I have become a big believer in using video during Fastpitch Softball practices. This past winter, my daughter wanted to hit better and throw better (she was tired of not making All-Star teams). Unfortunately, she is as stubborn as her old man, so progress was slow. I would show her what she was doing wrong, and she would insist that she was doing it the way I was telling her to do it, and we would both end up frustrated. Coincidently, we got a video camera for Christmas, and it was a Godsend! Suddenly, not only could my daughter actually SEE what she was doing, I could also slow down the video and pick up subtle flaws that I could not see in real time. Bottom line, what was once a slow, frustrating experience became a quick, rewarding one where my daughter was able to improve daily, and ultimately entered the Spring Season ready to rock and roll! And, yes, she made her first All-Star team!

Practice time is precious, and anything that can reduce the time needed to learn a skill is invaluable. The big advantage of videoing players is that they can get real-time or near-real-time feedback on their techniques and make immediate corrections. With video, a coach can record, say, a player’s swing, show her the video on the camera and then she can see for herself what she looks like and where the flaws are. Almost always, she immediately tries to make the corrections necessary because she now understands and sees what she has been doing wrong. This approach works way better than the coach trying to mimic her to show her where corrections need to be made.

I am still experimenting with incorporating video into practice. So far, it has paid big dividends when working on player swing mechanics. On the second or third practice, I will video each girl’s swing at a ball from a pitching machine. Then I take the video home and pick out one or two specific flaws for each player, burn the video to CD so each player can see their swing at home, and hand it out the next practice. For the rest of the season, each girl will work on correcting those one or two flaws at every batting station. In only a couple of weeks, every player has measurably improved, and most importantly, gained confidence in her own abilities, which is half the battle of becoming a good hitter.

I have also had success correcting throwing flaws. My shortstop during this last All-Star season had a cannon for an arm, but one could never predict where in the world the ball would go. I took video of her throwing, showed her a YouTube video that detailed proper throwing mechanics, and then showed her the video of her throwing. She immediately picked out her throwing flaw on her own (her glove arm was going way out to the side when she threw), and five minutes later was throwing accurately. She was thrilled, I was thrilled, and her parents were thrilled.

As I said, I am still experimenting with incorporating video into practice. Ultimately, I would like video to become as part of practice as one of my normal batting stations, but I am still trying to figure out how to get there. As a rec league coach with one part-time assistant and the occasion parent helping out, it is difficult for me to video routinely for practice. Generally, I have to plan ahead and pick my times to video. I also need my laptop on the field with me, particularly if I need to reference video not on the camera (like with my shortstop above). Right now, videoing is almost a disruption, though a very productive one. As I figure out how to better fold the video camera into practice, I will keep the reader informed.

Finally, a word of caution. All my parents have been completely onboard with my using a camera at practices because I tell them at the beginning of the season that I intend to do so. Still, I recommend getting written releases from your parents, and assuring them that the videos will be destroyed as soon as the season is over.