Any tips?

[softball_chic_12]

Here's some background on me. It might be easier to follow along if you know a little bit.

I've been a catcher since 3rd grade. I'm now a sophmore in high school. In 5th grade my dad pulled me aside to teach me how to pitch. I hated it with a passion and refused to do it unless neccesary. I was a catcher and played almost all of the other positions until 7th grade. My team needed someone with some expierence and the general idea of how to pitch so we could finish the game because our other pitchers got hurt. I volunteered and they threw me in. I wasn't crazy over it, but continued to work with pitching on the side just in case I would be needed again. Over this past winter I attended a pitching/catching/batting clinic. There I was talking with my PC and said that I thought in order to be successful in the 14 & under league in the summer I needed to change speed of my pitches so I couldn't be so hittable. He agreed and taught me how to throw a change up. Over the summer, during the 14 & under league I mastered my change up. Now I have learned to love pitching. so for fall ball (we play double headers) I was asked to either be the starting catcher for the 18 & under team or help with the pitching on the 14 & under pitching. I've been catching for forever and I wanted to develop as a pitcher. So I went with the 14 & under league, especially since I didn't think I was even close to ready to pitch to 18 & under yet. Now I'm looking to next year. I will pitch at the clinic again once a week over the winter. Then high school ball will start and I will mostly be catching. Very little, if any pitching at the high school level. Same with the 18 & under rec ball. But for tournament ball I will do about 50-50 of catching and pitching.

I guess I want some reassurance in picking the 14 & under league for fall ball. But I want to make use of my time down here too. I've decided that I should take advantage of this and try to start learning another pitch. After reading many posts it seems like the majority of the people here agree that speed won't get the batters. It will be movement. So I decided I want to work on the drop ball. I was shown once how to throw a drop, so I will use that. Is there any tips that anyone can give me? thank you.

 

[softball_chic_12]

During varisity, the pitching coached called the games and I learned and figured out what he was going to call next before he gave me the sign. So as a test run, during 18 & under rec he had me call the pitches unless he wanted a specific pitch at a time and he said i had done very well.

I'd like to work on a curve or screw or a riseball, but i won't have access to a pitching instructor until winter. Other than a fastball, change up, and a drop, i don't know how to throw anything else. So since I already have my fastball down, and am hitting all of the corners with it I moved on to the next pitch. That was a change up. I finally have that down to where I can throw it in games and it has effect. Now next would be a drop ball. Unless someone can pull up a great instructional video or explain well how to throw something else. And I will work on that too!