Movin On Up

[ArkFastpitch]

Spring TB season is rapidly coming to a close for DD and we are moving to 12u in the fall. Her transition to I/R is progressing nicely but now we are throwing a kink in the chain. What suggestions do the gurus have for making this transition "painless"?

 

[marriard]

You can find a number of threads on this topic but I will summarize them right here:

Don't worry about it. She will adapt to the new distance and ball size before the batters do

(Went through this last year. Actually my DD was throwing 12"/40ft in rec and 11"/35ft in travel and changing without trouble before going 12U permanently in August). A year on and my DD is +7-8 mph from her last pitches in 10U and the 11" ball feels tiny when you pick one up).

 

[JJsqueeze]

what Marriard said...it is surprisingly easy. The ball will look slower because of the distance but it will be easier than you think. We went through it last year and it really didn't change anything. DD is tall with big hands though so that probably helped.

 

[ArkFastpitch]

We have pitched some with the 12" ball but they have been ugly. I'm assuming its more of a mental block than anything else.

 

[marriard]

Give her an hour or two constantly using the 12" ball and you will see it wont be a major issue. And remember you will have a few weeks before the first games of the next travel season happens so you will have time to practice.

Unlike JJ, my DD is small so it took her a little while to adapt to gripping the bigger ball and get her spin back - but once she had it, she was fine.

 

[Ken B]

As stated above, it shouldn't be a issue at all. We have the opposite deal--my DD is the #1 on her Majors (12U) LL team but is league age 10 and she'll need to switch to 35'/11" in a couple weeks for All Stars. We're more concerned about what number she gets for her uni!

 

[marriard]

As stated above, it shouldn't be a issue at all. We have the opposite deal--my DD is the #1 on her Majors (12U) LL team but is league age 10 and she'll need to switch to 35'/11" in a couple weeks for All Stars. We're more concerned about what number she gets for her uni!

As a bucket dad you have to be careful when you go back to the smaller ball and 35' for any reason.

You'll look up and your DD will look like she is standing almost on top of you and that 11" ball comes in REAL fast especially if it is coming for your head - which it will be because she'll throw the first few high as she adjusts back.

 

[Ken B]

I live this one every week when I fail to schedule kids in order of age and experience! Just today I had a 14U come in right after an 8U kid and it took a few throws for me to feel comfy with the speed!

 

[ArkFastpitch]

We worked today on getting comfortable with the grip and release. Spent about half an hour throwing into the net at about 15 feet. She said she felt like she was getting fairly comfortable with it so we tried some slow half motion drills and worked up to full speed. After that she decided to give it a go. I was honestly surprised at how well she did. Other than a few bloopers in the dirt she did really well. Her spin was fairly tight and she had decent velocity. By the end of it she had figured out how to make her drop ball work and got a kick out of making me dance to get my shins out of the way. All in all, not a bad day.