What pitches should an average 14u pitcher have?

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May 15, 2016
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For an average pitcher who just moved up from 12u, what pitches should she be able to throw with accuracy?
 
Jun 19, 2014
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Raleigh,NC
Fastball with the ability to hit low inside, low outside, high inside, high outside drop ball and changeup. If she had good drop ball to work in the mix.

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Jun 11, 2013
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I'm not a pitching coach, but at 14U the ability to hit spots with all of your pitches is key. If you have to resort to throwing it down the middle you will get hammered by most teams.

You are better off with a fast ball that hits corners all day and a change than you will having a bunch of pitches that end up fat.
 
Sep 29, 2014
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1. Location, location, location is the key.
2. Change up is important also
3. Something with a little movement I would have her experiment a little with grips and just slight pressure variations she could probably get a little tail and drop on her fastball pretty quickly instead of just straight and flat
 
Apr 12, 2015
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The ability to consistently hit the four corners, an effective change up, and the beginnings of a movement pitch whether that be drop, rise or curve. Drop is my personal preference.
 
Jun 19, 2013
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Like others said drop is probably easiest to add at first, but depending on how your FB spins a low FB might basically be a drop. Start experimenting on your own with a rise or curve and just see what might come most natural for her. Some people tend more toward one or the other it seems. For my DD it is more the rise it seems and the curve just never feels natural to her. They can take a while to perfect so if you can spend 5 mins at the end of practice on something like that I think it makes it easier later.
 
May 15, 2016
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Thanks. My DD just started pitching 7 weeks ago. Within three weeks she became the 1st string pitcher on her 12u town team. Now she moved up to a 14u TB team and she is plenty nervous.

Her pitching instructor, who is an assistant coach on the 14u team, says she is faster than their 1st string pitcher, but doesn't have the accuracy. At practice last night, the other pitchers were talking about all the different pitches they have, and now my daughter is worried that all she has is her fastball and the beginnings of her change up. BTW, she is practices alternating her inside, outside, and change up, as her instructor told me to do, but she is not able to hit high and low on her inside and outside yet.

She will be glad to know that once she can hit high and low on her inside and outside pitches, she will be in good shape for now.
 
Feb 17, 2014
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Orlando, FL
FWIW - My DD just finished a pretty good college career in the SEC. Got the job done with 3 pitches, Fastball, Rise, Change Up. Sometimes less is more.
 
May 24, 2013
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So Cal
A pitcher does not "have" a pitch until they can throw it consistently, with decent accuracy, in a game. I've seen plenty of 12U girls with "5 pitches" (or more), but in a game, the only pitch they can throw with any control is a fastball. That girl has one pitch.

Working on location, alternating has it's value, but working on being able to hit the same spot repeatedly is also valuable. If I want the ball to be hit to a particular side of the field (if it is hit), it's pretty likely I'm going to call the same location multiple times. This would also apply to hitters who have a significant weak spot in their swing.
 
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