As I understand it, most experienced pitchers don't throw a majority of their pitches at 100% effort. Good mechanics should be in place at all effort levels, but you will find that most pitchers are throwing their fast ball in games at (what I see commonly referred to as ) "cruising speed", which is a little less (90-95%?) than their all-out fastest. Why? Because accuracy matters!
10U pitch speed
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As I understand it, most experienced pitchers don't throw a majority of their pitches at 100% effort. Good mechanics should be in place at all effort levels, but you will find that most pitchers are throwing their fast ball in games at (what I see commonly referred to as ) "cruising speed", which is a little less (90-95%?) than their all-out fastest. Why? Because accuracy matters!
Throwing hard with 100% effort is not throwing as fast as you can. Peak velocity is the result of great mechanics and a relaxed arm, not from throwing hard. To Eric F's point for my DD she is at her best at about 90-95% (66-68mph). Beyond that the Command and Movement suffers.
The fastest I have seen a 10U player pitch was 56MPH consistently.
If it's the player I think you're talking about, I'm not surprised. I'm very curious to see how she does in 12U.
Why wouldn't she have already been in 12U last year at that speed?
- Jun 12, 2015
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I don't think I'd move up to 12U early without some compelling reason. Bigger ball, farther back. I've never gotten the rush to play up though.
This is a player I'm familiar with. She's an 05, currently playing for a top 10U TB team in So Cal. In my conversations with her dad (SyndreSoftball), there was some debate about whether or not to move her up with the 04's (including my DD) who had been her teammates coming out of rec ball. He felt like it was a better choice for her development to stay in 10u for one more year. She has always been a physically strong and very skilled player, and is a very hard worker. Her progression over the past 12 months, since making the move from rec to TB, has been pretty significant. She crushes with a bat, too.
JJsqueeze
Dad, Husband....legend
thanks to Sluggers I stumbled across this...
full game from PGF last year showing two of the pitchers talked about in this thread....this is 10U and these girls are great pitchers.
full game from PGF last year showing two of the pitchers talked about in this thread....this is 10U and these girls are great pitchers.
My .02 cents
I hear "just throw strikes" constantly followed by "relax out there". If the coach is only concerned with throwing strikes, the pitcher tenses up. It makes them aim, do anything to get it in the strike zone. This isn't good for developing good mechanics. You want your pitchers to throw strikes because they're comfortable on the mound and their mechanics are solid not because they are aiming, muscling the ball. If you teach good mechanics, practice enough and get them enough innings, location and speed will come.
she knows when she's not throwing strikes it's not good, she knows she's soon to be pulled. She needs to feel that your confident she can work thru it (that's a hard one I know) If you believe in your pitcher and let her develop she will get much more comfortable on the mound while playing for you. which will translate into better pitching. You have to be willing to let her fail a bit so she can get better.
...Every kid is different tho, so maybe this logic doesn't work for all of them
I hate tacos- said no Juan anywhere
Maybe at 10U or 12U but there comes a time where the "just throw strikes" mentality results in balls hit to fence which also cannot be defended. There is not an elite pitcher in the game that is focused on throwing strikes.
