Is it safe to teach a 9 year old a Screwball?

[SoCalSoftballdad]

Somebody posted a video of their DD pitching a screwball and was curious if this is a safe pitch to teach at this age?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQQDtwFimsw&feature=related

 

[SoftSocDad]

Safe, but unnecessary. A 9yo who's 'ready' for a screwball is likely already successful with the basics and should continue focusing on accuracy and speed.

 

[Ade's Dad]

My DD learned the screw at 9. Did not have any physical problems, she was with a PC every week. She dominated 1 year at 10u and 2 years at 12u. At that age the ball does not break much if any ,but they are working on mechanics,spotting the ball and proper spin. That is our experience,don't know how others fair.

 

[Lozza]

Which ball was the screwball? If it was meant to be the second, it looked like an inside pitch to me, not a screwball.

You can teach it, but it doesn't mean they can do it.

 

[quincy]

I think it is OK to teach her a screwball and will be safe. Just make sure there are no unnatural motions in her pitching, Breaks up pitching practice a little bit.

 

[sluggers]

Which ball was the screwball?

Lozza, you are having trouble with Daddy-speak. To daddies, all inside pitches are screwballs and all high pitches are riseballs.

 

[Sparky Guy]

Lozza, you are having trouble with Daddy-speak. To daddies, all inside pitches are screwballs and all high pitches are riseballs.

Ray you have it ALL wrong!!!! It's SPINNY inside and high pitches. Please see chapter 8 of your Daddy-speak manual.

SG

 

[Sparky Guy]

The screwball is last pitch I teach girls. They have to have solid mechanics on all of their other pitches before you introduce it. There are many elements of the pitch that can creep into the normal pitching motion if you're not careful. The other thing is a 9 yr old does not have the strength or velocity to spin the ball hard enough to make it move at that age. All they are throwing is a spinny fastball inside.

The screw I teach is what someone referred to as a bullet spin screw. This pitch can be thrown high and low with very slight adjustments to the delivery. The other nice thing about is that the pitcher doesn't have to jump way off to the side to throw it effectively. Before they can learn it though they must have a good rise ball.

 

[splinterpicker]

Why is my question? Form is most important at that age. To me fastball, change and location are more important than learning movement pitches at that age. The basics have to be mastered before any thing else happens. The young lady more than likely still has 1 or 2 distance changes to go. I used teaching my dd pitches as a reward for mastering the basics.

 

[Sparky Guy]

Why is my question? Form is most important at that age.

I guess I should have elaborated more on that post. I don't teach a screwball to a girl until she is in her teens. By then all the mechanics should be solid for all of her other pitches and she's had the time to develop a good rise ball.