Types of pitches

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sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,133
113
Dallas, Texas
Control is everything. Good batters don't hit drops, rises, fastballs, or changeups...they hit mistakes. If a pitch is over the middle of the plate, it doesn't matter how much a ball moved up, down or sideways before it got there...it is going over the fence.

If your DD can't control the pitch 99.5% of the time, she doesn't know how to throw the pitch. The only way a teenager can get that kind of control is to focus on *ONE* movement pitch. (Osterman is about the only pitcher I've seen with multiple movement pitches...but, I wouldn't count on your kid being another Osterman.)

If a kid starts to learning two or three movement pitches, she will have two or three mediocre movement pitches. Mediocre movement doesn't work in college.

This is a video of one of @Hillhouse students. She throws a rise and fastball throughout the whole game, with a changeup thrown in every once in a while.

Look at this kid's control...she found the edge of the ump's strike zone early in the game, and then she stays right at the edge throughout the whole game.

 
Apr 28, 2019
1,423
83
If you were developing a young pitcher (10-U) for the long haul, how many types of pitches would you have them learn (master) and which ones?

Edit: This is pitches to be learned over their entire pitching career, not immediately,

Fastball, change-up, curve are must haves IMO. I also like the drop then rise if girl has 1st 3 pitches locked down.
Three pitches are great and many pitchers have success with just three pitches.
I like the idea of being able to “show” a rise or a drop on occasion to keep the batters honest and give them a little more to think about.
Don’t have to necessarily master the drop/rise but just be competent enough to throw once in a while.
 
Apr 28, 2019
1,423
83
Control is everything. Good batters don't hit drops, rises, fastballs, or changeups...they hit mistakes. If a pitch is over the middle of the plate, it doesn't matter how much a ball moved up, down or sideways before it got there...it is going over the fence.

If your DD can't control the pitch 99.5% of the time, she doesn't know how to throw the pitch. The only way a teenager can get that kind of control is to focus on *ONE* movement pitch. (Osterman is about the only pitcher I've seen with multiple movement pitches...but, I wouldn't count on your kid being another Osterman.)

If a kid starts to learning two or three movement pitches, she will have two or three mediocre movement pitches. Mediocre movement doesn't work in college.

This is a video of one of @Hillhouse students. She throws a rise and fastball throughout the whole game, with a changeup thrown in every once in a while.

Look at this kid's control...she found the edge of the ump's strike zone early in the game, and then she stays right at the edge throughout the whole game.


Control is everything. Good batters don't hit drops, rises, fastballs, or changeups...they hit mistakes. If a pitch is over the middle of the plate, it doesn't matter how much a ball moved up, down or sideways before it got there...it is going over the fence.

If your DD can't control the pitch 99.5% of the time, she doesn't know how to throw the pitch. The only way a teenager can get that kind of control is to focus on *ONE* movement pitch. (Osterman is about the only pitcher I've seen with multiple movement pitches...but, I wouldn't count on your kid being another Osterman.)

If a kid starts to learning two or three movement pitches, she will have two or three mediocre movement pitches. Mediocre movement doesn't work in college.

This is a video of one of @Hillhouse students. She throws a rise and fastball throughout the whole game, with a changeup thrown in every once in a while.

Look at this kid's control...she found the edge of the ump's strike zone early in the game, and then she stays right at the edge throughout the whole game.



I like the Athletics pitcher much better than Impact pitcher. The A’s pitcher looks like the smaller of the two but uses her entire body to be more explosive than the Impact pitcher.

I don’t care what the A’s pitcher is throwing she is painting the corners and mixing in off-speed stuff just enough to make them effective.
 
Feb 15, 2017
920
63
According to my daughter's pitching coach, the must haves are pitches that look the same until about three feet from the plate, and be able to throw those in at least two different speeds.

Two main pitches are fastball, changeup, and working on a drop that slightly tails in to the right handed batter. She's not super fast (2nd year 12u) but can throw all three at different speeds. They play up quite a bit and the differences in speeds are very effective

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 
Jul 31, 2019
495
43
Sluggers is Spot On! Location is king. FB, change. I don’t recommend doing pitches until they are 13 ish so they can physically handle them without getting hurt. move on only once they have mastered locating FB and change, then next best pitches are those that move up or down (drop, rise)

try and throw them so they all look the same.
 
May 15, 2008
1,913
113
Cape Cod Mass.
Every pitcher is different, it's impossible to predict which pitches she will end up throwing, When she gets big enough physically (about 13 yrs) to hold the ball in her fingers she should start experimenting with different grips and releases to produce movement. Then pick the pitches she throws the best and focus on perfecting them.
 
Jul 31, 2019
495
43
Every pitcher is different, it's impossible to predict which pitches she will end up throwing, When she gets big enough physically (about 13 yrs) to hold the ball in her fingers she should start experimenting with different grips and releases to produce movement. Then pick the pitches she throws the best and focus on perfecting them.
Do you agree that there is injury risk with teaching spin pitches to younger kids?
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
Do you agree that there is injury risk with teaching spin pitches to younger kids?

I know this wasn't asked of me personally but I have cabin fever, I'm bored and so I'm answering too.

I'd say the answer is yes, no and maybe. Since I don't believe the mechanics of pitching should change pitch to pitch, I don't think anyone is more likely to have an injury throwing one pitch or another. THAT SAID, the way some of these young ladies are being taught??? OMG. They need to be circus freaks to contort their bodies the way some of these coaches want. "Step this way for this pitch, that way for that pitch, shorter on this pitch, longer on this one". WOW. I think THAT causes more injury than pitches themselves.
Not to mention, how can a pitcher get or stay in a rhythm when they are constantly changing what they do ever other pitch? It's insanity to me.

Bill
 
May 15, 2008
1,913
113
Cape Cod Mass.
Do you agree that there is injury risk with teaching spin pitches to younger kids?

I have never had a pitcher suffer an injury with a spin pitch. I have had complaints about soreness in the back of the shoulder while learning the changeup. That happens when they incorrectly try to brake their arm speed at release.

What do you mean by 'younger'. I won't teach the curve until I think they are big enough and strong enough to hold onto the ball with the correct grip and not have it slip out.. Have you had any issues with the girls you teach?

I find that the older girls are the ones I have to keep an eye on because they have typically developed the mechanics to throw harder, generating more force in their muscles and joints. Because of this I have, on occasion, abandoned pitches or modified my method with some pitchers. I am up front with my students, if it hurts, not matter how small, I want to know about it right away.
 
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