Height in Relationship to Pitching

This is something I've been pondering a bit lately. Will differences in height cause/require any differences in mechanics . . .

Will a shorter pitcher need to use her body differently then a taller pitcher in minor ways due to the shorter levers. Will they require more strength in their core and lower extremities to make up for shorter legs that won't naturally have the same reach . . .

Other than Amanda are there other top notch pitchers in the mid 5 foot range that I can be looking at?

Thanks

Lisa Fernandez was not very tall and she is considered one of the top USA pitchers of all time. With that said, height has a huge advantage in pitching, longer arms (levers), longer stride, longer fingers for greater spin and whip. In general, I think smaller pitchers need to maximize every thing they have to be very effective. There is a reason some of the top pitchers are tall: Monica Abbott, Cat Osterman, Jennie Finch, Sarah Pauly, etc. all are 6 feet or taller.

Yukiko Ueno 5'8", 159lbs, 75 mph.

Don't be discouraged by height. It can be done but it does take hard work because the shorter you are, the less room for errors in mechanics. Need powerful leg drive and IR, in my opinion. There are current college pitchers at WCWS teams that are short: Delaney Gourley at U of Florida is 5'4; Rachel Fox at Texas A&M is 5'4; Katie Sutherland-Finch at Cal is 5'4. Texas A&M and Cal also have pitchers that are 5'6.

My DD at 14 yo is 5'4. She might eek out one more inch. In April (at 13 yo) she was clocked at a max speed of 57. She has really learned how to use her lower body to explode off the pitching rubber and come into her front leg firm. She also has worked very hard on whip (what is known on this site as IR). She has really high spin rates and does not have big hands or long fingers. I think her use of IR contributes to her high spin rates (in April her spin rates were as high as 27). As a freshman, she is already getting interest from mid-level D1s and one WCWS team. There is a place for shorter pitchers to pitch in college.

Angela Tincher no-hit the US Olympic team at 5' 7".

vdubya said:

Angela Tincher no-hit the US Olympic team at 5' 7".

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...shortly after getting snubbed in favor of some taller pitchers.

Olivia Galati (Hofstra '13) was only 5'5"

As a 5'5" 14 year old, Beverly Bandit's Lauren Rice (2017) threw 70 in front of the Mizzou coaches to earn a scholarship offer.

There is no correlation between height and pitching effectiveness (or durability). This is one of those old school fallacy's that won't die.

I would agree that taller pitchers get more opportunities, hence the self fulfilling prophecy.

The post-turkey catatonia is kicking in before Thanksgiving...no one apparently read the post.

The OP did not ask about whether tall pitchers are better than short pitchers. (I am deleting posts that say, basically, "Tall pitchers are better than short pitchers", "Oh yeah?" and "Yeah!".)

The OP's questions are:

(1) Will a shorter pitcher need to use her body differently then a taller pitcher in minor ways due to the shorter levers.
(2) Will they require more strength in their core and lower extremities to make up for shorter legs that won't naturally have the same reach . . .
(3) Other than Amanda are there other top notch pitchers in the mid 5 foot range that I can be looking at?

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I'm looking forward to javasource's comments.