First year 10U Pitching

[Jdeesso]

Thanks Everyone. Based on the responses it looks like we are headed in the right direction as my DD’s coach is saying and teaching the same thing. It’s very reassuring for sure and it will take time. I plan on setting up a tarp for her to throw this winter, even if it’s not long distance to work on her mechanics and get repetition. I never realized how much is involved with a softball pitchers mechanics.

As a father watching I am more stressed than she is and she has a good attitude regardless what happens. God knows when I was her age if something bad happened I was a mess. Ha.

I appreciate everyone’s feedback and nice to know I am not alone and everyone has had similar experiences.


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[uncdrew]

You're about where we were. My DD is now first year 12U and the #1 pitcher on her first A team. We worked our way up from #3 on a C team two years ago.

MAIN MESSAGE: She can make this happen if she wants to.


We were about 3 months in when winter break came along. We worked really, really hard over that first winter and emerged #1 pitcher on the C team as the other girls didn't progress. Then a really solid year as an older 10U as her team moved up to B tourneys. Lots of hard work that year but a big break at winter to rest her arm.

I really like the analogy of giving birth. It took my DD 9 agonizing months to get decent.

So yes, you need to set up something for the winter. If you have the funds, rent a batting cage (or find space somewhere indoors), have lots of lessons (like 2 per week). If you can modify a room/basement, get a pitching mat and a tarp set up. At the very least buy some foam balls and let her pitch them inside. Any day the weather is over 35, get outside and put in the work.

If you can do this, next Spring will be lots of fun for both of you. And a really good lesson about how hard work pays off.


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[NJSwampdragons]

Hey All,

My DD just started pitching this year for her 10u travel team. She took some team/group lessons last winter and she enjoyed it and wanted to continue with it. Fast forward through Covid, her season picked up in late summer and prior to the season picking up we got her private lessons. I didn’t think she would be ready to pitch this season and wanted her to continue with private lessons to prepare for next spring but she was eager and asked her coach if she could pitch. She threw on the side for him and decided to let her pitch.

She has been taking lessons for only about three months and making strides and has pitched in games (as #3). She has ups and downs and doesn’t get too high or too low when she’s out there but her biggest issue right now is control.

She does put in the work at home outside of the lessons (even if I have to ask her to practice). I can tell pitching takes a lot of work but trying to get an idea how long it takes to get her control down. I know it’s an odd question and no straightforward answer but looking for a general idea. After 3 months I don’t know where she should be.

I think she has made improvements and at one point asked her coach if she had “it” and if we had something and should continue. He said she did (I don’t think he’s just saying that and pulling my leg and just by seeing some of the results with my DD, I think she’s capable) and we’ve seen improvement and we are continuing with the lessons. I like her pitching coach and he emphasizes drive and speed and and says accuracy will come.

Also, in terms of winter workouts, we are in the Northeast and currently don’t have a facility available to throw at. My house has limited space and wanted to see if anyone has a set up to practice mechanics in limited spaces or what drills they use.

Thanks in advance.


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For 10-U control, I’m assuming you just mean throwing strikes. My DD plays 10-U and I’ve seen lots of levels of control or a lack there of this fall, from girls throwing 20% strikes to 75%+

Under 40% is tough to watch.
40-50%, lots of walks and full counts. You can see they are battling. Sometime it drops to this level after a pitcher gets tired and is kept in there.
50-55%. If they’re not getting hit, you start see success but it’s inefficient and innings can be drawn out.
55-65%. If they’re not getting hit much, they are generally seeing a lot of success.
65%+. If they aren’t getting hit much, this is when they start to dominate.

I’d note girls that don’t throw hard sometimes get more strikes, as batters can be more eager to swing.

My daughter has pitched a year and most of the fall she would be in that 55-65% range, although dipped into the 40-50% range her last two games of the fall (maybe she wore down, or our emphasis on trying to throw change-ups impacted her.)

It can be a bit unpredictable, not just day to day, game to game, inning to inning, but also intra inning.

One inning my DD walked 3 batters on full counts, hit the next batter, then struck out the teams best 3 players in a row.

One game she was throwing a no hitter with two walks, then walked 4 batters in the last inning.

Her two best games control wise were games in which she had already thrown 70+ pitches earlier in the day, with some spurts of wildness in the earlier games.

A coach’s confidence in a pitcher can also impact how well she pitches. My daughter has pitched much better as a #1 pitcher vs being a #3, given no fear of getting pulled and not pitching for awhile.

There’s also a big difference throwing to batters vs practice. I see some girls when they get wild they shorten their stride and start to lean. My daughter now oddly enough I think throws harder in games or to batters vs practice. But in the summer her game mechanics were awful.

When my DD gets wild, meanwhile, it’s always usually high and outside. Then she may try to compensate and it goes in the dirt.

But I would say it took about 8-10 months to get a good speed/control combo in games to start to have some success. The hope is to then build on that in the winter and improve the control, speed, and really get the change-up working.

