Should a pitcher play fall ball?

[left turn]

My DD’s PC said he didn’t like fall softball because it got in the way of making significant improvement in pitching effectiveness. He believes it is best that a pitcher not be in a season while making significant changes/upgrades to their motion or to add a new pitch and progress it to a point where it is game-ready; for example, improving the rock down to obtain more leverage and explosiveness, moving to an open/close process or adding a rise ball. This is tough to do in-season because the change may impact their control and temporarily affect their effectiveness. He would prefer spring an summer seasons only and take at least a month off before going back to pitching workouts. These improvements often take some time and 3+ months (plus the time off for rest) between fall and spring seasons may not be enough.

When do you folks think?

 

[quincy]

I agree with them, any major change is extremely difficult to do during the season.

The pitchers get into ½ of the old way, ½ of the new way and become a mess.

There is no doubt in my mind DD would be a better pitcher today if she was able to shut down for a little while and get her fundamentals straightened out and have a good base to fall back on.

 

[PA SB Dad]

Why does she need to pitch to play fall ball? There are 8 other positions.

 

[vdubya]

I agree there should be both a complete break from pitching and ALSO a break from games so as to focus on improvements as mentioned.

"Should a pitcher play fall ball?", then depends on...Is she planning to play winter ball?

For my money, indoor winter ball is both expensive and not appreciably close to real softball. It can be a *fun* experience, but so can going sledding. Sledding is much cheaper and only slightly less like real softball than indoor ball IMO. Lol! I would rather see pitchers in fall ball and skip winter indoor ball which in my neck of the woods leaves the player more than 4 months for shutdown and improvements before getting back outside.

Just what works for me.
VW

 

[redhack]

My DD's PC put her new pitch(s) on hold for her to play fall ball. He thought the game experience was more important for her at 11yr than new pitches. She took off 5 weeks in Jul. and Aug. and then got a new pitch when she went back to pitching practice, just to have it taken away a week later when she signed up for fall ball. She just back started with the drop pitch this last week, with only two weeks left of fall ball.

He told her circle time was more important now, but she would have to work harder in the off season to get both pitches that she wants. The last four weeks have been all about placement, CU and fixing some mechanics that slid during the long summer season. He did give her two practice drills at home related to wrist movement that she could work on without interfering in her pitching.

 

[SoftSocDad]

I'm having difficulty wrapping my head around the idea of fall ball without pitchers.

 

[Izzy's Dad]

I'm having difficulty wrapping my head around the idea of fall ball without pitchers.

That's pretty funny!

My DD pitched spring/summer, and is now finishing her freshman HS ball season. Next it's 2 tournaments with her TB team. Then it's 6 to 8 weeks of nothing related to softball. We'll start back to lessons at the first of the year.

 

[quincy]

A new pitch can be worked in during the season, a fundamental motion change needs to be worked on without pitching during games.

 

[SoCalSoftballdad]

Seems pretty extreme to give-up 3+ months of game experience just to work on some mechanics or a new pitch. I would slowly work the new pitch into games once she has been practicing it for a while, but continue to pitch in the fall so she stays on top of her game. For example, if she has a good fastball and change-up and is now workng on a curveball, have her throw the curve occasionally and as she gets more comfortable with the pitch, throw it more often as the season progresses. You cannot replicate pitching to batters without actually doing it. Fall is a perfect time to work on new pitches AND to try them out in real games IMO.

The other problem with taking Fall off is she is not getting all of the other benefits of playing such as fielding, catching, hitting, baserunning, working with her catcher, covering home on passed balls, game strategy, etc. to stay sharp.

Lastly, we sometimes forget about the enjoyment of the game. Maybe she wants to have fun in the Fall playing with her friends?

 

[left turn]

PA SB Dad "Why does she need to pitch to play fall ball? There are 8 other positions"
- That is correct. She doesn't have to pitch to play fall ball. She could indeed play other positions and has been playing them. The question is about the value of fall ball to her pitching skills and should she stop pitching in live games to focus on making the biggest improvement possible for the next season.

Redhack - "My DD's PC put her new pitch(s) on hold for her to play fall ball. He thought the game experience was more important for her at 11yr than new pitches"
- The reason DD played fall ball in the past was to get her circle time. For some reason DD made significant improvement during the previous fall seasons. You have heard about childhood academics and the notion that a child would become secure in their knowledge in math, English, etc. In the same way, DD seemed to become secure in her knowledge that she could pitch and she could start to trust her ability.

Vdubya - "For my money, indoor winter ball is both expensive and not appreciably close to real softball."
- In the NE, fall ball would stop in early November at the latest and the next tourney would be in April. Although there are some scrimages and practices over the winter with the club team. Scrimmages would be in domes/bubbles.