Fastball turned into curve

[Hillhouse]

If you want to get rid of the inadvertent curve, go back to basics on the release and spin. Slap a piece of tape around the ball so you can see if she's spinning correctly (which at the moment, you know she isn't, consistently). At that age, I wouldn't want a kid to be unable send a basic 12 over 6 fastball down the pipe, which is where you're heading. Getting an accidental new pitch is cool and all, but you're gonna lose a fastball and ability to locate it. 12/6 is home base.

I agree with the majority of this, the 12/6 being "home base" is spot on.

I can't believe I was reading some of these things about embracing this. If the ball is spinning in a way that wasn't intended, then something is broken. This isn't something to be celebrated, it's something to be corrected.

 

[Wildfire]

What if it cannot be corrected? How long do you spend trying to correct it? What if things are worse in doing so?

Most of a pitchers practice will happen outside of lesson. Maybe 75 to 100 pitches are thrown in practice. You can watch and correct it. But 500+ are thrown outside of practice where only her or her parents are there to see it. It's probably not corrected properly.

In my experience, they tend to go back to what feels most natural to them. At some point you either give up or take their most-natural movements and turn it into something great.

After a certain age, very few athletes are able to change their techniques.

 

[mmeece]

It's virtually always true that any flaw CAN be corrected if the athlete is willing the put in the work. I'd agree that there are times when a particular "flaw" can be taken advantage of, but in a case like the one described there needs to be a fix in order to be able to spin a drop or fastball. I can't see just giving up and saying "this is just how she throws" when it eliminates such an important pitch from her repertoire. If there is an age when athletes can no longer improve their mechanics I haven't seen it. I knew major league pitchers who were still correcting things in their 30s.

 

[Jeffrey]

I agree with the majority of this, the 12/6 being "home base" is spot on.

I can't believe I was reading some of these things about embracing this. If the ball is spinning in a way that wasn't intended, then something is broken. This isn't something to be celebrated, it's something to be corrected.

I didn't say don't correct it - she'll need to learn proper spin. But the ability to throw a drop curve, which is what 8:00 spin is, should be celebrated. I did put the caveat in there - IF she can control it. I had this happen to a girl too so we worked to control it and she had a very nice fall. Then when we started back up in December we worked to correct the flaws and she's getting better every week.

If you want to get rid of the inadvertent curve, go back to basics on the release and spin. Slap a piece of tape around the ball so you can see if she's spinning correctly (which at the moment, you know she isn't, consistently). At that age, I wouldn't want a kid to be unable send a basic 12 over 6 fastball down the pipe, which is where you're heading. Getting an accidental new pitch is cool and all, but you're gonna lose a fastball and ability to locate it. 12/6 is home base.

I'm a big fan of the taped ball - not just for the inadvertent curve, but for my bullet spin kids. My 17U DD still warms up with a taped ball.