I agree with the too many pitchers concept entirely. My older daughter pitched from 4th grade through 8th grade. She took lessons, worked hard, was a good HS pitcher at the Freshman level but it became clear it wasn't natural for her. She had a mechanical issues we had trouble resolving and it simply wasn't going to work out. I could tell that after 6th grade and suggested that if she wanted to play at a higher level, she continue working on her hitting/fielding. Fortunately for her, she could hit and she understood and kept the same work ethic. She's very close to signing to play DII centerfield. My younger one is 13 and everything looked more natural. She looked more natural at 10 than the older one did. She throw's low 50's with movement and a good change. Yet, I still tell her every year we have to keep her hitting/fielding up because you just don't know. I think she's on track but I saw so many girls pitching this year at high level recruiting tournaments in the northeast that should have stopped pitching 3 years ago. Sometimes I was afraid for them.
elite pitchers inter. rotation or not
- Thread starter durwood
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Yes, too many kids (and parents) spending too much time, energy and money pursuing something that they will never excel in. It is so very difficult to make people understand that a particular pitcher’s potential is limited, and just hard to get them to stop coming to lessons and to stop pitching.
The internal rotation thread has been very instructive and has clarified some things for me in my instruction, but basicly those who have it in their genes to pitch seem to internally rotate without a lot of fanfare and "catch on" to other essential techniques, eventually progressing to a higher level. The same goes for other athletic (and non-athletic) endeavors. In my martial arts experience, there were some individuals who could execute punches, kicks, etc in a natural and fluid manner with no martial arts background and a minimum of instruction. There were others who spent years in the art and still could not punch hard enough to hurt anything. The technique instruction was correct, they just lacked aptitude. (All kinds of internal rotation goes on in a straight punch, by the way). And so it is in pitching.
The internal rotation thread has been very instructive and has clarified some things for me in my instruction, but basicly those who have it in their genes to pitch seem to internally rotate without a lot of fanfare and "catch on" to other essential techniques, eventually progressing to a higher level. The same goes for other athletic (and non-athletic) endeavors. In my martial arts experience, there were some individuals who could execute punches, kicks, etc in a natural and fluid manner with no martial arts background and a minimum of instruction. There were others who spent years in the art and still could not punch hard enough to hurt anything. The technique instruction was correct, they just lacked aptitude. (All kinds of internal rotation goes on in a straight punch, by the way). And so it is in pitching.
Agree entirely. At lower levels as a coach you're thankful for a pitcher that can get it over the plate but as they get older and the ranks start to thin themselves out the pitchers that were just good need to reinvent themselves as a position player. As a middle school and travel coach it is hard sometimes to tell your starting 8th grade pitcher that just had a good school and summer season that she needs to keep working on other positions because she may not be the one pitching next year in HS and 16U travel. The pitchers that are really good will be the starters and softball teams just don't need the number of pitchers as a baseball team needs. One or two really great pitchers will take a team to state or tourney titles.
