O.K. all you Softball Gurus:

[NBMnJMM]

You guys are going to think I'm crazy but here it is anyway.

A couple of weeks ago a man watching our 10u game was clocking the pitchers because the two best pitchers in the league were facing each other. The other girl threw 55, our pitcher threw mostly 50. Both girls are exceptional because of control and change up, but I think most top notch 10u pitchers are throwing around 50 - 52, and top 12's about 55-58.

Here's my 8 year old, playing 10u. Clocked in that same game mostly at 47.

[Sftbll4ever]

The other girl, was she from Fury?? I saw a girl from that team pitch and she was good.

See you Saturday!!!

[DonnieS]

NB, at 10u, on one travel trip I caught for several girls, one was mine. One kid was registering 57-59 on my radar (that was 5 years ago - she still throws the same speed - though a 12 inch ball now, that was a 11 inch ball), she scared the crap out of me, and the speed didnt not go up and down, it was consistent 57-59, another kid was hitting 54-55 and mine (the only 9 y/o) was hitting 48. I know its possible - its just unusual - like your kid.

Your kid looks awesome, I am helping a guy was a 10u rec team and he has like 13 out of 13 kids that want to pitch, only two are taking lessons, its a dangerous place to be, not just getting hit by balls, but balls going up in the trees and knocking small branches down on me. I will bet that your dd has been taking lessons from a good instructor and more importantly I bet she is being mentored by a very good pitcher.

[jofus]

I was gonna mention the drop off I have seen in girls going from 11" balls to 12" balls, it's almost always a little step back and takes them a while to get back to speed.

My DD didn't start taking lessons til she was 11 (close to 12), because she never showed any interest until then. I wish she had started lessons at 9. The only good thing is, she never tried to pitch at all until she started taking lessons, so she didn't have many bad habits to break

When my 2 year old gets to softball age (9 yrs old here, more or less), I'm gonna try to get her into lessons (or have big sis work with her, if she is still pitching then ). Assuming she likes to play ball as much as my first 2 kids have, that is. She's growing up at the ballfields/gyms, so she's definitely gonna be exposed to a lot of it....

[CallingCadence14]

1)1.8-2.1 Pop to Pop 12U Travel
2)2.8-3.4 sec from 1st to 2nd 12U Travel
3)Mid to High 50's 55 -59 MPH 12U Travel
4) Fast Ball(Seen a few heaters in this age 12U 60mph)
Drop Ball(
Screw Ball
Change (Decent 12U Travel)
Curve (Good 12U Travel)
Jumping Rise/not a raised trajectory slant(really Good 12U Travel)
Triple
Truthfully the West Coast,Down South, Tn Down and the Southern Plains have had an advantage in the past but with the recent boom and interest, the Northern Clubs with good indoor facilities , are closing the gap rapidly. Don't be scared get prepared. It's coming .

[Demonboy]

You guys are going to think I'm crazy but here it is anyway.

A couple of weeks ago a man watching our 10u game was clocking the pitchers because the two best pitchers in the league were facing each other. The other girl threw 55, our pitcher threw mostly 50. Both girls are exceptional because of control and change up, but I think most top notch 10u pitchers are throwing around 50 - 52, and top 12's about 55-58.

Here's my 8 year old, playing 10u. Clocked in that same game mostly at 47.

Who cares HOW fast she throws. She's sooooooooo cute!

[Demonboy]

IMO, 12U pitching is most typically 40-45 with the good ones probably getting around 50. I may be being generous with that. I know I am not inclined to put on plate shoes .not enough risk to justify using expensive shoes.. nor do I wear even shin guards usually.. just soccer shin guards and my softball knee pads (like players wear).. nor do I wear a good chest protector for this level of ball.

Little to no real movement pitches. Even rise balls are actually fast balls with a natural upwards trajectory from an underhand delivery as opposed to a pitch that breaks to a rise. Pitchers with a good change are even rare.. most changes at this level are ugly and if not swung at, a ball or a "slow pitch" type strike. 14u is a little better. Movement still isnt real developed at this level, but it is getting there. I may wear my stuff for some 14U tournies if they are high level tournies, just for looks... not because you really need all that stuff.

I dont know where all these super pitchers are with all these pitches at that age.. but they are few and far between in my view.

To be fair, I dont have a radar gun.. maybe its just my perspective that the pitchers are throwing slow.

Huh???? If a pitcher is throwing 45 MPH in So Cal 12u travel ball, she'd better be wearing a suit of armor.

[jofus]

CallingCadence, do you know someone pitching the "triple-pitch"?????

I wondered if anyone has even heard of it...my DD's pitching coach is the guy that "invented" it, "created" it, "named" it, whatever

[Lefty's Dad]

Huh???? If a pitcher is throwing 45 MPH in So Cal 12u travel ball, she'd better be wearing a suit of armor.

That's hilarious! Very true in Texas as well (I would think anywhere), if it's coming at 45 MPH, it better move ALOT right in front of the plate.

[wadeintothem]

well I never see the gun, I just go by what I see..which to me has never been very fast.

I'll stand corrected.. you guys are the ones putting the gun on the ball.