Starting late

[NVfishing]

My DD is 13 playing on a 12u B team. She's a good athlete and has played most positions in tournament ball except pitcher. She was given a chance to pitch over the weekend. She wound up pitching 11 straight innings in back to back games. The last four innings of our second game and then the championship game. She gave up two hits and one run.

Her only pitching experience is one or two innings per week in league play but something has kind of clicked the last month. Now she's throwing fairly well but needs refinement and more pitches than a fastball. I've been asked to take her to a pitching coach.

As a parent that is new to pitching what advice would you give me when working with my daughter and a pitching coach? I feel like I'm way behind the 8 ball with my knowledge of pitching. I feel like she's way behind on her pitching development.

 

[sluggers]

The question for you and your DD is how much work you are willing to do. My DD, who became an all-conference D1 pitcher, pitched one to two hours a day, three to four times a week every week from the time she was an 8th grader until she was a senior in HS. For your DD to become "good" before she graduates from HS, she will need to do the same thing. There is no other way.

It is easy to say, "I'll pitch in the off-season" now, when your DD is playing. It is another thing to do it in November, December and January when there are a thousand other things going on. (Nothing like chipping ice off the windshield at 10 PM on a Wednesday night to come home from the pitching tube at the baseball batting cage.)

The only way this will happen is if your DD loves to pitch AND *you* are willing to sacrifice your time and some money.

If you decide to do this, you need a good pitching instructor. Your DD can't waste even a month with one of the many bozos out there passing themselves off as pitching coaches. The best way to find a good instructor is to ask questions:

(A) Why does he/she know how to pitch? Hillhouse, e.g., is a pitcher, while Krause has taught for a hundred plus years or so.
(B) Why does he/she know how to teach?
(C) Does she make sense? That is, is what he/she is telling you logical? Pitching is not a black art. Everything has a reason, and the reason is understandable by anyone who has a working knowledge of levers.

Good luck!

Ray

 

[NVfishing]

Her first pitching coach will start with her next Tuesday.

When I start catching her after she sees the coach do I try and correct something if I see her doing it wrong or do I just let the coach correct it on the next visit?

Any other advice that you guys have would be great regarding coaching.

My daughter has been muscle sore for the last couple of days. Do you back off when their muscles are fatigued? Or do you have them work through it?

 

[sluggers]

You correct the problems as you see them. Learning to pitch is a little like building a house. The coach won't show her the whole pitching motion, but will work on a part of the motion. When your DD gets that, you move to the next part.

It depends upon what part of her body is sore. If the arm, knees or back are the problem, then most likely she has a serious problem with her form. So, I wouldn't have her practice until after you and she meets with the coach. If it is her legs other than the knees, then she might consider some light work outs and see if the soreness goes away.

Ray

Ray

 

[NVfishing]

What are the best drills to help break the forward lean?