PitchingMagic Fastpitch Softball Chisago City, MN
Push and Stride Drills

The section describes various drills to develop balance as well as leg strength in the push leg. Proper sequencing (getting the various body parts to work together for maximum efficiency) is developed by allowing each drill to be done in such a way so that the execution of the movements feels smooth and not forced. Any drills with a stride should be done so that the stride goes directly towards the target (usually home plate). Visual and physical aides, such as drawing a line in the dirt or using a balance beam can be used as needed. HS and older students can add ankle weights to any drill.

Toe Walk

Purpose: find your natural angle of push and develop the toe and ankle push
Set Up: sprint through some loose dirt and see the outward angle the foot print makes. From a lifetime of experience, this is what your body has determined to be the optimal angle for pushing while running. After determining the proper foot angle this drill should be done in bare feet or socks.
The Drill: Start with your feet about shoulder width apart and pointed out at your natural angle. Without turning the foot, lift up on your push foot, take a short stride with your stride foot and have the push foot extend both the ankle and the toe simulating a slow motion running step. Walk from the pitcher’s plate to home plate and back.

Ball By Foot

Purpose: practice finishing the push before the push foot rotates.
Set Up: Start in your normal position starting point (feet shoulder width apart) and place a ball next to the inside of the heel of the push foot. Alternatively some students rotate the front of the foot outward so the ball should be placed by the little toe. You can do both at the same time if need be.
The Drill: Throw a pitch and do not hit the ball with your foot. This will help develop that the push is completed before the foot turns.

Superman (aka 1st part of 3 part push)

Purpose: learn that the push is complete before the body begins to turn.
Set Up: Stand with both feet on the pitcher’s plate, bend your knees so that the knee is in front of the toe and bend at the waist so that the angle of the spine is parallel to the angle of the shin.
The Drill: Swing both arms behind the plate and then swing them forward while extending the toe, ankle and knee into a Superman flying position. Keep the shoulders and hips facing home plate until you land with both feet at about the same time. Try to lengthen the distance of the jump.

Superman Push to K (aka 2nd part of 3 part push)

Purpose: Incorporate the Superman Drill into the beginning of a pitch
Set Up: Start as preparing to throw a pitch with a similar start as the Superman except that the stride foot is behind the pitcher’s plate as in a regular pitch.
The Drill: Without a ball start the pitching motion and stop at the K position. As in Superman both arms extend straight forward at Q1 while the hips and shoulders remain square to home plate. This is very difficult and when pitching or doing other drills it should be watched carefully and corrected if need be. Only then can the body rotation start with the shoulders and hips getting completely sideways by toe touch. The throwing hand elbow should be 20 - 80 degrees past Q2 at toe touch with about 30 being optimal.

No Ball Pitch (3rd part of 3 part push)

Purpose: Practice doing a pitch making sure that each of the first two steps of the 3 part push are done completely, that is the shoulders and hips are facing home plate until Q1 and the body is fully sideways at toe touch
Set Up: Do this drill from the pitchers’ plate and take slow motion video (a phone is good enough)
The Dill: Do a pitching motion and study the video paying attention to the key checkpoints mentioned in the purpose of this drill.

Jump Ball

Purpose: Develop full extension for the ankle and knee
Set up: None
The Drill: Jump straight up as if grabbing a rebound in basketball. Make sure the knees straighten out all the way (or as straight as your knees will allow)

Standing Broad Jump

Purpose: Getting knee and ankle extension
Set up: Anywhere with 10’ of space, video recommended
The drill: Bend the knees as getting ready for the jump ball drill. Swing the arms back and bend at the waist so that the angle of the upper body matches the angle of the shins, i.e. they should be parallel to each other. Swing the arms forward and jump forward as far as possible. Try to jump further than the previous jump by increasing the upper body lean and lowering the push leg knee.

Forehead Lead

Purpose: Develop and increase upper body lean
Setup: On Pitcher’s plate – video required
The drill: Start in pitching position. Push the drive leg knee so that is it in front of the toe. Increase the amount of bend at the waist so that the nose is in front of the knee. The angle of the shin and spine should be parallel. Throw a pitch and do not let the shin angle become more vertical until the push is complete. Also do not let the upper body lean become more vertical until the elbow passes the knee at Q0.

