Practicing power and speed before accuracy

[chinamigarden]

Tell throwing hard matters more at age 10 than accuracy to the amazingly strong and talented young lady who walked in 8 runs in one inning for us this past weekend. She would disagree. She throws hard but lacks accuracy. WHY??? Cause her core fundamentals are off. I agree with whoever stated that we should focus on form and the fast and accurate will come.

EDIT:
She was crushed at her effort. I had to really try and be positive and supportive. She will be awesome eventually. I just want hope she can remain patient while she is developing. Sometimes at this age they are harder on themselves then many of us realize.

she must not be ready to pitch in games. You can't take a kid who is not ready and have them lob in cookies just like you can't take a kid who isn't ready and have her throw 11 consecutive walks. Where was the coach to keep this from happening? This is more his failure then hers.

 

[CoachFP]

Tough one on both ends. Try telling a spot pitcher who lets one get right across the middle and she gets crushed, HR. I think it has to be worked out in the backyard first, then in team practice. Letting one player take the hole team out, without the others getting a chance to even make a their one play won't work long.

I think we can all agree that no matter how you do anything, if you do it over and over you can perfect it. Even the wrong way. I believe it boils down to just reps. A spot pitcher will practice more because, first she's not dealing with hurting anyone else. 2nd its not hurting her.
If a flamethrower threw 100 pitches a day, she would be developed. But I'm guessing the reason for not doing it is something hurts. If you can't let her throw batting practice, I'm guessing she likes her teammates. Seen it from both ends.

Perfect Circle, we all don't agree on that. If you practice something over and over again you will perfect doing it wrong. Where do you get your logic or lack of it? What's this business about a "spot" pitcher practicing more? Do you know anything whatsoever about pitching? I know you are entitled to your posts but you should think more before you start typing.

 

[halskinner]

"Just throw hard, accuracy will come". Yeah, maybe, after a year or two.

That sad statement has been used by iinstructors for as long as I can remember. This keeps unknowing parents writing checks for a long time. There ARE ways to develop speed and accuracy at the same time, dont be fooled into thinking otherwise.

I never was given an amount of time like that. I had to produce a competitive pitcher quickly or I would lose a customer quickly.

As far as a young pitcher is concerned, the ONLY thing they see as success, are strikes and strike outs.

If you have an instructor that says speed first and accuracy will come, it's real simple; You pin them to the wall
ll say "OK, exactly when will this happen?". CALL THEIR BLUFF AND MAKE THEM TELL YOU. If they say maybe a year, find another instructor.

 

[Perfect Circle]

tojo...honestly it would not matter to me either way....I know you most always take issue with me, and most (90%)of the times, I have learned from it....

Think I'll sneak this on this thread, where only the most astute trolls will find it.

The issue with threads always getting shut down is getting old. tojo if you could just call me a _______, and be done with it, it would be less time consuming, and the newbies would be able to learn faster. I could take it.... But there are women and children on here I hope> I know mine are. Thru this site, I have been able to teach DD to get her own click (pun intended) of advisers, independent of me. She uses FB, and has some of the best resources in the country that she can message (like our PM), and get answers in real time. She can form consensuses and even override me.

I'll finish this in edit: Got to go defend my logic...lol

 

[Dana Marque]

I thought the rule was learn your basic mechanics and work from there... Basic mechanics start with wrist snaps, legs, arms, follow-through, etc... Those are also where speed comes from especially when you put it all together... Later on we worked on tweeking her basic mechanics to ensure we are pulling the most from her natural abilities (such as pushing down and not swinging to the side gave her 3mph gain).... She is still a young pitcher and yes - she still has a lot to learn (as do i) and will probably continue learning for as long as she plays... I will note that on my DD's team there was another pitcher who was two years older and had a faster ball but she also threw wild pitches... My DD has more movement and was more accurate (please - I'm not saying she is perfect just more consistant). I almost want to say it was nice to have two different pitchers on the team. But unfortunately, the other pitcher got a concussion before the season started so I can't really say which was the better. I was actually looking forward to comparing the two types.

Don't they comment on that often... The 70mph do not have as much movement but the girls throwing in the 60mph are doing the job just as well because there is more movement??? I thought I read that somewhere... I'm still learning from all of you...

And please, I'm not arguing with anyone... I'm curious and want to learn... that's why I'm here.. The people on here really do know what they are talking about... Many with different views and its fun to think about their views as I may have never have thought about it....

 

[crystlemc]

I will have to disagree with the wrist snaps. They accomplish absolutely nothing. There is no muscle in your wrist, so what, exactly, are those for? Your speed comes from your leg drive and your arm whip. As long as you are open, driving with the legs, and whipping that arm, speed will surely come, as will accuracy.

