i am very proud of my 14yr old, we are trying not to look to far forward, DD is working on a curve and rise, trying not to rush
DD freshman high school coach wants
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i am very proud of my 14yr old, we are trying not to look to far forward, DD is working on a curve and rise, trying not to rush
Mine was in the same boat as a freshman. She pitched the majority of the varsity games over 2 seniors. The coach left her alone and let her do her thing. Last year the team and DD broke all kinds of school records dating back 25 years. It seems to have really gone to his head, and the girls accomplished all that based on their talent before HS. ( meaning years of TB ) This year he has already approached me about changing her screwball. I told him later in private that it was not going to be an option. ( she will stay with what works ) I was very polite, but firm.
I wouldn't let it drag on, talk it over with the coach and get it out of the way.
I wouldn't let it drag on, talk it over with the coach and get it out of the way.
If you come here and ask, What do you think? Be prepared for people to give you an answer diferent then what you want. If you read between the lines, what Amy is saying. Learn the other pitch but don't abandon the one that works best. If she has success against batters the coach will decide he is happy with the knuckle change.
my dd throws the flip, better yet she throws it for strikes.
The flip CU was the 2nd pitch she was taught, it took about 2 years for her
to consistently throw for strikes. Early on, sometimes it was beautiful and other times
out of the catcher's reach. At all times, she used it when ahead in the count
to set up the next pitch. Now she will throw it with a full count with confidence,
it is a beautiful thing to watch when the batter looks at it for strike 3 or swings thru it.
Last fall I clocked her CU for the first time, she
was consistently at 39-42 mph with her Fastball at 56-57 mph. I would not want it slower as
a good hitter will have time to adjust and drive it
The flip CU was the 2nd pitch she was taught, it took about 2 years for her
to consistently throw for strikes. Early on, sometimes it was beautiful and other times
out of the catcher's reach. At all times, she used it when ahead in the count
to set up the next pitch. Now she will throw it with a full count with confidence,
it is a beautiful thing to watch when the batter looks at it for strike 3 or swings thru it.
Last fall I clocked her CU for the first time, she
was consistently at 39-42 mph with her Fastball at 56-57 mph. I would not want it slower as
a good hitter will have time to adjust and drive it
Your DD has to be coachable. If she tries the backhanded flip (which I consider very easy) and can't do it, that is another story. But she is a freshman, she has to do what the coach wants. Has she even tried? This is something, that on varsity she has to work out on her own. You can't do anything. Support her and support the coach.
What happens when she goes to college and the pitching coach asks her to learn a new pitch? That is all that is happening.
Do you have video of her FB and CU? The former pitchers on here, can tell you if the difference is good enough.
What happens when she goes to college and the pitching coach asks her to learn a new pitch? That is all that is happening.
Do you have video of her FB and CU? The former pitchers on here, can tell you if the difference is good enough.
It took Michele Smith to late 30s to figure out the back-flip change. Then again I've seen another girl figure it out in two days. I think your coach doesn't understand the cornucopia of change-ups!
I think it's a big difference in a college coach asking to learn a new pitch over a HS coach. Let's face it, most HS coaches are not very knowledgeable and can do more harm than anything. Most are just in it for the extra $4000 over their school subject salaries. In college you kinda owe the coach something, more if you went on a scholarship. Plus you would hope that a college coach would have the job on merit and experience.
- Jul 26, 2010
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Kids need to have an open mind. There is always SOMETHING they can learn, even from the most ignorant coaches. She should have an open mind and a willingness to learn from her coach. She should try what she asks, work on it, and master it, only then will she have the necessary knowledge to decide if it is indeed better or worse then what she knows now. Being able to be coached and becoming a fast learner is a much more important skill then any physical skill learned in sports.
My daughter is a pitcher and has gone through the same things. She also enjoys martial arts. I always told her to approach softball the same way she should approach martial arts. Learn as many styles from as many different mentors as you can, and then when you are older and wiser, you can decide what works best for you or pull from your toolbox to create your own style of doing things.
-W
My daughter is a pitcher and has gone through the same things. She also enjoys martial arts. I always told her to approach softball the same way she should approach martial arts. Learn as many styles from as many different mentors as you can, and then when you are older and wiser, you can decide what works best for you or pull from your toolbox to create your own style of doing things.
-W
- Nov 29, 2009
- 2,974
- 83
Ultimately, the decision belongs to your DD. No matter how good, bad or well-intentioned a coach is they can not teach someone who doesn't want to learn something. This is a great opportunity at a life lesson. Your DD can give learning the new pitch a genuine effort or she can go through the motions expecting to fail.
There will be times during her life when she will be asked or tasked with doing something she is not comfortable with or does not like. How she handles this situation will go a long way in defining who she is as a person. Is it fair??? Nope!!! Not by a long shot..... But then, nothing in life is fair.
As the others have said. Talk to the coach first. Then go from there.
During my DD's freshman year in HS. My DD, a varsity pitcher and one of the the other freshman pitchers went through a similar situation that year. The varsity pitching coach who was a hip slammer, hello elbow style pitcher was trying to change all three pitchers. After a while I asked the coach not to work with her. What she was trying to get my DD to do was nothing like she was being taught by her long-time pitching coach. I don't know what the other freshman girl did, but the coach seemed to stay away from her too. The varsity girl caught the brunt of it. I think she just reached the point of smile & nod and did what she had been doing for years. BTW, the varsity girl ended up at Stanford on a ride. Luckily for us that coach lasted only the one season and she was gone.
There will be times during her life when she will be asked or tasked with doing something she is not comfortable with or does not like. How she handles this situation will go a long way in defining who she is as a person. Is it fair??? Nope!!! Not by a long shot..... But then, nothing in life is fair.
As the others have said. Talk to the coach first. Then go from there.
During my DD's freshman year in HS. My DD, a varsity pitcher and one of the the other freshman pitchers went through a similar situation that year. The varsity pitching coach who was a hip slammer, hello elbow style pitcher was trying to change all three pitchers. After a while I asked the coach not to work with her. What she was trying to get my DD to do was nothing like she was being taught by her long-time pitching coach. I don't know what the other freshman girl did, but the coach seemed to stay away from her too. The varsity girl caught the brunt of it. I think she just reached the point of smile & nod and did what she had been doing for years. BTW, the varsity girl ended up at Stanford on a ride. Luckily for us that coach lasted only the one season and she was gone.
After all, according to 80% of the posters on this forum, their DDs know 7 pitches. So, sounds like the freshman coach just wants your DD to catch up...
Slowing the change by 20 or 30 or 40 or 50 MPH is not the measure of a good change. The question is whether it is disguised.
Other than that... Amy and Sparky have pretty much captured the whole deal. If a coach wants you to learn something new, then the player has to try it. If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. Stop the whining and move on.
Slowing the change by 20 or 30 or 40 or 50 MPH is not the measure of a good change. The question is whether it is disguised.
Other than that... Amy and Sparky have pretty much captured the whole deal. If a coach wants you to learn something new, then the player has to try it. If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. Stop the whining and move on.
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