• Softball pitchers don't just toss the ball.girl playing softball image by pixelcarpenter from Fotolia.com
  
  Strategies for pitching slow pitch softball differ from those of fast pitch or baseball. Where the latter two utilize speed and velocity in an effort to befuddle hitters and make them whiff the bat through empty air, a slow pitch softball pitcher realizes that as long as the hitters they face swing the bat, odds are pretty high that contact is going to be made and the ball is going to be hit somewhere. But slow pitch softball pitchers can still employ techniques and strategies that can help tip the advantage in their favor when dueling with hitters from the pitching rubber.
  
  

Mix Your Pitches

• Batters will tee off when facing a stead diet of low-arcing meatballs. You can put movement on the ball and create spin with different grips and wrist motions when releasing the ball. Slow pitch sliders and curve balls may not have the knee-buckling breaks that some hitters have to face in baseball, but you might be able to get a batter to decide not to swing by starting the pitch at the hitter's body only to have it drop across the plate for a strike. A heavy backspin can help to induce ground balls off of the hitter's bat and a high, slow and motionless floater may be difficult to connect with if thrown at the proper angle. Using a combination of pitches, spins and locations can help to keep batters off-balance by not being able to anticipate the speed or path of the ball.
  
  

Challenge Batters

• Throwing balls out of the strike zone isn't always bad. A good pitcher can throw a strike when needed. Walking in a run with the bases loaded or walking a poor hitter unintentionally is usually not a good thing. But you can challenge hitters to swing at balls intentionally thrown out of the strike zone and force them to swing at pitch locations outside of their normal power groove. A pitch thrown high and deep, tight inside or wide outside can cause hitters to make weak contact resulting in lazy fly balls or routine ground ball outs that your defense can easily handle. Employing a strategy of throwing balls outside of the strike zone while not walking batters in untimely situations can help limit your opponent's offensive production.
  
  

Don't Argue

• You probably know the old saying "never bite the hand that feeds you." Consider the umpire as the hand that holds the steak. Calling balls and strikes or deciding which way close plays in the field are called can be a subjective process at times. Some umpires will call the ball where it lands behind the plate while others will call the ball where it crosses the batter's body. Some may employ both approaches depending on the pitch. That's part of the game. Arguing with the umpire over balls and strikes may consciously or subconsciously effect the umpire's evaluation of your pitch location. If you thought the strike zone was small before you protested, be prepared for it to possible decrease further in size afterward. Most umpires call a fair and consistent game. But they're human, too. Bad calls are just part of the game and arguing will almost never change an umpire's mind.