Thread: 11” / 12” Ball - Random comment

10 YOA DD has been using a 12” ball for 6 months or so. The other day I had her try pitching with the 11” ball again and it was a disaster. She did better moving to the bigger ball then trying to move back to the smaller ball. IDK.

Try throwing a baseball. You'll understand why she having trouble. When you get used to the larger size it can be tough to go back.
I have 2 DDs one with the 12" and one just starting with the 11" if I was throwing hard with the 11", I'd have problems too. Occasionally baseballs from the boys fields next to our come over, throwing them back is interesting.

I guess some can make the adjustment back and forth easily, but I suspect many would have difficulty at first with any ball size change.

DD is 16 and part of her practice is working with a 14" and a 16" ball at long distance, then she moves to the 12". PC tells her that her mechanics need to be better with the bigger balls. If her velocity is off, she will work with the larger balls for a while. It works for her.

10U and below uses the 11" ball. I think its pretty standard across orgs, travel and Rec. In 8U some Rec organizations use an 11" RIF ball.

Think 10U below too, 35' pitching,

I could see using a 12” ball in 10U too, never really thought about it. Some players can really hit the 11” ball.

The 12" ball would be pretty difficult for some of the 9 YO pitchers with small hands, they already have to practically palm the 11" ball. My DD2 is 10 now has practices with the 12" ball but when she started a couple years ago it would have been a disaster. Learning to pitch is hard enough and as they grow the transition is not that difficult.

Our league: Like all 10u travel ball uses 11" at 35 feet pitching. All tb players have to play rec league too. Rec goes by grade, so a lot of 10u 5th graders are playing 11" ball 35 feet tourneys and 12" 40 feet league games.

They tend to adjust ok, but also our older 6th and 7th grade batters tend to "light these girls up.". My rec team scored 25 points in 3 innings on one 5th grade 10 year old pitcher last year. Thats after I stopped all stealing after 1st inning.

Women's slow pitch uses the 11 inch ball. I hated it.
I also use the 16 inch and 14 inch balls, for warm ups.

I remember when my dd went from 11"-12" we had to get her a bigger glove for the ball to fit. She had tiny hands when she started playing softball, if she had to wear the glove that was big enough for the ball, I don't know if she could have kept the glove on her hand. I suppose that hand size is a factor but throw in the fact that an adult has more grip strength then an 8 year old and I think to compare the 2 is not accurate.

But on the other hand, we walked 3 miles though waist deep snow to play ball when I was a kid. And it was up hill both ways.

I tend to agree with Screwball. I started playing softball at 6 years of age...and there was no kid pitch, no machine pitch...and no tee ball. It was kid pitch from the get go....and we used a regular 12" ball. I pitched as a child...and in high school and 4 years in college...and my hands are smaller than my 9 year old daughter who plays with an 11" ball. As far back as I can remember, I have always used a 3 finger grip. I started pitching at 9 years of age.

I too never remember struggling with the ball or a glove...and I played with a HUGE glove (measured it the other day 13in). My father had the mentality -- this is softball, you need a BIG glove. And there was no such a thing as a "fast pitch" glove...and no women's or girl's gloves. Some how we all managed just fine. Couple of weeks ago, I went searching for a catcher's mit...since I have been catching my DD...never realized there were "fast pitch gloves." Guess I am dating myself a bit -- I have been out of college about 15 years...have been using the same glove for about 17 years (couldn't ever count how many times it's been restrung). I've only have 2 gloves in all this time.

Anyway...I get that the 11" ball is easier for the kids to grip, but I think they would do fine with the 12" ball. And as some folks posted -- I too have a terrible time throwing the 11" overhand...always throwing it in the dirt. I tend to toss it underhand to my DD...