Types of pitches

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Dec 11, 2010
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Do you believe Kelly Barnhill threw a true riseball?
Yes. I’m not a pitching guy but I did see her pitch in person and it had the “floaty” look. Lots of backspin.

If I remember right, it wasn’t all that fast. Under 60?

I hope someone else can confirm the above.
 
Dec 10, 2015
845
63
Chautauqua County
Wow. I'm glad I wasn't taking advice from you when I was 12 and learning to pitch!!!! LOL.
the OP said he was developing a 10U pitcher. by the time she is ready for 12U, she has been pitching for 3-4 years. if a player can't throw an outside, inside or off speed pitch after this amount of time, I don't see a long term, successful outcome. just my opinion, based on her having a knowledgeable PI and dedicated parent(s). the OP struck me as a person who was both.
 
Apr 28, 2019
1,423
83
Yes. I’m not a pitching guy but I did see her pitch in person and it had the “floaty” look. Lots of backspin.

If I remember right, it wasn’t all that fast. Under 60?

I hope someone else can confirm the above.

WW we have a different recall. I believe KB was pushing 70mph with her rise.
She was on Team USA for a couple of years but was passed over this last tryout.
IMO she hasn’t developed other pitches enough to compliment her riseball and wasn’t as dominant as she had been in the recent past.
She was still an outstanding college pitcher but a notch below the best in the world.
 
May 15, 2008
1,913
113
Cape Cod Mass.
I have seen Barnhill's riseball twice during the NCAA's with good slomo, hi-def, one had almost pure backspin, the other was marginal. I have no idea why there was such a difference.
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
the OP said he was developing a 10U pitcher. by the time she is ready for 12U, she has been pitching for 3-4 years. if a player can't throw an outside, inside or off speed pitch after this amount of time, I don't see a long term, successful outcome. just my opinion, based on her having a knowledgeable PI and dedicated parent(s). the OP struck me as a person who was both.

Fair enough, and you're entitled to your opinion. Call me crazy but I just believe that there are "late bloomers" in pitching.... as if 12 is considered a late bloomer.

I do think it's a fair point though that, it'd different today than yesteryear. There are 1000's of pitching coaches (good and bad) out there who SHOULD be teaching kids correctly. Moreover, teaching them why they are constantly missing inside, or outside or unable to hit their spots. When I was kid, I didn't have that. I just had to figure it out and most of the guys in the men's league didn't know how to teach it either. This is why I put a very special emphasis on the "Why does the ball go this way, that way, high or low" in my opening lessons with kids. If they know why and how it happens, it makes it much easier to fix. If you don't know why you keep throwing inside to RH batters, you won't know how to fix it. But that's just me.

All that said, 12 yrs old is WAYYYY too young to make that kind of prediction on someone's pitching trajectory. I was pitching since I was 8? 9? 10? I don't remember, and I was no where near able to locate it where i wanted at 12., I turned out ok. Also, You have to remember a 12U pitcher can be 11 yrs old. This means she's 1 year removed from pitching with an 11" ball. Even if we're talking about someone 2 years removed, it's still a big difference. And if you don't think there is a BIG difference between an 11" and 12" ball to a young lady.... you have another thing coming. To many of them, with smaller hands in particular, it's like asking them to pitch a basketball. It feels that much bigger. For many kids, it's like starting over. This is a lot of the reason why I won't work on pitches with someone using an 11" ball, even someone who you can see just "has it" and is going to be head and shoulders above her peers.

Bill
 
Jun 22, 2019
258
43
I’ve seen tons of studs in 12U that don’t improve much after 12U and girls that we’re not very good at 12 that are assassins at 18.

I agree with the others...work on control and mechanics. Once they have good control and good mechanics, then start working on a change-up. I like a circle change to start. Also, a peel drop is a good pitch for them to learn early.

Again, control and good mechanics will pay much better dividends than a pitcher with 4-5 pitches, but can’t locate any of them.
 
Nov 22, 2019
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43
My daughters is 9 at this time and has been pitching for 5 months. We’ve been working on inside and outside fastballs, which she locates in that direction generally - although sometimes she will completely miss and an outside called pitch will go inside or vice versus.

She’s just learning a change-up, but I’m not sure if it’s the best kind to learn. It’s a horseshoe, handshake change-up with almost no spin. We are only trying to locate it low at this point.

For some reason she tends to pitch pretty well outside, but when we practice in the basement she often really struggles.

Some kids in our area I feel learn too many pitches at a young age. She was on a 10-U team briefly in the fall where the main pitcher supposedly had 7 pitches. The main pitcher on her current team is learning her 4th pitch - a screwball. That all seems pretty silly to me for 10 years to be throwing 4+ pitches. Thus, one of reasons why I asked the original question.

And thank you for all the answers.
 
Jun 22, 2019
258
43
My daughter that pitches is 16 and she started pitching at 9 or 10. She still
Misses and throws an outside pitch over the middle or to the inside. Every once in a while the batter will let her know and hit it about 250-300.

Any pitch that changes speed is good at 9-10 not sure it matters that much, but definitely will help in 14U and up.
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
For some reason she tends to pitch pretty well outside, but when we practice in the basement she often really struggles.

Some kids in our area I feel learn too many pitches at a young age. She was on a 10-U team briefly in the fall where the main pitcher supposedly had 7 pitches. The main pitcher on her current team is learning her 4th pitch - a screwball. That all seems pretty silly to me for 10 years to be throwing 4+ pitches. Thus, one of reasons why I asked the original question.

And thank you for all the answers.

I wouldn't worry too much about the inside/outside thing. Pitching indoors is very different. Maybe it shouldn't be but it is. It's just a whole different vibe. Don't sweat it. Besides, considering your games will be played OUTDOORS, then she's already in a good position. lol.

WOW, I mean WOW. 7 pitches? And to think I only threw 3 pitches. Imagine what I could've done with 7 pitches in my arsenal!!! Too bad my catcher only had 5 fingers. That girl is lucky to have a 7 fingered catcher.

Bill
 

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