What is pitching average speed for 10U?

[Rocketech1]

It really depends on whether the 10U pitchers are from regular season Rec, All-stars, or tournament/select/travel ball teams. It also matters whether they are 1st year or 2nd year 10U. In SoCal, I would say the average 1st year is less than 40mph, 2nd year greater than 40mph, with some of the top pitchers at high 40's. A few elite teams have pitchers in the low to mid 50's and have been taking lessons since 7YO.

Also, speed isn't everything. Accuracy and having a good change-up is very important at this age. I have seen flamethrowers get knocked out of tournaments because they were wild and/or didn't use the change-up enough so the batters got used to the speed their second at bats.

 

[JJsqueeze]

Can I ask why so many people have radar guns at 10u tournaments? As a coach, I just want outs. I also don't want my players distracted by people standing behind the backstop with radar guns.

I don't know about others, but I take them to measure speed. I saw one guy trying to use it to warm up some gelatinous nachos on a cold day and another time I saw a guy trying to use it to see past the clothing on the hot moms, but I think reading speed is really it's best use.

 

[Rocketech1]

Can I ask why so many people have radar guns at 10u tournaments? As a coach, I just want outs. I also don't want my players distracted by people standing behind the backstop with radar guns.

Radar guns are used occassionally to gauge progress in pitching mechanics. Just getting outs is not pitching, that is throwing the ball to the catcher in the middle of the strike zone hoping it gets hit to a defensive player.

I'm not sure how the game is played in your neck of the woods but the pitcher you describe isn't a pitcher who plays for more than regular season rec, at best.

 

[Twenty20ticker]

They are 10 years old. They need to get outs so they can get at bats. That does not have anything to do with throwing the ball down the middle. It has to do with focusing on winning the battle with the batter and then the next batter until you get three outs; you have a whole team engaged in doing this. You win the battle by placing the ball, changing speeds, and remaining confident. Top speed on the gun has little to do with that in the end.

Radar guns are for adults bragging and checking out the competition. They do not need to be at games. If your pitcher is slowing down in games you can probably see it anyway, but OK bring a gun on one day for that. But the poster said multiple guns with multiple people.

Just to clarify.....6 different people gunning pitchers throughout the tourney.

 

[JJsqueeze]

OILF- Like it or not, guys like speed and measuring speed, no need to understand it, just accept it. I don't wonder why my wife knows which celebrities are married to each other, I just accept that women like to know this sort of stuff and move on.

 

[Twenty20ticker]

OILF- Like it or not, guys like speed and measuring speed, no need to understand it, just accept it. I don't wonder why my wife knows which celebrities are married to each other, I just accept that women like to know this sort of stuff and move on.

Believe me I get sick and tired of hearing about speed. My daughter for instances cruises at around 44-46 when she is really on. We have another girl on our team that cruises at around 47-48 and has hit 50 a few times. These are not made up times I have gunned them myself and have seen others and there readings also from everything such as pocket radars, jugs guns and bushnell guns so I know the speeds are fairly legit. That being said all anyone wants to talk about is the girl who hits 50. This is not to take anything away from her as she is a great pitcher and truly works at her craft very hard.

 

[Rocketech1]

OILF - with all due you respect, I doubt you have coached or been around 10U fastpitch for many, many years. Around here, girls pitch in 8U and many have private instructors. By 10U most have a decent fastball they can locate 65% of the time and have a good change-up. Some have also worked on a drop, curve and screwball.

Regarding this comment: "Neither speed nor accuracy at 10u are any predictor of later success."

First of all, I'm not sure this is an accurate statement. Certainly there are very good pitchers at 10U that become average later on, but there are also an equal number of pitchers who had good speed and accuracy at 10U that continued to pitch at a high-level in travel ball, high-school and college.

Secondly, we don't have any idea how long these girls will want to play fastpitch. Many drop out after 12U because they have other interests, why not let them have some "success" at 8u and 10U playing a position they love and giving them the skills to have some success in the circle.

The other issue is that only the best pitchers get selected to play and pitch in all-stars and this gives these kids the opportunity to play "real softball" against competitive teams where all the girls can catch, throw, hit, and pitch. It's a wonderful experience for these players, they bond with their teammates, and really fall in love with the game. The other benefit of playing all-stars is the coaching is better, their hitting and overall game improves.

So the bottom-line is pitching with good mechanics will increase both speed and accuracy and occasionally recording velocity gives the pitcher a benchmark for improvement. It also helps measure the speed difference between the fastball and change-up which is important to know and work on.

 

[stickpile39]

My little DD (10 U) was only on the gun during tourney tryouts last fall for this coming summer season. She was first year 10U and will be 2nd year 10U this year. The best she hit was 43. This was the highest at the tryout. I have seen one 10U girl who allegedly threw 50. I would I say I believe she was hitting that mark.

Average for these parts (Massachusetts) in travel ball would be mid 30's

 

[Amy in AZ.]

No matter the age, it depends on how long they have practiced and how efficient those practices are. The beginning little girls - we celebrate when she hits 30, 35, 38, 40, etc. I was using a glove radar during my lessons - so they are quite used to knowing how fast they throw. My new pocket radar is within one MPH of what a glove radar says. I should have saved my $200.00.

I don't use a radar at trnys, on other little girls.

 

[javasource]

I don't know about others, but I take them to measure speed. I saw one guy trying to use it to warm up some gelatinous nachos on a cold day and another time I saw a guy trying to use it to see past the clothing on the hot moms, but I think reading speed is really it's best use.

Just checked my instruction manual... no mention of the latter two... must be an addendum I missed... You didn't see that other guy from the mirror, JJ?

I've always suspected that there's a "plus 5 DD button" on those things too...