 

[Perfect Circle]

Perfect Circle, we all don't agree on that. If you practice something over and over again you will perfect doing it wrong. Where do you get your logic or lack of it? What's this business about a "spot" pitcher practicing more? Do you know anything whatsoever about pitching? I know you are entitled to your posts but you should think more before you start typing.

Perfect Practice makes Permanent. My rational...
First I would like to thank you for affirming my posting liberty. I would like to think that is has been maintained due to an extended period of following the rules, and mostly because I always answer the OP's Questions, with my personal experience, in both text,and video. If I don't have one to make my point, I can make one very fast if needed. I like to think, that the moderators, just roll their eyes when my stuff comes up, and I hope by now that they don't even have to read it, because they know I not a troll, I don't indorse or reject anyone's product or services. That I will even come to the aid of the anyone's ideas, if they are getting piled on. I would hope that I lead the site in Thanks, as I am thankful for all I have learned... I never use the thanks for anything but positive info, that I move to my notes. Of course that too should go without saying, if you read before you respond.

As to my answer to the OP ... & now your 3.
The hypothetical conceptual model I was contemplating would be The Best Speed Pitching Coach vs. The Best Spot PC's products. With two identical twins. Not a competition, but to have an arsenal of unique tempos in the game. The One would be the CU, and the other would be Fastball. I would Start the CU, because I could always bring her back in to rest our catcher. I would have the Fastball do all the early warm ups to posture, but start my CU. I want them to see what they have to expect if my starter walks two batters.

CU and my catcher developing project start the game. Catcher sets up only for inside pitches every time to give Ump time to get acclimated the first couple innings with a perfect view. Batters see this. First batter grounds the spinningsest 32 mph gravity DB she has ever seen. I reminds her of striking out all the time in rec. SS is in the game. Great throw. Next batter gets to see CU's impression of her sister for first pitch. We want to wake the ump up too...clear over his head....catcher gets to see how much bounce is in the back stop. Drop, then a screw, then CU turns and lets fielders that she is getting ready to get 3 meatballs in a row...get really really ready. Pop up to short center, great catch, CF checked in the game too. We need to intentional walk 3rd batter with nothing but inside pitches. Once shes on, we throw nothing but drops to 4th batter, and all we want is for the catcher to throw back to 1st every time. We get the runner.

Now we let the HC with all his Hitting Dynamics that he has taught all winter get us a 5 run lead. Now we put in the Fastball, and the best catcher in the world, and move into development mode. Get #2catcher & #3 pitcher warming up, until we see if she Fastball is on today or not. Here is how the first inning might look....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyHCKCJ9S4o

 

[CoachFP]

Perfect Circle, do you have ADHD? I don't understand anything you post.

 

[Dana Marque]

I don't get the wrist snap either but we practice them... And you see all the pitchers on the mound snapping their wrists... We even do weight rolls to help strengthen them. I'm not my DD's coach so I go along with it... But I will say that accuracy only comes when her mechanics are correct. One slight turn of the foot bad habit or a dip in the shoulder, the pitch is not as perfect as she may have wanted... I heard speed comes from the LEGS... AND TO RUN TO BUILD THOSE LEGS MUSCLES... Sorry - I think I dream her coach saying it because I hear it so much...

 

[crystlemc]

Hmmm, please don't take this like I'm trying to attack you. The wrist snaps are pointless. Ask your DD's coach why they have her doing them. If they tell you "to strengthen the wrist" or "to product a faster/harder snap/more spin", I think I would consider a different coach. There are NO muscles in the wrist. Not one. You cannot "strengthen" tendons. They way you get more spin on the ball is strong fingers and a fast arm whip. She would be better off sitting and holding a weight plate, flat side out, in her fingers. It will strengthen her grip and the forearm muscles that assist with it.

And if you want strong legs, the last thing you want to do is run. Running catabolizes the muscle in your legs. When you run out of glycogen, it will eat the very muscle you are trying to build. If you want strong legs, do plyometrics, or resistance training. Squats, deadlifts, lunges. She is a girl. She will never look like a bodybuilder unless you also give her steroids. Explosive movements will go a long way to build explosive strength.

As far as saying a kid isn't ready to pitch in a game until she is at a certain strike/ball percentage, well, a kid doesn't have to throw strikes to strike a kid out at that age. If she is throwing hard, they will swing at "not strikes". How many young children are going to be satisfied to practice and practice and practice until some vague standard of readiness before they ever see the circle? Not many. They also have to learn that it isn't failure unless you quit trying to get it right. The only way to measure that is to put her in that situation.

My kid, for her first two years of pitching, would look like complete crap during at least half her practices. But when you put her in a game, she was measurably better than at practice. I think a game situation really helps a young pitcher to focus more clearly on the job at hand.