Pitching and staying sharp in-season

[handstotheball]

How many times per week does a high school girl need to pitch (in a game or on the side) to remain sharp?

 

[Towny9]

How many times per week does a high school girl need to pitch (in a game or on the side) to remain sharp?

Depends on the kid honestly. I encourage our pitchers to throw underhand as part of their daily warmup routine. That way they got some sort of pitching work in every practice even if that’s all it ends up being. I always thought it odd that softball pitchers only throw underhand as part of “pitching practice”. Baseball players throw overhand all the time so every throw is a “pitching drill” in a sense.

 

[El Oso]

How many times per week does a high school girl need to pitch (in a game or on the side) to remain sharp?

The rule of thumb is pitch 5 times a week to improve, 4 times a week to maintain, 3 times a week or less and you will regress.

 

[LW23]

I agree, we shoot for 5 times a week. It has served us well, and we have learned how to take advantage of the sessions more as well. More form and spin wo incorporated with velocity as well each week. You don't have to throw a ton of pitches each day.

 

[handstotheball]

I agree, we shoot for 5 times a week. It has served us well, and we have learned how to take advantage of the sessions more as well. More form and spin wo incorporated with velocity as well each week. You don't have to throw a ton of pitches each day.

What level of softball do you coach? High school? How many games do you allow your ace to pitch per week? Our problem is that we have three potential aces, and we are struggling to find enough opportinuties to get each of them enough work.

 

[LW23]

What level of softball do you coach? High school? How many games do you allow your ace to pitch per week? Our problem is that we have three potential aces, and we are struggling to find enough opportinuties to get each of them enough work.

We coached through first year14U and passed DD and her team to the organization coaches. They played 16U second year 14 and she moved to 18U after committing. DD pitches every district game in HS 2 per week, and every playoff game. During the high school tournament season we rotate pitching time with No.2 and No.3. I have never been on a team that had three potential aces. It seems like a great problem to have but, I understand the difficulty in getting everyone pitching time. Even on our select team now its more of 50% / 20% / 20% /10% mix in relation to pitching time. In games that don't matter we use a 2 / 3 inning rotation between two pitchers. I will say the coaches are very clear about how much pitching time each girl is expected to get. I think that is important so everyone on the staff understands their expected role. And with any position if you perform you may see increased innings.

 

[quincy]

I had nothing to do with DD's school ball. Never saw a practice, parked the car away from the field if I picked her up from practice.

JMO she knew DW and I had her back but she was she was on her own as a young adult.

I told her once I was going to get involved if she did not resolve a situation with HC. She sort of resolved the next day.

She is mine for the rest of the year. School ball was hers and she made the decisions.

 

[sluggers]

I agree, we shoot for 5 times a week. It has served us well, and we have learned how to take advantage of the sessions more as well. More form and spin wo incorporated with velocity as well each week. You don't have to throw a ton of pitches each day.

Yep...

Not intense workouts. Try to keep the arm loose, focus on control rather than speed. Don't push the speed...work on flow and good control.

Somewhere between pitch and catch and full speed.

 

[El Oso]

Yep...

Not intense workouts. Try to keep the arm loose, focus on control rather than speed. Don't push the speed...work on flow and good control.

Somewhere between pitch and catch and full speed.

Disagree. Want to mess up your timing and therefore your control? Do your workouts at an arm speed you never use during a game. Great way to mess up your timing.

 

[PJR202]

Between practices and games, we're (speaking strictly of my own kid) lucky to get in a single 30 minute session per week. She's always tired. I was planning on getting an hour in on a Saturday or Sunday but they (high school) have Saturday games almost every weekend. There's not a lot of bullpen work during team practices. Once a week maybe. Last year she did well in MS until the last couple games. She did get in most of her weekly private lessons last season, but she doesn't go to those anymore.

Mine is #3 pitcher. 1 and 2 are both in about the same boat, but they're throwing 300+ game pitches per week. Mine throws 80 - 120 per week in JV.

If you have a team that has the luxury of enough good players that your pitchers don't need much defensive work between games, I would strategize more along the lines of weekly pitch count.