Pitching Drill: Bucket Drill (Softball)

A softball pitching stride drill where the front leg pulls and the back leg pushes at the same time. The stride foot starts up by the hip while the angled back foot drives toward the catcher.

How to Run This Drill

Place a bucket or cone just in front of the pitching rubber
Start with your stride foot elevated, knee up by your hip
Set your back foot at a slight angle beside the cone, not directly behind it
Start with your back heel up and your toes digging down, pointed toward your catcher
Find your balance in an athletic position with your weight back
Wait for your wind-up to happen before anything moves forward
Let your hands pull you toward your catcher and pull your front leg up at the same time
Push off the back foot toward your catcher as the front leg pulls
Let the back leg carry underneath you as you land
Progress to the same drill from a K position with the back heel up and the back knee bent

Coaching Points

It is not just the front foot pulling you: the back foot push matters just as much
Start with leverage in the back foot, heel up and toes pointed at the catcher
Your front leg does not have to look a particular way, the legs work together
Keep the weight back and wait rather than rushing the wind-up
Different things work for different pitchers, so try it and see if it fits