How to Maximize Your Softball Pitcher's Abilities

• By Grant Young

There are many components that go into developing a softball pitcher. Not only must the player remain durable and prepared to pitch a team’s every game, but they also must have the mental makeup to endure the rollercoaster ride that playing an entire season provides. 

And even if a pitcher has all of the physical skill sets in the world, if they haven’t developed just as sturdy of a mental framework to consistently compete at a high level, they won’t be able to lead your team in the way that softball pitchers must. 

Thankfully, developing pitchers isn’t as difficult as it may sound; at least, as long as you have good coaches to learn the correct development techniques from. 

Esteemed softball coaches Lisa Fernandez, Paige Cassady, and Courtney Hudson have all constructed courses that impart their wisdom on how to develop physically skilled and mentally sturdy softball pitchers and are willing to share those insights with you. 

Lisa Fernandez - The Journey of a Pitcher’s Developmentsoftball/the-journey-of-a-pitchers-development-with-lisa-fernandez/14023335">The Journey of a Pitcher’s Development

Lisa Fernandez is arguably the greatest pitcher in softball history. Fernandez is a three-time Olympic Gold Medalist, having helped Team USA to victories in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. In 1996, she went 1-1 with a 0.33 ERA in softball's inaugural appearance in the Olympics in Atlanta. Her ERA ranks second in NCAA history and her 74 shutouts are ninth-most in the NCAA’s record books. She is entering her 26th season on the UCLA Bruins coaching staff in 2024.

In her ‘The Journey of a Pitcher’s Development’ course, Coach Fernandez says, “A lot of times, pitchers will have consequences that affect their mindsets. ‘Oh, this batter could do this. She could hit this pitch out. You can’t have that mentality. You have to have the mentality that you are going to be successful.”

Coach Fernandez notes how it’s natural for not just pitchers, but all people, to have negative thoughts swirling around their heads during high-pressure situations. That’s why softball coaches must utilize positive reinforcement in order to bolster their players’ confidence on the mound. 

Succeeding as a pitcher is more about conquering the mental game than anything else. And if a coach can create a habit of having confidence in their pitcher when they’re on the mound, that isn’t just going to help with the wins and losses. It’s also going to help that young pitcher in all other facets of life. 

Paige Cassady - ‘A Holistic Approach to Developing Pitchers Throughout the Year’ach-to-developing-pitchers-throughout-the-year/17969322">A Holistic Approach to Developing Pitchers Throughout the Year’

Paige Cassady joined NC State University’s softball team in 2023, as an assistant coach with a focus on pitching. Prior to that, Coach Cassady worked as a pitching coach at Texas Tech University. Before that, she spent nine seasons as the pitching coach at Liberty, where she helped the pitching staff lower its ERA every season. She received national recognition after the 2018 campaign when she was tabbed Assistant Coach of the Year by the NFCA. 

Coach Cassady believes there are six components to developing a softball pitcher. Within each component, she provides specific guides, hallmarks, and mantras that can lead coaches to develop those skills within their pitchers:

Training - Create an environment that is stimulating. Motivation, Expectation, Competition. 

Endurance - Remember your why. The Carrot Seed. No timelines.

Breathing - Wim Hoff Method, Headspace, Heart rate, Breathe by James Nestor.

Stress Response - Reframe. 40% rule. Disney+ Limitless, Substitutes for experience.

Psychology - Brian Cain, Dawn Grant, MUSE, ESPN+ Enhanced Series, Prioperceptive Effectiveness.

Routines - Bullpen, Gameday, Pre-Pitch, Dugout, Roles.

One way that Coach Cassady tries to tap into all of these six components is during bullpen sessions, where she has her pitching staff compete against one another. Yet, she also makes clear that she doesn’t compete solely for competition’s sake. Rather, she likes these bullpen battles because she, “wants to set the standard.”

Coach Cassady explains that her pitchers are competing against who they want to be in these bullpens. They’re trying to get the most out of themselves. And in that way, they’re really only competing against themselves. And what better way to develop one’s physical and mental capabilities than for them to push themselves in a low-stress environment, surrounded by support?

Courtney Hudson - ‘Pitcher Development Program’om/course/softball/pitcher-development-program/8413051">Pitcher Development Program’

Courtney Hudson is a former Division II softball player and coach. She made two trips to the Division II College Softball World Series, in 2009 and 2011. In her three seasons serving as a pitching coach, Coach Hudson’s staff compiled a record of 143-24. She has over 16 years of experience coaching fastpitch softball pitchers. Coach Hudson is the owner of Engineered Performance Lab in Huntsville, AL where she programs data-driven exercise and training for baseball and softball athletes. 

In the ‘How to Complete Your Game Day Performance Plan’ section of her course, Coach Hudson notes that 40% of practice time for softball pitchers should be dedicated to ‘How to Get Batters Out’.

Coach Hudson notes that there are three goals when it comes to getting batters out: 

1. Change bat speed

2. Change eye level

3. Move feet

We aren’t going to detail what all three of these mean, because we can assume that you understand what this means for a softball pitcher. But the most important aspect of these three goals we want to shed light on is how Coach Hudson is speaking about and working on these during practice so that her pitchers understand how to do so in games themselves.

A crucial part of developing a pitcher is getting them to understand the art of pitching. While pitch grips play a part in this, there is so much more nuance to effectively and efficiently getting a hitter out; which is what Coach Hudson’s three goals all allude to. If a pitcher is thinking about how to get a hitter out, they’re not thinking about all that could go wrong. That’s what development is all about. 

As you can see, there is a lot that goes into developing a softball pitcher that has nothing to do with physical components. But if your pitchers can master pitching’s mental side, they’ve already won before the first pitch is thrown