first to have a strong house (your body is your house).

Muscle Endurance is another aspect of elite softball players. This ties in with the strong core - you have to be balanced. Build a strong balance on both sides of your body, don't train just one side. Pitchers must have exceptional balance, otherwise they won't throw consistent and they will hurt themselves. I see so many girls with sore or pulled muscles in the back and shoulders of the non-throwing side. This comes from being so strong on the throwing side and not training the other side that you try to balance yourself with untrained muscles and bones on the opposite side.

Fastpitch Softball is a very dynamic, quick twitch sport. There is not a lot of long distance running. Pitchers need to have explosive power and endurance to last 7 innings or so. Fielders need to be able to react to hot hit balls in the blink of an eye and continue doing so for several games in a row at times.

Work on one leg, one arm at a time strength exercises. Use free weights to do one leg bent over rows. This really strengthens the legs. Remember to do both sides.

Do pushups on those big exercise balls to work your stabilizer muscle groups in the shoulders and upper body. Try also pushups with your feet on the ball for a different set of muscles.

Explosive strength exercises such as squats, plyometrics, clean and jerk with weights are all great for elite softball play.

Advance hitting specific strength drills with a stick such as the hammer drill.

Work on speed and agility but focus on how to move more efficiently so you don't waste energy getting from place to place.

There are lots of things that elite softball players do to stay at the top of the game. They are coming up with new exercises all the time, but the emphasis is still on balance and core.

Now, if you want to know if you have the DNA to be an elite softball player check out this company - Atlas Sports Genetics - that does DNA testing of young kids to determine which sport they are best suited, genetically speaking, for. I don't know about you but this sounds like something out of the old cold war Russian programs.
There may be something to this, its up to you to decide.

Keepin' it Real...

Tigers at #4 - And Climbing

Missouri Softball went on a road trip to sunny Arizona and took care of business. The #2 Wildcats of Arizona played hard and took the Tigers in the first game. It then became a huge cat fight as Mizzou fought back in game two to end by doubling the score on the Wildcats. Missouri won 10-5!
THen they took to the road again and headed off to Columbus, GA for the NFCA Leadoff Classic where they beat out the Michigan Wolverines in extra innings by wining 2-1.

Missouri will be back in action at the NFCA Leadoff Classic later tonight against Virginia Tech. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CT.


Here are the rankings from ESPN>
#ESPN.COM/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25#
-----------------------------------------
ESPN.COM/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25
(Records through February 22, 2010)
TEAM PTS PVS
---- --- ---
1. WASHINGTON (13) (7-1) 491 1
2. ARIZONA (4) (7-1) 473 2
3. UCLA (3) (8-1) 458 4
4. (tie) MICHIGAN (6-2) 421 3
4. (tie) MISSOURI (3-2) 421 5
6. GEORGIA (8-1) 404 6
7. ALABAMA (6-2) 375 8
8. GEORGIA TECH (8-1) 329 9
9. OKLAHOMA (8-1) 328 12
10. ARIZONA ST (9-2) 319 7
11. FLORIDA (9-1) 315 9
12. STANFORD (8-1) 270 13
13. TEXAS (11-0) 269 15
14. CALIFORNIA (7-3) 251 11
15. LSU (7-4) 188 17
16. OHIO ST (6-4) 173 14
17. LOUISVILLE (9-2) 165 16
18. FLORIDA ST (10-1) 151 20
19. TEXAS A&M (10-1) 149 21
20. UL LAFAYETTE (8-2) 108 18
21. FRESNO ST (7-1) 105 19
22. NORTHWESTERN (5-5) 73 21
23. NORTH CAROLINA (6-3) 68 23
24. MASSACHUSETTS (4-1) 39 24
25. BYU (9-1) 37 NR
Dropped Out: No. 25 BAYLOR
Others Receiving Votes: KENTUCKY 32, TENNESSEE 29, BAYLOR
22, SAN DIEGO ST 19, NEVADA 7, DEPAUL 5, OKLAHOMA ST 4,
HOFSTRA 1, NEW MEXICO ST 1.


And we're off to a tourney ourselves. The season is upon us, hope it warms up a bit..

