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Apr 24, 2017
1
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I have a 12yr old daughter who plays and she's decent. I'm always trying to get her out there for more practice and training. When batting practice time comes I throw to her. I grew up playing baseball year around all the way through high school and was a decent pitcher in my earlier years. Because of my years of playing I think it's allowed me to be athletic enough and adapt and throw to her underhand just like in a game. My form may be a bit funky but I'm good enough to get the ball over the plate at a decent enough pace where it's ideal for light easy BP. When I try to crank it up I'll lose accuracy and it defeats the purpose of BP. My question here for fastpitch softball coaches and players would be this: Picking up the ball as early as possible in the pitchers hand is extremely important for a batter. This is the reason I throw underhand like a normal fastpitch pitcher would when throwing to my daughter. However, if I were to throw her BP overhand, as a BASEball P would throw, for the purpose of being able to get the ball over the plate in the strike zone at a much faster pace and requiring batter to react faster and gain the eye & experience of a higher velocity pitch coming at her WOULD I BE DOING MORE HARM THAN GOOD? Would throwing overhand,although seeing more strikes, throw off her timing and ability to pick up the ball in pitchers hand before released? Last thing I want to do is ruin any timing or rhythm developed. I'm just thinking more strikes and less shagging ball 4's from backstop. How might this effect a batter when in a game and she sees underhand pitching? Any thoughts? Other than of course spend $ I don't have on pitching machines or bp pitchers needing work in the circle. Thanks for reading.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
I think learning the pitcher's individual slot is what is important and it translates from overhand to underhand pitching.

Ideally all underhand but if overhand is what it is overhand it is, better then taking speed off.

(Moving up is OK too as long as she will not kill you, you can simulate pitching speed by pitching from shorter distance)
 
Last edited:

Axe

Jul 7, 2011
459
18
Atlanta
If you look around there is actually research done in this area as it pertains to how the brain works. You have to consider the fact you can't actually see the ball all the way to the bat. You can hit it because your brain knows where and when it will be even if your eyes can't track it. That comes from reps and your brain piecing together that information. It's why softball pitchers like Jennie Finch can blow away Barry Bonds in an exhibition. His brain isn't wired that way. It's the same reason that rise balls are so effective even if they don't actually rise. All they have to do is fall less quickly than other pitches to trick the brain into thinking it is rising and swing under it.

Long winded way to say, pitch underhand.
 
Mar 29, 2017
155
18
Get a screen, move up closer to her. I used to stand about 20 ft away and throw it pretty fast underhand. It works great.
 

collinspc

Softball Dad
Apr 23, 2014
213
18
Pittsburgh PA
I set the screen up and pitch overhand from a seated position. While not being able to hit the velocity from a stretch, it is plenty fast enough and somewhat mimics the angle of a softball pitch. What ever you do, if you move closer make sure you are covered by the screen. Once they start really getting the hang of that hitting thing the balls come back fast and HARD.
 
Last edited:
Feb 20, 2015
643
0
illinois
Another vote for pitching screen. Sit on bucket and pitch underhand. Having the ball come in from a different angle overhand would do more harm than good.

Welcome to DFP.
 
Oct 19, 2009
1,827
0
I have a 12yr old daughter who plays and she's decent. I'm always trying to get her out there for more practice and training. When batting practice time comes I throw to her. I grew up playing baseball year around all the way through high school and was a decent pitcher in my earlier years. Because of my years of playing I think it's allowed me to be athletic enough and adapt and throw to her underhand just like in a game. My form may be a bit funky but I'm good enough to get the ball over the plate at a decent enough pace where it's ideal for light easy BP. When I try to crank it up I'll lose accuracy and it defeats the purpose of BP. My question here for fastpitch softball coaches and players would be this: Picking up the ball as early as possible in the pitchers hand is extremely important for a batter. This is the reason I throw underhand like a normal fastpitch pitcher would when throwing to my daughter. However, if I were to throw her BP overhand, as a BASEball P would throw, for the purpose of being able to get the ball over the plate in the strike zone at a much faster pace and requiring batter to react faster and gain the eye & experience of a higher velocity pitch coming at her WOULD I BE DOING MORE HARM THAN GOOD? Would throwing overhand,although seeing more strikes, throw off her timing and ability to pick up the ball in pitchers hand before released? Last thing I want to do is ruin any timing or rhythm developed. I'm just thinking more strikes and less shagging ball 4's from backstop. How might this effect a batter when in a game and she sees underhand pitching? Any thoughts? Other than of course spend $ I don't have on pitching machines or bp pitchers needing work in the circle. Thanks for reading.

I was much like you looking for a way to help DD improve her hitting, started out pitching like a submarine baseball pitcher, then purchased a video on pitching and kind of learned from that. I pitch to many of the local HS kids and I became good enough I was a challenge for them to hit.

IMO pitching over hand is better that nothing, but preferred is being able to pitch windmill which gives the hitter timing like she is going to see in games. When practicing throwing you throw windmill it will like me become second nature to you and maybe you will become more accurate in your pitching. I pitch windmill I can use 12 softball, 11 softballs and baseballs, to give hitters different looks.

Also get behind a net, I was hit when pitching to 6 YO with $5.00 bad and came close to losing my leg, years ago, spent 5 days in the hospital. When I was there, there was also someone hit in the leg by a baseball and also a golf ball.

DD played college ball and even behind a next came close to hitting me.
 
Oct 10, 2011
3,117
0
I'm trying this suggestion from Performance Hitting Lab- all used in the same batting practice (underhand)
15-20 feet ...small ball (golf ball size wiffle or foam ball)
30 feet...baseball
live pitching when available with a softball
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Get a screen, move up closer to her. I used to stand about 20 ft away and throw it pretty fast underhand. It works great.

This ^^^. If you can pitch effectively from full distance, with a full windmill motion, awesome...but not many of us can do that. Underhand from behind a screen at 15-20' is a good solution for many people. 4 years in, from 20'-ish, I'm able to provide velocity that mimics the reaction time my kid sees in games (12U TB), and can hit spots with reasonable consistency.

I don't recommend pitching overhand due to the difference in trajectory.
 

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