Dixie State University Head Coach;
2014 and 2015 PACWest Coach of The Year, 2015 D-II WCWS runner up, 2014 D-II Third Place; over 300 wins in seven years as head coach (through 2015)
Softball games are won and lost in the circle. A well-trained pitcher will give opponents very few opportunities for success. From mechanics to pitching work-outs, Randy Simkins helps prepare pitchers for success starting with the basic mechanics and spins to throw each pitch, and progresses to challenging workouts to equip pitchers for the stresses they'll encounter in games.
Coach Simkins teaches you the four pitches needed to be successful, as well as how to make them break away from the hitters' bats. He also introduces you to four drills, including a five-step pitching progression, that will get your pitchers ready to take the mound with confidence.
Pitching Mechanics
It's critical to know the basic mechanics of pitching because all pitches work off the same fundamentals. Coach Simkins breaks down and explains the five steps of a complex pitching motion. You'll learn how to set up your feet on the mound to generate power and stay on the power line. Coach Simkins also explains and demonstrates three different arm swing styles that a pitcher can choose from.
Movement Pitches
Learn how to apply the mechanics of pitching into throwing various movement pitches. Coach Simkins takes you through the different types of pitches he teaches his pitchers to throw. These include:
- Peel Drop - This is the foundation pitch all of Coach Simkins' pitchers use instead of the fastball.
- Rollover Drop - A more advanced version of the peel drop.
- Riseball - Coach Simkins transitions from hand rotation to a helpful drill and finally has one of his players put it all together in a full wind-up.
- Change Up - Coach Simkins gives key points on how to throw an effective change up and the ideal speed to throw it at.
For each pitch, Coach Simkins takes you through the proper grip and release, which are the steps of the motion that make the pitch move. You'll learn a five-step pitching progression to warm-up and perfect each pitch, starting with spins and ending with full mound work.
Pitching Workout for Practice and Pre-game
Great coaches develop a practice plan for their pitchers to help them develop their arsenal. Coach Simkins introduces you to plans that will help you take advantage of your practice time with your pitchers. He also gives you a pre-game warmup that gets your pitchers ready to be their best.
Coaches at all levels will benefit from learning Coach Simkins' skills and drills for pitchers!
"Coach Simkins has done an excellent job of taking the mysticism out of the pitching motion and has made it easier for me to help my pitchers become the best they can be." - Customer Review
41 minutes. 2016.
SD-05046B: with Randy Simkins,
Dixie State University Head Coach;
2014 and 2015 PACWest Coach of The Year, 2015 D-II WCWS runner up, 2014 D-II Third Place; over 300 wins in seven years as head coach (through 2015)
The key to training successful hitters is the development of solid, repeatable swing mechanics and translating these into game play. Randy Simkins takes you through a simple and teachable demonstration of the swing.
Coach Simkins demonstrates the mechanics a hitter needs to be successful. He also includes tee, cage, and live pitching drills that fill out a complete development plan that will take your players' game to the next level.
Swing Mechanics
While every hitter is different, Coach Simkins uses an easy-to-understand approach to swing mechanics. He simplifies the swing into five basic parts and explains how the hitter should look and what they should feel at each phase of the swing.
- Set-up, stance and grip to maximize flexibility and bat speed of the swing.
- Weight transfer and movement of the lower half (including acceptable variations) to generate power.
- Swing pattern and flow to stay on plane and maximize contact, which will allow players to hit the ball to all areas of the field.
Tee Drills
Coach Simkins introduces six of his favorite tee drills drills tailored to develop core swing mechanics and proper form. One in particular - the Yes, Yes, Yes Drill - helps combine proper hitting approach with mechanics. The batter stands a few steps back off the tee and gradually walks up to tee and hits, verbalizing `yes' on each step. This helps remind the hitter of the aggressive "yes, yes, yes" approach which encourages them to swing at every pitch until something about the pitch dictates that they should not swing.
Front Toss Drills and Live Batting Practice
Drills advance through a structured sequence of five front toss drills, simulating different counts on the batter. Also, your players will learn to wait on off-speed pitches with a bounce toss drill.
Finally, advance your hitters from front toss to live hitting drills that move the batter into a game-like situation, working the skills in combination with game situational hitting.
Bunting
In addition to the swing, Coach Simkins also breaks down the bunt to help your players become well-rounded at the plate. He explains the mechanics of a sacrifice bunt and has one of his players demonstrate the key elements of this skill. Afterward, he has his players practice sacrifice bunting off of front toss and live pitching, emphasizing mechanics and getting a strike to bunt.
Build An Efficient Pre-Game Warm Up
Have your team ready to hit at the first pitch with Coach Simkin's pre-game warm-up. You'll learn how to prepare your batters to think in game situations while also helping them focus on their defensive plays.
Coach Simkins system will help beginning and intermediate level coaches improve their hitters. From the mechanics of hitting, to hitting approach and to bunting, Coach Simkins will show you how to improve your offense immediately.
45 minutes. 2016.
SD-05046C: with Randy Simkins,
Dixie State University Head Coach;
2014 and 2015 PACWest Coach of The Year, 2015 D-II WCWS runner up, 2014 D-II Third Place; over 300 wins in seven years as head coach (through 2015)
Softball is often called a game of failure. To be successful, players must learn to deal with the failure the game requires. Having a plan to deal with those failures, as well as finding other process-focused ways to measure performance, can help players overcome failures and prepare them for success.
Understanding Body Language
Your body language tells your opponent everything they need to know about you. Likewise, you can pick up valuable information from your opponent's body language. Coach Simkins explains how to improve your team's body language and how to read your opponent's body language to your advantage.
You'll also learn how your body language and small interactions with umpires can lead to more victories.
Mental Game of Pitching
Routines are a critical part of having a successful strategy for dealing with failure. Coach Simkins introduces a seven-step routine to help pitchers play the game one pitch at a time. Within this process, your pitcher will learn how to plan their pitch, evaluate its success, determine adjustments and leave mistakes in the past. Learn a cue word pitchers can use to help focus on key elements and clear the mind of unnecessary, distracting thoughts.
Mental Game of Hitting
An at-bat can be positive even if the hitter doesn't get a hit. Coach Simkins helps you redefine a successful at-bat. You'll learn the eight ways a hitter can have a positive plate appearance.
Coach Simkins discusses several helpful strategies for hitters including:
- Have a plan - Help hitters recognize what they're being asked to do, where runners are on base and what will lead to team success.
- Positive Plate Appearance (PPA) - Learn seven outcomes that can be considered a successful at bat.
- Quality at Bat - Teach players how to self-evalute after a trip to the plate.
Situational Hitting
Hitters will be more successful if they know their jobs and have a plan. Coach Simkins delves into eight situations batters may find themselves in while in the batter's box. Learn the differences in strategy between hitting lead off and being the 9-hole batter. Also, discover how to help batters understand their goals for hitting with runners on base, depending on where the runners are.
Your players will be more successful when they have a plan for what they want to do on the mound or when they're up to bat. Coach Simkins shows you how to develop a plan and execute that plan to improve your team's success.
"The world of softball is full of talented athletes but there are few that truly think about the game. This video helped me explore my own coaching philosophy and how I can put more control in my players' hands." - Customer Review
58 minutes. 2016.