Pitching in practice vs games (trying to hard killing her pitch speed)

[robinh]

My 14yo DD has been practicing pitching for about three years but has only pitched a dozen or so innings in games. She loves to practice and has a good changeup and a decent peel drop to go along with her fastball. this fall she starts HS and the JV coach told her this summer during the travel season (he came to most of the tournaments to watch the girls) that she would be one of two pitchers on the JV team this fall. Not because he was so impressed with her - she only pitched one inning during the travel season and did ok but not spectacular. Basically, unless someone transfers in this fall she is one of only two girls that will be on JV that have ever pitched.

Here's the problem we haven't figured out how to solve. when just she and I go out into the back yard to pitch, I see a completely different pitcher than in team practices or games. I know guessing pitch speeds is wildly speculative, so I won't try, but when it's just us and she is relaxed, her pitches are dramatically faster. Night and day difference. Not only that, she looks different when she's just having fun. Everything about her pitching motion is faster and more fluid and seems almost effortless. As soon as there is any pressure, like in a game or a coach is watching, or even if she is trying to work on something specific in her mechanics, everything slows down and it looks like she is having to try too hard to pitch, if that makes any sense.

She's very aware of this and she has tried to relax and pitch without trying or thinking, but has had no success. Last night I tried an experiment. It was the first time she had pitched since the end of travel season three weeks ago, and she was really bringing the heat. The fastest I have ever seen her pitch. Without telling her why, I took a break and went in and got my wife. When we got back out I told her (in DDs presence) to watch how fast DD was pitching. I made kind of a big deal out if. I wanted to see if performing just in front of her mom, would change anything. Sure enough, she looked more tense, and the pitches slowed way down. When DD realized what had happened she tried really hard to relax and some of the speed came back, but not all of it. Even after my wife went back in the house, she never completely returned to the effortless form she had at the beginning of the evening when she was just pitching for pure fun and not even thinking about it.

I know this is a psychological thing, but I don't know how to fix it. If she had pitched 30 or 40 innings over the past couple of years I think she might have gotten past it, but she's always been on teams with multiple very experienced pitchers and hasn't had the chance. It's very frustrating for me to see glimpses of exceptional ability, only to see it disappear when it counts for something.

any ideas?

 

[sluggers]

My 14yo DD has been practicing pitching for about three years but has only pitched a dozen or so innings in games.

Does that include travel ball?

Are you sure she has good control? During a game, a pitcher has to adjust the location of the ball to the umpire and the batters strike zone. So, simply being able to throw the ball over the plate isn't enough. She has to be able to place the ball at different locations around the plate.

Additionally, not everyone is meant to be a pitcher. To be a pitcher, she has to love the pressure and the spotlight.

 

[chinamigarden]

I have noticed that my dds pitching always looks faster from the catchers perspective then it does from the side. When catching I tend to see the ball and my mind does that quick calculation of where it is going and it seems to go straight into the mitt. From the side I see the arc, so it appears slower. At 14 my dd had gained enough speed where I could not really look much at her form or her fluidity, because if my eyes were watching her too much, the ball would kill me.

So maybe its not as bad as you think, it might be a little of both, you seeing it from a different angle and your dd might have a little stage fright when pitching in front of other people. The best way to fix this is probably to just have her pitch more in games.

 

[robinh]

Thanks for the replies!

Yes that includes travel ball, most of her pitching has been in rec. As far as her wanting to pitch, she loves the pressure and absolutely wants to pitch. She places the the ball very well, and she studies the opposing batters all the time, even when there's no chance she'll be pitching. She always knows what each hitter likes to swing at and what they have a hard time hitting.
The one inning she pitched during this travel season she was put with virtually no notice during a game in which the the starting pitcher had given up 8 runs in the first two innings and the backup pitcher gave up another four in the third. She came in in the fourth and only gave up one hit. She did walk the first batter she faced, I think because she only had five minutes to warm up and it took her a few pitches to find her rhythm. But after that first batter she placed her pitches really well, really worked the corners and the bottom of the strike zone, and only allowed one hit. She loved it and was really excited to get back out there but the time limit came up before the next inning. But I wonder if the other team would have started hitting her pretty hard once they had a chance to see her and adjust to her slower speed. The five girls she pitched to were way off on their timing, and only the one was able to make the adjustment, but that's not going to work for a whole game against good hitters.

