I listen to all the talk about spin and movement being more important than speed. I agree that control and movement are what set the elite pitchers apart from the rest, but I believe that speed is a crtical factor. I think a lot of PCs preach spin and control because you can convince parents that their DD is progressing well with her movement pitches but you must have decent speed to survive. I'm not talking about 60 mph at 12 u, but certainly need to be in the mid 50s by 14u. I personally believe alot of PCs will tell parents what they want to hear to keep the $$$ flowing. But in reality don't you think you must have decent speed to compete as the girls get older. Any idea as to what that benchmark speed should be for 12u, 14u and high school?
minimal speed??
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I don't believe speed is the critical factor, only one of the factors. I believe good pitching coaches preach good mechanics that will allow a pitcher to obtain both optimal speed and spin. You can throw hard with some pretty poor mechanics. I rarely see anyone spinning the ball with good control with poor mechanics.
Differentiate between "cruising" speed and "one time max" speed. "Cruising speed" is how fast a pitcher can throw consistently with control over a 7 inning game. "One time max" is the "one time maximum" a pitcher can throw. My DD could throw 67 MPH as a one time max, but she cruised at 62. Daddies always state their DD's one time max speed.
I always go 55-60-65 for cruising speed. 55 MPH--good HS pitcher. 60 MPH--collegiate 65 MPH--one of the elite.
I've told this story before...
There was a young lady who had control and a great riseball but who only threw 55 MPH. She got a full ride at a D1 school, but she wasn't successful. She left th D1 school and went D3. She was an All-American, got a great education and had a lot of fun playing softball.
I always go 55-60-65 for cruising speed. 55 MPH--good HS pitcher. 60 MPH--collegiate 65 MPH--one of the elite.
I've told this story before...
There was a young lady who had control and a great riseball but who only threw 55 MPH. She got a full ride at a D1 school, but she wasn't successful. She left th D1 school and went D3. She was an All-American, got a great education and had a lot of fun playing softball.
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The numbers on the chart are pretty close to what I have recorded with my students. I try to test them every 3 months for speed and accuracy.
- Oct 22, 2009
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Same here, I give out quarterly reports. I also set control and speed goals for the next quarter, and I do set a kind of "bare minimal" speed for certain levels, basically so they understand that certain speeds are needed for certain pitches.
After a counter productive radar gun session, I went over two years without letting my daughter be put on a radar gun. If you know what good mechanics and timing looks like, you don't need a radar gun. Good mechanics will allow a pitcher to pitch at their optimal speed. Sure it is interesting to know where you might rank, but it can be over emphasized as a goal at the younger ages. At 14 - 15 years old, I saw other pitchers working on speed drills while we worked on keeping the correct mechanics together while working on new pitches with good spin.
I have seen three pitchers coming from the same part of my state come out of high school with all kinds of honors, records and accolades. All three are great athletes, went to top universities, throw/threw in the upper sixties and all three did not live up to expections because of what I feel is poor mechanics, lack of control and poor pitch development from an over emphasis on speed. JMHO
I have seen three pitchers coming from the same part of my state come out of high school with all kinds of honors, records and accolades. All three are great athletes, went to top universities, throw/threw in the upper sixties and all three did not live up to expections because of what I feel is poor mechanics, lack of control and poor pitch development from an over emphasis on speed. JMHO
Cyfair,
I dont disagree with you on the poor mechanics. I too have seen the same thing. Probably the same girls too.
I test my girls because it gives them incentive to improve. More importantly what I have found is that when the numbers go down instead of up there is a problem. Its usually not mechanics but can be if they get into a bad habit. In a couple of cases I had girls who had shoulder issues and wouldnt tell me. Not from mechanics but from overuse.
If a girl is a stud these coaches dont have a problem running them out to pitch the last two or three games of a tournament all in search of a little plastic trophy. I have real heartburn with that and most of my pitchers know it. So they dont tell. They also know that if they show up to a lesson and they are sore I will send them home. They dont want to miss a lesson. Which is a good indicator that what I am teaching must be working for them. I dont ever want to put pitching in front of safe pitching practices and mechanics. That leads to trouble.
Dana.
I dont disagree with you on the poor mechanics. I too have seen the same thing. Probably the same girls too.
I test my girls because it gives them incentive to improve. More importantly what I have found is that when the numbers go down instead of up there is a problem. Its usually not mechanics but can be if they get into a bad habit. In a couple of cases I had girls who had shoulder issues and wouldnt tell me. Not from mechanics but from overuse. If a girl is a stud these coaches dont have a problem running them out to pitch the last two or three games of a tournament all in search of a little plastic trophy. I have real heartburn with that and most of my pitchers know it. So they dont tell. They also know that if they show up to a lesson and they are sore I will send them home. They dont want to miss a lesson. Which is a good indicator that what I am teaching must be working for them. I dont ever want to put pitching in front of safe pitching practices and mechanics. That leads to trouble.
Dana.
- Oct 22, 2009
- 1,779
- 0
Cyfair,
I dont disagree with you on the poor mechanics. I too have seen the same thing. Probably the same girls too.
If a girl is a stud these coaches dont have a problem running them out to pitch the last two or three games of a tournament all in search of a little plastic trophy. I have real heartburn with that and most of my pitchers know it. So they dont tell. They also know that if they show up to a lesson and they are sore I will send them home. They dont want to miss a lesson. Which is a good indicator that what I am teaching must be working for them. I dont ever want to put pitching in front of safe pitching practices and mechanics. That leads to trouble.
Dana.
Same here, it's an incentive, most of the girls love the gun, but those that don't don't have to be gunned, it's their choice.
During my DD entire pitching career, prior to college she was only gunned 3x's. We still knew what she threw by judging a comparable pitcher whose parents bragged about their speed then taking 7mph's off. : )
I like your procedure for determining speed, but if it is a grandparent you should reduce by at least 10 mph or more.
