I am a coach of a 10U travel team and wanted to get some feedback. Our coaches opinions are split on how to develop our pitchers. We have 3 pitchers currently that all do lessons once a week with a college coach, and throw multiple times week. We have one pitcher who is very good and throws consistent strikes. The other two are coming along but still struggle with consistency. Two of our coaches think the answer is to do live practices as much as possible and the other two lean more to bullpens and occasional live (once a week). In my opinion, both serve their purpose but if a kid is throwing 30-40, or even 50% strikes in a bullpen/lesson without the elements of a game, throwing live isn't going to be the difference maker. Curious to hear the thoughts from this board.
Live pitching practices VS bullpens/lessons
- Thread starter Nate711
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From the experience of my DD, it's all about good instruction and reps. Any kind of reps. Just gotta get reps.
Some girls do pitch differently when there's a batter. No doubt about it. My DD wasn't that way, really, so reps into a net or without a batter were 99% as good as reps to live batters.
Some girls do pitch differently when there's a batter. No doubt about it. My DD wasn't that way, really, so reps into a net or without a batter were 99% as good as reps to live batters.
- Apr 14, 2022
- 658
- 63
Live seasons will benefit the batters. You can probably replicate 10u pitching, but not the wildness. I think the hardest thing to hit is a hard thrower that is wild manages to get 3 strikes in 7. It can also benefit the pitchers but less.
Form leads to velocity and accuracy.
This is going to sound backwards, but trying to throw strikes is the enemy of a young pitcher particularly if form issues the body will find a way.
Make sure they throw into a net and do mirror work some. Also focus on drills. Can they throw with accuracy and velocity with just arm circle or whip?
I do not know if live pitching helps dd or not with accuracy.
Always throw hard, I see no correlation between throwing slower and improved accuracy.
I would audit the practice habits and quality of practice reps the kids are getting. My daughter can't have distraction while practicing or she doesn't try her best. She can have game distraction or I can inject noise into her individual practices, but with team environment practices she cant have her friends talking to her, and things of that nature. She's not focused on a spot, not throwing full speed, etc.
Are the catchers doing their job, etc? There's a big difference betwee any of our kids pitching to anyone other than our primary catcher. The other can catch the ball, but they can't direct the session, aren't going to pick a spot, provide feedback. Things liek that.
You may know all these things, but when any of the kids I work with start to change or aren't making progress, I can usually pin it down to the quality or amount of reps they're getting. And it may just purely be that they aren't progressing in the lessons. You could even have an ineffective pitching instructor, or an instructor whose personality and/or teaching methods aren't what's best for one kid vs another.
Are the catchers doing their job, etc? There's a big difference betwee any of our kids pitching to anyone other than our primary catcher. The other can catch the ball, but they can't direct the session, aren't going to pick a spot, provide feedback. Things liek that.
You may know all these things, but when any of the kids I work with start to change or aren't making progress, I can usually pin it down to the quality or amount of reps they're getting. And it may just purely be that they aren't progressing in the lessons. You could even have an ineffective pitching instructor, or an instructor whose personality and/or teaching methods aren't what's best for one kid vs another.
