Yeah, nothing makes a liar out of a fisherman like a good set of scales and nothing makes a liar out of a pitcher's dad like a good radar gun. My DD can see a gun and the mechanics go out the window and she tries throwing it through the fence. I wish we could clock her without her knowlwdge, I think the results would be much better.
minimal speed??
- Thread starter bigboyk
- Start date
Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch
Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.
If you've been around the ball park enough you don't need a gun. I use to take mine everywhere and gun all ages. Now I can guess within 2 mph of the pitch without it. People say I should charge money...........or join the circus!! Not sure how I should take that? 
"My DD can see a gun and the mechanics go out the window and she tries throwing it through the fence. I wish we could clock her without her knowlwdge, I think the results would be much better. "
Bigboy,all
People often say something similar to the above, but there is a very simple remedy for it. The sexy thing to say on internet boards is to 'put the radar gun away,' which is usually followed by some version of your statement above.
I am not saying that what you state above isn't true, but if you want to easily correct this, forget about clocking her without her knowledge...start clocking her WITH her knowledge.
GASP!!! WHAT??!??
Consider this: If you have a young pitcher who has good control/mechanics, etc when throwing to a Dad or catcher, but she falls apart when a batter is standing in the box...what do you do? You explain in whatever terms that a batter nor anything else really should make a difference when she is focused. Then you add a player in the batters box for a pitching session or fifty until her excellent mechanics/ control, etc return and poof! You have slain a beast.
What do you do if a pitcher is excellent until she sees a batter square/pivot to bunt, at which point she routinely loses it and grants a free pass in the form of a walk? Um...you start showing her bunt in practice until this hurdle is overcome.
The difference between the examples above and the evil old radar gun is that the live batter issues take more time and practice to overcome and get comfortable with. Go 'submersion' with a radar and use it on every pitch after warmups and it will lose it's stimulus factor VERY quickly. One practice session, maybe. Then bring it out on occasion since she needs to see it often to remain comfortable with it--just as with live batters, bunters, etc.
If you have one of those pitchers who break down at the sight of a radar, how about telling her you are going to clock every pitch for the next month...maybe even do so, but you don't even need to tell her the number pitch-by-pitch. After a session, just give her a range like "your FB was 50-52 today" but otherwise don't make a deal of the gun. You'll be amazed at how quickly a radar is a complete non-issue.
I honestly don't understand the radar phobia that so many PC's, Dads, and internet gurus have. Radar breakdown is quite possibly the easiest of any mental/mechanical problems to fix.
If you choose not to cure this, good luck when a parent on the opponant's team shows up with a radar and makes it apparent. What will your pitchers do then??
My $.02
VW
Bigboy,all
People often say something similar to the above, but there is a very simple remedy for it. The sexy thing to say on internet boards is to 'put the radar gun away,' which is usually followed by some version of your statement above.
I am not saying that what you state above isn't true, but if you want to easily correct this, forget about clocking her without her knowledge...start clocking her WITH her knowledge.
GASP!!! WHAT??!??
Consider this: If you have a young pitcher who has good control/mechanics, etc when throwing to a Dad or catcher, but she falls apart when a batter is standing in the box...what do you do? You explain in whatever terms that a batter nor anything else really should make a difference when she is focused. Then you add a player in the batters box for a pitching session or fifty until her excellent mechanics/ control, etc return and poof! You have slain a beast.
What do you do if a pitcher is excellent until she sees a batter square/pivot to bunt, at which point she routinely loses it and grants a free pass in the form of a walk? Um...you start showing her bunt in practice until this hurdle is overcome.
The difference between the examples above and the evil old radar gun is that the live batter issues take more time and practice to overcome and get comfortable with. Go 'submersion' with a radar and use it on every pitch after warmups and it will lose it's stimulus factor VERY quickly. One practice session, maybe. Then bring it out on occasion since she needs to see it often to remain comfortable with it--just as with live batters, bunters, etc.
If you have one of those pitchers who break down at the sight of a radar, how about telling her you are going to clock every pitch for the next month...maybe even do so, but you don't even need to tell her the number pitch-by-pitch. After a session, just give her a range like "your FB was 50-52 today" but otherwise don't make a deal of the gun. You'll be amazed at how quickly a radar is a complete non-issue.
I honestly don't understand the radar phobia that so many PC's, Dads, and internet gurus have. Radar breakdown is quite possibly the easiest of any mental/mechanical problems to fix.
If you choose not to cure this, good luck when a parent on the opponant's team shows up with a radar and makes it apparent. What will your pitchers do then??
My $.02
VW
- May 13, 2008
- 824
- 16
If you use a radar gun like the following:
SpeedTrac X Radar Gun
You can set this where the pitcher can get feedback on every pitch in regards to how it is working. They will know that when they "muscle up" and tighten the muscles up they aren't as fast. They will quickly learn what mechanics are working and what aren't and have the data to back it up.
SpeedTrac X Radar Gun
You can set this where the pitcher can get feedback on every pitch in regards to how it is working. They will know that when they "muscle up" and tighten the muscles up they aren't as fast. They will quickly learn what mechanics are working and what aren't and have the data to back it up.
I believe the whole speed vs. control should be based on each individual player. I will use two of the pitchers I have as an example. We are a first year 14U team. One is 6', and overweight. She can throw pretty hard consistently in the mid-to upper 50s. The other is a very small framed girl that weighs 85 lbs soaking wet and throws upper 40s to low 50s.
Both of these pitchers are pretty equal as far as number of wins / strikeouts / hits / ect... Why is this? The one that throws hard doesn't have real good control yet (I mean able to hit the corners, she can throw strikes), while the slower pitcher has great control and can throw inside / outside / up / and down and hit them consistently. Both are equally productive.
There is a reason why Moyer has pitched for 70+ years in the MLB... LOL
Both of these pitchers are pretty equal as far as number of wins / strikeouts / hits / ect... Why is this? The one that throws hard doesn't have real good control yet (I mean able to hit the corners, she can throw strikes), while the slower pitcher has great control and can throw inside / outside / up / and down and hit them consistently. Both are equally productive.
There is a reason why Moyer has pitched for 70+ years in the MLB... LOL
The more speed, the better. The more control, the better. The more spin and spin axis control, the better. The small girl takes the tools at her disposal and uses them in the most effective way she can. The big girl needs to learn what the small girl knows and the small girl needs to work on power and hope her growth plates have a long future ahead of them.
Of course everyone wants to have the complete package... but the Finch's and Abbott's are far and few between. And yes, we work on both pitchers doing exactly what you said.
