How to Increase Fastpitch Pitching Speed – Proven Drills & Strength Tips

Every fastpitch pitcher wants to throw faster. Speed on the mound changes everything, whether you're sitting at 45 mph and looking for 55 or pushing from 60 to that elite 70+ range. It makes your off-speed pitches more effective, stops batters in their tracks, and gets you playing time at all levels.

But here's what most players don't know: raw speed isn't just about how strong your arm is. It's a skill that uses mechanics, muscle, and smart repetition to work all over your body.

This guide provides a comprehensive roadmap for how to increase fastpitch pitching speed by combining technical drills, strength training, and elite mental habits.

Why Fastpitch Pitching Speed Matters More Than Ever

Every showcase, college coaches time pitchers. Scouts for travel ball look at velocity charts. Even at the youth level, a few extra miles per hour can mean the difference between getting hit hard and getting strikeouts.

Speed can also trick people. A pitcher who throws 65 mph and has a sharp change-up at 48 looks very different from a pitcher who throws 50 mph and has the same speed difference. When you throw with high velocity, all your other fastpitch softball pitch types—especially your change-up—become significantly more effective at fooling hitters.

But pushing speed without the right base can hurt you, and that's not something any pitcher can afford. The goal is to build speed the right way: by using good mechanics, having a strong body, and training that gets harder over time and keeps your arm healthy all season.

Start With Your Mechanics

Your mechanics need to be in order before you touch a weight rack or run a drill. A pitcher with bad form will always have a speed limit that good mechanics would break through.

The Kinetic Chain

Your arm alone doesn't make fastpitch velocity. It goes through your body in a chain of events called the kinetic chain, starting at your feet and going through your hips, core, shoulder, elbow, wrist, and fingertips.

When one of the links in that chain breaks, power leaks out. This makes the pitch slower and puts more stress on your arm.

Your kinetic chain's most important points are:

• Push off with your drive leg: Your stride leg should push off the rubber with force, not just step forward. Imagine a sprinter starting from blocks.
• Separation between hips and shoulders: Your hips should move before your shoulders. This "lag" makes the arms move faster by making them whip.
• Timing for the arm circle: Your arm should be at the top of the circle exactly when your stride foot hits the ground. If you're early or late, you lose speed.
• Wrist snap at release: A quick, hard wrist snap at the bottom of the circle gives the ball its last burst of speed.

Get a video of your delivery from a qualified pitching coach and find out exactly where your chain breaks down. Simply correcting a single break in your kinetic chain can help you increase softball pitching velocity by 3 to 5 mph without requiring additional strength training.

The Best Drills to Increase Fastpitch Pitching Speed

Implementing targeted fastpitch pitching speed drills is essential because they isolate specific mechanical flaws and build the explosive habits needed for the circle. These are the best ones that serious pitchers of all levels use.

The Wrist Snap Drill

This drill helps you find your release point and strengthens your wrist.

How to do it:

1. Kneel on one knee and face a wall or fence that is about two feet away.
2. Keep your arm straight and hold the ball in your pitching hand.
3. Snap your wrist forward to let the ball go into the fence.
4. Don't swing your arms or turn your body; just focus on the snap.

Do 15 reps three times a day. As time goes on, you'll notice that your release is sharper and faster, and this will directly affect your full pitching motion.

The Power Line Drill

This one fixes the direction of your stride and makes it easier to transfer power from your drive leg.

How to do it:

1. With athletic tape, draw a straight line from the pitching rubber to home plate.
2. Pitch normally, but pay attention to whether your front foot lands on the line or goes over it.
3. If your stride lands right on the line, it means you're putting all your energy into the plate.

When you stride too wide or across your body, rotational power goes sideways instead of forward. Just fixing this can make things go much faster right away.

The Towel Drill

Good for timing arm circles and separating hips and shoulders.

How to do it:

1. Instead of a ball, hold a rolled-up towel in your pitching hand.
2. Do your full pitching motion and try to hit a target with the towel, like a cone, a bucket, or your coach's glove.
3. The snap tells you if your release point is too early, too late, or just right.

This drill is easy on your arm, so it's great for doing a lot of reps during practice and the off-season.

Long Toss (Modified for Windmill Mechanics)

Long toss strengthens your arms and teaches your body how to make more force. When you throw fastpitch, the most important thing is to keep your motion as close to your pitching mechanics as possible. Don't throw overhand at a distance.

How to do it:

• Begin at 30 feet and throw the ball back and forth with a partner while doing your normal windmill motion.
• Back up 5 to 10 feet every few minutes.
• When your mechanics start to break down, stop. The distance doesn't matter; the effort and form do.

