~How ATHLETIC is your PITCHER?

[jsoftballcoach]

Or maybe pitching skill can be acquired more by hard work than "athleticism can." I also think arm flexibility and ability to generate whip doesn't completely correlate with standard definitions of athleticism while being extremely useful for pitching.

I think I agree with this. My DD (2022) would not be considered a great athlete and has been a PO since 16U. But she is a P5 committed pitcher.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[lostcreek1]

I agree coaches believe they can turn size and strength into a good player. Or a fast wild pitcher into a good pitcher. A power swing into a good hitter.They rarely can. The true athlete can play multiple sports. They can rock climb, play ping pong, tear up agility/ obstacle courses, fearlessly dive for balls, and can learn new skills very quickly. .

There are quite a few girls playing P5 softball that cannot do most of those things, they can however hit softballs further than 200ft, or throw a softball 65-70 mph under handed.

 

[daywalkerdad]

Yes I got your point (you have made it in two separate threads already... ) and yes I know college track has coaches..my DW ran college track. I just don't think that the attributes/skills required to be good are equally able to be improved upon with good coaching and hard work. You say they are, that is fine. Like every other conversation between you and me on here, we will just agree to disagree .

I was just replying to cnardone about a article he read that stated facts.
I know a boys track coach that achieves sub 2:10 800m and sub 18 min 5k for athletes who train 4 years at 75-90%.

 

[_MIA_]

I was just replying to cnardone about a article he read that stated facts.
I know a boys track coach that achieves sub 2:10 800m and sub 18 min 5k for athletes who train 4 years at 75-90%.

Those were certainly “facts” but without knowing more about the situation I am not sure you can use them to make your argument…Anyway, good chat.

 

[radness]

Those were certainly “facts” but without knowing more about the situation I am not sure you can use them to make your argument…Anyway, good chat.

Haaa lol completely in a humorous way read that and started laughing because it says
Certainly 'facts' but not sure we can use them...
LOL ...Society is now in a place where facts can arbitrarily be thrown out.


( I get what you meant by your post though pattar)

 

[_MIA_]

Haaa lol completely in a humorous way read that and started laughing because it says
Certainly 'facts' but not sure we can use them...
LOL ...Society is now in a place where facts can arbitrarily be thrown out.


( I get what you meant by your post though pattar)

Yes, I am not arguing there isn’t a genetic component to hitting. Obviously there is. I mean having exceptional eyesight is one of those components and I am sure there are other genetic attributes which contribute to hand-eye coordination. Being strong obviously helps too. The ability to generate force in a short amount of time (power output in scientific jargon or being quick-twitched in the athletic jargon). Etc, etc
All of those things determine your ceiling.

 

[daywalkerdad]

Or maybe pitching skill can be acquired more by hard work than "athleticism can." I also think arm flexibility and ability to generate whip doesn't completely correlate with standard definitions of athleticism while being extremely useful for pitching.

My DD goes to an excellent pitching coach. She has been doing this for 30 years and has coached several college pitchers. After a few lessons her comment was your daughter is athletic.
She has been doing it long enough she can spot the athletic traits needed at a young age.

 

[Tazman]

My DD goes to an excellent pitching coach. She has been doing this for 30 years and has coached several college pitchers. After a few lessons her comment was your daughter is athletic.
She has been doing it long enough she can spot the athletic traits needed at a young age.

Yep. All things equal an athletic pitcher will progress further and faster than a non athletic one. Elite softball players are 1 %ers and that is achieved by hard work, natural talent, and coaching. Because pitching has such a massive technical component that can take hours a week for about a decade to refine, and because the traits required do not perfectly fit the traditional definition of athleticism, it's more likely that a less athletic pitcher reaches elite status than it is for other positions.