Just Keepin' it Real

Fastpitch Softball Glove Review ACE70

AKADEMA ACE70 FASTPITCH DESIGN SERIES SOFTBALL GLOVE

"Created to satisfy the needs of the competitive Fastpitch player, the Akadema Fastpitch Design Series is hand-crafted to increase the level of play on the field. Constructed of US Steerhide throughout the pocket and webbing, the back of the glove features exclusive AkademLyte leather, decreasing the overall weight of the glove and allowing for a faster break-in period and a more manageable feel. Smaller finger stalls used to decrease the distance between the thumb and index finger and Akadema Grasp Clasp Wrist System allow for increased playability. Endorsed by USA Softball stars Crystl Bustos and Monica Abbott."

Ok, so that is the company's blurb about this Fastpitch Glove. That's a lot of sales copy, adequately describing this line of fast pitch softball gloves. Sales copy is good, but does it tell the real story?

They sound pretty proud of this line of ladies Fastpitch Softball gloves. You know what? They should be. This is one heck of a nice softball glove, and for the price range it is in there really are not any competitors out there that can beat it. You can see why Monica and Crystl endorse these gloves; they are high quality.

The ACE70 is priced in the low middle of the range but the quality and build of this glove should have it in the upper range. This glove has some really nice features and it plays very well too.

Here are some of its features.
13" Slim Pattern
B-Hive Web
Grasp Clasp Wrist System
Small Finger Stalls
Deep Pocket
Right or Left Hand throw available

The Akadema ACE70 fastpitch glove is black with grey 1/4 inch lacing that makes a nice looking accent. There is some nice embroidered script Akadema on the back of the glove and also the logo, which makes this a really sharp looking softball glove. The model and series name are embossed into the inside of the glove for added effect. You hate to admit it but how well a glove, or bat or shoes looks does seem to make a difference to how you play - or at least how you feel about that glove or shoes, etc. So, that being said, this is one sharp looking fast pitch glove.

This glove is not as heavy as most thanks to the use of AkademaLyte leather on the back of the glove. This lighter weight leather is durable but allows for a quicker break in period. When you first get this glove it will be very stiff. You will need to do some break-in. If you use the Akadema glove conditioner on the palm and pocket and pound some softballs in there and play a lot of catch it should break-in in a few weeks for you.

The heavy Steerhide on the palm and fingers provides plenty of padding for those hot line-drives to SS or those high fly balls in Center.

The 13" slim pattern is the perfect size for a softball utility player. The deep pocket seems to just absorb the ball yet it gives it back quickly to make that fast glove to hand transition on the infield. The deep pocket helps you hang onto those fly balls in the outfield too.

Middle infielders, Shortstop and 2nd base will like the tight feel of the glove and the way it holds up to repeatedly slamming it into the dirt to grab that grounder up the middle. 3rd base will like the heavy palm and pocket to stop those hot liners coming down the line. As a pitcher you will appreciate the slightly larger pattern and deep closed web pocket to hide your grip as long as possible. Sorry batters.
This will even make a great 1st base glove with its size and deep pocket.

That B-Hive web is a closed type web. It kind of looks like a honeycomb, thus the name I guess. It is made of the same top quality US Steerhide as the pocket and palm area. It is really thick too, looks to be about 1/4 inch and reinforced with that heavy 1/4 inch lacing. The B-hive construction makes it very secure and strong. Being a closed web you can use it to block out the sun on those bright summer days. As you break in the glove the web conforms very well to the ball and begins to give-in to allow easy closure by a smaller, ladies hand.

Akadema has a nice Grasp-Clasp Wrist System that incorporates an open back with an adjustable wrist closure using Velcro. This allows for a more comfortable and manageable fit. Rip back the velcro to put the glove on, then pull it tight to give you a snug fit. There is also a soft furry material on the top of this reinforced Grasp Clasp that cushions the top of your hand. It also absorbs some of your sweat so you don't slip around so much. There is a tag attached there. I would suggest cutting it off if it bothers you.

Along with the Grasp-Clasp system, Akadema designed in smaller finger-stalls to better fit smaller hands like most ladies have. This also makes a shorter distance between the thumb and index finger. You ladies will love this. You don't have to use the standard baseball glove anymore.