Beginning of Leaping Sequence:

Purpose: Develop the push and upper body motion needed for a good leap
Steup: PVC pipe slightly longer than shoulder width.
The Drill: Hold a piece of PVC pipe with both hands and start in a pitching position (i. e. stride foot behind the pitcher’s plate). In slow motion bring the PVC pipe up from the thighs to having both arms fully extend towards the target (where you are throwing to). Extend the knee and ankle so that the push finishes just as the pipe reaches Q1. Keep the shoulders and hips square to the target. Increase the speed and let the push foot leave the pitcher’s plate and drag it on the ground with the shoelaces pointing down to the ground (NOTE, keeping the shoelaces pointing down is for purposes of this drill only as in a full [pitch the foot will rotate just after full ankle extension). Next allow the push foot to come off the ground being helped along by the upper body standing up straight. Keep increasing the lift and keep stopping the arm movement at Q1.

Stride Leg Pull

Purpose: Develop Proper Stride Leg Landing
Setup: A Pitching Lane, no ball
The Drill: Start facing the target. Take a short to medium stride and land at a 45 degree angle and land on the stride foot toe with the stride leg knee flexed. After toe touch pull with the stride leg to get the feet together again while rotating back to face the target. Repeat and move down the pitching lane and back focusing on the pulling action with the stride leg.

Leaping Over Something

Purpose Train the push foot to get off of the ground
Setup: Place a 3/4” (or so) piece of PVC pipe on the ground about 6” in front of the toe of the push foot.
The Drill: Throw a pitch and do not touch the PVC Pipe. Make sure the push foot hits the ground before, of at the same time as, the stride foot.
Note on Technique: There are many leaping styles. Since as of 2026 the leaping rule is fairly new there does not yet seem to be general consensus on what style works best. I teach a fairly low leap with the push knee getting under the hip (stacking) a little before or right at release. An alternative style is to get into the stacking position as soon as possible after the push is complete, before toe touch, and is generally characterized by a longer and higher leap. As the current crop of novice pitchers ages perhaps one style or the other will become standard, or perhaps the different styles will be passionately debated by coaches and pitchers for many years.

Sprinter Start

Purpose: To develop leg strength as well as keeping the forward leaning posture through Q2
Setup: On Pitcher’s Plate
The drill: Start like a sprinter in the blocks, hands on the ground with a ball in the throwing hand, the push leg knee in front of the toe by the hands and the nose in front of the knee. Push and throw a pitch. The goal is to get to a slightly backward lean by toe touch (a very difficult task).

Flamingo T

Purpose: Balance and pushing power
Setup: on Pitcher’s Plate
The drill: Stand on one leg, the push leg with the knee slightly bent. Lean forward at a 90 degree angle and extend the stride leg back also parallel to the ground. Swing the stride leg forward so that the leg gets to the height of the hip and throw a pitch making sure to land slightly leaning back at toe touch. Variation: Swing the stride lag once or twice before throwing the pitch getting the leg parallel to the ground both in back and in front and letting the upper body lean forwards and back.

Flamingo High Knee

Purpose: Balance and pushing power
Setup: on Pitcher’s Plate
The drill: Stand on one leg, the push leg with the knee slightly bent. Lift the stride leg forward so that the knee reaches the height of the hip and the foot and shin dangle loosely straight down from the knee. Swing the stride leg back and let the upper body lean forward. Then swing the stride leg forward and throw a pitch.
Variation: Swing the stride lag once or twice before throwing the pitch.
Variation: As the stride leg is coming forward use a kicking motion to help generate a longer stride (keeping in mind the movement pattern of the knee has more of an impact in developing power than the movement of the foot).

. Double Flamingo

Purpose: Balance
Setup: A pitcher’s plate
The drill: Do any flamingo type drill except finish in balance standing on only the stride foot without falling forward or off to the side.

Cinder Block Pitch

Purpose: Building Leg Strength
Setup: Place a cinder block just in front of the pitcher’s plate. The height of the block varies by age/experience and could be 4” or so for a beginner and 12” or so for a college pitcher.
The Drill: Place the push foot on top of the block with the stride foot behind (not off to the side) the block. Start with the arms together raised over the head. Bring the arm down in front of the body (no back swing) and at the same time step up onto the block and fully extend the knee. Do 3 or 4 of these step ups and on the last on throw a pitch from the top of the black.

Forward Lunge Start

Purpose: Balance and leg strength
Setup. Pitching Plate:
The Drill: Get into a forward lunge stance with the push leg knee close to the ground, the push leg knee directly under the hip and the stride leg in front with the thigh parallel to the ground. The upper body is straight up (perpendicular to the ground) Load by sliding back a little without changing the tilt of the upper body then throw a pitch. Variation: Do a few lungers before pitching on the final one.