is it common for a young(14,15,16) year old pitcher's velo to go up and down. example one day throwing 83to 85 a week later maybe not break 80. how much would a long layoff hurt like three weeks with no pitching or long toss
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
quote:one day throwing 83to 85 a week later maybe not break 80
You didn't say how you're measuring speed. Cheap guns vary quite a bit. But, yes, my experience is that pitching speed does vary quite a bit with young kids. Wish I knew why. One day the kid is cruising at 80, a week later he struggles to hit 76...once. And he says his arm feels great.
Good topic for discussion.
My guess is that older kids may become more consistent. One more thing, a mound can add 2-3 mph.
Sometimes a layoff can provide needed rest. And the velocity will actually go up when the pitcher starts throwing again.
A lot will also depend on what they have been doing between pitching assignments--how much they threw or worked out in between assignments
It's all about confidence! Some days you feel like you can throw hard and the location will be there.
Sometimes you feel like you've got to concentrate more on location, and then velo suffers.
The guy who can regularly just "let it go" w/o worrying about where it goes are kind of rare.
Sometimes you feel like you've got to concentrate more on location, and then velo suffers.
The guy who can regularly just "let it go" w/o worrying about where it goes are kind of rare.