10U pitch speed

It is so rare that I would love to see how where these girls land in the next several years and hopefully they will keep with it.

Click to expand...

A 12YOA or 10YOA kid throwing 50 doesn't prove much other than someone works with the child. Any reasonably athletic kid can throw 50MPH. Since their bodies haven't matured, they can have terrible mechanics and throw reasonably well.

I am impressed by 14YOA throwing 60MPH...and those kids are very rare.

The first separation between "good" pitchers and everyone else is at 60MPH.

Below are a couple teasers from the above link. Sorry, I just love to read this stuff. It makes me realize the "unreality" of it all sometimes.......

not true. My daughter started pitching when she was 9. She is now 11, but considered a 10year old in the softball world. I moved her up this year into the 12U league, because from 35ft. she threw well into the 60s which was too fast for the girls in that league. She honestly is a natural and she loves it. That is what it takes to be a great pitcher. She also puts in the time and dedication that it takes. We do not push her. She also has the size to back up suck velocity. She has a killer change up and can work the corners. I was a pitcher, and who knows maybe it's genetic, but yes no matter the age focus and determination can happen at any age. Oh yeah, she played baseball for the first 4 years.

and another....

I agree it's not about speed. My daughter is a softball prodigy. She started playing when she was 12. Within 2 years she can pitch in the low 70's. She's been clocked at 81. Nobody could catch her so we slowed her down and now she can put the ball wherever she wants.

Did I say my 9 year old could hit 44? I'm sorry, that was a typo. I meant EIGHTY four. Really. I know that broke Monica Abbott's record but I didn't want to make a fuss so you know, I keep it on the down low.

STRIKE3 said:

Below are a couple teasers from the above link.

I agree it's not about speed. My daughter is a softball prodigy. She started playing when she was 12. Within 2 years she can pitch in the low 70's. She's been clocked at 81. Nobody could catch her so we slowed her down and now she can put the ball wherever she wants.

Click to expand...

Wow.....just wow.
Grandpa radar must be clocking this one.
.....14u throws 81mph!.....
If this were remotely true, we'd be hearing stories about how the lobster dinner was at Pat Murphys house.

OK, so I'm a softball newbie! Will be coaching my daughter's 8U LL team this year. I come from a baseball back-ground, and I found a couple of things interesting in this thread. Granted, every coach has a different mind-set, but here is mine relating to baseball pitching and young kids:
1. Teach the fast-ball
2. Throw the fastball
3. Repeat over and over
4. Maybe throw in a change-up every now and again for fun....

Now, here's my reasoning.
1. If you can't master the fastball, you'll never be a legit pitcher. You have to learn how to locate the fastball and effectively use that.
2. Go to any little league baseball game where the pitcher has learned the curve-ball. What you'll see is curve after curve after curve with some fastballs mixed in. Why? Because the kids can't really hit the curve at that age. The stud pitcher is killing with his curve, and that's what he throws, and his coach is mostly concerned with just winning. Because of this, he never master's his fastball. And guess where that kid's going to be down the road? Not pitching.
3. Off-speed pitches can be taught and added down the road, and much more easily if you've already got the fastball down.

From some of the posts in this thread, it sounds like this is not quite the same in softball....

I'm interested in learning as much as I can, and picking the brains of those who have been around it much longer than I have.

MacLobo - The following is the opinion of a young catcher's dad, and youth coach (currently 12U)...

Youth progression...
1. Throw strikes - Especially at the younger ages, the most effective thing a pitcher can do is not walk batters, and give their catcher a good chance to catch the ball. This, alone, is a gigantic game-changer for 8U and 10U.
2. Improve velocity - Once there is consistency with staying in the strike zone, increasing speed will improve effectiveness. However, if the BB count increases, it's a step backwards.
3. Change-up - With a consistent fastball, a reliable change-up improves the effectiveness of a young pitcher dramatically.
4. Improve location control - Having the control to keep the ball off the center of the plate reduces the opportunities for quality contact.
5. Movement pitch - Drop, screw, curve. Pick one and master it.
6. Riseball

STRIKE3 said:

Below are a couple teasers from the above link. Sorry, I just love to read this stuff. It makes me realize the "unreality" of it all sometimes.......

not true. My daughter started pitching when she was 9. She is now 11, but considered a 10year old in the softball world. I moved her up this year into the 12U league, because from 35ft. she threw well into the 60s which was too fast for the girls in that league. She honestly is a natural and she loves it. That is what it takes to be a great pitcher. She also puts in the time and dedication that it takes. We do not push her. She also has the size to back up suck velocity. She has a killer change up and can work the corners. I was a pitcher, and who knows maybe it's genetic, but yes no matter the age focus and determination can happen at any age. Oh yeah, she played baseball for the first 4 years.

and another....

I agree it's not about speed. My daughter is a softball prodigy. She started playing when she was 12. Within 2 years she can pitch in the low 70's. She's been clocked at 81. Nobody could catch her so we slowed her down and now she can put the ball wherever she wants.

Click to expand...

She probably is throwing 81...kilometers per hour...which would translate to about 48mph...CP

STRIKE3 said:

Below are a couple teasers from the above link. Sorry, I just love to read this stuff. It makes me realize the "unreality" of it all sometimes.......

not true. My daughter started pitching when she was 9. She is now 11, but considered a 10year old in the softball world. I moved her up this year into the 12U league, because from 35ft. she threw well into the 60s which was too fast for the girls in that league. She honestly is a natural and she loves it. That is what it takes to be a great pitcher. She also puts in the time and dedication that it takes. We do not push her. She also has the size to back up suck velocity. She has a killer change up and can work the corners. I was a pitcher, and who knows maybe it's genetic, but yes no matter the age focus and determination can happen at any age. Oh yeah, she played baseball for the first 4 years.

and another....

I agree it's not about speed. My daughter is a softball prodigy. She started playing when she was 12. Within 2 years she can pitch in the low 70's. She's been clocked at 81. Nobody could catch her so we slowed her down and now she can put the ball wherever she wants.

Click to expand...

I went to the site and saw the comment and username of the parent. Whats funny is I think this kid is a 2019 actually verballed to Tennessee.

chrispots said:

She probably is throwing 81...kilometers per hour...which would translate to about 48mph...CP

Click to expand...

That would certainly make a lot more sense.