Good hitter or good pitcher?

[sticknstring]

Looking for some advice from the rest of you about my 14 year old DD. She is a lefty who hits pretty well and is also an aspiring pitcher. She takes lessons for both and works at both on her own. Hitting lessons have stopped for the time being while focusing more on the pitching lessons. She does pretty well at both, but more advanced as a hitter since she has only really worked on pitching for a year. I believe she has the potential to be pretty good at both. I also know she may never achieve her maximum potential at either while trying to do both. My question is should we be focusing more on one instead of trying to do both at a high level? Finding time and sometimes motivation to put in the required effort to do both can be tough.

She really wants to do do both, I just worry she could really be limiting herself by not focusing more on one or the other. If she continues to pitch we will still work on hitting, just maybe not to the level she currently is. A long way down the road, but are lefty pitchers or good lefty hitters more sought after by colleges? I know both are in demand, but is one prefered over the other? I'm sure we will continue to do both, but worry We may be hurting her future by not striving to be very good at one thing as opposed to pretty good at two things.

 

[MsDinosaur]

I don't consider myself enough of an expert to advise you on this, but I do know that tall left-handed pitchers really catch coaches' eyes. I'm curious to know, how tall do you expect her to get?

 

[chinamigarden]

Why are so many things in softball either or for people. Work on both and you leave nothing to chance. Both pitchers in the World Series final last year were feared hitters

 

[David Carter]

At 14 and only pitching for one year she is probably significantly behind her peers. If she does really seem to be getting the hang of it and enjoying it I would say keep at it for at least another year, if she is pitching at 14U and not getting hammered (and is#1 or #2) she can probably step up next year but if she is barely getting by at 14U the jump to 16U/HS will be brutal.

Regardless keep working on hitting, I think the pitching thing will become obvious as the season progresses.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

First of all, yes LHP are highly in demand if you're at least above the 50% mark. ( 50% being average )

Look, my DD is a LHP. You CAN do both, it's not impossible and really not as difficult as you think.

I'll echo China, fastpitch pitchers are usually some of the best hitters on the team from 8u and up.

 

[MsDinosaur]

Who wouldn't want Ricketts or Traina in their lineup? :-D

IMO the players who really have a leg up at hitting are catchers. They see so many more pitches coming in to the plate than anyone else.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

players who really have a leg up at hitting are catchers.

Please do not feed the animals. ( Greenmonsters )

 

[nanotech14]

My dd always work on both. I tell her that, she might be a pitcher and if she plays college ball. That you need to learn how to hit well. You have to earn your way in to starting and as a pitcher as a freshman, you could be waiting for time in the circle behind an upper classman. But if you can hit and hit well. The coach will find away for you to knock the ball around. You still have to score runs to win the game. (you have to win the game!!!!). Besides are we talking about practice,practice!!! My dd is 14 too. I hope, I don't have to pay Herm and Iverson for stealing their lines.

 

[29dad]

Understanding that it's not an either/or proposition, I still think it's a legit question. DD was a fine 12U pitcher but after talking to her travel coach she decided to give it up. She stll pitches batting practice and occasionally in games in mop up time, but her focus is now on position play and hitting. My advice to the O.P. is to ask her pitching coach or her T.B. coach for an honest evaluation.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

My DD is the #1 pitcher on her travel team but is just an average batter. There are only so many hours in a day so for winter we decided that she would go to a hitting coach but I would remain as her PC.

I think it was just too much to have one person (me) getting on her for both hitting and pitching.

In the end it's simply a time issue.