Tips to get more pitching time

[grcsftbll]

Well, yeah. Awesome for 9 and first year of fast pitch. I don't think she's ready for college yet Promise!

 

[Rocketech1]

I'd hate to see your DD injured from a PC trying to have her do things her body isn't ready for.

Or a head coach! One of DD's fellow pitchers is on the DL for a stress fracture to her back that the parents believe was caused by an overzealous head coach who this past summer was trying to show her how to throw......wait for it......yep.....a curveball. She has been wearing a brace 24/7 since the end of July. Did I mention she is only 13YO...

 

[grcsftbll]

Ugh, that's terrible. We've made the screwball off limits, and limited her on the drop. I'll let her throw a few per practice but not many. She's not practicing the curve, it was just, here's how you hold the ball, here's how you throw it kind of thing. We definitely want to be careful. I think about potential injuries often.

 

[Axe]

I would continue to work on that drop ball if you want a movement pitch right now. It will serve her well now and when she moves up to 12U, her drop will be very effective in getting lots of ground ball outs.

I would reiterate this. 10U is a great time to start working on and learning a drop. It won't really drop much from 35' but for my DD was as fast or faster than a traditional fastball and she was very effective at keeping it low in the zone. If she's mastered the spin and mechanics the movement will increase over time as she moves back in distance, adopts the 12" ball and gains size and strength.

 

[grcsftbll]

Thanks! That's good to know because she loves throwing them. I take it drop is safer than screwball or curve ball? We will barely let her throw those at all. A couple per practice if that, never in games.

 

[Axe]

Thanks! That's good to know because she loves throwing them. I take it drop is safer than screwball or curve ball? We will barely let her throw those at all. A couple per practice if that, never in games.

Depends on the drop. Most IR oriented instructors teach drop balls that aren't that different from their fastballs. If it's a drop that involves some forced manipulation of the forearm or something else I would be wary.

 

[grcsftbll]

She does teach IR. My amateur eye can't tell when she's throwing a fast ball versus a drop ball except that the drop ball drops. Looks very similar to me.

 

[DNeeld]

Thanks! That's good to know because she loves throwing them. I take it drop is safer than screwball or curve ball? We will barely let her throw those at all. A couple per practice if that, never in games.

If she's throwing with good mechanics, her fastball will pretty much be a dropball.

She does teach IR. My amateur eye can't tell when she's throwing a fast ball versus a drop ball except that the drop ball drops. Looks very similar to me.

My bet would be she's doing something velocity wise that is creating the drop appearance. The ball isn't really dropping, but rather running out of gas for lack of a better word. At 10U, from 35ft with the 11" ball, it is going to be very difficult to generate true movement. Not to mention to probable lack of velocity and spin rate simply due to age.

 

[grcsftbll]

Now coach is talking adding a 4th pitcher. She's coming to work out with us this weekend. I love our team, I do. But this is not going to end well.

 

[hoanhuyd9]

Honestly, I would probably pitch her less if she kept asking me to pitch before every game. Especially when I am trying to make out the lineup. I know it sounds mean. I'm just being honest. It would drive me crazy.

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