When should a pitcher start to see improvement in her pitching?

[cjusports]

Hello,

I have a 10yr daughter that pitched a little last year with no coaching and has pitched this year with a pitching coach. Myself and her mother are wondering when should we expect to see improvement in her pitching?
So far this year in 40.5 innings she has thrown 831 pitches, 380 strikes, 451 balls. She has 79 strikeouts and 71 walks.
We were hoping to see improvement over the last two months, but so far she seems to stay around 50/50.
When she practices (100 to 150 pitches a day), she throws fast and accurate. When in games she slows down and gets a little wild. She wants to be a pitcher so bad.
Are we expecting to much to soon?
Any input would be great, we want to see her succeed with her dream.

 

[SoftSocDad]

After a year or so of pitching, she's striking out 2 girls per inning. What more do you want from her??

Seriously, she's doing fine. Just keep encouraging her and eventually she'll loosen up in games as well and hand out fewer walks as a result. It should go without saying that the light bulb goes on for each girl at a different time.

 

[sluggers]

Are we expecting to much to soon?

In a word--YES. You started about 9 months too late.

Pitchers LEARN during the off-season, not during summer softball. Why? The main thing your DD hears right now is "don't walk anyone, get the ball over the plate, throw strikes". And, if she walks people, she will get "punished"--she will be taken out of the game, so she she won't be able to do what she loves. At the same time, she is trying to integrate some of the new stuff in her pitching motion. So, she is pretty much of a mess.

The best you can do with a pitcher during the summer season is to keep her from developing bad habits. During the off-season, when it is OK for her to throw the ball over the backstop a thousand times without any penalty, she will then be able to change her form.

The big difference will come next year, as long as you keep up the work in the off-season.

 

[fastpitch5]

and expect set backs. they will throw great one game, then horrible the next. just keep up the positive encouragement.

if it helps you to feel better...my dd has been "that girl" in the rec league we play in for three years. a minor fracture in her wrist took her out of practice for four weeks early this spring. she has yet to get her game form back. in fact, she's walking more than she's striking out at this point. hasn't pitched in a tournament game yet this summer. the up-side - she is more willing to learn other positions now than she was last year ("i'm a pitcher dad, not a...insert position here...) and it turns out she's quite a short stop.

 

[tojo]

Sluggers, couldn't agree with you more. I have more requests for lessons 2 weeks before rec ball because the parents want their daughter to pitch. I tell the parents that I am out of the "magic pitching pills" and they need to call me after the rec ball season is over. Then after the season if they work hard during the offseason and listen and follow instructions they may be ready next season for rec ball.

 

[SoftSocDad]

I have more requests for lessons 2 weeks before rec ball because the parents want their daughter to pitch. I tell the parents that I am out of the "magic pitching pills" and they need to call me after the rec ball season is over. Then after the season if they work hard during the offseason and listen and follow instructions they may be ready next season for rec ball.

Let's not put it entirely on the parents. My DD told me she didn't want to play anymore after spring '09, so I certainly wasn't going to try to force her to take lessons or even practice at all. She began taking lessons after the start of the '10 season, because she wanted to be the 'main pitcher' (her words) in the 8u division. It took much of the season, but by the last few games, yes (brag time), she was that girl.

She is committed now, but this future pitcher didn't really exist a year ago. We can talk to kids all we want, but for the most part, until they've actually been through the wars and struggles that come from being unprepared, kids that young cannot really know what's required in order to improve at a skill position like that.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

And don't pay too much attention to the number of balls thrown. I tell my girls that they need to be hitting the inside and outside of the plate, and every now and then, throw one high and outside. It is up to the umps, whether they get the calls or not.

I do not want my pitchers throwing down the middle.

 

[tomzpc]

Hello,

I have a 10yr daughter that pitched a little last year with no coaching and has pitched this year with a pitching coach. Myself and her mother are wondering when should we expect to see improvement in her pitching?
So far this year in 40.5 innings she has thrown 831 pitches, 380 strikes, 451 balls. She has 79 strikeouts and 71 walks.
We were hoping to see improvement over the last two months, but so far she seems to stay around 50/50.
When she practices (100 to 150 pitches a day), she throws fast and accurate. When in games she slows down and gets a little wild. She wants to be a pitcher so bad.
Are we expecting to much to soon?
Any input would be great, we want to see her succeed with her dream.

My daughter is 9, started pitching in the Fall, and isn't throwing anywhere near that percentage of strikes. Granted she doesn't have a pitching coach (mainly because I haven't found one that is worth it) but we practice at least 4 or 5 times a week. Also, in my experience, at this age all of the girls slow things down a little in games. I think it's a combination of being "on the stage" and also that that are still concerned that they might hurt one of their friends. Anyway, sounds to me like your daughter is doing great.

 

[tojo]

Let's not put it entirely on the parents. My DD told me she didn't want to play anymore after spring '09, so I certainly wasn't going to try to force her to take lessons or even practice at all. She began taking lessons after the start of the '10 season, because she wanted to be the 'main pitcher' (her words) in the 8u division. It took much of the season, but by the last few games, yes (brag time), she was that girl.

She is committed now, but this future pitcher didn't really exist a year ago. We can talk to kids all we want, but for the most part, until they've actually been through the wars and struggles that come from being unprepared, kids that young cannot really know what's required in order to improve at a skill position like that.

Didn,t mean to put it on the parents but they are usually the ones that make the phone call or approach me for themselves or their DD.

 

[halskinner]

Hello,

I have a 10yr daughter that pitched a little last year with no coaching and has pitched this year with a pitching coach. Myself and her mother are wondering when should we expect to see improvement in her pitching?
So far this year in 40.5 innings she has thrown 831 pitches, 380 strikes, 451 balls. She has 79 strikeouts and 71 walks.
We were hoping to see improvement over the last two months, but so far she seems to stay around 50/50.
When she practices (100 to 150 pitches a day), she throws fast and accurate. When in games she slows down and gets a little wild. She wants to be a pitcher so bad.
Are we expecting to much to soon?
Any input would be great, we want to see her succeed with her dream.

If she is slowing down and throwing balls quite alot, is she throwing them mostly to the outside? Is this a case of not wanting to hit the batter?

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