How fast does a first year 10U pitcher throw?

[Dudley]

My first response since joining the forum... Been reading this forum for a year now! 12U daughter with some pretty good success. "Don't AIM the BALL, throw it......" Control will come, with time and practice..... Usually a lot of the latter... Daughter threw in low to mid 40's as a 10. Now upper 40's to low 50's

 

[JAD]

Good mechanics are a lot more important than pitch speed at 10U, but I would expect most girls are 35-40MPH. 40-45MPH would be the top pitchers and anyone over 45MPH would be a STUD!

 

[Ken B]

And the congregation replies with an enthusiastic AMEN Brother!!!! AMEN.....

It's rough at first, but when it comes together it's fun to watch.

Every parent and coach wants control. I suppose it's not much different from wanting home runs. Do we fudge on hitting form so we can have contact? If I could wrap my mind around a way to teach mechanics and timing without getting speed, but immediate control, I'd be all for it.

 

[FrozenRope]

10u, some as slow as 50, others higher.

Just kidding. First year, at 9 don't worry about speed. Even if you go by the idea that speed comes first (which I do) it still doesn't matter how fast she is as long as she is pitching as fast as she can.

Stop reading after this post. This is the absolute PERFECT answer to the original poster's question. I HATE the "Just throw strikes" mentality. I've watched so many girls be coached with this mentality, and quite frankly, they rarely get it. When they do, they have trouble keeping form when they go anything more than 75% effort. After all, that's how they were taught. Any time they try throwing full speed and struggle, they'll revert back to what they are comfortable with... partial effort. Opposite that, I watched others coached to throw fast, and keep working on mechanics, and they seem to succeed. I have limited experience with FP Softball, but this is a brilliant post. Simple, but so true. I wouldn't force, or coach a kid to try and throw a certain speed, but rather throw the ball as fast as she can. Work on the mechanics at full speed. Think about it.... you want a kid to learn to control her mechanics at full speed from the start. If you coach/teach them the mechanics at 75% to "just throw Strikes", that's what they'll learn.

Once again...SIMPLE but GREAT advice chinamigarden!!

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Let's face it, mostly speed at 10u wins games. That's why dads/coaches are obsessed with it. I've been guilty myself, always had a gun within reaching distance. About 12u I put the gun away because the game changes, for one the speed gap shrinks and batters get better. Then movement really determines the winner. I keep my gun in the truck, every once in awhile someone's speed catches my interest.

 

[shockcoach]

Ain't nobody can throw as fast as the legend....Ray Ray.

 

[chinamigarden]

Well at 10 Ray Ray wasn't doing pushups, she was bench pressing the world.

 

[ArmWhip]

The speed she needs depends a lot on what level she is playing at, travel, high level travel, Little League? At any level you can't pitch in games if you can't throw strikes and you just walk batter after batter. At the higher levels you can't pitch if you just throw it down the middle.

 

[jdp29]

Speed wins games in 10's. My daughter just moved up to 12/u. She threw about 45 last year in second year 10's. Her pitching coach finally got me off the speed wagon and I take more joy watching her change and movement pitches develop. I would take movement all day over speed. You might get an inning or 2 out of a kid who throws gas, but teams will eventually put the ball in play. You need different looks. First year 10's, I say get her throw 7/10 strikes, then hit her corners & work on her change. If she throws strikes and can hit corners 50%, she will do fine.

 

[AR Softball dad]

Thanks for all the replys my DD will have her second lesson with Bill Hillhouse this Saturday. She has learned alot already and really enjoys Bill and how he teachs.