Pitching Speed

[2bucketdad]

That is the Issue I think our Team runs into to, not 50 but a slower pitcher.

Sorry, I was talking about 16U and 18U, just sub in the numbers for what ever age group you are working with...

 

[quincy]

thanks , I took it the right way and think you are absolutely correct.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Simple. Set a machine at 55 and do the Bonds drill moving forward and back relative to the machine and you've covered it all. Don't forget to move toward and away from the plate so you also cover inside and outside.

The issue I’ve often observed by those using the drill of stepping closer to the pitching machine is that hitters tend to reduce their ability to load slow and early … which is important to effective hitting.

Given the choice between having a hitter step closer to the pitching machine, or having the feeder turn up the dial on the pitching machine, I go for the later.

 

[Steve Huff]

Our Team has had this discussion, argument, every year and I am sure we will again this year.

I think we should practice hitting at the higher end of the pitching speed that we will face, others think we should practice pitching faster than any pitcher we will face. In the last 2 years DD has faced 1 pitcher should could not get around on and did not get to face another one that I am pretty sure she would of had trouble with, they both threw faster then she could handle because they threw significantly faster then we practice.

If 1 person had their way we would practice with ball speeds at 70, not sure what would accomplish. I am also not sure my “giving” up on the fastest of the fast is correct either.

Opposing Teams will throw the fast P, followed by a slower pitcher or vice versa. They seem to be mean that way. I personal think our Team hits better against the faster pitchers, with the slower pitchers some of our better hitters struggle getting their timing down.

Going to work on varying practice speeds more this year but I am not sure practice with the fastest pitch you will see in 20 games accomplishes much.

One of those things I am not sure that there is a right answer to.

I have never coached anything younger than 18U or High School, so I am not the most experienced with the younger girls. But, we practiced against pitching speeds about 3mph above what we would be facing most of the time. If I knew who we would face in the next game, I would adjust the speed to 3mph above that pitcher's speed. Girls know where the pitching machine is going to put the ball so they react quicker. As far as live pitching, I could not vary my speed throwing to them too much, so I would adjust my distance and scramble behind the screen. It was fun sport for them to play "dodge-ball" with me.

My High School teams NEVER played preseason at our level. We scheduled every game at 5A and were the smallest 4A school in the State, by as much as 1000 students. The AD and parents at times didn't understand why we weren't loading up on the 3A schools in preseason and getting W's in the Win column. We only won about 30% of our preseason games, but we also faced pitching that was as good as the best pitchers in our 9 team region. My last HS team was considered the 2nd worst 4A program in the State, and that is probably why they wanted "wins". My goal was to go to State every year, not to look good with bogus wins. I might add that after I left, the schools record the next 5 years was 3-154.

I have read GreenMonster and FiveFrameSwing's posts and 2bucketDad's post was excellent! I generally agree with everyone's posts here that I have read.

 

[chinamigarden]

How do you know what speed the machine is pitching? I know the setting knob or display tells you a number. But how do you know it is accurate? Just like any other electric motor the longer the extension cord the slower the motor turns. If the extension cord isn't the correct gauge then the motor turns even slower. Sometimes teams think they are practicing at 55 MPH but they are actually practicing at 45.

My first expousure to a crazy daddy was in baseball when a guy told me his son and 4 other kids on his 9U team were throwing 70+ MPH, they measured this by feeding a ball into a machine and having the kid throw at the same time. If the ball arrived at the plate at the same time they must be throwing the number on the machine. What I didn't tell him was my team was practicing with the same machine and we had to set it at 100 to get a good practice speed.

 

[quincy]

I am the machine.

Not sure how the conversation switched to a pitching machine but eveything has been making sense to me so did not try to correct the misinterpetation.

Thanks for all the input.

 

[PEPPERS]

Our Team has had this discussion, argument, every year and I am sure we will again this year.

I think we should practice hitting at the higher end of the pitching speed that we will face, others think we should practice pitching faster than any pitcher we will face. In the last 2 years DD has faced 1 pitcher should could not get around on and did not get to face another one that I am pretty sure she would of had trouble with, they both threw faster then she could handle because they threw significantly faster then we practice.

If 1 person had their way we would practice with ball speeds at 70, not sure what would accomplish. I am also not sure my “giving” up on the fastest of the fast is correct either.

Opposing Teams will throw the fast P, followed by a slower pitcher or vice versa. They seem to be mean that way. I personal think our Team hits better against the faster pitchers, with the slower pitchers some of our better hitters struggle getting their timing down.

Going to work on varying practice speeds more this year but I am not sure practice with the fastest pitch you will see in 20 games accomplishes much.

One of those things I am not sure that there is a right answer to.

We try and work toward the best pitching/pitchers we will see when we practice. I feel a hitter should be good enough to hit the average pitchers the elite pitcher is where the challenge lies IMO.

I’m the pitching machine like you most of the time, I start at 38 feet and move closer to the batter to simulate faster pitchers.

When we have access to a pitching machine we do the Barry Bonds drill described by Howard/Hitter.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

How do you know what speed the machine is pitching? I know the setting knob or display tells you a number. But how do you know it is accurate? Just like any other electric motor the longer the extension cord the slower the motor turns. If the extension cord isn't the correct gauge then the motor turns even slower. Sometimes teams think they are practicing at 55 MPH but they are actually practicing at 45.

My first expousure to a crazy daddy was in baseball when a guy told me his son and 4 other kids on his 9U team were throwing 70+ MPH, they measured this by feeding a ball into a machine and having the kid throw at the same time. If the ball arrived at the plate at the same time they must be throwing the number on the machine. What I didn't tell him was my team was practicing with the same machine and we had to set it at 100 to get a good practice speed.

I use a radar gun to confirm. Typically I find the wheel running at very close to the setting ... but the speed of the ball exiting the machine is slower ... and typically 4-6mph slower.

 

[Greenmonsters]

The issue I’ve often observed by those using the drill of stepping closer to the pitching machine is that hitters tend to reduce their ability to load slow and early … which is important to effective hitting.

Given the choice between having a hitter step closer to the pitching machine, or having the feeder turn up the dial on the pitching machine, I go for the later.

FFS - the same concerns exist for weighted bat drills, too! Any drill can be poorly executed. Vigilence and attention to form are also required or your wasting your time

 

[Steve Huff]

How do you know what speed the machine is pitching? I know the setting knob or display tells you a number. But how do you know it is accurate? Just like any other electric motor the longer the extension cord the slower the motor turns. If the extension cord isn't the correct gauge then the motor turns even slower. Sometimes teams think they are practicing at 55 MPH but they are actually practicing at 45.

My first expousure to a crazy daddy was in baseball when a guy told me his son and 4 other kids on his 9U team were throwing 70+ MPH, they measured this by feeding a ball into a machine and having the kid throw at the same time. If the ball arrived at the plate at the same time they must be throwing the number on the machine. What I didn't tell him was my team was practicing with the same machine and we had to set it at 100 to get a good practice speed.

Unless you have a digital readout, you can't tell. However, I had a jugs gun, but they don't work reading a pitching machine pitch because the spinning wheel throws off the gun. So I put a barrier in front of the tire so that only the ball coming out was seen by the radar. I got a reading then. But I have always had super-jugs other than my first machine. That is a good point about the cord, and it is a reason for using the heaviest gauge outdoor cord.

Secondly, you can trust your eyes. I know not all people can d this, but I can judge speed very well. And since I have caught and taught many 45mph pitchers and Michele Smith, college, and men's pitchers who threw even harder, I can give it a pretty good shot.