Pitching velo

[_MIA_]

Don't put too much into genetics. I'm a firm believer that proper work generally overcomes genetics.

Wow..cellular structure change due to continuous muscle recruitment. Sounds like a breakthrough in biomechanics research which you should publish..I should have combed my hair more when I was a kid..maybe it would stayed on my head.

 

[Tango]

Mechanics are (almost) everything. My DD was a HS senior before she hit 60, cruised around 57-58. Now has just finished her senior year at a D3. This year she hit 65. Cruises around 60-62. She still has 2 years from covid if she wants them. Don't know if she'll get measurably faster; she's 5'4". To go with the speed has come a little less control. Every time you make one improvement here there's usually another adjustment somewhere else.

Her big jump in speed was from about 56 to 60 due to finally getting the whip right from internal rotation. Had a major negative impact on her change up. Her college coach has helped a lot getting her more speed, and also worked with a new changeup which really kicked in half way through this season. After a rough start to the season she finished very well. Her coach said her latest jump in speed was some mechanical, but also a lot of work n the weight room in the off-season.

If I were to offer some words to your DD, they'd go something like this: You're fast enough to pitch in college. Keep chasing speed, but don't downplay spins and spots. Trust the work. Trust the process. Get a second or third opinion from other coaches; try some camps/clinics where you can get input from several coaches in a weekend. Don't put too much into genetics. I'm a firm believer that proper work generally overcomes genetics. Be mechanically sound and continue hitting the weights. Don't forget proper rest. Longball is BIG, don't neglect. Everything is a constant adjustment. Dream big, but manage expectations. (I've heard more than one D1 coach say they won't look at a pitcher shorter than 5'10". I haven't found it universally true, but mostly so, at least from my experience.) More than anything, love the game. And finally, as far as college goes, you pretty much have three things you can love: the college, your major, and your team. If you love two out of three, you should be fine.

My DD has committed to a JUCO and is a junior. She is only 5.3 and is mid 50's. I know she will never throw gas but want as much as possible but worried I will mess up her change which is elite. She has some resistance issues and doesn't get a great stretch.

 

[PharmerBrown]

And, you know, as pattar said, genetics.

For some reason, with softball pitchers especially, there seems to be this idea that anybody can throw x speed by just doing everything right. But as with anything athletic, we all have our physical ceilings. I don't know what that number is, but some girls, no matter what they do, just cannot and will not throw 60 mph. The same way some baseball pitchers are going to top out at 90 or 85 or 80.

We don't look at high school pitchers in baseball and just assume they'd all be throwing 88 if only they did a, b, and c. Why do we do that with HS girls?

I don't say all that to discourage the OP or anybody else, but if you're not seeing any significant mechanical issues, it's likely she's close to being maxed out from a velocity standpoint. And that's fine! She can still be great if she has multiple pitches she can locate. She can still be great if she is mentally tough enough to pitch in big games. She can still be great if she's consistent and reliable.

And to be honest, if we posted video of most P5 pitchers, we'd find 5 things that are keeping them from reaching their "potential".

 

[_MIA_]

And, you know, as pattar said, genetics.

For some reason, with softball pitchers especially, there seems to be this idea that anybody can throw x speed by just doing everything right. But as with anything athletic, we all have our physical ceilings. I don't know what that number is, but some girls, no matter what they do, just cannot and will not throw 60 mph. The same way some baseball pitchers are going to top out at 90 or 85 or 80.

We don't look at high school pitchers in baseball and just assume they'd all be throwing 88 if only they did a, b, and c. Why do we do that with HS girls?

I don't say all that to discourage the OP or anybody else, but if you're not seeing any significant mechanical issues, it's likely she's close to being maxed out from a velocity standpoint. And that's fine! She can still be great if she has multiple pitches she can locate. She can still be great if she is mentally tough enough to pitch in big games. She can still be great if she's consistent and reliable.

