I find it hard to believe this is true about learning movement pitches.

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May 15, 2016
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Last week DD was told she has to be careful learning movement pitches, because it will end up slowing down her fastball.

Does this make sense?
 
Nov 18, 2013
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Depending on the context. The movement pitch itself won’t slow her down. What I’ve seen is girls trying to learn too many pitches at once and neglecting their speed work.
 
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May 15, 2016
926
18
What I’ve seen is girls trying to learn to many pitches at once and neglecting their speed work.

That I understand, but the way DD heard it movement pitches will always, automatically, slow down a pitchers fastball.
 
Nov 3, 2012
480
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Last week DD was told she has to be careful learning movement pitches, because it will end up slowing down her fastball.

Does this make sense?

The fastball is essentially a dropball. You throw it the same and if you execute correctly it goes faster. The last thing you want is a flat pitch. Work on movement and speed. I would re-think some of the other things you're pitching coach has said? Does he say things like with "have your elbow finishing high and facing the batter like and uses terms like "Hello Elbow"?
 
Nov 18, 2013
2,255
113
That I understand, but the way DD heard it movement pitches will always, automatically, slow down a pitchers fastball.

I’d ask her to clarify before finding a new coach. What I saw with DD learning new pitches is initially she’d struggle alternating between the new and old. Throwing nothing but the new movement pitch or nothing but fastballs and she was fine. Start alternating and things would get interesting until she got accustomed to it.
 
May 15, 2016
926
18
Find another coach

I never said it was her coach. It was the father of teammate who said it.

I checked in with DD's pitching coach, who said, "No, thats not true, your fastball should not be losing speed."
 
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sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
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Dallas, Texas
Last week DD was told she has to be careful learning movement pitches, because it will end up slowing down her fastball.

Does this make sense?

I don't your DD's age or ability level.

If your DD is just starting out, then she should work first on learning how to throw the ball. Working on different pitches for a beginner is a waste of time.

If your DD has good command of the fastball, then it would be time to work on movement pitches.

To be quite frank, most parents have the attention span of a gnat. Most start pushing movement pitches before the kid is ready.


Softball scholar:

The fastball is essentially a dropball.
No, it isn't.
You throw it the same and if you execute correctly it goes faster.

No, you don't. And, no it doesn't.

A *real* drop is 3 to 4 MPH slower than the fastball. Energy is used to get high RPS rather than speed.

The last thing you want is a flat pitch.

I'm not sure what this means. All pitches have some arc to them. I guess the "flattest" pitch is the riseball.

It seems that few college pitchers have any movement. Most of them throw hard and have excellent control. As far as movement...not so much.

Work on movement and speed.

Yep...but add "control".
 
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