Lonni Alameda's Pitching Academy

with Lonni Alameda,
Florida State University Head Coach;
2018 NCAA National Champions;2018 NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year;
Back-to-Back-to-Back ACC Coach of the Year (2013-15);Back-to-Back ACC Champions (2014-15),
2014 Women's College World Series; three straight NCAA Super Regional appearances (2013-15)

Need to learn or brush up on the basics of the windmill pitch? This video from 2018 National Championship WCWS-winning head coach Lonni Alameda breaks down the fundamentals of the pitching motion in order to help your pitchers establish a solid foundation on the mound. You will learn the philosophy behind every component of the pitch as well as some advanced strategies to ensure you're always a step ahead of opposing hitters.

Windmill Philosophy

Coach Alameda explains her philosophy of the mechanics of the windmill pitch. She teaches the fundamentals of the pitch from the ground up, broken down into three segments:

• Upper Half
• Lower Half
• Arm Circle

You will learn how to fix inconsistencies with your pitchers by focusing on timing and efficiency.

Windmill Series Drills

Next, watch as Alameda works one-on-one with pitchers using the drills and the daily warm-up routine her players use at Florida State. More importantly, you'll hear how Coach Alameda instructs through "conversation." She emphasizes the importance of getting players talking to prove that they understand what they're doing and how they are addressing mechanical issues.

In total you will get nine pitching mechanics drills that reinforce the essential fundamentals of the windmill pitch. Key drills include:

• T Drill
• Full Circle
• Full Circle - Rock Back
• Full Circle - Drag
• Rock Back Drill
• Walk-throughs
• Two Feet
• Inside/Outside Fastballs
• PIG

Pitching Philosophy

An added bonus to this video is the instruction that Coach Alameda offers on how to develop good pitcher & catcher relationships in the bullpen. She explains the the nuance of this relationship and how to build it based on mutual trust and respect.

Finally, you'll hear Alameda's philosophy in different areas of pitching, including:

• Strategy
• Scouting
• Analytics
• Situations
• Pitching staff
• The Mental Game
• Preparation

Coach Alameda shows you how the pitching motion can be broken down and offers drills that work on the mechanics of the windmill. She displays how to work from the fingertips to the arm circle and then to the lower half. You'll learn everything you need to know about timing and efficiency and see drills that reinforce solid fundamentals so you can produce complete pitchers in your own program!

64 minutes. 2019.

with Lonni Alameda,
Florida State University Head Coach;
2018 NCAA National Champions;2018 NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year;
Back-to-Back-to-Back ACC Coach of the Year (2013-15);Back-to-Back ACC Champions (2014-15),
2014 Women's College World Series; three straight NCAA Super Regional appearances (2013-15)

Want to learn which tools are essential for your pitching arsenal? This video, featuring 2018 National Championship WCWS coach Lonni Alameda, will make sure you're well-equipped with the information needed to develop your pitchers. Coach Alameda provides tips that she learned as a high level pitcher and that she now shares as a head coach and pitching coach at FSU. This video includes extensive bullpen time as Alameda gives you the essential elements for pitchers to fine-tune their pitch lineup.

Alameda opens with some comments about the imperative aspects of a pitcher's arsenal. She explains that it's more than just the pitches you throw - it's also important to be able to hit different spots, change speeds, understand how location impacts the reaction time of a hitter, and how mindset is a critical piece of any great pitcher's arsenal.

Pitch Spin

Learn the importance of pitch spin as Coach Alameda breaks down wrist snaps, curve ball spins, rise ball spins, and change-up spins. She includes the Sandbag Drill, which helps pitchers work on the consistency of the break of a change-up, giving immediate feedback of when the ball drops.

Alameda constantly reinforces the idea that the spin, movement and effectiveness of a pitch hinges on providing the pitcher with all of the necessary feedback, so that they can make in-bullpen or in-game adjustments.

Pitch Arsenal in Bullpen

Next, you'll learn why pitchers must work on expanding their zone in the bullpen. Alameda discusses the importance of attacking hitters and talks about why pitchers need to be able to work on their own in the bullpen. She also explains how the catcher is key in pitching development.

This section includes "side-by-side" bullpen work, which is an essential component of Coach Alameda's developmental style. She believes that the competitiveness that exists in this format helps to improve the competitive mindset that pitchers need for games.

Pitching Philosophy

Alameda discusses the culture between pitchers and catchers and the importance of having a growth mindset. You will learn what it means to have a one-pitch mentality and how to prepare for pitchers in practices. In this segment, she covers the following topics:

• Scouting
• Pitch strategy
• Pitcher trouble
• Mound visits
• Pitcher changes
• Defensive strategies
• The mental game
• Game day approach

From proper mindset, to reliable mechanics, to a proven plan of mixing pitches and transitioning to different locations or different speeds, this video details all of the required components of a pitcher's arsenal. Coach Alameda is a pro and digging into her techniques and teaching style for developing a complete pitcher is a real treat for anyone who values dominance on the mound!

81 minutes. 2019.

with Lonni Alameda,
Florida State University Head Coach;
2018 NCAA National Champions;2018 NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year;
Back-to-Back-to-Back ACC Coach of the Year (2013-15);Back-to-Back ACC Champions (2014-15),
2014 Women's College World Series; three straight NCAA Super Regional appearances (2013-15)

Every softball coach is always looking for ways to improve their pitching staff. While Florida State's Lonni Alameda describes herself as a coach that doesn't focus a lot on drills, this video walks you through a few of her staff's drill series that promote building complete pitchers. More than just drills, this video includes a complete routine for a few simple isolations, rounded out with a comprehensive effort toward sound pitching mechanics.

