What are These Pitcher Parents Smoking??

[TMoney]

It really is exhausting listening to some of these people talk. A wise man once told me that a persons IQ instantly drops 50 points once they step inside the ballpark. I am pretty sure he was correct.

 

[maksoftball]

When DD was on 14U, we had a 13 year old throwing 62-65 mph. And she hit bombers (like into the trees). Probably helped that she was 6'1" tall. Sad thing is...she quit softball to play volleyball.

 

[grcsftbll]

We don't have a radar gun but the fastest mine's been clocked by her instructor is 41. She clocks a few pitches about every 4 lessons. We're just moving up to 10U this fall so I'm more concerned with accuracy than speed right now.

 

[RetiredCoach]

From my observations on the softball field, both my 16U and 14U DD are, easily, in the upper 25% of pitchers that I see. My 16U DD pitches in the mid-50's and my 14U DD around 50 mph. This is a good start but they hit spots and throw CUs and DBs which really makes them effective. They are both coming off big weekends. My 16U DD had three victories on Sunday and my 14U pitched a perfect game on Saturday. So, I guess if you have three pitches, hit spots, you can be effective even if you throw very, very slow.

 

[Edy]

The biggest problem is, it just doesn't matter how fast you throw.

I respectfully disagree with you. If speed is not important, why should we care about having a strong drive, doing I/R and other mechanical stuff?

Can you move it? Can you hit your spots? Congrats you are a pitcher. Everyone else is just a thrower.

You can't, unless the speed is 50-52 or higher. You need spin AND speed to generate magnus effect.
One can hit spots with a slow pitch motion and that will be a nice homerun derby!


I agree speed is not everything... A 70 mph wild pitch is worse than a 45 mph low in the zone, but softball is a game of speed.. You can make things quite more difficult to the other team if you have speed in your pocket. Aroldis Chapman should agree with me...

 

[Merrill Danner]

Start a new thread. I think it is an awesome idea. Learn to pitch so you can learn to teach. Feeling it makes seeing it and explaining it so much easier.

I like the idea and would be willing to submit video of my ridiculous looking mechanics to entertain all.

 

[Merrill Danner]

we just work on mechanics, when the timing is right I can hear to ball coming and my hand stings. She is 12 and loves throwing. We both laugh when we hear parents telling us things like, the only thing working for my DD today was her curve ball, or when their change goes higher than the top of the backstop.

We don't own a gun and don't plan on buying one either. I think it is a distraction at her age and we aren't trying to get her to throw fast. we are trying to build a good foundation built on sound mechanics.

we just keep pugging away knowing that we are not going to sacrifice her mechanics in the name of being able to brag today, we are working to build a rock solid foundation that hopefully will carry her to a D1 school someday.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

I respectfully disagree with you. If speed is not important, why should we care about having a strong drive, doing I/R and other mechanical stuff?



You can't, unless the speed is 50-52 or higher. You need spin AND speed to generate magnus effect.
One can hit spots with a slow pitch motion and that will be a nice homerun derby!


I agree speed is not everything... A 70 mph wild pitch is worse than a 45 mph low in the zone, but softball is a game of speed.. You can make things quite more difficult to the other team if you have speed in your pocket. Aroldis Chapman should agree with me...

Aroldis Chapman is a thrower and not a pitcher. There is a reason he is not a starter (only two pitches, can't hit spots consistently).

 

[Softball scholar]

Ill admit Im a crazy softball pitching parent, but try to keep it objective. My 14U DD hit 60 the first time this weekend in a game on my pocket radar. She cruises around 56-58 on her fastball, so she must have got into that pitch. Her problem is she's averaging a walk and half per inning, so her coach really doesnt give a crap how fast she throws. She is only is getting one chance to pitch per tournament. The coach loves the girl who barely breaks 50 but has a drop ball that falls off the shelf. We're playing a higher 14u PGF and ASA, but upper 50s doesnt blow away good 14u batters away, but it helps.

I did go to a D1 (Mid-major) college tournament last fall and tried my same pocket radar on some of the college pitchers, I timed four pitchers and only one was breaking 60 MPH. Ill go with the old adage, speed is good but movement and location are just important.

 

[sluggers]

Her problem is she's averaging a walk and half per inning, so her coach really doesnt give a crap how fast she throws.

She is never going to pitch with a walk an inning.

If she can't find the strike zone at her age, then she has some mechanical issues or some practice issue.



JAD--you're just padding your "thanks" stats.