What the heck now?

[amanda_cake]

Amanda, I have to say, you're extremely well spoken for a teen-ager, much more so than most are today, with all the text-ese speak, etc.

Thank you so much! I got told I wrote in such good grammar by a lady from England on the internet the other day, which definitely made me day. People from England are pretty well known for the way they speak... at least the proper speaking English folks. ;-)

I have had some other kids tell me online that the fact that I ALWAYS type like I have a brain in my head (for lack of better words) makes me sound stuck up, but I'd rather sound stuck up than sound stupid.

 

[SoCalSoftballdad]

Wouldn't moving the pitching plate back to 43' or deeper be potentially beneficial to the pitcher who throws movement pitches, especially up and down, since you have more distance to get more break from your pitch? My point is, pitchers might have to change their thought process in the type of pitches that will be more effective from this greater distance. Try to use the distance to your advantage as a pitcher.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Wouldn't moving the pitching plate back to 43' or deeper be potentially beneficial to the pitcher who throws movement pitches, especially up and down, since you have more distance to get more break from your pitch? My point is, pitchers might have to change their thought process in the type of pitches that will be more effective from this greater distance. Try to use the distance to your advantage as a pitcher.

That is true, but in the past the 43' has been used primarily by the top 5% in the country ( 18U gold ) and college players. Why? Because most of the younger 5% were not only great but usually developed much sooner than the other 95%. In the college case, those are GROWN WOMEN pitching at the extra distance. ( that's physically much harder on a 14-15 year old kid )

Plus just because the ball is breaking more is not always a good thing. It may break out of the strike zone. If it breaks too early it is readable. If 'breaking more' was a great true fact we would move baseball's mound back too.

Just curious, what 'type' of pitch would you recommend to a average 14-15 year old pitcher. using distance to her advantage.

As a coach you develop player skills at a pace, I still feel the old pace was good and worked for many years.

We will never please everyone all the time. But the individual choices were in play. ( 40' 14-16U school - 43' 18u ) We have now lost those choices. Some of the girls I work with are ready for 43' and have done nicely, some need the 40' for time to master mechanics and pitches. I feel half of those will become frustrated and say to heck with this. Meaning fewer pitchers, and the ones that are good will be rode hard........maybe too hard.

 

[SoCalSoftballdad]

That is true, but in the past the 43' has been used primarily by the top 5% in the country ( 18U gold ) and college players. Why? Because most of the younger 5% were not only great but usually developed much sooner than the other 95%. In the college case, those are GROWN WOMEN pitching at the extra distance. ( that's physically much harder on a 14-15 year old kid )

Plus just because the ball is breaking more is not always a good thing. It may break out of the strike zone. If it breaks too early it is readable. If 'breaking more' was a great true fact we would move baseball's mound back too.

Just curious, what 'type' of pitch would you recommend to a average 14-15 year old pitcher. using distance to her advantage.

As a coach you develop player skills at a pace, I still feel the old pace was good and worked for many years.

We will never please everyone all the time. But the individual choices were in play. ( 40' 14-16U school - 43' 18u ) We have now lost those choices. Some of the girls I work with are ready for 43' and have done nicely, some need the 40' for time to master mechanics and pitches. I feel half of those will become frustrated and say to heck with this. Meaning fewer pitchers, and the ones that are good will be rode hard........maybe too hard.

My point is that its probably inevitable that the pitching distances are going to get longer, earlier for our DDs over the next several years so let's embrace it and teach better pitches that will work to their advantage (e.g. drops, drop curves, change-ups with unpredictable movement, etc). I'm sure there are many pitching coaching around that could use an extra 3 - 5 feet to their advantage?

 

[GOINGDEEP]

My point is that its probably inevitable that the pitching distances are going to get longer, earlier for our DDs over the next several years so let's embrace it and teach better pitches that will work to their advantage (e.g. drops, drop curves, change-ups with unpredictable movement, etc). I'm sure there are many pitching coaching around that could use an extra 3 - 5 feet to their advantage?

I really appreciate your time and opinions. The big problem I have is, we are changing a system that has had proven results and given years of wonderful experience's at all levels to please a minority group. ( college, because there are only so many spots, and this will not increase those open spots ) I have not seen any major changes in any other amateur sport. So why ours? Maybe I just can't see it yet. I just fear this will do more harm for the majority of the sport than the help it will do for the minority.

But please remember I am/was a pitcher. I would not have liked a change in the 60' 6". Nor do I agree changing my DD or my students. Because I want them to have the same opportunity as all the greats before them. Time to develop and kick butt. Without the rush!!

Thank you GD.

 

[MTR]

My guy at ASA has been dead on so far in all the changes, in ASA and other organizations, so I trust his input. He came up with the term ' universal ball'. So IDK?

Well, I've handled the ball and have seen it in play. The players, at least in SP, pretty much like it. If you hold and squeeze the ball, it has enough give that you think there is no way that ball is going anywhere, yet SP players who can hit have no problem putting it 300'-400' away. If you saw the Battle of the Border during the last years World Cup of Softball, this is the ball they were using.

Let me ask this, and I'm not a physicist, but if on impact with a player over 40% is absorbed how can the same 40% not be absorbed while batting? They are both moving objects coming in contact with another object. Surely the ball is not smart enough to tell the difference. Maybe we should scrap the 'universal' ball and call it the 'smart' ball?

As noted, the ball starts off the bat at a slower speed than the present ball, to that alone should reduce the level of impact. Or maybe it is the difference between someone swinging the bat at a pretty good speed and hitting the ball versus the ball hitting an object that most likely is moving away or trying to avoid being hit.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Well, I've handled the ball and have seen it in play. The players, at least in SP, pretty much like it. If you hold and squeeze the ball, it has enough give that you think there is no way that ball is going anywhere, yet SP players who can hit have no problem putting it 300'-400' away. If you saw the Battle of the Border during the last years World Cup of Softball, this is the ball they were using.



As noted, the ball starts off the bat at a slower speed than the present ball, to that alone should reduce the level of impact. Or maybe it is the difference between someone swinging the bat at a pretty good speed and hitting the ball versus the ball hitting an object that most likely is moving away or trying to avoid being hit.

Very interesting. I wish I could get my hands on one to play around with.

I wonder what, if any, effect it will have on pitching. Being able to squeeze the ball might have added ' finger snap' possibilities.