- May 17, 2012
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I would actually go the other way and suggest less pitches in the arsenal and focus on being great at just one or two pitches.
I just don't understand Ken's position on this. It's not what I am seeing in the Midwest.
How many pitches should a fastpitch pitcher have?
- Thread starter Ken Krause
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I would actually go the other way and suggest less pitches in the arsenal and focus on being great at just one or two pitches.
I just don't understand Ken's position on this. It's not what I am seeing in the Midwest.
My DD can throw a curve ball and a slow curve (slurve) just by modifying her grip. She learned that pitch after I read a post on DFP by Hal Skinner. Whatever happened to Hal, I have seen anything from him in quite awhile. Anyway, I would count that as two pitches since we have different signs for each, but DD did not have to spend a lot of time practicing to master it.
The same is true of her change up. When DD was 10U her pitching coach taught her a knuckle change up, and while we are working to perfect her circle change this season, she will still pull a knuckle ball out every once in awhile just to keep the batter off balance.
The same is true of her change up. When DD was 10U her pitching coach taught her a knuckle change up, and while we are working to perfect her circle change this season, she will still pull a knuckle ball out every once in awhile just to keep the batter off balance.
Think it is a matter of semantics. To me a pitch is defined by a unique axis of rotation. A pitch thrown at a different speed, to a different location, with a different grip, or called by a different name is not a different pitch. Maybe a different look, but not a different pitch. Otherwise it would mean that every pitcher has an infinite number of pitches.
Building on that I think that most would agree that the number of pitches claimed is largely based on intent and the observed behavior is quite different.
Building on that I think that most would agree that the number of pitches claimed is largely based on intent and the observed behavior is quite different.
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How many pitches she has, is different then how many she should learn. A good pitcher needs 3 pitches that she has mastered (can throw up and down, in and out, mix the speeds up...) But what are the odds that the first 3 she learns are the ones she masters? Probably have to learn 6 or so to figure out which ones she does best.