The only negative thing about this glove is those small finger-stalls. They are kind of small for most men. It will eventually conform to your hand but I would suggest moving into one of the men's ProSoft or Professional series gloves if you are a man with average sized hands.

Younger players may find the stiffness a bit much but it does break in easy enough. Get your Dad or Mom to help you. This will be a glove that you could use for many years. The lighter weight will be a plus for you.

Competitive players moving up into high school age looking for a step up glove will really like this fast pitch glove for its high quality leather and lighter weight. That lighter weight can help with your quickness at ball transfer. You know how important that is in this game. This glove should last you through your high school years and into college. If you take care of it, it should be one you could give your own daughter one day.

This glove could also be a great second glove for that super competitive A level player, or the college or post college player looking for a glove to use for those weekend tournaments. The lighter weight and ease of break-in will help this glove find a home in your equipment bag.

These features make the Akadema ACE-70 one of the best fast pitch gloves available today. This is a great utility players glove. Two Thumbs UP!
Remember, to discover how great this glove is you have to use it. So get out there and get it dirty.

Take care of it and it will take care of you on the field!

You can find the Akadema ACE-70 here.

Softball Season - What a Misnomer That Is!

What ever happened to the old "softball season"? You know the one where you started practices when it got warm enough to actually be outside. Remember those days, we have a couple weeks of serious practice then season started. There were a couple months of games, usually 2-3 a week. Then came the All Stars and then by mid July it was all over and families could go on vacation or in my case back to the hayfield full time.

Now we end the season about the same time, then move to nationals, then maybe if you're lucky to a USA nationals. Then a week break and you have tryouts, put a new team together and grab a couple good practices and then Fall ball starts up. Up at 6am to play another 5-10 game weekend schedule for a few weeks until it gets too cold to hold anymore tournaments.

Then comes high school season - for some it is in the spring - but ours is in the fall. High School is great for building up school loyalties and playing with and against girls you played all season.

Then we move into weekly indoor hitting, pitching, fielding, conditioning and the occasional indoor tournament. It finally ends with the holiday season. Good food, good family and good times. Oh and some good rest!

Oh, the rest is over already. It is early January and time to start hitting it hard again. Weekly practices and conditioning for those that aren't playing winter sports at school. Time to check your equipment. That old glove needs to be replaced in time to break it in for the season. Shoes, yep grown out of 'em. Catchers gear is broken again, how about your bat. I know you need more socks! YOu have grown out of your hoody and batting jacket too.
February rolls around and mandatory practices are here already. It's almost time for some indoor tournaments and then on to the outdoor real ball.

Wow, the season is here again. Seems like just yesterday we were doing this. Softball has become a Year Round Sport and it's awesome. Vacation?, What is that? That's what you do when you retire I guess. We better take full advantage of this while it is upon us. These kids grow up so fast these days - another cliche- but it is so true. They will be into college and beyond before you know it.

Enjoy the "Softball Season" while we can.

Keepin' It Real!

Softball Cruise-Clinic all in One-Sweet!

Wouldn't this be a cool place to have a softball clinic? In The Bahamas and during a cruise. See what you can have when you work hard.
Anyway, here is a link to a newspaper article about Monica Abbott conducting a clinic in the Bahamas. Pretty cool.

They stopped off at one of the islands and asked the local college players to help. Some of the kids on the cruise got to participate as well as several local kids. I bet they really enjoyed getting to meet Monica.

Check it out.

Keepin it Real.

Here is Mizzou's 2010 schedule so you can follow them.

