Changing times for pitchers

[clarity]

The only thing I care about in terms of my 14yo's development is VELOCITY. All the talk about hitting spots, movement, etc. is meaningless if you can't get past the threshold question of velocity. That other stuff is like "sense of humor." Women say they want a sense of humor in a man, or something like that, but it doesn't matter how funny he is, or how well he hits his spots, if he doesn't already have good looks and earns a living--that's the velocity. Velocity has to come first. IMO there's not enough emphasis placed on it. (I understand there are generalizations contained within, but you get the point).

As to the OP, at 12U last summer we gunned 3 opposing pitchers cruising over 60mph. The numbers were legit. Mine is generally 54-57. Got to get to 60 soon!

 

[jadefish]

I read it somewhere that you need two pitching coaches: one for speed, the other for spin and spot. But won't it confuse the kid with two coaches? Or you just can't have it all. You either have a coach concentrating on speed or a coach concentrating on spin and spot?

 

[Vertigo]

The only thing I care about in terms of my 14yo's development is VELOCITY. All the talk about hitting spots, movement, etc. is meaningless if you can't get past the threshold question of velocity. That other stuff is like "sense of humor." Women say they want a sense of humor in a man, or something like that, but it doesn't matter how funny he is, or how well he hits his spots, if he doesn't already have good looks and earns a living--that's the velocity. Velocity has to come first. IMO there's not enough emphasis placed on it. (I understand there are generalizations contained within, but you get the point).

As to the OP, at 12U last summer we gunned 3 opposing pitchers cruising over 60mph. The numbers were legit. Mine is generally 54-57. Got to get to 60 soon!

Not saying velocity has gone by the wayside, it absolutely has not. However, pitchers who want to make it to and succeed (key words) at the elite level need to have more than just velocity.

 

[uncdrew]

Because mom and dad are tall and strong, DD got a lot of that. So speed isn't something we work on much since she gets that naturally a bit earlier than her peers.

I love that she doesn't walk many batters. It's cool that she hits her spots.

The only thing I care about in terms of my 14yo's development is VELOCITY. All the talk about hitting spots, movement, etc. is meaningless if you can't get past the threshold question of velocity. That other stuff is like "sense of humor." Women say they want a sense of humor in a man, or something like that, but it doesn't matter how funny he is, or how well he hits his spots, if he doesn't already have good looks and earns a living--that's the velocity. Velocity has to come first. IMO there's not enough emphasis placed on it. (I understand there are generalizations contained within, but you get the point).

As to the OP, at 12U last summer we gunned 3 opposing pitchers cruising over 60mph. The numbers were legit. Mine is generally 54-57. Got to get to 60 soon!

I do put emphasis on velocity more than most, but not as much as you.

Yeah, we played in a regional 12U A tourney last fall. My 11 year old DD hit 50 mph during a game and was the slowest pitcher I clocked at the tourney (35 teams or so). I didn't come across any over 60, but tons in the high 50s.

 

[uncdrew]

I read it somewhere that you need two pitching coaches: one for speed, the other for spin and spot. But won't it confuse the kid with two coaches? Or you just can't have it all. You either have a coach concentrating on speed or a coach concentrating on spin and spot?

Never heard that one. I would hope a pitching coach knows how to teach both aspects of pitching.

 

[Hillhouse]

I read it somewhere that you need two pitching coaches: one for speed, the other for spin and spot. But won't it confuse the kid with two coaches? Or you just can't have it all. You either have a coach concentrating on speed or a coach concentrating on spin and spot?

I'm not sure there are too many things POTENTIALLY more harmful than doing this to a pitcher's development. Especially if you have a good coach, and one who thinks the girl will have 8 pitches and changing the mechanics each pitch on top. You know the kind: lean back on the rise, lean forward on the drop, step to the right for a curve, step to the left for their "screwball", etc. Moreover, a "movement coach" who doesn't know how to teach someone to conceal their grips/ball.

 

[jadefish]

Never heard that one. I would hope a pitching coach knows how to teach both aspects of pitching.

different coach has different emphasis. Coaches believing in spin and spot will spend the class time to train kids to hit the spot and spin the ball. Coaches believing in speed will spend the class time to train kids to use their legs more... I saw both and I don't know what is more important. At 10U, I don't think the ball will break in 35feet. But hitting spot really works. However, most A teams really want is over 50 pitchers.

maybe it is not a choice you can make. Bigger girls should go for the speed. Smaller girls will have better chance with spin and spot. Something like that?

 

[rslaubaugh]

Speed without movement is a recipe for getting shelled IMO. Although i do feel velocity needs to be worked on regularly..... hitting spots and changing speeds and planes are what our primary focus has and will be for the foreseeable future. We are early in the game though (10yo) and my DD comes from a family of "little people".... so not likely to be a flame thrower anyway.

 

[Gags]

or how well he hits his spots,

wait...we're still talking about pitching, right?

 

[jadefish]

I'm not sure there are too many things POTENTIALLY more harmful than doing this to a pitcher's development. Especially if you have a good coach, and one who thinks the girl will have 8 pitches and changing the mechanics each pitch on top. You know the kind: lean back on the rise, lean forward on the drop, step to the right for a curve, step to the left for their "screwball", etc. Moreover, a "movement coach" who doesn't know how to teach someone to conceal their grips/ball.

My daughter has taken pitching class for almost two years and all she has is fastball and changup. She had a coach briefly taught her rise ball spins. She also learned curve a little bit. But in games, there are only fastball and changup. She is at lower 40 now. First year 10U. But I don't think she will get 50 next year. Not possible with her size. I know spin and spot are important. But seriously, for 10U, travel ball coaches really want over 50 pitchers. Somehow, spin/spot pitching coaches don't understand it. If you talk to a spin/spot coach that her travel team coach want her to pitch faster, they will tell you that speed will come with time with correct mechanics. They are absolutely right but it is hard to watch your daughter got hit hard and her team got run ruled now. And even she could hit spot, she still need her team defense to work. When defense not work, a weak grounder or a fly ball is same as a hit. Not like pitching over 50 just strike out the batter.

Oh, another difference between speed coach and spin/spot coach is speed coach always has radar gun in class. Spin/spot coach seems never use their radar guns.

I think my question is to get her to pitch as fast as she could, also learning spin and spot, is two coaches approach better?