When did your pitchers increase velocity?

[jdint]

Copying from lostcreek's post, my DD has followed this progression pretty closely. 8u=43 10u=51 12u=56 14u=60 16u=62. She's 16 now and generally throws between 59 and 62 in games. Gets up to around 64 at lessons. She's a touch over 5'8" and goes about 165. She has longer arms than most girls her height.

She genetically carries quite a bit of muscle (from DW's side of the family) and lifts at school. They do sort of a powerlifting workout more geared to football. The program is similar to the 5 x 5 style of training. She pulls 275 with a straight bar, so she is relatively strong. I think she is anyway as I don't know much about deadlifting.

I'm hopeful she can get up to mid 60's consistently by her senior year, but it will take some work. Can't rely on growth spurts and she isn't going to have any big jumps in strength, so it will be mostly refining mechanics and increasing whip.

 

[lostcreek1]

Copying from lostcreek's post, my DD has followed this progression pretty closely. 8u=43 10u=51 12u=56 14u=60 16u=62. She's 16 now and generally throws between 59 and 62 in games. Gets up to around 64 at lessons. She's a touch over 5'8" and goes about 165. She has longer arms than most girls her height.

She genetically carries quite a bit of muscle (from DW's side of the family) and lifts at school. They do sort of a powerlifting workout more geared to football. The program is similar to the 5 x 5 style of training. She pulls 275 with a straight bar, so she is relatively strong. I think she is anyway as I don't know much about deadlifting.

I'm hopeful she can get up to mid 60's consistently by her senior year, but it will take some work. Can't rely on growth spurts and she isn't going to have any big jumps in strength, so it will be mostly refining mechanics and increasing whip.

So she has been above average her entire softball journey. That she was yet continued to progress past 12u will make some 10u dads/moms feel better.

 

[Vertigo]

I would say DD’s biggest jump was between 10U (upper 30’s) to end of 11U when she was upper 40’s consistently. She started with a PC the summer after her 10U LL season. She was then hitting 50 by the winter before her 12U season.

I’d say after that it was a slower, steadier climb with some plateaus and an injury setback when she was 16.

I’ll also add that being allowed to do a step-back her senior year added some velo and now in college being able to leap added a tiny bit more. She cruises right around 60 now depending on the pitch she’s throwing.

 

[daywalkerdad]

10-15 2-3 mph per year with a year or 2 of 5-6 mph.
15-18 1-2 mph a year.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

At 10 years-old, she hit 43. 18 months later, at 12, she hit 50. One year later, she hit 54. Just before her 14th birthday, she hit 59. She plateaued there until she hit 62 18 months later at age 15. One year later, she hit 64, where she plateaued again.

An injury to her shoulder might have cost her more gains, but I suspect it's her lack of exercise that's the real culprit. I can only imagine where she'd be if she worked out.

 

[jdint]

So she has been above average her entire softball journey. That she was yet continued to progress past 12u will make some 10u dads/moms feel better.

It looks like a linear progression on paper, however it's anything but that when you are experiencing it. As @LEsoftballdad mentioned, there are lots of plateaus along the way and even some regression at points.

 

[4Martini]

I think your range for late start might be a little late. My daughter started pitching right before turning 13 and will start high school with 2 years of pitching probably throwing 51-52 consistently (we play in fall - so she’s only got a little more time for gains). But there’s a gap between her and her teammates who have many more years of experience. It’s mental and polish and consistency. I’d guess she has the chance to still improve a lot. I’d consider her a late starter- all of the other pitchers on her team have 3-5 more years of lessons and game experience and it shows.

 

[Rolling Hard]

Are some ladies opposed to weight gain? I know one the is opposed oblique work because it will make her waist larger! SMH

 

[4Martini]

Are some ladies opposed to weight gain? I know one the is opposed oblique work because it will make her waist larger! SMH

I think it’s awesome the range of body types that are successful. There are not a lot of sports that have that. Even D1 pitchers have a big range of body types.

My kid will probably never have a power booty (based on genetics) - but she can definitely develop stronger abs etc.

 

[CoachJD]

10-15 2-3 mph per year with a year or 2 of 5-6 mph.
15-18 1-2 mph a year.

Were the jumps because of physical development or refining mechanics? Or both?