As far as the speed difference in practice, it's definitely not just perception, the difference is dramatic. I've caught for her during team practices too, so I can see the slowdown there from the catcher's position. She's very much a perfectionist and can't stand the thought of throwing a wild pitch in front of her coach, or walking a batter in a game, so I think she just tries to pitch too carefully. I agree more games will help, I'm just hoping to find some way to work on it during the off season. There doesn't seem to be any sports psychologists in our neck of the woods that I can call on. (No pitching instructors for that matter)

 

[chinamigarden]

You have to get it out of her head that a ball is a failed pitch. A college coach once told my dd that her goal should be 50% strikes, and to get the batter to chase outside the strike zone.

A wild pitch is something that is going to happen as she is learning.

Do you call balls and strikes during practices? Make her pitch with a count, you call them after each pitch. It puts a little pressure on her and forces her to deal with a 3-1 count. We did this. I would keep track of each at bat and we would pitch an inning at a time. If she got 3 strikes before she got 4 balls it was an out. If she got 4 balls before 3 called strikes it was a runner on first.. Eventually you count out runs. "its 2-2, 2 outs bases are loaded and there are 2 runs in." Give the situation before each pitch or at least before each "batter" It introduces a little pressure into each practice. Another one we did was 20 pitch innings, with a running count. Before each pitch I would say how many balls and how many strikes there were in the 20 pitch "inning" i.e. the count is 5-12.

One other training tip we used to learn how to pitch under pressure was something called. "Pitch and Fetch" I didn't throw the ball back to her, she had to run to me, take the ball, run back to the pitcher plate and pitch. Repeat 10-20 times (more or less depending on her fitness). Keep a running count. The purpose for this is to force her to pitch with her heart beating faster, with her breathing faster, her palms sweaty... All conditions that stress can bring on. Concentrate on form, she still has to use her normal pitching routine and keep her form good, its not a race, its just a way of creating a little stress.

 

[robinh]

Thanks! I have called pitches and created scenarios in the past, but I haven't done that in a while. I will also try the pitch and fetch drill, that sounds very promising!

 

[CoachFP]

I'll tell you, if you have to do all of those things to try to get her to throw like she does when nobody's around, she probably isn't pitching material.

 

[robinh]

Maybe, but it's what she has a passion for and I'm going to do everything I can to help her be successful. If not then that's the way it is, she's a great infielder and switch hitter (hit over .400 in travel ball this season), but I'm not going to tell her she doesn't have what it takes to be a pitcher, especially when I've seen the way she can pitch.

 

[Kaizen]

It is very common for people to be nervous when performing in front of an audience for the first few times. It applies to any type of performance, not just pitching (speaking in front of a classroom, etc.). With more experience, I think she will feel more relaxed and be able to perform up to her capabilities.

I have seen the same thing with a few pitchers I have coached. At first, it seems like they were trying not to make mistakes and their velocity in games was noticeably slower than in practice. But they grew out of it after enough game experience in the circle.

 

[quincy]

DD’s spring team had a few pitchers that seemed to be more worried about their parents then the crowd, batter or anything else.

One parent immediately went behind the backstop when their DD was pitching. Poor player appeared more worried about the parent then the game, hard to believe she did not pitch well.

Another parent paced back and forth worried, players notice.

I would crack a beer and start drinking when my DD pitches but I think it would be frowned on. There is way too may rules in youth sports.

Sounds like you are involved a lot which is absolutely great but I would try to minimize your involvement when possible. Even trying to minimize it you are still going to be the most involved person besides your DD. Try to have different people catch her. Ignore her when she is practicing with someone else, she knows where you are at. I am sure I am not saying this correctly but hopefully what I am trying to say make sense.