Pitching and Pitchers Discussion Jennie Finch Pitching Speeds

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Daughter is working on a homework assignment for school and was looking up facts on Jennie Finch. On her website she has a chart that shows how fast she pitched at each age.

Age Top Speed
8 - 49
9 - 51
10 - 53
11 - 55
12 - 59
13 - 62
14 - 63
15 - 66
16 - 68
17 - 68
18 - 67
19 - 67
20 - 69
21 - 70
22 - 71
23 - 71

How many of us has seen an 8 year old throwing 49?

 

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YOWZA!!! ?

 

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Those numbers are similar to a young Katbenjoemom's back in the day

 

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Yeah---I didn't wanna brag or anything, but I taught Jennie F. everything she knows, lol ? ;D

Cat O. is my current project. ?

(heck ~ only thing I was throwing at age 8 was a tantrum!) ;D

 

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What I think is interesting is that her speed actually dropped briefly at 18. Maybe she was focusing on control and movement pitches inpreparation for college??

Awesome - 62 mph at 13!!

 

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Her dad was manning the gun and keeping the charts! :

 

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Her dad was manning the gun and keeping the charts! :

I'd have to agree. I'm not saying she wasn't a phenom, but 49 mph at the age of 8 seems pretty danged, well, phenomenal.

http://www.pitchsoftball.com/Page8.html

 

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Those speeds are probaly top speeds reached during practices. Take 3-5 mph's from the numbers and that was probably what she was consistently throwing during a game.

 

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Those speeds are probaly top speeds reached during practices. Take 3-5 mph's from the numbers and that was probably what she was consistently throwing during a game.

You're probably right. She was, more than likely, just throwing it as hard as she could without regard to accuracy at that point.


Or... she was using the same radar guns that ESPN was using at the Little League 12U Fastpitch championship.

 

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What was wrong with the 12U radar gun. The one I watched the girls were pretty slow. 45-55 mph.

 

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I think the study was the National average of a 12U girl is in the upper 40's.

 

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That must be the same gun a certain pitching coach from Niles uses its about 5mph faster then actual speed

 

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wwolf

the pitching coach from niles uses that gun as a tool to push the girls not to inflate speeds he also has more than one gun and yes one is faster

 

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What I think is interesting is that her speed actually dropped briefly at 18. Maybe she was focusing on control and movement pitches inpreparation for college??

Its called "Senioritis" and most if not all get it toward the end of their Jr. year, going into their Sr. year, when it becomes a full blown epidemic!!

 

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How many of us were even throwing a baseball 49mph at the age of eight?

 

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My dd is 8 and can throw as hard as 45 as well as another 8yr old on my team but when pitching in games they average between 34-38. They both started at 5yr and work really hard and we have learned hard isn't always the best thing at this age. CONTROL!!!

 

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Is a smaller ball used at 8U? ? If it is that would help with the speeds attained. ? But Ms. Finch is a phenom by any account. ?And don't forget those 8U arms are like rubber bands, ? ?nice and loose.

 

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Johnnies,
doesn't your aunts uncles cousin twice removed nieces nephews 6 yr old granddaughter from her first marriage play on the 6U Mudslappers team throw in the low 50's with a two seam drop rise?
Name of the team might not be right but I know I read about it somewhere.

 

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Not so sure about that, but we will go with that.

 

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Have to agree with hookslide on the pitching coach from Niles....we know what speed the dd actually throws at and we also know that sometimes the speed he gives is a little inflated. Dont see any problem with him trying to push the girls a little. He's a great pitching coach.