Athletes will be assessed at the beginning of the program and trained at a level that best meets their developmental needs. Ideally the CANpitch Program is offered in 6-week blocks of hour-long group sessions once weekly throughout the year. This structure allows pitchers the flexibility to participate in other sport activities and fosters better overall athletic development rather than early specialization.
At the entry level, fundamental pitching skills are introduced using the CANpitch Progression. Pitchers learn two basic concepts: proper grip and how to deliver the ball to a target. Emphasis is placed on smooth, rhythmic wrist and arm action. The rules of the game and pitching position are also reviewed.
As pitchers progress they are introduced to change-up, moving pitches and basic game strategy. Once pitchers have achieved a level of comfort with fundamental skills, the focus of CANpitch sessions changes. Pitchers then begin to work on improving velocity, control and ball movement. Pitchers at this stage will be encouraged to develop at least two moving pitches and practice with game-like scenarios. The drop ball, curveball and rise ball may each be introduced based on the pitcher’s size, strength and level of ability.
FUN FACT: The average fastpitch pitch speed at the professional level is 63mph. Considering the pitcher stands 43 feet from the batter, and the hardest-throwing baseball pitchers throw 99.4 mph from 60 feet, fastpitch batters have essentially the same time to react as their baseball counterparts. Source: http://www.profastpitch.com/pagebank/index.html?id=643