Position for gun

[pitchmom]

I have a 14U pitcher who is fairly new into pitching. She has been taking lessons for a little under 2 year (Feb. will be 2 yrs). She is with a wonderful pitching coach who has taught her so much.

I asked the coach to gun her last week because I was curious as to how fast she pitches and because we started a weight training program and want a base to compare to in a month or so to see if the weight training program is doing us any good.

The coach stood halfway between my daughter and me (I was catching). Is that the proper place to stand. It seems to me that the pitch wouldn't reach its full speed until it reaches the catcher, so the gun should be behing the catcher. Like I said, I'm new into this and I don't even know what an average 14U speed is.

BTW....she gunned her at 48-49, but was told that the gun was 1mph under, so we figured her to be at 50. The pitch just seems faster then that when you are on the receiving end of it LOL

Any words of wisdom on this from experienced coaches and parents?

 

[starsnuffer]

The pitch is actually fastest at the moment of release (balls don't have rocket engines, there's no force acting on them to increase their speed after release).

That said, you want to measure speed at the plate, because that's the only place it matters, so it sounds like you're measuring in the right spot. Make sure you hold the gun still, lots of eager dads like to stand behind the backstop and "shove" the gun towards their daughter so it picks up an extra 5mph.

-W

 

[Sparky Guy]

I have a 14U pitcher who is fairly new into pitching. She has been taking lessons for a little under 2 year (Feb. will be 2 yrs). She is with a wonderful pitching coach who has taught her so much.

I asked the coach to gun her last week because I was curious as to how fast she pitches and because we started a weight training program and want a base to compare to in a month or so to see if the weight training program is doing us any good.

The coach stood halfway between my daughter and me (I was catching). Is that the proper place to stand. It seems to me that the pitch wouldn't reach its full speed until it reaches the catcher, so the gun should be behing the catcher. Like I said, I'm new into this and I don't even know what an average 14U speed is.

BTW....she gunned her at 48-49, but was told that the gun was 1mph under, so we figured her to be at 50. The pitch just seems faster then that when you are on the receiving end of it LOL

Any words of wisdom on this from experienced coaches and parents?

The ball is at its fastest when it leaves the hand and starts to slow down almost immediately due to the drag the air puts on it. There are actual formulas the compute the actual speed loss. So you coach is just grabbing the fastest speed possible.

Do yourself and your daughter a favor. Stay off of the gun. People get too addicted to it and forget the most important thing about pitching. Speed is good, but changing speeds is killer.

My daughter finished her college career almost 3 years ago and I can count the number of times I knew she was gunned on one hand from the time she was 14.

 

[ArmWhip]

Radar guns are most accurate when they are in line with the direction of the object that they are measuring. Most will also record for the entire time the trigger is held, refreshing at intervals that are different for each manufacturer. Then when the trigger is released they will show the highest speed. I have no idea what your coach is doing if he is standing halfway between you and your daughter, to get an accurate measurement he is going to have to risk getting hit by the pitch. You can measure from behind the catcher or behind the pitcher, I prefer behind the pitcher, it's a lot safer. Low pitches will usually measure several MPH more than high pitches, must be gravity.

 

[pitchmom]

Radar guns are most accurate when they are in line with the direction of the object that they are measuring. Most will also record for the entire time the trigger is held, refreshing at intervals that are different for each manufacturer. Then when the trigger is released they will show the highest speed. I have no idea what your coach is doing if he is standing halfway between you and your daughter, to get an accurate measurement he is going to have to risk getting hit by the pitch. You can measure from behind the catcher or behind the pitcher, I prefer behind the pitcher, it's a lot safer. Low pitches will usually measure several MPH more than high pitches, must be gravity.

She stood 1/2 way down the lane and off to the side.....sort of hiding her body behind a shield with just the gun arm stuck out and the gun wasnt pointing directly at my daughter but on and angle. It makes me wonder how accurate it was

 

[gvm]

the directions that came with my radar gun say. your radar gun will be most accurate when you hold it in a direct line with your target.in a collision course with your target. if you hold it off to the side or at an angle it creates a cosine effect and you will lose mph's.straight line with the pitch(behind the catcher or pitcher)good luck

 

[Amy in AZ.]

All you need is a point to judge from. I use a Glove Radar. I am not certain about accuracy, but if a pitch looks really good, I tell the kids what it said. If they miss, they know what it said. My top 11 YOs are at 47 right, now.

So, if the coach always takes her reading from the same spot, I think you will be OK.

My own DD was never gunned either. I used my Glove Radar on her after an 18 month lay off, one time only.

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

When I clock kids on DD's team I do it from directly behind the catcher in a direct line with the pitch being thrown. There is a certain amount of mph loss for every 1 degree to the side the gun is.

While my DD was working on speed, I gunned her a couple of times per month. She knows the difference in speed for each of her pitches (change up is 15mph slower than fastball, rise and drop are near speed of fastball, screw and curve are a couple mph slower than fastball).

In no way has DD knowing the speed of her pitches negatively effected her performance in the circle. She is now 15 and playing 18U Gold.

 

[mrslug01]

When I clock kids on DD's team I do it from directly behind the catcher in a direct line with the pitch being thrown. There is a certain amount of mph loss for every 1 degree to the side the gun is.

While my DD was working on speed, I gunned her a couple of times per month. She knows the difference in speed for each of her pitches (change up is 15mph slower than fastball, rise and drop are near speed of fastball, screw and curve are a couple mph slower than fastball).

In no way has DD knowing the speed of her pitches negatively effected her performance in the circle. She is now 15 and playing 18U Gold.

You don't start seeing the loss of speed reading (cosine affect) until you're about 10 degrees... I think the jugs gun says 12 degrees

 

[NVfishing]

I've seen coaches stand to the side and I believe it takes off about three miles per hour. Was watching a pitching practice the other night and the girl next to my daughter was being clocked at 55 but her mom said that her other coach stands behind and clocks her at 58. I believe 58 was more accurate. Was clocking my daughter at 50-53 from the side.