The Softball Pitching Edge

192 pages. Published 2002

About the Book

Throw faster, improve your technique, learn new pitches, lower your ERA, and experience the thrill of winning more often with The Softball Pitching Edge.

This book offers an in-depth look into the art and science of softball pitching that will help you develop elite-level fastpitch skills through drills and expert technical advice. As the owner and pitching instructor at Club K, author Cheri Kempf has been teaching and training thousands of fastpitch softball players since 1987 and is widely recognized as one of the best softball pitching coaches in the country.

The Softball Pitching Edge shows the correct way to deliver the ball from the rubber to the plate to maximize effectiveness and minimize the risk of injury. It’s the first book on fastpitch softball to dissect the pitching motion through pictures and drawings of the correct mechanics. It also explains how to master those mechanics so that you can throw with greater control and speed.

The text covers all the essentials: presentation, feet, legs, arms, posture, sequence, timing, consistency, location, and speed. You’ll find a breakdown of the fundamental mechanics, with details of common mistakes and plenty of drills to help develop the proper mechanics. You’ll also find specific instruction on developing a variety of pitches, including the drop, the change-up, the rise, the curve, and the screwball. And the special tips for coaches provide insight into the pitcher’s psyche, background, mental make-up, and motivation.

The Softball Pitching Edge presents the best information based on the most modern technology and resources available. Use this book to improve your technique and add new pitches to your arsenal for more strikeouts and greater success on the mound.

About the Author

Cheri Kempf is owner and pitching instructor at Club K, the largest indoor training facility for female fastpitch softball players in the country. She has taught and trained thousands of athletes at Club K since 1991. Best known for her pitching expertise, she was a member of a five-person panel assembled by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) and the United States Olympic Committee to develop universal standards by which to teach fastpitch pitching.

Kempf has more than 30 years of experience playing and coaching softball at all levels. In college, Kempf was a three-time All-American, an NAIA Collegiate national champion, and a National Tournament MVP in 1982 with a tournament ERA of 0.00. She then spent four seasons with the world-renowned Raybestos Brakettes, where her team was the ASA Women’s Major Level national champion in 1991 and 1992. In 1992 Kempf joined the United States national team and went on to win the gold medal in the World Cup in Beijing, China.

Kempf has been inducted into the NAIA Collegiate Hall of Fame, the Missouri State ASA Hall of Fame, and the Missouri Western State College Hall of Fame. A member of the Women’s Sports Foundation and the NFCA, she has done extensive motion analysis research with some of the top biomechanists in the country and has coached softball for four years at the NCAA Division I level. She also invented the Spin Right Spinner, a training device used to teach the correct mechanics of the pitching movement to softball and baseball pitchers, and an indoor three-on-three softball game called “RIPS,” which is played with a specially designed cage and fitted to indoor competition.

Kempf lives in Hermitage, Tennessee. Her favorite leisure-time activities are boating, traveling, and visiting her family in Missouri.

Words of Praise

”Cheri has captured cutting-edge information on fastpitch softball and has provided the instruction protocols to improve skills at all levels of competition.” Dr. Tom House Founder of Bio-Kinetics

”Cheri Kempf has spent more time seeking all available resources and applying them to her already excellent foundation of knowledge and experience than any other pitching coach I have met. Her students reap the benefits of her personal diligence and dedication to providing them with information that is nothing short of cutting-edge. Cheri now shares the results of that knowledge, experience, and research with you through The Softball Pitching Edge. I hope you enjoy it and appreciate its content as much as I did.” Teresa Wilson Head softball coach University of Washington

”Written by Cheri Kempf, the best pitching instructor in the country, this book will educate you and equip you. You will find yourself referring to this book over and over again. A must-buy for any serious softball coach and player.” Yvette Girouard Head softball coach Louisiana State University