# of pitches/speed for 12u

[SoftballMom2]

Hello all,
My just turned 12 year old DD pitcher has been pitching 2+ years, started with PC at 10. This is her 2nd year pitching TB, she pitched 10u last year and this is first year 12u TB A. She pitches low 50s in practice but I'm guessing 48-50 in games and is usually very effective hitting spots. Usually gets at least 5Ks a game and gives up very few hits, usually 1 or 2 BB, occasionally more. My question is should she be learning movement pitches yet or keep refining mechanics to increase her speed and spin? She has not yet gotten her period so she is still growing and developing.
A lot of other pitchers her age talk about their drop, screw, etc and my DD really only throws a FB, change and what she refers to as an off-speed. Seems to struggle with the change so uses the off-speed( fastball grip with tucked finger or 2) and 2 seam to change up speed. She has experimented with a drop/curve but doesn't throw it in games-Im a bit nervous about the turning/torqueing of the wrist and she doesn't feel she can throw it on command. She likes PC but Im wondering if she should be further along at this point?? Shouldn't she have a drop?
Sorry for the lengthy post...

 

[crystlemc]

If she releases her fastball a little sooner, she will have a serviceable drop.

 

[chinamigarden]

Some kids talk about unicorns too, doesn't mean they really have them. Your dd sounds to be on track. At 12 she should be concentrating on mastering her pitches, if she can hit her spots on a regular basis with her FB and CU then she should start to work on a peel drop, no torqueing of the wrist in a peel so you don't have your worry, plus she will end up with a pitch she will use for the rest of her pitching career. But first get her confident in that CU.

 

[humpty]

Master the changeup first. Then add a pitch. Fb,cu,drop is a normal progression.

 

[coach james]

If she releases her fastball a little sooner, she will have a serviceable drop.

Exactly... a drop ball is nothing more than a fb released earlier, the fingers will peel off the ball a little more to keep the ball out of the dirt... if her timing is a touch late on a drop... then its a fb! Easy fix to a new movement pitch! Good luck

 

[softballmom77]

sounds like your PC knows what she is doing!

1. Don't worry about what other pitchers are doing
**girls progress differently**

Just because they say they have all these pitches, doesnt mean they really have all those pitches and can throw them effectively.

My DD is 14 and is just now learning her screw...her pitching coach will not teach a new pitch till she could without a doubt hit her spots on the FB, CU, and Drop. She can place the ball exactly where she tells her too and do it over and over!

I want to see those other 1st year 12u's do that with all their "pitches".........JMO!

Tell her to stay focused and practice practice practice.

Because I guarantee when she's not practicing, another little girl is

 

[SoftballMom2]

Thank you!!! I guess I need to stop second guessing. I'll just keep catching for her while she keeps working the CU so she feels 100% with it. And see what happens with the drop My DD does practice a lot and because she moved up to 12u on a team with 2 returning older pitchers, she knew she would have to work hard to prove herself and get some time....she is now the #1 pitcher so she keeps working so she continues to be the pitcher her coach puts in in tough games. She WANTS to pitch the tough games against the better teams w/ great batters

 

[jdp29]

My daughter just turned 12 as well. Her coach introduced several pitches to her over the last year. We work on them a little at a time and because she was introduced to them, it gives her some room to play around in practice. Prior to this, it was all focus on FB, CU and hitting spots which she can do better than most in her age group. Now we are playing with the drop and a great knuckle change. I say your on the right track, but I say introduce them to several pitches toward the end of 10/u. You never know which one they just pick up real quick. Your daughter has above average speed, and accuracy. I say start working heavy on the CU and then on a couple more pitches so she can experiemnt.

 

[X pitcher]

There is a little more than the release point being the difference in a fastball and a peel drop. A fastball is a bad peel drop that doesn't drop, because of a grip that restricts forward spin. There isn't really supposed to be a fastball in FP, but there is because of a wrong grip. Some day I'll learn how to post pictures of the best peel drop grip on here. It is just a matter of the right thumb position.

 

[chinamigarden]

There is a little more than the release point being the difference in a fastball and a peel drop. A fastball is a bad peel drop that doesn't drop, because of a grip that restricts forward spin. There isn't really supposed to be a fastball in FP, but there is because of a wrong grip. Some day I'll learn how to post pictures of the best peel drop grip on here. It is just a matter of the right thumb position.

Have you seen the model grips thread, it is a sticky thread at the top of the pitching page. Take a look there and let us know if your preferred peel grip is already posted.