Average Speed for a 12U pitcher?? and Off season prep to get ready for Season,,,,

Silver 2200 said:

Here is the link from last year about a 10u pitchers at PGF Nationals.

https://www.discussfastpitch.com/so...-pitcher-speed-omg.html?highlight=power+surge

This happens every year at 10u PGF Nationals. Just because you don't personally have a girl pitching mid 50's does not mean that girls throwing that hard are unicorns. It is rare to for a child at that age to throw that hard but it does happen.

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It happens, sure. But if every kid threw 50+ that I've heard throws 50+ from parents or coaches or other adults, it wouldn't be nearly as unusual as it is. That's why you have to take any reported speeds with a grain of salt. PGF Nationals tends to be the best of the best so yeah, if you're going to see multiple girls with above average speed, that's where it'll probably be.

Question of the day.
Would you rather.....
Have a 12U pitcher who could hit 55/56 mph?
or....
A 12U pitcher who peaks speed at 49/50 however spins the ball well, hits spots, and has complete control of a change up?

Point is, just gaining speed is not the goal!!!

I'll take the 49/50 control pitcher....with a coach that knows how to call pitches. A coach that knows a pitchers strengths/weakness and uses it accordingly makes a good pitcher great. A coach that calls everything his way and doesn't adjust to each pitcher can be a disaster.

BuckeyeBW said:

Wow, either our guns in Michigan are slow or our pitching is way behind. There isn't a pitcher in the state throwing 60 at 12u. We have played the best teams in OH and IN, there may be 1 throwing 60 and we played her and would put her at 55 tops. Also our high schools would love to have pitchers coming in as freshmen throwing 60. We have one that is pitching D1 next year throwing 63 and she throws harder than all but 1 girl (but with more accuracy) in the district.

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It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the 12U pitcher you saw throw 55 has reached 60 at practice. Our first year 14’s team had three 13 yo pitchers all hit 60 in practice. “In practice” is key. They were throwing into a net and working on nothing but speed. You get a few big kids who developed early and a good PC and 60 is easily obtainable, in practice. Here’s the fastest and average speeds I remember gunning DD at in games at various ages. I think these speeds are average, or even a little low of other future D1 pitchers.

10U-fastest 45, average 42
12U-fastest 51, average 48
14U-fastest 63, average 59
16U-fastest 61, average 57
18U-fastest 65, average 61
I’ve never put a gun on her in college, but coaches say she’s hit 68. Game speed is low to mid 60’s.

Phandle mentioned average college pitchers throwing 61-65 and that’s dead on. It’s surprising how many girls rarely top 60 even at D1. Another surprise is how few actually throw decent change ups. If I had it to do over I’d work on her CU as much or more than speed. College hitters can tee off on speed. Not as many can drive a good CU.

MNDad said:

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the 12U pitcher you saw throw 55 has reached 60 at practice. Our first year 14’s team had three 13 yo pitchers all hit 60 in practice. “In practice” is key.

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I wonder if my daughter is the exception here. She routinely throws 2 to 3 MPH faster in games than in practice. She just can't get the adrenaline rush she needs in practice or something. Do others see pitchers that throw harder in games than in practice?

MNDad said:

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the 12U pitcher you saw throw 55 has reached 60 at practice. Our first year 14’s team had three 13 yo pitchers all hit 60 in practice. “In practice” is key. They were throwing into a net and working on nothing but speed. You get a few big kids who developed early and a good PC and 60 is easily obtainable, in practice. Here’s the fastest and average speeds I remember gunning DD at in games at various ages. I think these speeds are average, or even a little low of other future D1 pitchers.

10U-fastest 45, average 42
12U-fastest 51, average 48
14U-fastest 63, average 59
16U-fastest 61, average 57
18U-fastest 65, average 61
I’ve never put a gun on her in college, but coaches say she’s hit 68. Game speed is low to mid 60’s.

Phandle mentioned average college pitchers throwing 61-65 and that’s dead on. It’s surprising how many girls rarely top 60 even at D1. Another surprise is how few actually throw decent change ups. If I had it to do over I’d work on her CU as much or more than speed. College hitters can tee off on speed. Not as many can drive a good CU.

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Wow they grow them 14U girls like a boss there in MN... LOL
I sure wish all my 14U girls could average 59mph!!!

chrispots said:

Fair enough...then I want to meet those catchers...not the pitchers...

I have a 10U pitcher...comes in Friday night with older sister and dad (pitcher has been with me for over a year but sis hasn't caught for her in a year since going away to college). Sis is a D2 first baseman who is very athletic with a great glove...was terrified once Morgan started throwing full...Morgan throws 47 mph. With her advanced leg drive mechanics, she is releasing the ball from about 29'. In baseball terms, she is throwing high 80's

Come to my facility, I'll set my Atec at 60 mph from 30' and ask you to catch the ball...that's like a baseball pitchers throwing 120 MPH...B U L L O N E Y

Note: you would have to sign the death waiver to do this

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In what sense are you using the term BULLONEY? Are you calling me and the rest of the people liars in regards to saying we have seen 10u girls throw in the low to mid 50's?

If you want to see the catchers I guess your going to have to come to the midwest to see them . Who challenges people on internet to drive across the country to come to his facility and catch a 60 mph softball from 30 feet? Are you 12 years old?

dgh31 said:

I wonder if my daughter is the exception here. She routinely throws 2 to 3 MPH faster in games than in practice. She just can't get the adrenaline rush she needs in practice or something. Do others see pitchers that throw harder in games than in practice?

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My DD usually does the same. Tends to be more focused as well. So that may have something to do with it.

In my area I always hear about all these hard throwing girls. Heard parents talking about how fast there DD is. I purchased a pocket radar a year ago. That told me all I need to know when talking about speed. Sure there’s a few that can really bring it but most are in line with what you guys are seeing.

dgh31 said:

I wonder if my daughter is the exception here. She routinely throws 2 to 3 MPH faster in games than in practice. She just can't get the adrenaline rush she needs in practice or something. Do others see pitchers that throw harder in games than in practice?

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Mine too. If I clock her 15 pitches at practice she will hit 48 13-14 times and never break it. However in a championship game she has been clocked by multiple pocket radars at the same timing throwing 60% of her pitches 50-51. Some kids just have a different gear when the adrenaline gets going. Says she gets in the zone and doesn’t really hear anything but catcher and blue.

Now....having coached for 4 years and clocked almost all of my pitchers in practice sessions and games....only 1 other kid was consistently faster in games than practice. Both kids have incredible work ethic and practice at a special level...and therefore they have a swagger/confidence thats tough to break. To me that’s where the key is - how confident is the girl that she can just unload and let the muscle memory take over?

catmaster said:

In my area I always hear about all these hard throwing girls. Heard parents talking about how fast there DD is. I purchased a pocket radar a year ago. That told me all I need to know when talking about speed.

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Parents of girls that go to one specific pitching coach hate to see me behind the screen with my pocket radar and tend to disappear . They tell me that my cell phone looking radar can’t possibly be more accurate than his big clunky police style gun. I show them a picture with about 15 well known D1 coaches behind the screen at a showcase with pocket radars. Moat of these parents used to wanna talk pitching speed all the time now don’t want anything to do with it now.

As one poster mentioned earlier- only believe it if you see it firsthand on a reputable and calibrated radar. Speed is only part of the battle anyway unless you are Paige Lowary!