When is it time to give up?

[kibadbo]

My 16U DD checks all the boxes but one. She's a 5ft 10in lefty who is straight up jacked. She legitimately cruises at 60-62mph. Outworks everyone to an annoying degree, and every coach and teacher she's ever had loves her. She has received multiple invitations to play for high level teams just based on a workout or a meeting.

The problem is she couldn't consistently hit a barn from 10ft away. She's had an occasional good outing but most of her pitching career has been one of disappointment and heartache. Last weekend she gave up 5 runs and 4 walks....in 0.0 innings. This is not uncommon for her.

She would never quit because she believes that she can get better by working harder. That mindset is something I helped instill in her. But I don't think she is physically able to work much more or that it would help much. I know she isn't having fun. And I feel stuck between being supportive vs being realistic. At what point do you help your kid see that maybe this isn't going to work out for her?

 

[sluggers]

Two questions:

1. How does she mentally approach "just throwing strikes"?
2. What drills does she do for accuracy?


MENTAL

Your DD's first job when she pitches is to figure out the ump's strike zone. During the first couple of innings, she shouldn't be talking about Taylor Swift. She should be watching the ump.

Softball umps rarely (if ever) have the rule book strike zone. Most have an egg-shaped strike zone, and they tend to call high and outside pitches strikes.

In addition, batters come in every shape and size. You could have a 6'2" batter followed by a 5'2" batter. That means your DD has to mentally be adjusting for the strike zone from batter to batter.

DRILLS
It takes a ton of work to have good control. As a parent, your job is to make it fun and interesting.

Good pitchers can move the ball in 4" increments around the strike zone. She should be working on this at every practice.

The basic drill is the quadrant drill. She throws low and inside, low and outside, high and outside, high and inside, over and over and over.

After that, you set up targets (soda cans work best) and have her practice knocking them off about thigh-high.

Some college drills:
a) A friend of mine's kid played for Alabama. She practiced throwing at a 4-inch rope with a knot. The goal was to make the rope kick either left or right, not just hit the knot.
b) My DD's coach would make a square from four bungee cords. Every time she threw it between the cords, the coaches would make it smaller. By the end, it was about a 5" x 5" square.

OTHER ISSUE
There are mechanical problems with the pitching motion that lead to wildness. If you would post a video, you can get some feedback on her motion.

 

[cnardone]

How long have you been with her pitching coach?

 

[chinamigarden]

Are her misses consistent? Always high, low, left, right?

 

[ArmWhip]

If you've done all the traditional drills for accuracy before she gives it up I would go outside the box. I have some suggestions if you want to try something different.

 

[Hillhouse]

If she loves pitching, then there is NEVER a good time to give up.

Hi/Low pitches is a timing related problem. Side/side pitches is a mechanics problem. I'd reiterate the question about how long with the current pitching coach? But my #1 question is, does she know WHY she's not throwing strikes? Does she know why the ball goes inside, outside, roll it to homeplate or throw over the backstop? If she doesn't know why bad pitches happen, she can't be expected to make corrections. And if her PC hasn't explained all of this, it might be time to change PC's. I know that every coach is different has their own techniques, styles but I just can't understand how that isn't lesson #1 for anyone and every coach. Apologies if that sounds arrogant.

 

[CoachJD]

A big lefty who can throw 60-62? You give up when she decides she doesn't want to do it anymore.

There is a reason for the lack of control. She's doing something wrong. Just as good location doesn't happen by accident, being Nuke Laloosh doesn't, either.

And, btw, even though 60-62 is good, it's not unreasonable to think that whatever mechanical issue she's having that's causing her poor control is also costing her a few mph.

 

[kibadbo]

I'll try to answer everyone. First, she would literally kill me in my bed if I posted a video. Her big miss is outside. That is usually caused by her hip closing before her arm gets through so it pushes outside. But she's just blowing up all over the yard lately.

She's been with this coach for maybe 4 or 5 months. The coach is solid. Long story short she did have to change a few things related to my DD trying to muscle pitches vs whipping w/better IR. But nothing she hasn't heard before. If you ask her why she misses she'd likely be able to tell you. But at times it looks like she powerless to fix it.

I guess that is where the thoughts of quitting come from. She puts in the time. She has good coaching.She is in insane physical shape. But shes been pitching like a beginner, and nothing seems to help.

I think she would say that she loves pitching but I'm not sure if it's more that it's been a part of her identity and couldnt imagine not pitching.

 

[ArmWhip]

Having an understanding of what you are doing wrong is a blessing and a curse. In her case the hip closes early and interferes with her arm action. If she's thinking about this while she's actually pitching to a hitter she's going to struggle. She should have one or more positive cues that she can use when things start to turn bad. Cues are personal, and should be developed when she practices, they are reminders of what she should be doing or feeling, not what she shouldn't be doing. Cues should be used as part of her pre-pitch routine and not during the pitch itself, she might feel the effect during the pitch but it's not something she should consciously try to employ. Have her read this and see if anything clicks.

Swing Cues and Pre Shot Routine

Swing cues are important part of any pre shot routine. What is it that can keep your mind quiet and focused to give you the best chance of a good shot?

golfstateofmind.com

 

[Rolling Hard]

Once cue is confirmed, take a slow, deep breath, focusing completely on how you are breathing, both in the inhalation and exhalation stages. Proper Breathing eliminates up to 90% of all stress hormones that infect your performance. By focusing on your breathing itself, you stop thinking about your mechanics and can make the transition to a Target Orientation.

This^^^^^^^is the best advice ever. Same goes for hitting, too,