Radar Guns and PCs

[tojo]

I read quite a bit about DDs' speed at 10u being in the mid 50's and others ages cruising speeds in the 60's.I have been around this sport for quite some time and attend travel ball tournaments on a regular basis.Often, I will carry my radar gun and check the speeds and find it rare to find any pitchers in these ranges. I have been asked by girls to check their speed. One particular time, I told the 14 yr. old young lady between innings that her speed was 51 to 53 mph and she told me I was wrong that her PC told her she was in the low 60's. There was a young man with a different brand gun at the adjoining field and I asked him if he would check the young ladies' speed and he verified the speed I got prior. I find this to be a common practice and ask what effect does this have on the pitcher when they find their speeds have been exaggerated ? She was clearly disappointed.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I imagine that most teenage pitchers fall into the low 50s categories. The difference between 50 and 60 is enormous. I think that most experienced coaches that are out recruiting, can tell with the naked eye that a young lady isn't hitting close to 60.

A young lady has to be pretty deflated to find out that she isn't even close to 60.

I never had a way to clock my daughter. She may have been better off for it.

One way that I can tell that my students aren't nearly where they need to be, is that I can still catch them. But, students seem to want to hear how outstanding they are - not how hard that they still need to work.

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

DD's PC was trying to tell me that one of his 12yo students' speed was 60. I had been wanting a radar gun to track my DD's progress and him saying that made the decision for me. The next weekend I gunned the 12yo and she was in the 52-53 range.

Since then I have clocked many many many kids from 14U to high school. Most 14U pitchers that I have seen are in the low 50's (I have clocked 1 at 60) most 16U pitchers are in the mid to upper 50's (I have only clocked a couple at 60+) and high school pitchers are all over the place (I have only clocked 2 at 60+, most are in the 52-56 range).

Crazy Daddies and travel coaches are the worst offenders of exaggerated speeds and PC's are a close second.

One thing that I have learned about young pitchers as that they throw different speeds in different situations. Some throw hard at practice but when they throw to a batter or are trying to throw strikes for an umpire they will "aim" their pitches and the speed goes way down. My own DD throws different speeds to different catchers depending on their catching abilities; there are 2 catchers on her HS team, one who struggles and lets a lot get by her and one who is a stud at the dish. DD throws a full 6-7 mph slower to the struggling catcher. There are 3 catchers on her travel team and she throws hard to all of them.

Before the "speed doesn't matter" comments start flying, tojo asked a question and I answered based on my observations. I agree that speed isn't everything, but it does matter.

If a pitcher sees me clocking speeds and she asks me to clock her I will tell her to have her coach or her parent to have me do it. The ONLY kid I will tell to her face what her speed is are my own DD, and then only at the end of the day. It is not my place to inflate or deflate a kids ego by stating the reality.

 

[Mrek]

When clocked by PC's during training, pitchers tend to throw it as hard as possible with no regard for location or mechanics. I have seen a 14 yr old clocked on a calibrated Jugs gun at 66 MPH. She basically walks into the pitch and would be completely illegal in a game situtation. My own DD (16) has been clocked at 60 but throws 55-56 in game situation. Clocked in training is substantially different than clocked in game situation.

 

[SoCalDad]

AT practice with PC I clock DD at 56 - 58 consistently. In games she is consistently 53 - 55. PC keeps telling me this is normal and to worry about other more important things like the economy and global warming.

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

AT practice with PC I clock DD at 56 - 58 consistently. In games she is consistently 53 - 55. PC keeps telling me this is normal and to worry about other more important things like the economy and global warming.

...or even more important things like spin and location...

 

[Ken Krause]

I don't get why a pitching coach would give a kid a false reading like that. It serves no purpose, especially since the point of taking the reading is to track progress. The hitter won't know what the speed is, and will swing the same whether the pitcher thinks she's throwing 50 mph or 60.

I always give my students an honest reading. I have one girl whose father promised that she could get a kitten if she hit 57. She can get 55 and 56 consistently, but hasn't quite found that extra mph. I'd love to tell her she reached her goal -- but I'm sure her dad would make me show him the gun anyway since I don't think he's too keen on the idea of getting that kitten. But if it spurs her to keep working, awesome!

 

[tojo]

Another young lady who was taking lessons from the same PC called and asked if I would take a look at her. I agreed and she came with her father(who wouldn't catch) and her mother(who couldn't catch) . So I agreed to catch her this time. I asked what speed she was throwing. She said 63. After she warmed up, I told her to let it go and knew something was wrong. I gave her Dad the radar gun and he clocked her btw 49-51 mph. It wasn't the game opposed to lessons situation, but the same PC.

 

[sluggers]

It happens all the time--if anyone wants to know how fast their DD really throws, all they have to do is go to a well-known *BASEBALL* academy and use their speed guns.

The same goes for breaking pitches--a pitching coach talks about how great a DDs breaking ball is, when in fact the ball doesn't move.

 

[EP Dad]

I read quite a bit about DDs' speed at 10u being in the mid 50's and others ages cruising speeds in the 60's.

That's Jennie Finch like speed. Since there's only one of those in the world I'm not buying it. Jennie hit 60 at age 13.

Jennie Finch

Read her Q and A area.