- Oct 27, 2009
- 41
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As my 12 yr old daughter learns more pitches her fastball has slowed down. Is this common? How do I correct it?
Slowing Fastball
- Thread starter MJs Dad
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First, "knowing how to throw a breaking pitch" means that she can get a break of 12 to 18 inches on a pitch and that she can throw it to a specific location 99 out of a 100 times. My DD was all-conference D1, and she "knew how to throw" a fastball, drop and a changeup. So, I doubt your DD knows any pitches other than a fastball/changeup.
Most likely, you and she are skipping around from pitch to pitch without learning how to throw any of them, including the fastball. So, she hasn't develop sufficient muscle memory to consistently throw a pitch.
What you need to do is work toward perfection on a fastball, changeup, and a vertical movement pitch (drop or rise). After she "knows how to throw" all three of those pitches, then add another pitch.
Second, your DD is probably starting to mature. When a girl hits 12 or 13, her bosom grows and her hips widen. When that happens, she has to work exceptionally hard just to stay consistent until she figures out her new body.
Most likely, you and she are skipping around from pitch to pitch without learning how to throw any of them, including the fastball. So, she hasn't develop sufficient muscle memory to consistently throw a pitch.
What you need to do is work toward perfection on a fastball, changeup, and a vertical movement pitch (drop or rise). After she "knows how to throw" all three of those pitches, then add another pitch.
Second, your DD is probably starting to mature. When a girl hits 12 or 13, her bosom grows and her hips widen. When that happens, she has to work exceptionally hard just to stay consistent until she figures out her new body.
- Oct 27, 2009
- 41
- 0
Thanks for your input. The first pitch she learned beyond her fastball was a traditional change up, then a flip change, a drop ball. She has excelent control of those pitches. Now she is working on a curveball. She throws the curve with about 75% accuracy right now with very good movement. About 6 months ago her fastball was clocked at around 55 mph now it's down to about 50. Should I stop her from practicing the curveball?
- Oct 27, 2009
- 41
- 0
Thanks, I'll check it out.
Is her body maturing? Specifically, are her hips spreading? If so, you want to keep focusing on the basics until she gets a little older.
MJ
MJ,
This post is not intended to alarm you. I just want you to be aware that young pitchers at your daughter's age who are going through the maturity process sometimes get into issues with growth plates in the shoulder.
This could account for the drop off in speed and may not be because she's learning different pitches. You need to ask her if she's having any kind of shoulder discomfort at any time during her lessons.
One of the things that I do with my students is I put them in front of a radar gun about once every three months. This allows me to monitor their speed over the course of their development. There have been a couple of times when I've noticed that there was a drop-off in speed from one three-month period to the next. In almost every case where do the measurement I will see a rise in speed on both maximum and average number of pitches. Basically what I do is have my pitchers throw 10 pitches. I did record the highest and the average.
For the two pitchers who lost speed in both cases they had shoulder issues but did not tell me or their parents. In both cases the orthopedic doctor who examined them determined they had growth plate issues with their shoulder. It took both of them approximately 6 months to recover. The good news is we avoided a long-term injury. The bad news is because these girls are so competitive. They do not want to tell you they're having problems.
In both those cases the girls were about the same age as your daughter. Now this may not be the situation with your daughter , but I just wanted you to be aware this is a critical time in her development as a pitcher. If she is having health issues you don't want to take any chances with her shoulder or arm.
Good luck with your daughter and development of her pitching.
Dana
MJ,
This post is not intended to alarm you. I just want you to be aware that young pitchers at your daughter's age who are going through the maturity process sometimes get into issues with growth plates in the shoulder.
This could account for the drop off in speed and may not be because she's learning different pitches. You need to ask her if she's having any kind of shoulder discomfort at any time during her lessons.
