I may be opening a can of worms but...

[PEPPERS]

I recall it was stated that it takes a year to perfect a pitch to be able to use in games and DD has discovered that for the most part that is an accurate statement.

 

[JAD]

How old is your DD?

2nd year 14U. She has pretty good speed on her other pitches, so an off speed drop curve is very effective for her.

 

[JAD]

I recall it was stated that it takes a year to perfect a pitch to be able to use in games and DD has discovered that for the most part that is an accurate statement.

I would agree that it takes @ a year when a pitcher first starts, but after they have been pitching for a couple of years, it becomes much easier to master new pitches.

 

[mosftballdad]

Lots of great comments here. Thanks for the responses. Her PC has her concentrating on a couple of pitches and works in the others for something different to give her a break from the same pitch or two every week. I think she has a natural bent towards the rise with the screw a very close second. I will review this with her PC and spend my time there. I am not a know eveything bucket dad which is why I love this forum.

 

[CoachFP]

When DD went to the Alabama Softball Camp she was told that you need one dominant pitch and to work of perfecting that pitch.

DD worked really hard on her rise during the summer and it was doing so well, but the college coach only wants low balls at or around the knee. Her explanations is the high ball gets hit too hard so she never calls it.
DD is doing well, but I hate to see a good pitch going to waste.

I can't argue with working on and getting a dominant pitch. But the definition of such is difficult to get to. Unless that dominant pitch is all you have a pitcher needs a second pitch to go with it and preferably a third. No more. Just because somebody at Alabama says something about pitching I wouldn't necessarily treat it as gospel, however. That goes even more for the "other" colleges who may not have anyone on their staff who knows anything about pitching.

 

[Coach JV]

There are and have been plenty of very successful college pitchers who can throw 3 pitches:
1. A fastball (pinpoint accuracy to work all 4 corners of zone)
2. off-speed pitch (change up etc)
3. Breaking pitch (it doesn't matter whether it is a curve, drop curve or screw)

Per Ray's comment earlier, these pitches must be thrown consistently well
with confidence.

 

[MsDinosaur]

Last year in a HS game the catcher dropped 8 drop ball third strikes in one game and the coach continued to call for the drop.

Hey, eight strike-outs at a minimum, the pitch is working! I'm a fan of that coach. I hate hearing a coach say he won't call something because his catchers can't catch it. Is serving up fastballs because they're catchable likely to yield better results than taking the chance that a catcher might drop a pitch or two? Odds are she'll still get them out on the throwdown to first the majority of the time.

 

[LeftiesDad]

DD has learned her a roll drop that she can pull to a drop curve. It is very effective for her especially thrown inside to a RH batter. Being a LH pitcher it is a movement that RH batters rarely see.