At 3 months, my DD wasn’t throwing too many strikes at lessons or our practices, but did tend to find a way to throw strikes at a few tryouts.

 

[cschoeni]

My daughter is also pretty much in the same boat as everyone else. She has been taking lessons for about 10 months and has come a long way. Her coach has the similar philosophy of throwing it hard everytime from the start, working on form and consistency... Now after 10 months we are really starting spotting the ball and mixing in a couple of pitches. She has had decent success through the summer throwing in the low to mid 40's(rec league). Then "snap" she broke her arm in mid August... Fastforward 6 weeks she was back pitching. We started playing 10C and she finally pitched in her last tournament. Daughter pitched the Semi-final game in bracket play throwing 3 innings, striking out 9 walking 2. It was fun watching her come back out a throw really well.. I have talked a lot about the mindset with her that no matter what we just threw(strike/ball) we move on to the next pitch... being a former coach it has been difficult, but I have to just set back and let her go.... There is always something new with technique or form(most of it I don't understand) that makes you wonder what she is doing... But it has been a fun journey watching her grow... The great thing is she has goals that she wanted to set for herself... 1. Be able to hit spots with my pitches. 2. Throw 50 by spring.... They are both lofty goals, but she is the one that wants to accomplish them, so I will set on that bucket for her.....

 

[Bonesaw]

My daughter is also pretty much in the same boat as everyone else. She has been taking lessons for about 10 months and has come a long way. Her coach has the similar philosophy of throwing it hard everytime from the start, working on form and consistency... Now after 10 months we are really starting spotting the ball and mixing in a couple of pitches. She has had decent success through the summer throwing in the low to mid 40's(rec league). Then "snap" she broke her arm in mid August... Fastforward 6 weeks she was back pitching. We started playing 10C and she finally pitched in her last tournament. Daughter pitched the Semi-final game in bracket play throwing 3 innings, striking out 9 walking 2. It was fun watching her come back out a throw really well.. I have talked a lot about the mindset with her that no matter what we just threw(strike/ball) we move on to the next pitch... being a former coach it has been difficult, but I have to just set back and let her go.... There is always something new with technique or form(most of it I don't understand) that makes you wonder what she is doing... But it has been a fun journey watching her grow... The great thing is she has goals that she wanted to set for herself... 1. Be able to hit spots with my pitches. 2. Throw 50 by spring.... They are both lofty goals, but she is the one that wants to accomplish them, so I will set on that bucket for her.....

Ummm. Good comeback(understatement)! I hope she came in in relief haha!

 

[NBECoach]

Don't get discouraged and don't let DD get discouraged because there are more bad days than good . It slowly turns to more good days than bad if you put in the work. It's like taking an exam. You will likely do better if you study than look at Cliff Notes.

 

[Bonesaw]

Don't get discouraged and don't let DD get discouraged because there are more bad days than good . It slowly turns to more good days than bad if you put in the work. It's like taking an exam. You will likely do better if you study than look at Cliff Notes.

She struck out 9 in 3 innings with 2 walks!

 

[cschoeni]

She struck out 9 in 3 innings with 2 walks!

Believe me I didn't expect her to do so well, she throws hard so that gets her ahead of the game in 10C for the 7 innings this fall she had a .538 strike %...So have some work to do..... Control was the thing that I figured she would not have, but she was dealing. Of Course last night we had a pitching session and we struggled as if we had not pitched in months.... It is a roller coaster ride with a 9 years old.. "always on to the next pitch".... Here is a video of her first pitch in a game since breaking her arm... I can't lie it was pretty cool seeing how confident she was.

 

[Jdeesso]

Thanks for all the info and feedback. I do have a couple other questions.

My DD uses a double arm wind up and think it’s a lot of moving parts for her and think less movement might help. Her coach is also trying a couple different wind ups trying to see what might work best and minimize any unnecessary movements. What wind ups do your daughters use and have you tinkered with her wind up to see what works best.

Also, her pitching coach wants he to finish at 45 degrees which her chest isn’t directly finishing at the catcher and more of an angle. Has anyone heard of this and finishing that way? If so, anything to emphasize that finish.

Thanks


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[cschoeni]

Thanks for all the info and feedback. I do have a couple other questions.

My DD uses a double arm wind up and think it’s a lot of moving parts for her and think less movement might help. Her coach is also trying a couple different wind ups trying to see what might work best and minimize any unnecessary movements. What wind ups do your daughters use and have you tinkered with her wind up to see what works best.

Also, her pitching coach wants he to finish at 45 degrees which her chest isn’t directly finishing at the catcher and more of an angle. Has anyone heard of this and finishing that way? If so, anything to emphasize that finish.

Thanks


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There is a clip of my daughter directly above your post. Her pitching coach had her go from both arms coming back on opposite sides of her body, to both of her arms coming down/back to her throwing side. My daughter is pretty tall and lanky for being 9 and it helped reduce extra movement giving her more consistency. In the video you can see what he did with her, obviously being only 9 she has other flaws but it helped with unwanted movement...