When to teach a new pitch?

[luvsb]

I am a bucket Dad like most of you. I have been working with my 14 yr old dd since she was 8. She works with a PC regularly. At the start of each off season , if there is such a thing, we talk to our PC on what to work on during the winter. My thought is to make sure she can throw each type of pitch with good consistency before she learns a new pitch. She throws a 55 mph fastball to each quadrant and a flip cu to all spots. We are working on the Roll over drop presently and should be game ready this spring. Am I slowing her down with this method? I have been reading a lot of the post and seeing 10 yr olds with 3 or 4 different pitches. Just wondering what your thoughts are on this. When is the right time to learn a new pitch?

 

[bobbyb]

My dd was late to compared to what you read on here...in learning breaking pitches. She was learning drop and curve at 13...drop was useful. Drop became useful for her 14th year..and we kept practicing curve. It became useful the following year.

At 15 she could do both and we practiced rise and screw full pitching. Both of those were useful this year with the other pitches. We have to go back and correct the change up now.

She practiced ALL pitching spins as part of warm up each of those years...on one knee or from a bucket into her own glove and still does this each workout.

As she got better with different spins she would do each from the 12:00 position as a warm up.

With your dd's speed...I might would continue the drop and introduce at least the rise now.
Then curve/screw last....just my opinion.
I would want to be at least working on spins into glove and/or from 12:00.
It makes it fun.
Best of luck to her!

 

[Jojo]

I introduce a new pitch when mechanics are reasonably sound, and the pitches they are throwing are 50% +accurate/effective, and are being thrown in games with satisfactory results.
I will start 12u's on rise spins, because I like them to start early on just spinning the rise.

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

Great point Jojo about just learning the spin for a pitch. I begin to understand whay the crazy daddies say "DD has 6 pitches"! DD is actually learning how to spin for 6 pitches and someday in the future she will perfect 1 or 2 of them.

 

[joemcq51]

If she is a 14U that throws mid 50's in all locations, has a change up and can make the drop move, you are in great shape. I would introduce another pitch soon. Like you have read, the pitches may not work yet, but getting the release down is a big step in learning new pitches. I have heard times like 2 years on the rise, 1 year on the curve and screw. I don't know how accurate they are. Put them in now. It will at the least give your dd something new to spice up practice sessions a few days a week.

 

[curiousgeorge]

Yeah, by soon, I think I would make that now. The screw can be learned in about 3-6 months, the curve and rise a year.

The rise is easier than the curve. Why it might be considered hard is the tendency to tuck the first knuckle or curl the first finger, plus the modern thought that the rise is not rising so wait until you throw 60.
.

Rise takes a year? And is easier than a curve? WOW Screwball... I should send my daughter to you for lessons then. We've been taught (from Hillhouse) the exact opposite.

 

[NVfishing]

I think you start them on a new pitch as soon as they are comfortable throwing what ever your working on. My oldest daughter started working on other pitches later than she should of and it hurt her. I've changed with my youngest girl and she is more comfortable trying a new pitch in a game. It's ok to fail in the beginning/not be perfect. The more they experience change the easier it will be for them in the long run. We are going to work a lot on my daughters change this year. Every time she's two up I want her throwing a change. Then it's about refinement of what she knows.

 

[DOG310]

Amen, Screwball! Very painful to watch as a pitcher's dad.

 

[NVfishing]

In my daughters case I'm not concerned if people know or not. She is at a learning stage and she will be turning eight. The fact she can throw a change is the important part. She is still playing U-8. I want her very comfortable throwing it when she moves up next year. Probably will have her throwing a few of them to start a series also. I had her throw a few last year just so she felt ok with it. I don't care if they are thrown for strikes yet. Plus most of the girls she pitches to haven't seen a different pitch.

My daughter is still experimenting with her style and trying to find what feels comfortable with her motion from the rubber. I love when she throws strikes but we have years of softball ahead. The important part is her having fun and developing at the same time.