Three times a week, you should do long toss for 10 to 15 minutes. This will help your arm get stronger and last longer, which will help you throw faster on the mound.

Strength Training for Fastpitch Pitchers

Most athletes underestimate the importance of softball pitching power training, yet physical strength in the legs and core is the true foundation of every fast delivery. Here's a better way to go to the gym.

Lower Body Power Comes First

Your legs give your delivery its first burst of power. No matter how strong your arm is, a weak pitch means weak legs.

Do these exercises for your lower body:

• Squat jumps: Build up explosive leg power that feels like pushing off the rubber.
• Romanian deadlifts work your hamstrings and glutes, which control how you walk and how your hips move.
• Lateral band walks make your hips more stable, which helps your energy move forward instead of sideways.
• Single-leg box step-ups: Work out each leg separately to fix any strength differences.

Two to three lower-body workouts a week that focus on explosive movements instead of slow, heavy lifts will help you the most on the mound.

Core Strength Is Your Engine

The core links your upper and lower body. It's like trying to fire a cannon from a canoe when your core is weak; the power has no stable place to push from.

Important core exercises for pitchers:

• The Pallof press works on rotational resistance, which is like the forces your core has to deal with when you pitch.
• Medicine ball rotational throws: These mimic the way your hips and shoulders move when you throw. Use a partner or a wall.
• Plank variations: Build the basic stability that all other core exercises build on.
• Cable rotations: Get stronger by using your full range of motion when you rotate.

At least three times a week, work on your core. Always put control and full range of motion ahead of how much resistance you're using.

Shoulder and Arm Care 

Your shoulder wasn't made to lift heavy things. It needs more than just raw strength; it needs stability, mobility, and endurance.

Every pitcher should do these exercises:

• External rotation with bands strengthens the rotator cuff muscles that keep your shoulder safe during thousands of pitches.
• Scapular push-ups work the muscles around your shoulder blade that move your arms.
• Face pulls help your shoulder deal with the stress it gets from pitching.
• Prone Y-T-W raises are a classic arm care routine that works all of the shoulder stabilizers at once.

Always take care of your arms. Pitchers who work on making their arms strong are the ones who stay on the mound all season, while others sit out because of injuries.

Recovery and Consistency

This is something that the highlight reels never show: you get faster from both training and recovery.

Your muscles don't get stronger when you work out; they get stronger when they rest and heal. If you throw hard every day without taking time to rest, you won't get faster. You're going in circles and putting yourself at risk of getting hurt.

Make these habits a part of your daily life:

• Get 8 to 9 hours of sleep every night. Most of the time, your muscles repair themselves while you sleep.
• Drink a lot of water—being even a little dehydrated can make your muscles work up to 10% less.
• Foam roll and stretch every day, paying special attention to your hip flexors, lats, and back shoulder, which all get tight from pitching a lot.
• At least one full day off a week is important for your arm, even if you feel fine.
• Check your speed every month with a radar gun or a friend's phone app to see how you're doing and catch plateaus early.

Use the Right Equipment to Train Smarter

Most pitchers don't know how important their training gear is. If you practice on a worn-out mat, pitch into a sagging net, or use softballs that don't keep their shape, you won't get accurate feedback, and your progress will slow down.

RGen Sports sells the RGPC PowerCore Fastpitch Softball, which is a training-grade fastpitch softball made for high-performance training. You get the honest feedback your mechanics need to get better with a consistent core and a reliable feel every time.

A good setup is also important for pitchers and catchers who work together. Check out RGen's BatMat and batting cage netting options to make a training space where real progress can be made.

How Long Does It Take to See Results?

Most serious pitchers who work on their mechanics, strength train, and recover smartly start to see measurable speed gains in 6 to 10 weeks. Some people get better faster when they fix one big mechanical problem. Some take longer because the changes happen more slowly.

Staying consistent is the most important thing. A pitcher who trains smart three to four days a week for three months will always be better than one who trains hard for two weeks and then quits.

Keep an eye on your speed. Look over your video. Be patient with the process, and you'll see results.

Final Thoughts

Getting better at fastpitch takes time and effort. It takes mechanics that are built from the ground up, a body that knows how to make and move power quickly, smart recovery habits, and consistency over months, not days.

But every pitcher who has broken through a speed barrier will tell you the same thing: the work is worth it.

Begin with your mechanics. Put in the drills. Get stronger. Get better as it matters. And work out with gear that matches your goals.