Drills to Develop the Dominant Pitcher

with Lonni Alameda,
Florida State University Head Coach;
2018 NCAA National Champions;2018 NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year;
Back-to-Back-to-Back ACC Coach of the Year (2013-15);Back-to-Back ACC Champions (2014-15),
2014 Women's College World Series; three straight NCAA Super Regional appearances (2013-15)

Every softball coach is always looking for ways to improve their pitching staff. While Florida State's Lonni Alameda describes herself as a coach that doesn't focus a lot on drills, this video walks you through a few of her staff's drill series that promote building complete pitchers. More than just drills, this video includes a complete routine for a few simple isolations, rounded out with a comprehensive effort toward sound pitching mechanics.

Drills and Expectations

You'll begin with Coach Alameda's explanation for the various components of the drill series and a detailed discussion of how to manage the bullpen during these drills. She does an excellent job of laying out exactly what to expect from the drills and what each pitcher's goal should be during every exercise.

Next, Alameda progresses into a detailed one-on-one session with one of her young pitchers. You'll be able to watch as they work together to break down individual pitching elements. Coach Alameda's style of teaching through conversation is on full display during this segment.

Developing "Feel" and Competition

Many of the keys and cues that Alameda focuses on while teaching her pitchers are included, and she also shares how she helps pitchers "feel" the specifics of the pitching motion. Coach Alameda emphasizes the importance of a pitcher's ability to feel and adjust for solid mechanics to develop better speed and spin.

Competition and accountability are key aspects of this video. At one point, Alameda has two of her pitchers face-off to battle it out on the path to improvement.

This video is an awesome look into the bullpen of a national powerhouse program. Coach Alameda is at her best when working with pitchers. Watch and learn as she guides your through the daily bullpen routine that she used en route to the 2018 NCAA WCWS National Championship.

55 minutes. 2019.