Pitching and Pitchers Discussion When is too late to start over?

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I need advice. DD is 15 and has lost her pitching instructor. (Had to leave town for personal reasons.) Went to a new well respected instructor and he wants to change everything. DD is super frustrated and I can't blame her. We live in an area that doesn't have many if any good instructors. We already drive 1 hr to practice and play. My question is this. Is it too late for her to be an effective pitcher? She plays SS also and is very good at that. Should we just let this whole pitching thing go? She loves softball and works very hard, she's just getting tired of almost getting it and then for reasons out of her control, being dissappointed and having to start over.

 

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I will say that my dd has had several pitching instructors over the years and manages to get something from each of them. I don't believe that there is an instructor that is right for all girls, but there are quite a few that work well with most.

Send me a PM if you like and I'll do my best to get you in touch with someone that will fit your dd expectations/style. I know your old coaches style and may be able to point you in the right direction.

Doug

 

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My DD just went through the same thing, but hers was due to a back injury. Her old way was irritating it to much. We decided to see a new instructor, if it didn't work she was going to quit pitching.

We went to see Bill Hillhouse & she would have to change to a new style. Learn everything from scratch. She was frustrated at first, but then has really done well & she is soooo glad she made the switch. She is 14 and I think because she is older, she was able to pick it up better.

I highly recommend him. Hope this helps you.

 

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15 is not too late, just frustrating for all involved. You state that the instructor wants to change everything; are we talking absolutes or style? Over the time my DD pitched her instructor changed her style 4-5 times - first month always felt like we moved backward, month two felt like we were back to "normal" and month three was where she started showing improvement. So the question back to your daughter, do you really want to pitch? If yes, then set down with the instructor and discuss why he's changing things; from that you and your DD should be able to make an informed decision on whether this instructor will work for you...

 

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My wife was a coach at a JV in the area and the pitcher was told by the varsity coach that if she did not improve her hitting she would not make the team the next year because she would never pitch on the varsity. And the coach was correct, the player did not throw very hard or have great control. But she decided to make it a goal and went to work.

By the time tryouts came the next year she was the number one and had a full ride by the end of the season....All State...ect. She is now my 10U daughters god mother. So it is never too late. This is why I hate cutting girls off teams. You never know when the light is going to come on.

 

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I need advice. DD is 15 and has lost her pitching instructor. (Had to leave town for personal reasons.) Went to a new well respected instructor and he wants to change everything. DD is super frustrated and I can't blame her. We live in an area that doesn't have many if any good instructors. We already drive 1 hr to practice and play. My question is this. Is it too late for her to be an effective pitcher? She plays SS also and is very good at that. Should we just let this whole pitching thing go? She loves softball and works very hard, she's just getting tired of almost getting it and then for reasons out of her control, being dissappointed and having to start over.

I think we need a little more info. What style does your dd use now and what is the instructor trying to change it to?

 

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I think you should look at it from this perspective. Athletes are always told to do things different and have to constantly be able to reinvent themselves. They need to be able to adapt to the changes their bodies go through too. From hitting, pitching and all other aspects of the sport they have to constantly refine their form and technique. The main thing is not to fear the change. If you think the instructor is well respected and he/she has coached successful pitchers in the past stick with him/her. Your DD will no doubt feel as though she is not getting better or may even think she is getting worse so the temptation would be to either quit or go back to her familiar way. It is at this point if she has a desire to acheive success and works hard she will discover that changes the instructor wants her to do will be for the best. My DD went through the same thing. We learned the hard way what instructors where worth investing time and money in.

 

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Trakin. Great advice. As a coach of another sport I should have thought of this on my own. I guess because I never played softball or pitched, it has a certain mystery about it that made me look at it differently.

Thanks to everyone else who responded and sent PMs. I appreciate your advice.

 

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15 is not to late to make big changes, however, she has to pay the piper. If she is involved in other sports, band, plays, or boys she will have trouble following through on the practice commitment. Does she have a catcher? (or a wall) Does she have somewhere to throw inside? The last two are critical for her to be successful that you can provide. The commitment must come from her.

Generally she will need to throw at least 3 times a week and then a lesson. She needs to start last week and follow through the next 2 years. She will still need to make her travel and high school team practices. She has to make that commitment now. She likely only has 2 seasons of high school/travel before her senior year. She'll need to be peaking at the start of this high school season and then bust into a critical role on her travel team. To do that she will have to do the work.

The frustration is part of the learning process. She was likely comfortable with her old instructor but now is not only being pushed in new directions but has to learn to communicate with a new coach (and visa-versa). The circle is not for everyone and since she is on the field at ss she may not want to make the additional effort. She'll still grow-up and be a fine happy person. Even under the best of circumstances the pitchers spot is a lonely frustrating place