Turning a corner?

[corlay]

Maybe pitching is like the theory of evolution (sorry Creationists!), where major leaps in development happen suddenly, rather than cosistiently/gradually over time?

My 9U DD is exhibiting a significantly improved velocity/accuracy over our last few practice sessions during the past week, after a summer of mild improvement but essentially "stagnation".

She seems to have gained a heightened "body awareness", where if she makes a form and/or timing error, she immediately comments "I felt that" and then describes the breakdown. Next pitch is always "corrected", it seems.

I used to grab a 1/2 dozen balls for practice, to keep beside me so we could keep momentum and I wouldn't have to chase-down the errant pitches that sailed out-of-bounds. The last couple sessions we only needed a single ball - everything she threw was right around the zone. And her demeanor remained upbeat and positive the whole time - never even a hint of frustration.

Maybe there was "environmental impetus" to elicit the change? She has transitioned from 10u/35'/11" to 12u/40'/12" in the past few weeks. Throws the "big ball" with equal velocity, but larger surface area + 5' extra feet allow for movement! FB now drops noticeably, and CU "wanders" erratically at times. And all with noticably improved control. Hard to explain. Has only been working out 2x, maybe 3x/week vs. the ~5x she was doing during summer 10u travel.

For those who have witnessed their own DD's development from beginner to accomplished - is this how it goes?
Pretty neat...

 

[nanotech14]

She may have some set backs, but stay positive and her hard work will payoff. Her becoming aware of her body and how to correct, her issues is a big step. Good luck to her.

 

[JJsqueeze]

My experience is the same. It's definitely not linear. We can go weeks with regression and stagnation and then something will click and she makes a big step forward.

 

[Phathead]

Sure wish we could get to the end of the street and turn the corner. Hope the GPS is on. I will say that she is upbeat and working.

 

[Ken B]

Congrats! Those milestone/lightbulb moments are awesome! Even better when they can self-correct. My absolute, favorite moment is when they start coaching each other! That is golden.

 

[RubberBiscuit]

If you can map out the crisscrossing physical and mental ups and downs of a teenage girl through ages 8-18 and make a general statement about these young ladies progress that makes it easier to coach them you will have solved one of the worlds major mysteries for us "clueless" males......

Bottom line is I have seen no discernible pattern in DD's performance over the 12 years except for those that included major growth spurts or major advances in physicality or major confidence-building moments in that season.

It's a rollercoaster - hold on tight.... Watch the movie Parenthood with Steve Martin. Great movie. Especially towards the end when grandma talks about why she loves the rollercoaster then Steve Martin has an "ah-ha" moment at the end and starts to accept the joys of the rollercoaster after fighting the experience..... Really fits.

 

[Madsdad]

Agree with the ups and downs. What I have always told my daughter was this, "you will have ups and downs, the ups are always higher while the lows aren't nearly as low" In the end, there is always improvement. On the bad days it is fun to reminisce about when pitches were going over fences, it puts things in perspective and brings back memories. Hold on to your shorts, its a wild ride

 

[Classof2020]

We are always picking something apart and working on it which can make you forget some of the other areas where we've had progress. So your post has been a good reminder to sit and remember all the many things that have improved so much. Instead of fretting that he change-up has looked like a rainbow for a few weeks it's nice to think about the fact that the catcher doesn't have to jump up to snag an errant fast ball a couple times an inning, or that her arm circle looks good and isn't going off across her body, and her drop ball actually drops most of the time now. With so many things to work on as a pitcher and as a player it can become hard to see the forest through the trees . . . is that the right saying?

Glad you guys have had some breakthroughs!!

 

[fastbat1]

I agree....sometimes it seems that my dd is stuck in the same place for awhile than BOOM, it all comes together!! I tell her "its not where you are at right now but its where you are going". I admit I even have to tell myself that from time to time. LOL!! I remember when she was 8 yrs old and walked up to me and said "can you teach me how to pitch"? And never pitching a strike for what seemed like forever. I still remember her first strike out and the smile on her face. Than thinking all the hard work is paying off. I remember her first tournment championship win and how proud she was of herself, her team and how proud I was of her. I remember tearing up as my daughter took the field and pitched in the ASA USA 10u Nationals this past summer. So proud of her and thinking how lucky she was to be there, but a the sametime knowing she earned it through all of her hard work. So when the going gets rough remind them how far they have come and what got them there!!!!

 

[corlay]

Update: had another brief (~20min) session last night, and was just as impressive. If this is the new "plateau", I think we can comfortably "stagnate" here for a while just fine. I'm impressed.

One thing of note: During the past 3 weeks or so, her consistency and command of the "I/R drills": 1.) bat drill, 2.) 9:00 Palm to sky, 3.) 12:00 show the ball have improved dramatically. The improvement with drills seems to have been slow and measured, in contrast. But I'm sure this is a major contributor to her sudden uptick in speed/confidence/control.

First pitching lesson with new PC tonight!
Excited...