One of the things that I do with my students is I put them in front of a radar gun about once every three months. This allows me to monitor their speed over the course of their development. There have been a couple of times when I've noticed that there was a drop-off in speed from one three-month period to the next. In almost every case where do the measurement I will see a rise in speed on both maximum and average number of pitches. Basically what I do is have my pitchers throw 10 pitches. I did record the highest and the average.
For the two pitchers who lost speed in both cases they had shoulder issues but did not tell me or their parents. In both cases the orthopedic doctor who examined them determined they had growth plate issues with their shoulder. It took both of them approximately 6 months to recover. The good news is we avoided a long-term injury. The bad news is because these girls are so competitive. They do not want to tell you they're having problems.
In both those cases the girls were about the same age as your daughter. Now this may not be the situation with your daughter , but I just wanted you to be aware this is a critical time in her development as a pitcher. If she is having health issues you don't want to take any chances with her shoulder or arm.
Good luck with your daughter and development of her pitching.
Dana
Sluggers
Sluggers I guess the screw ball and the curve dont exist in your vocabulary? My daughter had perfected the curve by the time she was 12. She also had a screwball. While those pitches may not be as effective at the higher levels of the game. At the lower levels they work quite well and can be very effective. Especially when you start learning the drop curve which moves on two planes instead of one.
They don't need to be perfect but they do need to be effective. The more looks you can give a batter the better off you will be as a pitcher. By the time she was 13 she wouldn't throw anything that didn't move either on a horizontal or vertical plane.
The rise, the drop, and the changeup are the primary pitches thrown in men's fast pitch softball. I understand your perspective on this issue , as I've had this discussion on more than one occasion with Bill Hillhouse. If I have a student that I consider advanced, and has the ability to learn other pitches. Why would I limit her knowledge base is pitcher?
Just another perspective
Dana
Sluggers I guess the screw ball and the curve dont exist in your vocabulary? My daughter had perfected the curve by the time she was 12. She also had a screwball. While those pitches may not be as effective at the higher levels of the game. At the lower levels they work quite well and can be very effective. Especially when you start learning the drop curve which moves on two planes instead of one.
They don't need to be perfect but they do need to be effective. The more looks you can give a batter the better off you will be as a pitcher. By the time she was 13 she wouldn't throw anything that didn't move either on a horizontal or vertical plane.
The rise, the drop, and the changeup are the primary pitches thrown in men's fast pitch softball. I understand your perspective on this issue , as I've had this discussion on more than one occasion with Bill Hillhouse. If I have a student that I consider advanced, and has the ability to learn other pitches. Why would I limit her knowledge base is pitcher?
Just another perspective
Dana
Last time I checked, a rise or drop was pretty effective at 12U and 14U.
My view on this is pretty simple:
(1) Life is short, so you should focus on those things that are important.
(2) Advanced pitchers have to have a rise or drop.
(3) Every minute you are working on the screw/curve is one less minute you work on the rise/drop.
THEREFORE: Focus on learning the rise or drop first before the screw/curve.
After you learn a rise or drop, then learning a screw/curve isn't particularly difficult.
On a more general note: "Curves" and "screws" in softball aren't as effective as their counterparts in baseball. Pitchers cannot get the big movement in softball that pitchers can in baseball.
Learning a curve-drop as a distinct pitch is a waste of time. A pitcher should learn how to throw a drop, and then learn how to make the ball the move left or right.
My view on this is pretty simple:
(1) Life is short, so you should focus on those things that are important.
(2) Advanced pitchers have to have a rise or drop.
(3) Every minute you are working on the screw/curve is one less minute you work on the rise/drop.
THEREFORE: Focus on learning the rise or drop first before the screw/curve.
After you learn a rise or drop, then learning a screw/curve isn't particularly difficult.
On a more general note: "Curves" and "screws" in softball aren't as effective as their counterparts in baseball. Pitchers cannot get the big movement in softball that pitchers can in baseball.
Learning a curve-drop as a distinct pitch is a waste of time. A pitcher should learn how to throw a drop, and then learn how to make the ball the move left or right.
