Better Competition

[joe720]

Striking out bad hitters doesn't teach a pitcher anything. Just like hitting off of weak pitching doesn't teach a batter anything. If anything it hurts them to not worry about hitting spots. If you want your DD to hit her highest potential, playing good competition will be the best way to do that.

 

[_MIA_]

Striking out bad hitters doesn't teach a pitcher anything. Just like hitting off of weak pitching doesn't teach a batter anything. If anything it hurts them to not worry about hitting spots. If you want your DD to hit her highest potential, playing good competition will be the best way to do that.

There are other means to make sure a pitcher is actually pitching and not just throwing..for example a coach and/or parent paying attention to wth is going on.A coach knows where she/he is calling pitches and a parent should be able to see where the catcher is setting up..

That said it is true that some kids may need the motivation of not getting shellacked in order to do what needs to be done..

 

[RADcatcher]

I’m looking at some of the distances (8-10 hours away) my DD’s 1st year 14-U team is traveling for the just the fall and it’s becoming quite the commitment at a young age.

Statistics help in gauging performance.

While strikeouts/walks is one portion of that. There is also the slugging percentage of the opposing team.


What is her strikeout to walk ratio and what is your perspective of the opposing competition slugging percentage?

 

[lostcreek1]

Bold is partially true (a lot of kids are almost fully grown by that age but recruiting still not officially possible) but giving an example in ludicrousness to back up the claim is probably not a good idea..

I am just stating facts, if you think it is ludicrous that is your right.

 

[_MIA_]

I am just stating facts, if you think it is ludicrous that is your right.

No you were motivating one opinion with facts.

Also yes I think it is ludicrous. Anybody not plagued with FOMO would think the same.

 

[RADcatcher]

I think better competition makes pitchers better because it forces them to develop other pitches.

Hmmm forces to develop other pitches?
Not necessarily. That is a very generalized comment without knowing what is being pitched.

However can expose IF what they are throwing is either effective or not.
>>>Locations, spin, control of speeds.
__________________________________
Even without going to play Stronger competition~
If a pitcher is working hard on their own training /practicing.
Within the games they are *already playing the pitcher would be able to see if her strikeout ratio is growing.
If that strikeout ratio grows that would be indication they are developing .

At that point when there are routinely say over 10 to12 strikeouts a game
(Simple #'s to work with, come up with a number you prefer if you like)
This would indicate time to play better competition.

I do like playing better competition because as I said before it is a true test.
But that in itself does not create better performance.
Seeing where pitches were not being effective gives the answer of specific things the pitcher needs to improve on. Great example of that is when people think speed alone is going to do it. And finding out it doesn't.

 

[lostcreek1]

Hmmm forces to develop other pitches?
Not necessarily. That is a very generalized comment without knowing what is being pitched.

If you are playing poor competition and striking everyone out with a fastball, there is no motivation to learn a change up etc etc.. You will see it every weekend at low level tournaments. You will not see that at high level tournaments because they have been forced to learn to throw better stuff or not play at that level.

 

[_MIA_]

If you are playing poor competition and striking everyone out with a fastball, there is no motivation to learn a change up etc etc.. You will see it every weekend at low level tournaments. You will not see that at high level tournaments because they have been forced to learn to throw better stuff or not play at that level.

Some kids are self-motivated and some aren’t. If you tell a self-motivated kid this is what they need to do in order to be good then they will do it.

 

[daywalkerdad]

The best development for DD was getting hammered in a tournament last fall. It showed her what needed to improve by spring. She faced a couple of those teams in the spring and got a win and a tie (error allowed a tie) with only 1.5 earned runs per game. She had the winter to work.
I do not think you need a ton of those type of those games, but do need some. You also need some time to improve.
The other area is pitch calling needs good competition.
It does reinforce the difference between good and bad is often one pitch in 10.
Pitchers improve mainly through practice good competition allows for understanding what areas they need to be practicing.

 

[daywalkerdad]

If you are playing poor competition and striking everyone out with a fastball, there is no motivation to learn a change up etc etc.. You will see it every weekend at low level tournaments. You will not see that at high level tournaments because they have been forced to learn to throw better stuff or not play at that level.

A pitcher might think their change up is the bomb, only to find it gets bombed.
I think it gives the pitcher what they need to focus on in practice.
A pitcher might find they need to spend more time on secondary pitches or perhaps add a pitch.