I have been replying to GVM, the original poster. I think that things have gotten confused in this post.
"down the middle"???
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- Oct 22, 2009
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I'm all for "missing your spot" on big hitters that the coach wants a pitch thrown the middle.
I watched one of my 12u's pitch with her mother calling the game. All I saw was fastballs, she has a great change and been working on the drop, but just fastballs down the middle.
I saw her work a batter with about 7 pitches, the batter started getting better and better foul cuts, I was wondering where's the change? drop? Finally she gave the hitter enough chances and she dropped one into shallow right and scored 2 runs.
She told me on a later game she got lit up pretty good, and I asked her what she threw and she said fastballs down the middle.
her mom has no confidence in her other pitches.
It's tough when the one calling the pitches is your parent, but I discreetly told her to maybe try and "oopsie" a pitch every now and then, especially on big hitters and ones your battling.
I watched one of my 12u's pitch with her mother calling the game. All I saw was fastballs, she has a great change and been working on the drop, but just fastballs down the middle.
I saw her work a batter with about 7 pitches, the batter started getting better and better foul cuts, I was wondering where's the change? drop? Finally she gave the hitter enough chances and she dropped one into shallow right and scored 2 runs.
She told me on a later game she got lit up pretty good, and I asked her what she threw and she said fastballs down the middle.
her mom has no confidence in her other pitches.
It's tough when the one calling the pitches is your parent, but I discreetly told her to maybe try and "oopsie" a pitch every now and then, especially on big hitters and ones your battling.
no i took her out of rec,? a girl got hit by a pitch and had to be carried off the field. the 18 k's was against a team we will face in the state championship. and the 14 k's was against a previously undefeated team(2010-2011) and they already have one championship this year already? we scrimmaged both teams to see how good our team will be,this year?(both very good teams) we are a town travel team stepping up in class this season. dd has had offers to move up to 12u travel, but thought it would be cool,if she could win the state championship for her home town(never been done here before)
I have ran in to this with some of my pitchers. "All coach calls is fastball outside" what do I do?
I like to teach my pitchers to think.....I want them to pitch not just throw strikes. We work on this during lessons, we pitch a simulated game or at least a few innings. I make them tell me what pitch they want to throw on every pitch and then I give them feedback about there choice. I talked to them about where you are at in the lineup, you pitch different to the 3,4,5 batters than you would 7,8,9 batters. I 'v even suggested durring pool games let the pitcher call the game. Here is how I would do this.
I don't suggest this past 12u....
example
Fastball outside - pitchers adjusted left sleeve before toeing the rubber
FB inside -adj right sleeve
change- fist to chest
screw ball - adj face mask
etc- make up your own
I like to teach my pitchers to think.....I want them to pitch not just throw strikes. We work on this during lessons, we pitch a simulated game or at least a few innings. I make them tell me what pitch they want to throw on every pitch and then I give them feedback about there choice. I talked to them about where you are at in the lineup, you pitch different to the 3,4,5 batters than you would 7,8,9 batters. I 'v even suggested durring pool games let the pitcher call the game. Here is how I would do this.
I don't suggest this past 12u....
example
Fastball outside - pitchers adjusted left sleeve before toeing the rubber
FB inside -adj right sleeve
change- fist to chest
screw ball - adj face mask
etc- make up your own
Oh yes we would!
these two ideas from the poster seem contradictory -
and
In review you have 10U competition that crushes the ball down the middle...your 10u team has very high expectations...you have worked with "the very best coaches" all winter and now you daughter is on a team that has high expectations but a lead coach that calls pitches and " admits they know nothing about pitching?"
It's all kind of strange. Yes if she knows the batter and it is an unusually skilled 10u hitter and she is ahead in the count go for the corner. If a fastball is called don't throw a different pitch but if she is ahead make the batter reach or try and get the third strike called on the black. If it's not an oversized unusually skilled 10u hitter and the coach says throw it down the middle then do it and let the defense play.
and
In review you have 10U competition that crushes the ball down the middle...your 10u team has very high expectations...you have worked with "the very best coaches" all winter and now you daughter is on a team that has high expectations but a lead coach that calls pitches and " admits they know nothing about pitching?"
It's all kind of strange. Yes if she knows the batter and it is an unusually skilled 10u hitter and she is ahead in the count go for the corner. If a fastball is called don't throw a different pitch but if she is ahead make the batter reach or try and get the third strike called on the black. If it's not an oversized unusually skilled 10u hitter and the coach says throw it down the middle then do it and let the defense play.
"the very best " PITCHING COACHES".... that has nothing to do with the team? we do that on a individual basis. aka pitching lessons....
some of the 10u batters have "batting lessons" you can recognize them by their $300 bat? the team is playing states and some regionals? but every coach is there coaching the team because their daughters plays on the team...
and i don't think she has to strike everyone out? the defense should make the plays? did i mention in the game that she had 18 k's? we lost !!! 1-0? 1 walk,1 ground ball,error...i don't relly have a problem with going down the middle when she's overpowering the 10u batter? it's when the $300 bats get in there, and they're on her fastball? down the middle is gonna get the pitcher hurt.....(pitching coaches say"never throw down the middle?,head coach calls 'em all down the middle?) which coach does she listen too?
- Oct 3, 2009
- 372
- 18
Ok I know the contradictions of this thread were throwing me as well, but now I think I get it and have a solution. When pitching to girls with bats that cost:
1) $75 or less: Throw the fb down the middle. Not even sure what a fb is, peel drop with less peel? But I digress.
2)$75-$150: Still primarily fb down the middle mix in the changeup especially if the bat is toward the upper end of this range
3) $150-$250: Ok now we throw the fb to the corners and really peel the peel drop. And do NOT forget the changeup. Even if the opposing coach screams "Watch the changeup!"
4) $250+: Ok here is where we take everything we learned from the best pitching coaches all winter and ignore the guy who has put in all his time organizing and running the team. We throw to corners, changing speeds. Another approach I have seen is intentionally walking anybody with a $175+ bat with a base open.
Hope this helps.
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What if we got the bat on sale?
That was a pretty funny post Andy.
I can identify with GVM though. Some of these 10 year olds can really crush the ball. It's gets scarry for your kid at 35'. My dd was 9 last year. pitching much better than an average 10u but there was a regional travel team of 10u's where they had many kids over 5' 2and 130 lbs and they could crush. I remember throwing "in" on one of their big girls at 2-1 and her jumping out. I said to myself hmmmmm we're throwing in again. Their base coach said something to the girl. She stepped out intentionally and crushed it. I wouldn't want to throw down the middle to that girl.
