Pitching and Pitchers Discussion 12U pitching question

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Why are coaches so interested in pitchers with a 50+ fastball that hits the backstop,hits the ground, hits anything but the strikezone? They seem so impressed by speed alone. Is the radar gun the best tool for determining pitching skill? My DD pitches strikes in the mid 40's and has a 15mph drop on her changeup but she never gets a second look. Is it easier to teach speed or control? Im sure she will get faster over the winter just as she does every year. This is her first year of tryouts after playing on a local travel team and I was wondering if this is usually the way its done.

 

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from what I've been told, pitching coaches can teach control but it is much harder to teach speed. To get the movement pitches, they need the speed. My DD is not a pitcher but this is what I've been told. I know of a young lady, when she was in that age group, that fits your description. She threw very hard but you never quite knew where it was going. A couple of years later, she is one of the top pitchers in Central Ohio.

There are quite a few pitching coaches, and of course pitcher's parents, that frequent here a lot and they'll probably have a better explaination.

 

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I'm the father of a five-year pitcher and also a coach. I know that her pitching coach teaches speed first, then the control will come. Coaches certainly like speed because in my opinion, that's harder to teach than control. Younger batters seem to be afraid of fast-ballers. However, it is very frustrating that these "speed" pitchers can't find the strike zone (in some cases).

Quite honestly, for a new 12U pitcher, mid 40's isn't a bad speed, especially if the change-up is 15 mph less. I'd say if your daughter can hit the location she's asked to hit and change speeds, then a travel coach would be crazy to overlook her.

Hope this helps .........................

Coach Jeff

 

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My dd pitches in the mid 40's and is considered slow, however she hits all her corners, throws her change well and her drop in great. Until this past week we really never used the gun on her to see her speed. We knew she didnt throw as hard as others on her team but had the best accuracy.
1 thing we notcied this year is she grew 5 inches BUT lost alot of baby fat. This has hindered her in the hard throwing dept. We have looked into a weight training, core training exercises that she will start this fall. Her legs are needing some muscle put bacl on to throw harder. These are just our observations on her. Also at 12 your body changes so much..your DD shouldnt stress so much about speed but accuracy and workl at home and with her Pitching coach. A Pitching coach is a must in this sport!

 

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Carleesdad, my dd is 10. She has pitched for 2 years now. She started out with good speed, but poor control. This year her placement has improved 100%. Per her pitching coach, muscle memory is the key. He says you need to push hard with each pitch so you do not develop lazy muscle memory. I take his word for it, because she now averages mid 40's, with 50mph being her fastest!! These girls in travel ball can hit. If the pitches are coming in too slowly, then your defense better be A+, because the balls are going to be on fire!!

 

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Carleesdad, I coach the Danger 12u and would love to take a look at your dd. I am not about speed, I am about throwing strikes and letting the defense play if need to. You cannot win games if you walk all the batters. If interested you can email me at jmoore4922@woh.rr.com or call me 937-605-9877.

Thank You,
Paul Moore

 

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mid 40's with control and good change will win you alot of games at 12u BUT it all depends what level you wish to compete. I'd guess 80- 90% of the 12u coaches in ohio would love to have your kid. MD

 

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I've been working with pitchers for 15 years now and I've always used the gun to check their speed. I use it to motivate, to let them know where they are with others in their age group, and to let me know how hard they have been working. It takes hard work to build up speed. Speed checks are about the only "tangible" way that we have when looking for a certain improvement level.

Mechanics are the first thing we work on in the Academy (which eventually takes care of control problems) but we do not hold back speed work. I integrate speed drills into their weekly workouts and I do try to get them to work at their highest speed for their mechanics level. If I have been told that a young pitcher has a control problem I'm about 99% sure she has a problem with her mechanics.

I also would be very leary of anyone saying "I can teach her the mechanics and get her started, then you can take her to a more qualified instructor". The beginning mechanics is like the foundation of a house. If built incorrectly it is extremely difficult to next to impossible to fix it and make it right. Most of it would have to be torn down to rebuild it correctly. That goes for the pitching motion. How frustrating is it to be successful at one level and have to start over to be successful at the next level.

If a pitcher wants to pitch in college someday she must be strong in all three areas: hits her locations well, has excellent speed, and has excellent ball movement. If she is weak in one of these areas her chances of pitching in top colleges go down. For a DI level she needs strength in all areas.

If a pitcher starts her career thinking about control she may never be able to reach her speed potential. Her mind has already been trained to throw the ball over the plate for strikes so her team can win games. She loses, team wins (maybe). A pitcher must be allowed to throw with her natural speed while learning good mechanics until they mesh together and she is on her way to meeting that ultimate potential.

I think that at the 12U level speed isn't that important. Now that doesn't mean you don't work on their speed, but their bodies are in transition and some kids just can't throw for great speeds yet. The kids will pick up speed as their bodies change and as they develop good work habits.

Working on good mechanics and allowing the freedom of throwing a bit wild for a while and supporting the young pitchers through their workouts is what I think is the way to go at this age group. Never Never yell at them when they throw a wild pitch and whack your shins a little too hard. They will slow down to please their parent and it will be tough to get their confidence back. Allow them to develop, and support them at their practices and remind them that the harder they practice the stronger they become.

jmo
Chris Miner
Diamonds & Dreams Academy