Ideal height for pitchers?

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Jun 21, 2010
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I know that softball pitchers come in all shapes and sizes but I was wondering if there is an ideal height for a fully grown pitcher? Is the taller the better the rule of thumb? This seems to be the case in baseball.

For example, I've heard that the ideal height for an NFL QB is around 6'4" or 6'5". Anything shorter and there can be issues seeing over the linemen and anything taller seems to affect their speed and agility.

Thoughts?
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,133
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Dallas, Texas
Pitchers come in all shapes and sizes, and you'll find successful pitchers at different heights.

First, the average height for a woman in the US is 5'4". It is pretty rare to see a 5'4" pitcher.

Generally, D1 pitchers are 5'9" and up. Just glancing at a few D1 rosters of UCLA, Arizona, Alabama, Missouri, and Michigan, the shortest appears to be 5'6", with most pitchers being over 5'9".
 
May 4, 2009
874
18
Baltimore
I guess Lisa Fernandez would get left out of the mix these days. Taryn Mowatt wasn't that tall. Jocelyn Forest won the WCWS and I'll bet she wasn't even 5 feet 4. Talent not height should be the factor.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
I like this thread. I know it is not the intention but I am going to tell my DD she is too short pitch, it will annoy her and have her work even harder. :)
 
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I love this kind of thread. I am 5'7" and when I pitched competitively I weighed 160. I threw between 70 and 75 mph. Opposing teams would laugh and make fun of me until they lost or late in a game and they were not doing well. I was not picked up by many teams because I did not fit the typical size they wanted which motivate me to pitch a little harder against them when I met them later in the season. I tell this story and many like it to the so called shorter pitchers when they are over looked by some so called elite teams or colleges when they go for the taller girls. I won many games myself, in the jo ranks, high school and college with pitchers who were not tall. When I recruited for UCSD I did not look at how tall pitchers were but how they performed in many situations. I say it is the heart of the pitcher not how tall she is.
 
Mar 13, 2010
1,758
48
Exactly CoachStan. Height isn't important (and as someone who is 5'7 and constantly told she's tall I can't believe I'm considered short!)
 
Dec 10, 2010
90
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A, A
My daughters pitching coach is tiny. She is prob 5'4" and weighs porb 120 (if that). BUT....she pitched for Michigan State and was a force to be reckoned with. I do believe that the taller, the better.....but watch out for little bundles of dynamite.


My daughter just turned 14 and she is 5'6". While she's not real tall...she's not small neither, but, We are hoping that she shoots up over the next year.
 
Oct 10, 2010
21
0
I was a good high school pitcher at 5 foot 2 inches, but I keep hoping my daughter will edge up a little higher. She's already passed me and is 5'4" at just turning 12. However, God gave her my arm and strength, and the ability to throw consistently and not be bothered by difficult game situations. So, whether she reaches a taller height or not, I think she's going to be a solid pitcher. One thing I'm wondering about is how much time girls have to grow. Someone told me once that if they haven't hit their height by 13, it's over. Is there an expert around here on how long girls can grow? I'm not good at knowing, cause I stopped early!
 
MamaB,

The age at which you stop getting taller depends on your maturation status. Early maturers will have reached their height at 12 whereas late maturers will reach it by the age of 15.

A great marker for maturation state is the girl's menarche. Normally, the peak velocity in height increase will occur 6-8 months before the first menstre. Following menarche, there will be a smaller rate of height increase for about 1 to 2 years and that should be it.

Hope that helps,
Michel
 

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