Pitch Calling

[Snotbubbles]

I always thought it was kinda hard to throw the ball straight. I taught myself several years ago so I could better teach kids and throw BP and my DD wanted to catch so it was win,win,win. My pitch always seemed to have a little tail on it, as Bill said why would you want to throw it straight?

I do think it is important though at young age to teach location. If you call low and outside and your pitcher can't hit that spot more than half the time then why are you even calling pitches. At 10U and 12U I would stand behind the plate and call four quadrants high/inside, low/outside etc. and if the pitchers could not hit the spots I was calling about 3 out of 4 times I would not call pitches what was the point...only thing I would do was call change ups occasionally but I would teach the catcher and they would catch on themselves most of the time.

No matter what pitch you call or what zone you call it the pitcher is going to have to hit a "spot". If you called every pitch down the middle, down the middle is still a spot. You call a pitch on the river, because you're trying to teach them which spots to throw to, even if they can't currently hit that spot consistently.

 

[Snotbubbles]

Monica Abbott throws 75mph, she is definitely the exception to the rule. Would be curious to ask her catcher if Monica has any movement to her pitches? My guess is she does and can spot her locations very well.

As a side note, freshman DD plays JV and does not throw her "fastball". The only time she throws a "fastball" is as the first warm-up pitch for about 10 pitches. After that its all about working on the movement pitches.

I watched her on TV last year and the radar on the screen had her consistently at 70-71. Every thing she threw was inside, right at the catchers glove.

 

[riseball]

I think this pretty much answers the command question.

[video]https://youtu.be/v2KK3FcbLwk[/video]

 

[Tatonka]

I think this pretty much answers the command question.

[video]https://youtu.be/v2KK3FcbLwk[/video]

haha....that's great! Think she could go 9 out of 10? Regardless of how good the helmet is that's still gonna get your attention!! ;-)

 

[riseball]

haha....that's great! Think she could go 9 out of 10? Regardless of how good the helmet is that's still gonna get your attention!! ;-)

I definitely would have needed to change my shorts!

 

[Cannonball]

My catcher called the entire game last night with the exception of one pitch. I called a changeup on that pitch. YEAH!!!

 

[Phathead]

Cannon I didn't see the sarcasm font on so I assume your serious. That's great. Last summer other coach or I called every pitch. Everything we called was a suggestion as catcher and pitcher had free reign to dismiss the call and go their way. Was enjoyable to have the discussion with the players as to what and why.

 

[Cannonball]

Cannon I didn't see the sarcasm font on so I assume your serious. That's great. Last summer other coach or I called every pitch. Everything we called was a suggestion as catcher and pitcher had free reign to dismiss the call and go their way. Was enjoyable to have the discussion with the players as to what and why.

No, I was serious. It will happen again tomorrow.

 

[colin]

that is the one area our coaches will call pitches, when to call a change up. kids do not like to throw them when needed.