BigSkyHi
All I know is I don't know
- Jan 13, 2020
- 1,385
- 113
Hit two in a row in the feet
The first thing is to consider whether they level of competition is appropriate. Depending on your area they might have level C in USSSA or USA. Level 12B and above is generally going to require good location of the fastball and an effective change up or another good secondary pitch.
Every pitch should be thrown with a purpose. Does your pitcher have good control? If she can throw around the plate and get batters to chase, she might be okay. At 12u she should already have a drop and a change up. I always rail and rant against parents that claim their dd throws 10 different pitches - and then wonder why their dd is getting lit up. Please, I’m not saying that’s the case with your daughter, but she has to be able to throw a good change up and a drop. I teach pitching and I’ve constantly run into “the big girl syndrome “. At 10u and at 12u some girls are so physically developed that they only need to throw fastballs. When they move up to 14u they are physically equal to other 14u girls. They gotten by because they were more developed than girls their age. At 14u girls aren’t afraid of the ball like their younger cohorts. At 10u you have maybe two girls that are consistently good hitters on a team. At 12u, you maybe have four girls that consistently hit. At 14u you have six or seven girls that can hit.for 12 U ball, What should I have my pitchers do when the other teams' batters are hitting my their fastballs other than throw a faster fastball?! LOL
My pitchers cannot throw anything but fastballs at this time, we are working on change ups etc.
Does it make sense for my pitchers to throw slower to the batters like an Arc pitch? I'm wondering if the other teams' batters are using the speed of our fastballs to their advantage....
What about a scrise or a script? Not be confused with crise or a crop.Every pitch should be thrown with a purpose. Does your pitcher have good control? If she can throw around the plate and get batters to chase, she might be okay. At 12u she should already have a drop and a change up. I always rail and rant against parents that claim their dd throws 10 different pitches - and then wonder why their dd is getting lit up. Please, I’m not saying that’s the case with your daughter, but she has to be able to throw a good change up and a drop. I teach pitching and I’ve constantly run into “the big girl syndrome “. At 10u and at 12u some girls are so physically developed that they only need to throw fastballs. When they move up to 14u they are physically equal to other 14u girls. They gotten by because they were more developed than girls their age. At 14u girls aren’t afraid of the ball like their younger cohorts. At 10u you have maybe two girls that are consistently good hitters on a team. At 12u, you maybe have four girls that consistently hit. At 14u you have six or seven girls that can hit.
When I work with my younger pitchers I teach the mechanics of the fastball, including a consistent grip. In conjunction with that, I teach the peel drop, which is easier to to teach than the turnover drop. Girls become so adept at it that teams that scout the girl knows it’s coming but can’t get it out of the infield. Once their mechanics are set, I move right to the change up. The test is whether they can feel comfortable enough to throw it on a 3 and 2 pitch. One of the biggest sources of irritation is a coach that only calls two changes a game. Or, when it’s called only when the count is 0-2 or 1-2. Or, when there is an incredibly poor batter hitting 8 or 9. My belief is that it should be thrown 20 - 30 percent of the time.
My unsolicited advice is to work drop and change incessantly until your dd masters both of them. Personally, I’m not a big fan of pitches that stay in the same plane, such as curveballs and screwballs.
Finally some practical advice!Hit two in a row in the feet
Thanks!The first thing is to consider whether they level of competition is appropriate. Depending on your area they might have level C in USSSA or USA. Level 12B and above is generally going to require good location of the fastball and an effective change up or another good secondary pitch.
Great advice!Every pitch should be thrown with a purpose. Does your pitcher have good control? If she can throw around the plate and get batters to chase, she might be okay. At 12u she should already have a drop and a change up. I always rail and rant against parents that claim their dd throws 10 different pitches - and then wonder why their dd is getting lit up. Please, I’m not saying that’s the case with your daughter, but she has to be able to throw a good change up and a drop. I teach pitching and I’ve constantly run into “the big girl syndrome “. At 10u and at 12u some girls are so physically developed that they only need to throw fastballs. When they move up to 14u they are physically equal to other 14u girls. They gotten by because they were more developed than girls their age. At 14u girls aren’t afraid of the ball like their younger cohorts. At 10u you have maybe two girls that are consistently good hitters on a team. At 12u, you maybe have four girls that consistently hit. At 14u you have six or seven girls that can hit.
When I work with my younger pitchers I teach the mechanics of the fastball, including a consistent grip. In conjunction with that, I teach the peel drop, which is easier to to teach than the turnover drop. Girls become so adept at it that teams that scout the girl knows it’s coming but can’t get it out of the infield. Once their mechanics are set, I move right to the change up. The test is whether they can feel comfortable enough to throw it on a 3 and 2 pitch. One of the biggest sources of irritation is a coach that only calls two changes a game. Or, when it’s called only when the count is 0-2 or 1-2. Or, when there is an incredibly poor batter hitting 8 or 9. My belief is that it should be thrown 20 - 30 percent of the time.
My unsolicited advice is to work drop and change incessantly until your dd masters both of them. Personally, I’m not a big fan of pitches that stay in the same plane, such as curveballs and screwballs.