I'm looking for some advice and I know posting some video is the only real way to help. My daughter turned 14 a couple months ago. Last fall winter and spring she threw 57mph gunned by the team she was trying out for. Just before turning 14 she grew and now only hits about 40mph with no accuracy. She is 6'2. Last year was about 6'0. She has gotten taller and really started working out and has gotten stronger. Needless to say this has been extremely frustrating for her (and myself). She sees a weekly pitching instructor who says it's a timing issue and it will work itself out. As soon as she gets her legs involved her body goes goofy (Arm wraps behind head, tries to muscle the ball) She can do a K drill and walkthrough drill with good speed, spin and accuracy. We are going to another pc for another opinion as I am a freak and want this fixed now because it has been going on long enough. Has anyone else with taller daughters experienced anything like this?
Growth spurts and Pitching
- Thread starter Bugoozi
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JJsqueeze
Dad, Husband....legend
That is a monumental speed difference. Are you sure about the numbers? Growth spurt/body changes would not explain this alone and I am sure this cannot happen overnight....some info must be missing here.
Agreed. Something is amiss. My DD went through some growth spurts but more than anything it affected her accuracy, not so much her speed. For a kid that is 6'-0" to 6'-2" a speed of 40mph is very, very slow. Have her throw, use a reliable gun, and posts some vids. Need from catchers perspective and from 3rd base if a RHP or 1st base if a LHP. Otherwise all you will get is speculation. Post the vids and you will get some of the best advice anywhere.
javasource
6-4-3 = 2
Yeah... never witnessed anything like this... and I work with a bunch of bean-pole's. I almost thought it was a typo. Any chance you'll post video?
- Dec 7, 2011
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Ya I hate to be a hater but to get to 57 is an achievement itself and represents a certain natural capacity to correctly synchronize a pitch. I just can't imagine a decrease like that.
Regardless there is an "awkward" phase kids go through when the body matures. It has to relearn how to use the new dimensions and the growing muscles. My DD went through this but allot earlier in life like around 11-12U (I think like most girls)
My DD is a fraction shy of 6 foot and this story seems really different than anything I have seen. But viva-le-difference
Regardless there is an "awkward" phase kids go through when the body matures. It has to relearn how to use the new dimensions and the growing muscles. My DD went through this but allot earlier in life like around 11-12U (I think like most girls)
My DD is a fraction shy of 6 foot and this story seems really different than anything I have seen. But viva-le-difference
- Jun 19, 2013
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- 28
This was along the lines of what I was thinking. Throwing 57 mph at 13 puts you in an elite group of pitchers and then to drop to rec ball speed seems very drastic. I do know that my DD's first pitching coach is 6'1" and she said that growth spurts would always mess with her accuracy for a while.
Is there other info such as that she took the year off from pitching for another sport? If the pitching coach is not concerned maybe there is a major change going on with her motion that is underway?
1. The radar might have been wrong - either at 57 or now.
2. You mention she started working out. Is she lifting Weights? Muscling the ball seems to slow down the pitch compared to whipping it.
3. 2 inches in growth can make a difference ( that's what she said) sorry couldn't help myself. She should be able to work thru it by practicing and adjusting. It's probably a matter of getting used to being in the taller body, sort of.
The amount of drop is speed is too great in variation which leads me to believe #1 is the biggest contributing factor.
2. You mention she started working out. Is she lifting Weights? Muscling the ball seems to slow down the pitch compared to whipping it.
3. 2 inches in growth can make a difference ( that's what she said) sorry couldn't help myself. She should be able to work thru it by practicing and adjusting. It's probably a matter of getting used to being in the taller body, sort of.
The amount of drop is speed is too great in variation which leads me to believe #1 is the biggest contributing factor.
- Oct 22, 2009
- 1,779
- 0
A month of rest and a salt tablet fixes everything. 
I will try to post some video soon. 57 was accurate by my pocket radar and the coaches pocket radar. He even had her at 59. She now does pitch at 40 or so. We are baffled. She lifts weights and does more of a crossfit type workout. This has gone on now for about 3 months or so. It's really frustrating. No, really really frustrating. I will post video soon and hopefully one of you posters can see something her pc hasn't. Her pc says her stride foot lands and her arm is already at roughly 4:00 leaving nothing to put on the ball. He says we have to get her arm more toward the 1:00 position so she can generate some speed on her downswing. Not exactly sure how or why or what caused her timing to go astray. Thanks for your responses.
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