Softball fundamentals: How to throw a rise ball

For the last installment in our softball fundamentals series, we’ll cover a topic that we’ve touched on a few times before.

The rise ball is a great weapon for any pitcher to have in his or her arsenal. It’s often used to capitalize on batters who have fallen behind in the count, which makes it ideal for strikeout situations.

In this video, two-time All-American pitcher Amanda Scarborough breaks down the fundamentals of a two-seam rise ball and a four-seam rise ball.

Related: Step up your game with our selection of pitching aids.

Softball fundamentals: Four things every pitcher should avoid

For the past few weeks, we’ve been posting videos of things that pitchers should do.

We’ve covered everything from how to throw certain pitches to getting recruited by college coaches and the value of hard work.

This week, we’re talking about things pitchers should avoid.

We sat down with two-time Texas A&M All-American Amanda Scarborough for a short conversation on the four biggest things that pitchers should avoid.

Related: Improve your level of pitching with our selection of softball pitching aids.

Softball fundamentals: How to pitch in bunting situations

Bunting situations are common in fastpitch softball.

Bunting situations include, but aren’t limited to: At the bottom of its order, the opposing team tries to extend an inning; the opposing team has a runner on third with fewer than two outs; or the third baseman just committed an error. As a pitcher, it’s important to know how to react in those situations.

In this week’s softball fundamentals video, featuring two-time All-American Amanda Scarborough, the former Texas A&M pitcher breaks down some tips to help pitchers succeed in bunting situations.

Related: See our complete list of softball tips videos.

Pitching tips: How to throw a dropball in softball

Here’s another handy instructional video from our recent visit with two-time All-American Amanda Scarborough.

Amanda tallied up her share of accolades as a pitcher for the Texas A&M softball team. Among other honors, she was a three-time, first team All-Big 12 honoree and a finalist for National Player of the Year in 2007.

In this video, Amanda breaks down the dropball.

The dropball is an ideal pitch to use when you’re looking for a ground-out. The key is in your balance and weight placement when you make your delivery; keep everything moving forward.

Or, as Amanda explains:

Related: Tune up your pitching fundamentals with our selection of pitching training aids.