Pitching and Pitchers Discussion screwball

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Would like some input on how old a girl should be before they start throwing a screwball ? I wanted my dd to learn this pitch,but just the other day was watching USA softball game,and Michele Smith 'Which I think is alltime greatest pitcher to ever wear a USA uniform" said they should be jr. or senior in highschool before they start throwing this pitch. So now not so sure. Agree or disagree???

 

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My dd will turn 14 in a week and a half. She has thrown that pitch for the past 2 seasons. Not sure why she wouldn't think it was okay to teach at a younger age.

 

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Would like some input on how old a girl should be before they start throwing a screwball ? I wanted my dd to learn this pitch,but just the other day was watching USA softball game,and Michele Smith 'Which I think is alltime greatest pitcher to ever wear a USA uniform" said they should be jr. or senior in highschool before they start throwing this pitch. So now not so sure. Agree or disagree???

She is one of the best I agree hands down but aaaallllooottt has changed since she wore the uniform. From what I have seen it depends on the player how much/fast she learns pitches. Most instructors will not let them learn a pitch till they have mastered another. good luck

 

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I would say it varies with the pitcher, too. My dd is 15 and a righthander - she learned the rise, drop and curve, but still has not learned the screwball. We have not seen the need yet to add that pitch. With a fast ball (not thrown much after 14U) and a change thrown in, 5 pitches is a lot to practice. I think they do need to master and locate the first few pitches they learn before moving on to more. I would have had my dd learn the extra pitches later than she did, but I am not her pitching coach. If girls throw a lot of the breaking pitches (rise, curve, screw), they can get sore depending on the innings they pitch in a short period of time. Sometimes the mechanics are not perfected yet.

 

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DD's pitching coach prefers that her students hold off until 14 or so. The torque created when throwing a screwball/curve ball can damage the shoulder due to several reasons. Pitcher's growth/development and improper pitch mechanics. In the long run, learning these types of pitches at an early age can cause shoulder damage down the road. So far the progression of pitch development for dd has been:

1. Fastball
2. Change up
3. Drop
4. Rise (this winter)
5. Screwball (not yet)
6. Curve (not yet)
7. Drop curve (not yet)

She is 12 and throws six days a week to continuously develop these pitches. Her first pitching coach had her throwing every type of pitch possible when she first began pitching (all the pitches looked the same). When she switched coaches, she went back to pitching mechanics and fundamentals (smart move). Now, her drop ball actually drops and her change up actually changes speed. And, her fastball is fast.

 

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I've spoken with several D1 college level pitching coaches and was a D1 pitcher myself, and all have recommended throwing nothing but a fastball & change-up (other than maybe the peel drop), before about age 13. This is based on the stress alternate pitches place on the arm and growth plates of a younger player. I've chosen this more conservative path for my dd who's just turned 11 & has a lot of growing left to do.....fastball with accuracy on the corners, plus 2 change-ups (knuckle & back-spin). Worked well in 10U, we'll see how things go in 12U!

 

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I've spoken with several D1 college level pitching coaches and was a D1 pitcher myself, and all have recommended throwing nothing but a fastball & change-up (other than maybe the peel drop), before about age 13. This is based on the stress alternate pitches place on the arm and growth plates of a younger player. I've chosen this more conservative path for my dd who's just turned 11 & has a lot of growing left to do.....fastball with accuracy on the corners, plus 2 change-ups (knuckle & back-spin). Worked well in 10U, we'll see how things go in 12U!

(LOVE a good knuckle/change!!:yahoo Agree 100%. This worked for my DD. A pitcher who can consistently hit her spots and can do that with 2 - 3 different speeds will be an outstanding pitcher through high school. Most kids have a natural peel drop, which adds movement to the fastball. At 12u, DD developed a killer backhand change, and those two pitches alone, combined with accuracy, took her nearly to 16u. She started adding in a curve and screw between 14u and 16u. The rise didn't start working well for her until between 16u and 18u. There are freshmen in college who are still working on that, but the fact that they made it to college without it speaks volumes.

It's painful to watch a kid try to throw junk pitches when she has no idea where they are going. If you want your DD to be effective with lots of junk, she MUST learn accuracy along with those pitches. And that's a VERY difficult prescription for a 12u - 13u kid. Best advice is get with a qualified "proven" pitching instructor, and trust their advice.

 

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My DD is 10U and I have heard several coaches not to even think of a screwball until at least 14. I won't even allow it, and I make sure sure she takes off pitching every 3rd day. My DD throws a fast, change, off-speed (basically in between the fast and change), and peel-drop. Her pitching coach has already told her if she continues to develop, then she will add the rise in the winter.

 

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Would like some input on how old a girl should be before they start throwing a screwball ? I wanted my dd to learn this pitch,but just the other day was watching USA softball game,and Michele Smith 'Which I think is alltime greatest pitcher to ever wear a USA uniform" said they should be jr. or senior in highschool before they start throwing this pitch. So now not so sure. Agree or disagree???

In all honesty, I think a young pitcher should focus, other than a well placed fastball, on pitches that change levels. When they're young, focus on fastballs, change-ups, and drops. When their fastball is being thrown close to 60mph, add the rise. A curveball moves more horizontally than it does vertically, as does the screwball, and is easier to hit than a good drop, rise, or change. Finch, Osterman, and Abbott don't throw a screwball......they might have them in their repetoire, but don't throw it.

Len

 

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IMO, it's not so much the age/injury question, but rather the age/mechanics/ability question. Injuries occur more often because of poor training/bad mechanics than just because of age. However, trying to teach a 10 yr. old to throw a rise is like trying to teach them to ride a Harley - a little too much too early.

In simple terms, the successful pitchers have figured out what it takes to get outs (not necessarily strike-outs) at their age-appropriate level. At 10u, that's usually just being able to "throw strikes". Wild junk at a young age does nothing more than help the opposing team. Certain pitches require a level of strength and physical development. While a fastball with an upward path is usually very effective, it's not going to have enough spin to be a true rise ball. And in the process, the kid will probably be somewhat wild with it, and wind up with a sore forearm.

Notice that the best hitting instructors (Howard C. for one ) have a net with markings that indicate the ball trajectory. Not only are hitters taught how to "hit balls", and know their own strike zone, they are being taught how to hit to all parts of the field. If a pitcher is just "throwing" with no real sense of control, not only will they get hammered by these well taught hitters, but they're also in real danger of being injured! That's my case for "keeping it simple" and focusing on fundamental mechanics, which produces speed AND control. Only then should the "junk" pitches be put into the mix.