Which is harder to achieve?

[Mark H]

Uneo appears to me to also do this so I couldn't say for sure that it isn't the way to go.

Windmill

I would suggest Ueno and Cat as excellent efficient bio-mechanical models for windmill pitching.

 

[Mark H]

Most would say these guidelines are low but I prefer to think of them as free of message board hype. I think 50+ MPH is fast for a 12yo.

What is an Average Pitching Speed? PITCH SOFTBALL: Valuable softball pitching advice for girl softball pitchers

I would add, at this age, it can vary all over the map contrasting early maturers vs late bloomers.

 

[Izzy's Dad]

Sorry!
I don't understand how you can have good mechanics and not have some speed. All other factors like size and strength being the same. I understand what mechanical flaws you can have and not have control (although I think the whole pitching motion is pretty simple and don't know how you could have more than maybe two flaws). Also, if you do have good mechanics, what "flaws" could you fix to gain speed?
Sorry, this sounds kind of snotty when I read it, it is not suppose to be, I am just trying to learn.

Everything I have ever read states that at this age (12U-14U), it is easier to throw fast with incorrect mechanics, than it is to throw fast with correct mechanics. But eventually you will hit a wall that you cannot overcome, and will have to re-learn the correct mechanics all over again. Not an easy task if they've been doing id fo 4-6 years, from the beginning

 

[Dusty]

Sorry!
I don't understand how you can have good mechanics and not have some speed. All other factors like size and strength being the same. I understand what mechanical flaws you can have and not have control (although I think the whole pitching motion is pretty simple and don't know how you could have more than maybe two flaws). Also, if you do have good mechanics, what "flaws" could you fix to gain speed?
Sorry, this sounds kind of snotty when I read it, it is not suppose to be, I am just trying to learn.

redhotcoach,

I didn't mean to sound snotty or sarcastic myself in my post, I just wrote what I thought was a funny observation of other coaches in the 10u rec league in which I coach my youngest dd.

I consider both of my dd's to have very good mechanical foundations, due more to the checks I've written to their pitching coach than to any pitching knowledge I have. A couple of the smaller, hard to notice things he's worked on with them that has helped include:

-getting the right shoulder lower than the left and really snapping with the elbow, forarm, wrist and fingers (much progress has been made but there is still work to do).

-hand position going up/coming down in the circle and eliminating "bullet/corkscrew" spin. I think Hal posted that he could pitch faster with that spin but that wasn't the case for my dd's.

 

[Mark H]

Everything I have ever read states that at this age (12U-14U), it is easier to throw fast with incorrect mechanics, than it is to throw fast with correct mechanics.

I would say it's common for big strong girls to use size and strength rather than efficiency to dominate till they the other girls catch up. Then these pitchers drop out. Not sure that I'd say "easier" without qualifying it that way.

But eventually you will hit a wall that you cannot overcome, and will have to re-learn the correct mechanics all over again. Not an easy task if they've been doing id fo 4-6 years, from the beginning

I agree with starting off with efficient mechanics both in hitting and pitching as early as possible.