Pitching gurus, Need advice with pitching style...

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May 15, 2008
1,913
113
Cape Cod Mass.
HE has a ceiling, at about 14U the pitchers tend to top out at about 50 mph, unless they are very big and strong or exceptional athletes. Stay with the whip. Take a look at this video, show it to your daughter. Just looking at it will help reinforce the correct action.

 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
Haha, It's okay, I'm over here trying to decide if we need to stay trying to stay loose And whippy(which I believe she hasn't fully adapted to) or go back to the H/E where she was more successful 😫
I just went back and looked at the age we're discussing, you mentioned she'd 10u? That makes it a no-brainer in my book. IF you said she was in college and trying to switch I'd possibly see your point in not making changes. Although, I don't think there's EVER a bad time to start doing something correctly. And yes, I believe in right and wrong in pitching.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking success at 10u means success at 18u. Nothing could be further from the truth. 10u success is usually about just throwing strikes. The majority of girls that age are terrified to swing a bat and go up hoping for a walk. (Please folks, spare me the messages about how your kid is 10u and hits like Aaron Judge and is already picking our her uniform sizes for Oklahoma softball!). I'm speaking in general terms. If a girl in 10u can throw strikes, with even a sliver of velocity, she'll get 12-15k's per game. The problem is, as time goes on those hitters won't be scared to swing anymore and your kid will still be using mechanics that aren't allowing her to progress the same way. There's a reason why even the most successful pitchers who claim to teach H/E actually pitch without those mechanics.

One or 2 steps backward at 10u, making the transition out of H/E will give her the ability for 5 steps forward in her pitching as she progresses. But obviously this is your kid and you have to make decisions for her. However, don't you think it's ironic that you're on a website, probably the best one around for pitching tips and advice, where there isn't a single person advocating H/E mechanics???? That's just my .02 cents. Please don't ask for change back. :)
 
May 16, 2016
946
93
Haha, It's okay, I'm over here trying to decide if we need to stay trying to stay loose And whippy(which I believe she hasn't fully adapted to) or go back to the H/E where she was more successful 😫
It is impossible to say with certainty, not knowing what each instructor is teaching... You have instructors here telling you to do what they teach, but that doesn't mean your "loose and whippy" instructor is actually teaching the same thing.

On the other hand, instructors who teach a high finish, doesn't necessarily mean, they are not also teaching good arm whip.

I think the most important thing at 10U and 12U is having fun. Being successful is fun. Walking a bunch of batters every inning is not fun. Your DD will not be pitching at 14U if she is not having fun now.

What ball position does each instructor teach at 9 O'clock? Palm up or Palm down? There is a lot of focus on how pitchers finish... when it's really the 9'Oclock position that determines arm whip.

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If one teaches palm down, just know at some point, you will need to switch to palm up to continue improving.

I am not an instructor, just a parent who went through the same thing you are going through right now. Currently have 2 DDs, (18U and 16U) both pitchers.
 
Sep 29, 2020
42
8
I just went back and looked at the age we're discussing, you mentioned she'd 10u? That makes it a no-brainer in my book. IF you said she was in college and trying to switch I'd possibly see your point in not making changes. Although, I don't think there's EVER a bad time to start doing something correctly. And yes, I believe in right and wrong in pitching.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking success at 10u means success at 18u. Nothing could be further from the truth. 10u success is usually about just throwing strikes. The majority of girls that age are terrified to swing a bat and go up hoping for a walk. (Please folks, spare me the messages about how your kid is 10u and hits like Aaron Judge and is already picking our her uniform sizes for Oklahoma softball!). I'm speaking in general terms. If a girl in 10u can throw strikes, with even a sliver of velocity, she'll get 12-15k's per game. The problem is, as time goes on those hitters won't be scared to swing anymore and your kid will still be using mechanics that aren't allowing her to progress the same way. There's a reason why even the most successful pitchers who claim to teach H/E actually pitch without those mechanics.

One or 2 steps backward at 10u, making the transition out of H/E will give her the ability for 5 steps forward in her pitching as she progresses. But obviously this is your kid and you have to make decisions for her. However, don't you think it's ironic that you're on a website, probably the best one around for pitching tips and advice, where there isn't a single person advocating H/E mechanics???? That's just my .02 cents. Please don't ask for change back. :)
Man you spitting some facts! Thank you so much, As well as the others on here, Y'all foreal make a lot of sense and we'll continue to grind away at staying loose and whippy! I appreciate y'all alot!
 
May 13, 2021
643
93
We just finished our first fall season in 10u. You see a lot of HE pitchers having a lot of success at this age, especially first year 10u girls. Most of these girls throw fairly slow, but accurate. My DD struggled with the accuracy aspect a lot more than the speed aspect. Although her accuracy did improve as the season went on. Had a couple people suggest that she could be more successful if she would slow down pitch with what they would demonstrate as HE mechanics and just throw strikes. Had a coach that would tell her mostly on a full count to just slow down and throw strikes. I just tell them she has a pitching coach and we don't need any more advice. As far as the coach I just politely told him to quit telling her to slow down and throw strikes, as she does better doing just the opposite.
I went through this HE IR thing when we were initially looking for a PC and I knew absolutely nothing about pitching a softball. I say study up all you can watch a bunch of videos of the best pitchers and I believe you will come to the same conclusion that most of the people on this board came to when they were in your shoes, and trying to do what they thought was best for the long term success of their daughter.
 
Feb 11, 2020
66
8
Some girls pick up IR a lot quicker than others. It’s not easy for many of these kids imo.


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