The Body is behind the Pitch
Before you begin the actual pitching motion, the upper body leans forward with the weight transferring from the back heel to the ball of the front foot. This transfer of weight provides additional power in the pitch by aligning the upper body with the intended flight of the ball, directly toward the batter

A Perfect Circle in the Line of Force
The pitching arm travels in a 360 degree circle in line with the intended direction of the pitch, allowing the shoulder to rotate fully and the arm to move straight up in front and straight down in back

The Proper Shoulder and Hip Rotation
As you begin the perfect circle after the weight transfer, the left (lead) shoulder extends forward toward the target. Once the arm has reached the downswing the hip thrusts outward and slightly toward first base which allows the pitching arm to follow a perfect circle in the line of force

The Proper Release and Timing
The ball is released at the bottom of the circle, with an extended arm somewhere between the hip and thigh area. The arm brushes the hip at the bottom of the circle for an indicator of your release and prepares the forearm, wrist and fingers for the follow through

The Proper Follow Through
At the release the arm does not stop. Reach the arm through, out and toward the batter, fingers toward the sky. Use finger to shoulder follow through


The Basic Fundamentals - Windmill Pitching

Gripping the Ball Grip "across" four seams
Middle finger / thumb aligned
Pad of middle finger on top seam
Pad of thumb on bottom seam
Two or three finger grip utilized depending upon size of fingers
 a. The more fingers on the ball, the more control
Fingers close together, not spread apart
Pressure on the pads of the fingers
To ensure proper grip on ball place black tape around all four seams.
Place middle finger and thumb on tape. This will properly align grip

The Stance
Back foot positioned with toes touching back edge of pitching rubber
Front foot heel on pitching rubber with the toe turned slightly (45 degrees) toward 3rd base-RHP
Feet are spread approximately shoulder width apart (comfortable and relaxed)
Body erect and relaxed. Shoulders squared toward the catcher (very important)
Weight over back foot (Slight body lean backward)
Elbows folded at sides, ball in glove presented about waist high over front (pivot) foot

The Stride Step
Whole foot or ball of the foot
 a. Never land on the heel. It jars the body and puts extreme pressure on the knee
Place the stride foot placement at either a one or two o'clock position
 a. Landing at 12 o'clock never opens the hips
 b. Landing at 3 o'clock opens to the hips too much
The key to the stride step is to maintain a constant line of force between the pivot foot and target. This is accomplished by stepping "in-line" between pivot foot and the target.
The stride at first should be a comfortable step for the pitcher. As the pitcher develops and her speed and timing increase, the distance of the stride will lengthen to provide additional power to the pitch.
The pivot foot must drag forward after the release of the ball. This dragging of the foot indicates that there has been some downward pressure applied during the arm swing. The drag will also allow permit the body to remain balanced after the release.

The Hip and Chest Thrust
The hip thrust is the most important phase of the windmill pitching motion. The hip thrust places the pitching arm in the correct position for releasing the ball. The hip thrust is nothing more than thrusting the front side of the left hip (RHP) forward, toward the catcher and slightly upward first base. If done correctly the left leg will be slightly angled, with a slight arc in the back. To achieve maximum speed and efficiency, the pitcher must utilize the proper hip thrust and release the back hip upon release. This hip action resembles the opening and closing of a door. At the beginning of the pitch, the hips open naturally toward third base (RHP). The key word is NATURALLY, do not force the hips to open. As the pitching arm reaches the release area, the back hip (closest to the pitching arm) is relaxed and released forward to close the hips and square the body to the plate.
The simplest way to open the hips is by pivoting the lead foot on the pitching rubber approximately 45 degrees toward the 3rd base line.