2010 MIZZOU SOFTBALL SCHEDULE

Date Opponent / Event Location Time
02/06/10 vs. Black and Gold ex Columbia, Mo. 2:00 p.m. CT
02/13/10 at Alabama Tuscaloosa, Ala. W, 2-1
at Alabama Tuscaloosa, Ala. L, 9-0
02/14/10 at Alabama Tuscaloosa, Ala. W, 9-0
02/20/10 at Arizona Tucson, Ariz. 1:00 p.m. CT
at Arizona Tucson, Ariz. 3:00 p.m. CT
02/21/10 at Arizona Tucson, Ariz. 1:00 p.m. CT
2010 Leadoff Classic
02/26/10 vs. Michigan Columbus, Ga. 10:00 a.m. CT
vs. Virginia Tech Columbus, Ga. 5:30 p.m. CT
02/27/10 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette Columbus, Ga. 11:00 a.m. CT
vs. Massachusetts Columbus, Ga. 1:30 p.m. CT
02/28/10 vs. Radford Columbus, Ga. 9:00 a.m. CT
03/03/10 at SIUE Edwardsville, Ill. 2:00 p.m. CT
at SIUE Edwardsville, Ill. 4:00 p.m. CT
Missouri Breast Cancer Awareness Tournament
03/05/10 vs. Saint Louis Columbia, Mo. 3:30 p.m. CT
03/06/10 vs. SEMO Columbia, Mo. 1:30 p.m. CT
vs. Missouri State Columbia, Mo. 5:30 p.m. CT
03/07/10 vs. UMKC Columbia, Mo. 1:30 p.m. CT
03/10/10 vs. Northern Iowa Columbia, Mo. 3:00 p.m. CT
Tiger Invitational
03/12/10 vs. New Mexico Columbia, Mo. 1:00 p.m. CT
vs. Bradley Columbia, Mo. 3:00 p.m. CT
03/13/10 vs. San Diego State Columbia, Mo. 12:00 p.m. CT
vs. Illinois Columbia, Mo. 2:00 p.m. CT
03/14/10 vs. Illinois State Columbia, Mo. 2:00 p.m. CT
03/17/10 vs. Wichita State Columbia, Mo. 3:00 p.m. CT
vs. Wichita State Columbia, Mo. 5:00 p.m. CT
Demarini Invitational
03/19/10 vs. Northern Colorado Columbia, Mo. 3:00 p.m. CT
vs. Ball State Columbia, Mo. 5:00 p.m. CT
03/20/10 vs. Northwestern Columbia, Mo. 1:00 p.m. CT
vs. Eastern Michigan Columbia, Mo. 3:00 p.m. CT
03/27/10 at Oklahoma * Norman, Okla. 2:00 p.m. CT
03/28/10 at Oklahoma * Norman, Okla. 12:00 p.m. CT
03/31/10 vs. Saint Louis Columbia, Mo. 3:00 p.m. CT
vs. Saint Louis Columbia, Mo. 5:00 p.m. CT
04/02/10 vs. Oklahoma State * Columbia, Mo. 5:30 p.m. CT
04/03/10 vs. Oklahoma State * Columbia, Mo. 1:00 p.m. CT
04/07/10 vs. Kansas * Columbia, Mo. 4:00 p.m. CT
vs. Kansas * Columbia, Mo. 6:00 p.m. CT
04/10/10 at Texas * Austin, Texas 1:00 p.m. CT
04/11/10 at Texas * Austin, Texas 12:00 p.m. CT
04/14/10 at Southern Illinois Carbondale, Ill. 3:00 p.m. CT
04/17/10 vs. Texas Tech * Columbia, Mo. 2:00 p.m. CT
04/18/10 vs. Texas Tech * Columbia, Mo. 12:00 p.m. CT
04/21/10 vs. Evansville Columbia, Mo. 3:00 p.m. CT
04/24/10 at Texas A&M * College Station, Texas 1:00 p.m. CT
04/25/10 at Texas A&M * TV College Station, Texas 2:00 p.m. CT
04/28/10 at Iowa State * Ames, Iowa 2:00 p.m. CT
at Iowa State * Ames, Iowa 4:00 p.m. CT
05/01/10 vs. Baylor * Columbia, Mo. 2:00 p.m. CT
05/02/10 vs. Baylor * Columbia, Mo. 12:00 p.m. CT
05/05/10 at Western Illinois Macomb, Ill. 3:00 p.m. CT
at Western Illinois Macomb, Ill. 5:00 p.m. CT
05/08/10 at Nebraska * TV Lincoln, Neb. 12:00 p.m. CT
05/09/10 at Nebraska * Lincoln, Neb. 12:00 p.m. CT
2010 Big 12 Championships
05/14/10 Big 12 Conference Championship Oklahoma City, Okla. TBA

Missouri Softball Looks to Knock off No 2 Again!

