Looking for some advice on which style of changeup to teach my 6U DD. She is getting to the point, consistency wise, that I'd like to start here in the next couple months. I would rather stay away from the flip change because I'd like her to learn one that she can use throughout her pitching career, if she decides to continue pitching. Thanks.
Which Changeup for 6U DD
- Thread starter StingRay
- Start date
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She's 6.
Doesn't change my reaction. (And not sure how 6U can have six years old. I thought the u stood for under)
She has a lot more growing to do. What she can do at 6 might not be possible at 10. Or what's best at 6 might not be the best option at 12. What you learn first is very hard to break, especially if you're doing it for so long.
Focus on her mechanics, focus on her accuracy. There is no way a six year old has perfect mechanics and decent control. If she's still pitching in three years then start teaching change ups.
She has a lot more growing to do. What she can do at 6 might not be possible at 10. Or what's best at 6 might not be the best option at 12. What you learn first is very hard to break, especially if you're doing it for so long.
Focus on her mechanics, focus on her accuracy. There is no way a six year old has perfect mechanics and decent control. If she's still pitching in three years then start teaching change ups.
What size softball, 10" or 11"? Last year when my DD was 6YO she put the 11" ball back in her palm and rolled her hand over getting some top spin. Not really enough difference in speed to fool the older batters she pitched to. She has added a ton of speed this year and with a couple different change up speeds can be quite effective. The other change up being a circle while just popping it out of her hand and one can add an additional hop at the end to take more speed off of it. There is no way that you can pick a change up to use for her career as a 6YO. As they get older things are always changing and there are new techniques and subtleties to be learned.
My DD played "coach pitch" rec ball through 8U, so I had no idea there was a 6U "kid pitch" league out there. If your DD can hit her spots with a FB, see if she can throw a horseshoe change. My DD learned to throw a knuckle CU when she was @ 10 - starting with one knuckle, then moving to two, then to three, as her hands grew.
at 6 skip the CU her hands are too small. If she is left handed teach her the drop curve, if she isn't there is still time to convert her to lefty. If she resists the change to lefty then I would suggest the rise ball.
- Aug 20, 2013
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WOW! Is all I can say!
6U stands for 6 and under. And i really didnt ask for your opinion on when I should teach a changeup....never said her mechanics are pefect. **** if i waited until she had perfect mechanics she would never learn another pitch for the rest of her life..nobody's perfect... her control and mechanics are consistent enough to where she throws majority strikes and when she misses it is around the zone.. if you don't have an answer to my question please dont waste your time replying. thank you for your time.
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