Weiderman Fastpitch Academy

10/08/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CY97HMfNe/

Want to know what pitches are missing bats at the college level?

I saved this graphic from 6-4-3 Charts back in May, and I think it's worth looking at. This is a college WHIFF% leaderboard from the Super Regionals.

And look at the top three:
Changeup — 59.7%
Changeup — 59.0%
Changeup — 51.9%

Three different elite college pitchers with changeups producing absolutely ridiculous whiff rates. Then look at the rest of the list.

Riseballs.
Dropballs.
More riseballs.

In fact, 9 of the 10 pitches on this particular leaderboard are changeups, riseballs or dropballs. That doesn't mean every pitcher needs to throw all three. But it does reinforce something I've believed for a long time:

The changeup is one of the most underdeveloped weapons in young pitching.

We spend SO much time talking about velocity and adding another pitch, when a really good changeup can make a fastball that much more effective. And I love the fact that the other pitches represented here are primarily pitches that create vertical movement. I would be remiss if I didn't point out that only one pitcher at this level dominated with a curve ball. And notice the screw ball is nowhere to be found on this list.

Rise.
Drop.
Change of speed.

That's a pretty good combination for making hitters uncomfortable. This is also why I'm not a fan of the idea that the curveball automatically needs to be the next pitch a young pitcher learns. I don't believe every 10-, 11-, 12- or 13-year-old pitcher needs to be learning a curveball simply because someone decided, "She needs another pitch." There are so many other ways to develop a pitcher. As Cat Osterman has said: "You don't fix what's not working by learning a new pitch."

If the fastball isn't working, let's figure out why. Maybe it's her spin. Maybe it's her ability to locate. But maybe, her changeup isn't good enough to make batters uncomfortable in the box.

Too many pitchers (and coaches) are ok with a mediocre changeup. Let's be awesome at that pitch before worrying about something new. Because, as you can see, good changeups are dominating the best hitters in the country.

Don't overlook the changeup. Don't treat it like the extra pitch. Develop it. Trust it. And make it a pitch hitters have to respect!

If this leaderboard tells us anything, it's that a great changeup is one of the most valuable weapons a pitcher can have in her arsenal.

10/02/2026

🔥 NEW PR ALERT! 🔥
14-year-old Ella Whickcar just hit a new personal best of 61 MPH! 💥🥎
Ella has continued to put in the work, stay committed to the process, and make progress in the circle. Going from 58 MPH to 61 MPH is a huge milestone, and there’s still more ahead.
Proud of you, Ella! Keep working, keep competing, and keep trusting the process! 👏🔥

09/16/2026

🥎 WFA Series: What Do I Actually Look For When I Watch a Pitcher?
One of the biggest misconceptions in pitching is that every problem can be fixed with a new cue.
“Get your arm up.” “Open your hips.” “Stay tall.” “Snap harder.”
But what if the thing we’re seeing isn’t actually the problem?
At WFA, I try to look at the whole pitch and the order things happen in.
I’m watching:
⭐ How does she start the motion?
⭐ Does her body travel efficiently down the lane?
⭐ What happens when the front foot hits the ground?
⭐ Can she accept and transfer the force she created?
⭐ Is her arm free to stay loose and whip through — or is it having to work harder because something earlier broke down?
A release problem might actually start with the drive.
An arm-timing problem might come from the way the athlete arrives at foot plant.
And sometimes what looks like a “mechanical flaw” is actually an athlete finding a way to work around a physical limitation.
That’s why one of the biggest ideas behind WFA is:
Coach the cause, not the compensation.
The goal isn’t to make every pitcher look the same.
The goal is to figure out how that athlete moves, where her sequence begins to break down, and what she needs to become stronger, more efficient, more repeatable, and more confident in the circle.
📸 Featuring Jayden, one of our consistent WFA athletes who keeps showing up and putting in the work.
Because good pitching instruction isn’t just about changing what something looks like.
It’s about understanding why it looks that way in the first place. 🥎

09/13/2026

Great game kiddo way to work!!

09/09/2026

Progress doesn’t always happen in a straight line.

Brielle has had stretches where the radar gun seemed stuck, even while she was putting in the work. That’s one of the hardest parts of development—continuing to show up when the results haven’t caught up yet.

But she did.

She kept working. She kept listening. She kept trusting the process.

And now that work is showing up with a new top speed of 58 mph, up from her previous 54 mph benchmark.

What I’m most proud of isn’t the number itself. It’s the commitment behind it.

Brielle is proof that sometimes the breakthrough comes after the quiet stretch where nobody sees the progress happening.

Proud of you, Brielle. Keep building. 🥎🔥

09/09/2026

🥎 MEET COACH MATT
Hi, I’m Matt Weiderman, founder and pitching coach at Weiderman Fastpitch Academy in Sturgis, Michigan.

WFA was built around one simple idea:
Every pitcher is different, so every pitcher shouldn’t be coached exactly the same way.
My job is to understand how an athlete moves, how she creates and transfers force, where her timing or sequencing may be breaking down, and what she actually needs to improve.

That means I don’t just look at the most obvious problem and throw a drill at it.
I try to find the cause.
At WFA, my coaching philosophy is built around a few core principles:

Evidence before opinion.
Diagnosis before drills.
Coach the cause, not the compensation.

Sometimes an athlete needs a mechanical adjustment. Sometimes she needs better timing or sequencing. Sometimes she needs more physical capacity. And sometimes she simply needs the right drill, cue, or progression to help the movement transfer into the full pitch.

The goal is not to make every pitcher look the same.
The goal is to help each athlete build the best version of her own pitching motion.

Over the coming weeks, I will be sharing more about how I coach at WFA, what I look for in the pitching motion, cues we use, athlete development, video breakdowns, and the ideas behind our training.

📍 Sturgis, Michigan
🥎 Pitching lessons available
Welcome to Weiderman Fastpitch Academy.

08/20/2026

Some progress shows up on the radar gun.
Some progress shows up in the work nobody sees. 💪🥎
I want to give a shoutout to Ella Whickcar for the way she continues to show up, work, learn, and attack the process.
Ella is already a talented pitcher, but what has impressed me most is her willingness to work on the little things that will help her continue developing long-term.
No shortcuts. No chasing quick fixes.
Just consistent work, trust in the process, and a desire to keep getting better.
Hard work deserves to be recognized. Keep going, Ella! 🔥

07/26/2026

Looking forward to this!!

07/21/2026

🥎 ATHLETE HIGHLIGHT: AALIYAH 🥎
9 years old. Up 11 MPH in just one month!
Aaliyah’s progress is a great example of what can happen when an athlete shows up, works hard, and stays committed to the process.
This jump did not come from simply trying to throw harder. It came from improving how her body moves, building confidence in her motion, and putting in quality repetitions.
I am incredibly proud of the effort Aaliyah has given over the past month. She continues to listen, learn, and attack each session with a great attitude.
11 MPH in one month is a huge accomplishment—but the hard work behind it is what deserves the spotlight.
Keep going, Aaliyah! Your commitment is paying off! 💪🥎
Build the movement. Trust the process. Compete with confidence.