Drills and Expectations

You'll begin with Coach Alameda's explanation for the various components of the drill series and a detailed discussion of how to manage the bullpen during these drills. She does an excellent job of laying out exactly what to expect from the drills and what each pitcher's goal should be during every exercise.

Next, Alameda progresses into a detailed one-on-one session with one of her young pitchers. You'll be able to watch as they work together to break down individual pitching elements. Coach Alameda's style of teaching through conversation is on full display during this segment.

Developing "Feel" and Competition

Many of the keys and cues that Alameda focuses on while teaching her pitchers are included, and she also shares how she helps pitchers "feel" the specifics of the pitching motion. Coach Alameda emphasizes the importance of a pitcher's ability to feel and adjust for solid mechanics to develop better speed and spin.

Competition and accountability are key aspects of this video. At one point, Alameda has two of her pitchers face-off to battle it out on the path to improvement.

This video is an awesome look into the bullpen of a national powerhouse program. Coach Alameda is at her best when working with pitchers. Watch and learn as she guides your through the daily bullpen routine that she used en route to the 2018 NCAA WCWS National Championship.

55 minutes. 2019.

with Lonni Alameda,
Florida State University Head Coach;
2018 NCAA National Champions;2018 NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year;
Back-to-Back-to-Back ACC Coach of the Year (2013-15);Back-to-Back ACC Champions (2014-15),
2014 Women's College World Series; three straight NCAA Super Regional appearances (2013-15)

Velocity is a big emphasis for every pitcher - everybody wants to throw it 70 miles per hour! This video featuring Florida State head coach Lonni Alameda does a great job of helping you learn how to spin pitches and improve your velocity. However, the techniques shown by Coach Alameda also work to make your pitching as effective as possible even if you're not close to touching 70 on the radar gun. It's all about locating pitches, changing speeds and moving the ball with the speed that you bring to the table - and you'll learn how to do all of that effectively in this video!

Mindset: Varying Speed and Spin

Coach Alameda begins by teaching the mindset pitchers need to possess when it comes to speed, which doesn't always include needing to throw as fast as possible. She describes how pitchers need to be able to vary their speed to keep hitters off balance. By using five of Alameda's drills, your pitchers will be trained to vary speeds and hit their spots while on the mound. She has goals for each of her athletes and a solid understanding of each of her pitchers and teaches how to develop those goals throughout the season.

Drills and Development

The video continues with Alameda teaching how to beat the batter by using your pitches and abilities against the hitter. She shows several drills and competitive games that will help pitchers learn to be accountable for their own results. One of the best ways to build speed is to use Alameda's long toss series that features multiple variations. In all, you'll get eight different drills to help build more spin and help your athletes work on hitting spots.

Next, you'll get a detailed explanation for how to recognize pitching styles for different pitchers. Coach Alameda is committed to a process of growth and development through honest conversations of accountability. She tries to make sure that the bullpen holds the pitcher accountable and speaks in the same way that the results of a game will in real time.

Better pitching comes from how well you spin it and what you can do with your speeds. Transitioning from hard to soft and soft to hard is essential. This video is 100% committed to this mindset. Allow Coach Alameda to give your speed and spin abilities a boost!

49 minutes. 2019.

with Lonni Alameda,
Florida State University Head Coach;
2018 NCAA National Champions;2018 NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year;
Back-to-Back-to-Back ACC Coach of the Year (2013-15);Back-to-Back ACC Champions (2014-15),
2014 Women's College World Series; three straight NCAA Super Regional appearances (2013-15)

Softball is often referred to as a game of adjustments, as making immediate in-game adjustments is necessary to beat the best of the best. One of the keys to success for elite coaches is that they are able to teach their pitchers how to troubleshoot and make adjustments on their own. This difficult task is explained beautifully in this video by Florida State's Lonni Alameda, who dives into how she teaches her pitchers to troubleshoot and make adjustments with pitches, spin, and mechanics.

Troubleshooting Pitches

Pitchers often struggle to throw consecutive pitches that move in opposite directions (curve-screw; rise-drop), but mastering this skill is critical to achieving success on the mound. You'll see how to teach your pitchers to "move on" after throwing one pitch in order to progress to the next pitch. Additionally, you will learn the drills Alameda uses with her pitchers to help them transition from one pitch to another, executing each pitch with excellence. Every pitch matters!

Troubleshooting Spin

A common pitching issue is that on any given day, a pitcher will have one or more pitches that don't work as well as they normally do. The question then becomes: what do you do as a coach when your pitcher's best pitch doesn't work on the day of an important game?

Alameda shows you how to help your pitchers troubleshoot and self-correct when the spin of their pitches isn't what it should be. In one fun `Riseball Feel Drill', Coach Alameda has her pitchers throw rise ball spins with a football to help them feel the correct release and spin they should be utilizing. Teaching your pitchers to feel the correct spin will help them recognize when their spin is off.

Troubleshooting Mechanical Issues

How do you fix a pitcher with an arm circle issue, or body position issue? Getting your pitchers to feel any mechanical issues or inefficiencies, and self-correct, allows them to to make adjustments on the fly. Coach Alameda takes you through drills for several common mechanical issues, including:

• Troubleshooting the arm circle
• Troubleshooting arm circle timing
• Troubleshooting arm speed
• Troubleshooting body positioning
• Troubleshooting snap timing
• Troubleshooting leg drive

This video from Lonni Alameda offers valuable advice, as well as over 20 drills in total, to help your pitchers learn to troubleshoot their own pitches and mechanics. One of the signs of a great coach is the ability to teach your players how to fix issues on their own, because when the game is on the line, they will be alone in the circle. Allow Coach Alameda to show you how to teach your pitchers the skills they need to become self-sufficient on the mound!

89 minutes. 2019.