Struggles with control

My dd is 14. She has overcame many mechanical and injury setbacks. she throws mid to low 50s. Some days she can really bring it. Some days not so much. She can warm up and look like in few its going to be lights out....only to struggle with control in the game. She can warm up like omg please pitch someone else and be really successful. My question is how can she get to a point to being on the money every outing?? She throws about 4 days a week. She works hard. She says that some times she gets nervous and cant pull it together...how do you train to calm the nerves? She is a great fielder....is it time to phase out as a pitcher?? when do you know when it is time?

Does she love it? Does she do it because she has to for the team? Does she struggle on all her pitches or just one? As I recall, she's been working on a couple new pitches. Did the control issues begin around then, or has she always struggled. I'm trying to remember her past video(s), but as I recall, she had a little bend/lean at release, which can make brush less consistent. How much space do you see between the ball/hand and her thigh at release? What kind of practice routine does she have?

Control has three parts:

(1) Consistent motion, which comes from practice.
(2) The ability to move the ball around the strike zone in "one ball width" (roughly 4 inches) increments. (This also comes from practice.)
(3) Having a plan to "just throw strikes".

I'm assuming your DD can do (1). She probably is now learning (2).

How does a kid learn to "just throw strikes"?

a) She has to know what a strike is. Explain to her the rule book definition of a strike. Then, explain to her that umpire's have varying strike zones. Most umpires (but not all umpires) have a consistent strike zone, but the strike zone is rarely the same as the rule book definition. When your DD is pitching, she has to pitch to the umpire's strike zone. Therefore, she has to *LEARN* the umpire's strike zone. She learns the umpire by watching the game, thinking about the pitch location, and then remembering what the umpire called a strike. She has to be continually learning the ump's zone throughout the game...because the ump's zone will change in the late innings. She has to know when it did change. (So, to get specific: She should know the textbook definition of the zone. Then, from watching the game, she determines how the umpire's zone differs from the textbook definition.)

b) She has to vary the pitch location based upon the count. The more she is "behind the hitter", the more she has to pitch over the plate. The more she is ahead in the count, the more she tries to pitch on the river (over the black of the plate.) E.g., the location for an 0-2 inside pitch is two ball widths different than the location for a 3-0 inside pitch. My guess is that her coach is calling the pitch location...but, your DD has to decide the exact location of the pitch.

c) She has to "live in the moment." The only thing that matters is the pitch she is throwing. She has to make each pitch the best pitch she has ever thrown. The more she is "in the moment" when she is pitching, the less nervous she will be.

-----

Another thought: My DD was much better against HS and 18U teams than she was against 14U teams. Why? The kids were more consistent in height at 18U.

Have worked on the lean and leg drive! I don't see any space at release. Practice routine consists of throwing all pitches, working on spins, working on spots, and counts at the end.

Ken B said:

Does she love it? Does she do it because she has to for the team? Does she struggle on all her pitches or just one? As I recall, she's been working on a couple new pitches. Did the control issues begin around then, or has she always struggled. I'm trying to remember her past video(s), but as I recall, she had a little bend/lean at release, which can make brush less consistent. How much space do you see between the ball/hand and her thigh at release? What kind of practice routine does she have?

Click to expand...