A unique challenge

[Lozza]

This isn't something most of you would have come across, but I need help and some fresh ideas would be of assistance.

Here, softball is a dying sport. I can't find a rep team for my under 13s to play. There is literally no teams to play. They're all off playing t-ball (which has U'13s here. Drives me MAD) The problem I'm currently having though, is that the majority of the girls who want to pitch, want to pitch sling shot. Not windmill. My battle is hard because nearly every other team in our local comp (mixed ages 7-13, the girls I have are the best and it's not worth playing the others as the rest of the comp is quite young) teaches their pitchers sling shot. So what the girls who are trying windmill are seeing is little kids pitching sling shot and getting more strikes for them. It doesn't matter how much I tell them that they will be better pitchers in the long run, they don't care.

Any ideas?

 

[Greenmonsters]

If you were in the US, I'd say take them to see a college game or the highest quality game available so they can see how the best players pitch and play. If live games aren't an option, have a team party/dinner and watch taped college/national/Olympic team SB so they are exposed to high level play. Can you play friendlies w/ other U13 teams and switch pitchers (i.e., your pitchers pitch to your hitters)? If there's noone to play at U13, can your team play up an age group? Do you have enough players to play intrasquad games? I believe you've posted before that the boys also play FP - what about playing boys teams of similar talent?

Good luck

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I wish I could get some girls to throw slingshot. They won't hear of it, around here.

The speed is identical and you can throw every pitch that you can throw with a windmill - plus, you may not have the stress on the shoulder.

I have a new girl that needs to pitch in about 10 days. I am going to ask her if she would consider it.

 

[PEPPERS]

I wish I could get some girls to throw slingshot. They won't hear of it, around here.

The speed is identical and you can throw every pitch that you can throw with a windmill - plus, you may not have the stress on the shoulder.

I have a new girl that needs to pitch in about 10 days. I am going to ask her if she would consider it.

My daughter’s coach uses the slingshot to teach different spins on different pitches and to practice these spins, my daughter got so good at it she began using the technique in games. She uses the windmill 90 percent of the time and switches to slingshot, It is effective against slappers and bunters to throw their timing off.

I believe as you suggested the stress is not as great on the shoulder joint.

Forgot to add many of the coaches go nuts when she uses the slingshot claiming it is not a legal pitch.

 

[ArmWhip]

I think that you need to add 'bowling' to this discussion. All the rec pitchers that I see that think they are windmilling are just bowling, or phony windmill as I label it. Pitching slingshot (basically the K position) or going around in the windmill are not as important as using IR, which you can do from either windup. Teaching IR is the also the hardest part, my success rate is not nearly where I would like it to be.

 

[Lozza]

If you were in the US, I'd say take them to see a college game or the highest quality game available so they can see how the best players pitch and play. If live games aren't an option, have a team party/dinner and watch taped college/national/Olympic team SB so they are exposed to high level play. Can you play friendlies w/ other U13 teams and switch pitchers (i.e., your pitchers pitch to your hitters)? If there's noone to play at U13, can your team play up an age group? Do you have enough players to play intrasquad games? I believe you've posted before that the boys also play FP - what about playing boys teams of similar talent?

Intrestingly enough, this was the first year we had the Gillies Shield in Perth (open women's championship) and the one girl rang me tonight to ask about pitching distance. She's mentioned to me before how she wants to be like those women at the Gillies and I brought that up tonight. I asked her if she saw any sling shot pitchers at the Gillies. Obviously no. I asked her what the best pitch would be if she wanted to get to that point. She decided that she's only going to throw windmill now. She's also extreemly dedicated this one, she was discharged from hospital two hours ago (suspected appendicitis) and wanted to go to training, which her mum refused. She's out the back throwing pitches! Very proud, though I did tell her to take it easy and stop immeaditly if she gets any of the pain back. I tried telling her to stop, but had as much luck as her mum.

We're playing a scratch match on the weekend against the other teams made up. We'll have some boys in there, but over here the girls are in summer and the boys are in winter. Hopefully next year we're going to have a junior boys comp, so fingers crossed! We're really pushing it and it will give me options, because mixed at that age is pretty good.

Amy, I've never considered sling shot, for the simple reason I've never seen anyone get up to the speed of top windmill pitchers. (I have seen very fast sling shot pitchers, but they were older ladies who I played with as a teenager. Now, it's very slow sling shot that is all I see) Are there any tips you can give? I hadn't realised that you could get to the top speeds and throw the same pitches.

 

[dbias]

I wish I could get some girls to throw slingshot. They won't hear of it, around here.

The speed is identical and you can throw every pitch that you can throw with a windmill - plus, you may not have the stress on the shoulder.

I have a new girl that needs to pitch in about 10 days. I am going to ask her if she would consider it.

My wife was an all-state pitcher in the early 90's and she threw slingshot most of the time. She said sometimes she would alternate every other pitch just to mess with people. She is super competitive and she still gripes that softball was not as big back then as it is now. Now she plays A bracket co-ed slowpitch and wonders what could have been...lol