No. 6/5 Softball Travels to No. 2 Arizona

Mizzou looks to build on success of opening weekend

Is that cool or what? Tiger Softball is climbing up the charts and doing it in style.

They took 2 out of 3 from the number 2 Alabama team and are now headed to take on the next number 2 Arizona team.

Mizzou started out ranked 9 in the NCAA and they are rapidly climbing up to the top spots. If they go out to Tuscon this weekend and keep up the good work they may just jump into that number 2 spot themselves.

If you happen to be out in that area - Emily - then get yourself over there and catch a game or two. Looks like its gonna be good weather.

Missouri hasn't had a lot of luck with the PAc 10 but that may be changing. LAst year they took out UCLA in the Super Regionals for the Womens College World Series. That get them down to Oklahoma City with the big dogs. They played well but as you know in fastpitch it comes down to that one run.

Mizzou's pitching and hitting are really shining again this year. We hope to see them again back in OKC this year.

All you aspiring Tiger Softball players need to stay with it and keep working hard. The season is almost here so get all the tips and advice on throwing and batting and put them to work.

Remember you have to Practice before Practice if you want to become Great Softball players.

Check out all the great fastpitch softball gloves and stuff over at our friends at www.BuyFastpitchGloves.com

Just Keepin' it Real.

Fastpitch and Radar Guns - Necessary or Not?

Fastpitch is a very dynamic game. Especially the pitching. Everyone wants to know how fast that pitch was or "What do you throw?". Batters seem to think that if they know the speed of the pitcher they can gain an advantage. Coaches want to know so they can give better signals to the batter and the base runners. Parents and fans want to know for lots of reasons, my kid throws as fast as the olympic stars, or that kid doesn't throw very hard she can't be any good, things like that.

I have been around the sport for many years and I have seen a lot of pitchers. I have seen girls that can legitimately throw 70 mph and others that struggle to hit 45 mph. I've seen boys baseball pitchers that hit in the low 90's but most were in the mid 50's. I've seen the really hard pitchers get knocked out of the park and the slow pitchers strike out almost the whole team.

Being an electronics engineer by education I have been fortunate to be involved in the design and development of a few sports radar guns. I've reverse engineered some to see how they work and spent countless hours tweaking algorithms to help the DSP determine the characteristics of a softball as it travels through space and time. Wait, this isn't a Star Trek article is it?

I can tell you that most radar guns out there are very similar and are very accurate. The difference is in the price and the features. Some are developed specifically for baseball and softball so they have more finely tuned algorithms to track the ball. Some offer statistics and other nice features. Others are designed to be a more overall sports gun to track softballs, golf balls, cars, bicycles, boats and most anything. I will tell you, those are the most challenging ones to develop.

I don't want to bore you with the physics of radar guns, I want to talk more about whether you think they are necessary in fastpitch. Does it really matter what the real speed of that pitch is?

I think it does - sometimes. What the heck is this guy saying!!! Well, as a pitcher's dad and coach I like to use the speed tracking to help the pitchers understand where they are in their development.

Are they actually getting faster, or staying the same. How does this pitch work at faster speeds vs slower speeds? The differential of a Changeup - the most important I think. Those kinds of stats are of the most concern to me.

I really don't think the speed makes all that much difference once you get into the mid to upper 50's anyway. I will acknowledge that a 70 mph pitch is gonna blast right by most batters the first time they see it. But if that pitcher doesn't have a good off speed pitch and doesn't use it often, the batters will time that barn burner and blast it out of the park. After all - Newtons laws of motion are gonna take care of that for you. Number 3 I think says something about - Any object in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by another force -

Basically, the faster the pitch, the faster and farther it will travel when hit.

Ok, enough physics, this isn't school. But you get the point I hope. Using a radar gun and perhaps a spin tracking device are very good tools to use to help the young and more advanced pitchers develop into great pitchers.

I'm sure that the fastpitch catchers are not fans of the 70 mph pitchers. I know from experience that you can definitely tell the difference between a 55 mph pitch and 69 mph pitch. The "sting factor" goes up exponentially!

So, use the tools you have whether it is a radar gun or a stop watch and good math skills. Take advantage of those tools and help those young student athletes develop into great student athletes.