Ideas to pick up speed.

[TNdad]

I have a 12yr old and was just looking for some drills to pick up speed.

 

[Illini Rick]

I know that some folks will bash me for suggesting this, but my U10 daughter went from 36 to 45mph in 3 months while using weighted balls. She was practicing 4-5 days per week, and I'm sure that we were correcting mechanical things in her motion too, but she would throw 30-40 pitches with a regular ball, throw 20 with a 7oz ball, then 20 with an 8oz ball, back to 20 with the 7oz ball, then back to the regular ball for 30 pitches. Speed of the last 30 pitches usually averaged higher than the first 30. Was it because she was warm, because her arm speed was up because of the heavier balls, her mechanics improved as she threw each practice? Not exactly sure, but I think that the weighted balls may have helped. PLEASE, use caution when using the weighted balls, though. Do some research on it. Consult with your pitching coach and get his/her OK before you try it and don't use anything over 8oz or so because you don't want to stress her arm too much.