It’s the you can accomplish anything with hard work narrative. What you can accomplish with hard work is the satisfaction that you did all you could to do to be the best you can be…and that should be good enough. I wish that I had realized this when I was playing, it would have caused me to be a lot happier playing a silly game..

 

[Bonesaw]

And, you know, as pattar said, genetics.

For some reason, with softball pitchers especially, there seems to be this idea that anybody can throw x speed by just doing everything right. But as with anything athletic, we all have our physical ceilings. I don't know what that number is, but some girls, no matter what they do, just cannot and will not throw 60 mph. The same way some baseball pitchers are going to top out at 90 or 85 or 80.

We don't look at high school pitchers in baseball and just assume they'd all be throwing 88 if only they did a, b, and c. Why do we do that with HS girls?

I don't say all that to discourage the OP or anybody else, but if you're not seeing any significant mechanical issues, it's likely she's close to being maxed out from a velocity standpoint. And that's fine! She can still be great if she has multiple pitches she can locate. She can still be great if she is mentally tough enough to pitch in big games. She can still be great if she's consistent and reliable.

I don't know I think it's been proven in baseball over the last 20 years or so that you can definitely improve velocity. Trevor Bauer is a pretty good example. Or alot of the post-pubescent high schoolers(on youtube) who go from high 70's or low 80's to mid 90's by training their asses off with tread or driveline. I think there is alot of meat on the bone in the softball world in regards to underhand throwing mechanics.

EDIT: I meant to quote @pattar there but I'm 1000000% sure he'll read this anyways.

 

[_MIA_]

EDIT: I meant to quote @pattar there but I'm 1000000% sure he'll read this anyways.]

Clever way of trying to get me to ignore a dumbass post that didn’t actually dispel anything I said..Unfortunately for you I don’t give a rat’s as* about your opinion on my time spent on here.

 

[Bonesaw]

Clever way of trying to get me to ignore a dumbass post that didn’t actually dispel anything I said..Unfortunately for you I don’t give a rat’s as* about your opinion on my time spent on here.

Relax buddy. Like you, I read (close) to everything on these boards. And I think you are a smart person(even after reading about all your endeavors at the fields HAHA)


I just think you're missing a little bit since your dd doesn't pitch. There is definitely mechanics/training to be taught in regards to velo for softball. It's just a little slower to bear fruit in softball since there's not a billion dollar industry behind it(yet).

 

[Tazman]

This is a warning to all dads.. only use a coach that measures speed. If they aint getting faster... change PCs.

Technique always trumps muscle.

And don't let anyone fool you.. it's all about speed.

In response to this last sentence. No it's not. It's about speed, spin, spots. If you want to see some very long balls, bring a pitcher in that has the first without the others and as soon as you face a decent team at 14U, she'll get hammered. There are countless threads debating which one is more important but to argue it's speed alone is naive. I'll take a kid that can spin it and spot it all day with or without elite speed. Is there a minimum speed threshold for the others to work, sure, but once that is reached the others become more important.

 

[Fury_Mike]

I think before you accept things as they are, you need to accurately assess a pitcher's physical limitations and mechanical issues. Through a comprehensive assessment process, identify the exact areas where improvement is needed. This is not limited to strength, as things like flexibility, range of motion come in to play. In short, identify what she physically can't do and develop a program to address them. I had one of my pitchers that was averaging 61.3, and after a 10 week designed program, is now averaging 64.5.

 

[_MIA_]

There is definitely mechanics/training to be taught in regards to velo for softball.

When did I say otherwise? That is what I meant by dumbass . I never said you couldn’t improve velo with mechanics..heck I am trying to do that with DD’s OH throw and it was the first thing on my list in my first post in this thread. All I am saying is that everybody has a ceiling..that shouldn’t be a controversial statement.

Many (most?) people never actually reach that ceiling. If somebody does then to me that is the ultimate compliment..they have done all they can do to reach their potential and that is all you can ask from anybody in anything, athletics or otherwise.