How to make girls throw harder?

[SMKR]

I coach a girls 6-8 softball team. We have about half the girls that are not making consistent, hard throws. I'd say 1 of 5 is a good throw, the others are rainbows. We have worked on mechanics, but I'd like to find some kind of drill they could do that would teach them to throw hard.

I was thinking about finding some kind of fairly tough material that they could throw at that would take a decent bit of effort to break through. Any ideas on a material, paper, etc that might work?

Or any other kind of drill? I'm really wanting to find something to help our infield get the ball to the base faster/harder when attempting to throw the runner out. We keep allowing runners to be safe due to the 'rainbow' throw.

[YALE]

Pitching mechanics videos. At that age, kids are mimics, and they'll pick up what you show them quickly. You may have an uphill battle, though.

[orphan Shelby]

Ex boyfriend pics on targets?

[BradM]

Testosterone injections.

[SMKR]

Pitching mechanics videos. At that age, kids are mimics, and they'll pick up what you show them quickly. You may have an uphill battle, though.

Yea I use a few drills from collegiate coaches I've found online which help, it just seems every few throws you get the rainbows that just happen to occur when you really need an out.

[Nash B.]

Try hitting them when they suck

[BMCSean]

Practice in the kitchen?

[Probie]

Start coaching boys

[juiceweezl]

Put all the girls just barely into the grass in centerfield behind second base after they have warmed up. Flip a ball bucket on its side at home plate as the target. Take a knee in the outfield with a pile of balls and the girls about 10-15 feet further back in a line. roll a ball away from you and slightly toward them. Have them attack it, field it, and throw it to the bucket as quickly as they can.

Before you do the drill, show them the goal is to pick the ball up moving. You want them to take a few steps, all towards the bucket, and get long with their arm releasing the ball out front on a low throw. Make 2 throws yourself -- one a rainbow that lands around the mound and won't roll to the bucket and the other a low hard throw that hits the ground behind the pitchers mound but rolls all the way to the bucket. They'll get the idea of throwing the ball low and hard. Trying to get the ball to the bucket is challenging but they'll quickly get better.

I do this with my 6 year olds playing baseball all the time. From this, we progress to having outfielders fire the ball back in to second base low and on a line. It's easy for the kid catching the ball too. Good luck!