Strikes vs speed 10U

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Sep 20, 2011
277
16
NJ
I think most here are essentially on the same page.

-Form is the foundation.
-Speed is a result of good form.
-Control comes from practicing good form.

I don't believe anyone advocates telling kids to throw hard and the rest will follow. Of course we have to slow things down from time to time to isolate or emphasize something, but when the full motion is in place, we can't ask our kids to slow it down or the sequence and form will break down as well. The speed will be determined by the mechanics. The bottom line is that we can teach one form that will get us slow strikes. Or we can focus on the mechanics, which just so happens to give us speed, then practice to get control. Am I on track?

In our area, there are two clear schools of thought from the many pitching coaches:
- Form then speed
- Speed then control

Most kids are going with the second option (speed first). My DD started with coaches that had the first philosophy (form first). She has terrific control, but now we are playing catch-up on the speed.
 
May 22, 2012
745
16
This is an interesting topic. I've been down this road with older DD, who displayed good control but not necessarily great form during her one year pitching at this level. As a step and thrower without a real hard fastball, she was still overpowering enough to many of the hitters while her control afforded her great success. Now younger DD (9yo) is learning to pitch with much more of a leap, and wrist snap etc. She is wild...too wild to be real effective. I'm hoping we can get her to the point where she is throwing enough strikes where the coach will "Let" her pitch through it. Rec season starts in one month. I can already hear the chants of parents and coaches alike "let her hit it". Just hoping we can put in enough time together to add control before the season starts. Otherwise, I figure she will not enjoy much success or get much playing time. I don't want to really slow things down, and I am a little conflicted about having her learn a "get it over the pitch plate" for the time being.
 
Mar 11, 2013
270
0
Jackson, MS
We also need to be careful with semantics. "Slow down" might mean quit trying so hard or muscling it. Having a super long stride doesn't equal throwing hard/fast/accurate. Strong drive off isn't necessary for a fast pitch. For every statement about how one is supposed to pitch, there is an exception at the college level who is successful. It's not just one individual aspect of the pitch, but the entire thing that makes it work for that individual.

With my daughter, shortening the stride and "slowing her down" by having her loosen up and quit trying to muscle and throw hard caused a significant increase in speed AND accuracy. IMO, the reason being is that her mechanics all lined up in timing. She was able to block up with her plant foot and get more snap. She was to the plant foot quicker, not longer with the stride which also sped up her arm.

I would be careful with telling a young kid to throw hard and then let the mechanics and accuracy work themselves out later. Softball is no different than anything else in that proper form is the foundation.
 
Mar 11, 2013
270
0
Jackson, MS
Throwing hard underhand usually means good form, starting with the legs. So it is not a bad cue.

Most young fastpitch pitchers don't muscle the ball. Most of them do the opposite, they try and put the brakes on the arm for control.
I disagree with this.

You might be correct with seasoned pitchers, but in my experience in U10-U12 rec, throwing hard is far from good form. In fact, we get success telling these new pitchers to simply concentrate on the last part of the pitch. They "go up slow". The reason is that they don't have the reps or muscle memory to have good form and "pitching hard" does nothing to help them develop good form.

Another example of this idea is having new pitcher pitch at say 15' starting off most of the time. Move them back to 35-40' for a few pitches a lesson. Point is to work on mechanics instead of them trying so hard to just get the ball there.
 
Sep 3, 2009
261
18
Ok so we are drafting today for our 10U rec league. Defensively and offensively, I'm confident we will dominate given the girls I'm returning and adding in a few more. It's the pitching I'm worried about.

So here is my question:

My two pitchers had been going to the same coach. His philosophy was, explode off the mound and throw hard and fast, he will work on the accuracy all along the way and it will follow. Not a bad plan if you have time and aren't under pressure to pitch in games immediately.

Other coaches I've talked to, say slow down and throw strikes. Get your mechanics right and then we will speed it up. This seems to make more sense during season as we are entering now.

I don't have an ace pitcher right now. We are just making the jump to 10U. I'm pretty sure my girls could slow down and throw twice the number of strikes, but is that wise?

It's a rec league so as someone who has done a lot of coaching at different levels of rec ball I think that the goal should be to instruct the girls best you can and forget about wins and losses. I would usually not even tell the girls on my 10U rec teams the score whenever they would ask me. I would always say that I think it's tied and they would laugh knowing I would say that before they answered.

Pitchers need to learn speed first. The control will come in time. It might not be until 12U depending on the pitcher but you still have to get the girls who are working hard and dedicating themselves to pitching the opportunities in the circle, even if they are going to walk in five runs in an inning. Trying to go for control first will only lead to bad mechanics and bad habits that will be hard to break later on.
 
Mar 11, 2013
270
0
Jackson, MS
Not talking about seasoned pitchers. Most of the issue with young pitchers is throwing too close, which does not give them the timing to throw correctly at the full distance. It forces them to slow their arm down for the baby distances (and keeps them from throwing with adequate speed and proper whip form). If taught correctly and allowed to do so, kids can get it 30 or 35 feet easy.

I am not a PC, and you can concentrate on what you want, but if by the end, you mean wrist snaps or 1/4 circles, that's up to you, but I find it all silly. Not sure what go up slow means, sounds like golf to me. That part of the motion is pretty quick in elite pitchers.

I like practicing my lawn darts from far away, at a good family picnic. Being good at 15 feet doesn't help me.

Not a fun road to hoe the way you are describing, looking from the other side of a few pitchers in my area.

I'll agree that we disagree
 
Mar 11, 2013
270
0
Jackson, MS
It's a rec league so as someone who has done a lot of coaching at different levels of rec ball I think that the goal should be to instruct the girls best you can and forget about wins and losses. I would usually not even tell the girls on my 10U rec teams the score whenever they would ask me. I would always say that I think it's tied and they would laugh knowing I would say that before they answered.

Pitchers need to learn speed first. The control will come in time. It might not be until 12U depending on the pitcher but you still have to get the girls who are working hard and dedicating themselves to pitching the opportunities in the circle, even if they are going to walk in five runs in an inning. Trying to go for control first will only lead to bad mechanics and bad habits that will be hard to break later on.
The point of the game is for them to throw strikes. You can not teach the mechanics of pitching in a game setting. It's a disservice to the pitcher, defense and other rec tems to say just throw as hard as you can and don't worry about strikes
 
Feb 4, 2009
112
18
Kids that are learning should throw as fast as they can while maintaining the mechanics they are being instructed toward. Wildness from beginners is to be expected don't slow down their learning process by slowing them down in games.
 
Apr 9, 2012
366
0
To throw slow and guide the ball is a poor mechanic. Anytime you slow the arm speed down you throw off the timing.

So many girls come to me with accuracy issues and are not throwing with the same arm speed tevery pitch. Theres your sign.

So how do you gauge 80% or 50% arm speed....u dont. Its best to go all out and practice the mechanics along the way
 

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