9u pitchers pitches?

[chris1911]

so ive been grooming my boy since he was 7 for pitching. now at 9 he starts and carries the load of the pitching. for now i only let him throw 3 pitches; 4 finger, split finger,(fastballs) and a 3 finger changeup. for you guys out there that are here now and have been through this, if and when do you let them start throwing curves, breaking balls, sliders.......

[TimH]

I don't know about nowadays, but that was all I threw as well until high school.

[aggie2000tx]

He is a 9 year old kid. He does not need to be throwing any junk until he is in highschool.

[junior]

At his age a good fastball and a change up is all he needs. Hitting your spots and throwing strikes will be what wins him games. The change up will keep hitters of balance, and make his fastball more effective!

[3DW5]

There is really no need to start throwing any off-speed other than a changeup for a while. Location, Location, Location are how you become a good pitcher, its not the pitchers, its being able to spot your ball and throwing the right pitch at the right count. Curves should come in around 8th grade IMO, also do not get caught up in the whole pitch count crap, read what Leo Mizzoni (ex pitching coach for the Atlanta Braves) thinks about pitch count.

[DeerMagnet]

I let my son start throwing curveballs and sliders after he turned 12. Some coaches say 14-15. It all depends on your child in my opinion.

[gspbrad]

Grooming your boy since he was 7 for pitching?? Do you have any idea how that comes across?

Velo and off speed pitches are way overrated for youth baseball. Being able to locate his FB (4 seam) for strikes is more important. A change up is the only other pitch I'd teach him.

I coach an 11u majors team. I only call FB and Change Up for my squad - regardless of what the kids learn or throws with their pitching coach. Nothing else. My oldest is 14 - plays 14U majors. He's just now learning a curveball from a college pitching coach. He has excellent command of his FB. Both a 2 seam and 4 seam have tight rotation. Change up is really nice and arm angle and speed look very close to his FB. His rotation on the curve ball is also extremely tight. It's going to be filthy. I attribute tight rotation to the time he spent figuring out how to throw a FB correctly vs learn 4-5 different pitches.

No one is getting signed at 9U and I can't remember anything about the box full of $4 trophies I won as a kid. I'm proud of my HS and College playing career and even more proud I don't have a single zipper scar on my body.

[Nado]

We starting throwing curves in middle school. But I would say we started with the proper technique over the top not sidearm. 12 - 6 look up drill to see how to do this. Also 4 Finger fastball??? Ive only heard of 2 seam which usually has a dive or flare at the end and a 4 seam fastball typical fastball fastest too me and a good change up. The Change up would be my focus as I learned later in high school most people who hit curves pretty sell usually hit them over the fence because they are hanging but a good changeup is usually low and it always was a ground ball type of pitch if they could even hit it. Change up and fastball would be the corner stone of my pitching If I could do it over again then the curve-ball later in life.

[Jhill313]

He is a 9 year old kid. He does not need to be throwing any junk until he is in highschool.

At his age a good fastball and a change up is all he needs. Hitting your spots and throwing strikes will be what wins him games. The change up will keep hitters of balance, and make his fastball more effective!

This

[chris1911]

Grooming your boy since he was 7 for pitching?? Do you have any idea how that comes across?

Velo and off speed pitches are way overrated for youth baseball. Being able to locate his FB (4 seam) for strikes is more important. A change up is the only other pitch I'd teach him.

I coach an 11u majors team. I only call FB and Change Up for my squad - regardless of what the kids learn or throws with their pitching coach. Nothing else. My oldest is 14 - plays 14U majors. He's just now learning a curveball from a college pitching coach. He has excellent command of his FB. Both a 2 seam and 4 seam have tight rotation. Change up is really nice and arm angle and speed look very close to his FB. His rotation on the curve ball is also extremely tight. It's going to be filthy. I attribute tight rotation to the time he spent figuring out how to throw a FB correctly vs learn 4-5 different pitches.

No one is getting signed at 9U and I can't remember anything about the box full of $4 trophies I won as a kid. I'm proud of my HS and College playing career and even more proud I don't have a single zipper scar on my body.

i dont really give a **** how it comes across....you have a problem with that?

[chris1911]

i meant 4 seam
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[Mailman]

Our son plays 9U Elite, and we played a team last month in Beaumont and that Coach let his stud pitcher throw 60% junk. He threw, what I would equate to a curve and some sort of knuckle-curve. There is no way I would let my son play for that guy and I can't believe that kids parents didn't come jerk him off the mound. He also let him throw 5 innings and approximately 75 pitches, which is a whole different discussion.

My Dad pitched in College and didn't allow me to throw any junk until I was 13, and that was just a Slurve. He taught me how to throw a proper curve in HS. I quit baseball and played golf, so it didn't matter at that point.

My 9 year old pitches, and when anyone asks what he throws, I give them the same response, Strikes.

As soon as he figures out how to throw a curve, I know he and his buddies are going to throw on their own and play around with it, that is a given. How many times did you warm up before games and throw curves with your warm up partner? If I can limit the amount he throws, under my supervision and his coaches supervision, I feel better about his chances to not hurt his arm.

Like the others have said, teach him to hit his spots, and let him work on a change-up. At this age, he will be just fine. The mechanics, in my opinion, are so much more important than speed, movement, etc. Teach him properly, and don't be afraid to find another team / coach if you don't agree with how your son is being taught and used.

[chris1911]

just wanted a good honest assessment of what everyone else in the real world has done.
i dont want him hurt. i know how bad a cruve or any junk ball for that matter is on a shoulder.

[chris1911]

yeah thats another a thing right there...i let him throw until i see him start making bad pitches then i sit him. he understands. i dont want him wore out.

[3DW5]

Grooming your boy since he was 7 for pitching?? Do you have any idea how that comes across?

Velo and off speed pitches are way overrated for youth baseball. Being able to locate his FB (4 seam) for strikes is more important. A change up is the only other pitch I'd teach him.

I coach an 11u majors team. I only call FB and Change Up for my squad - regardless of what the kids learn or throws with their pitching coach. Nothing else. My oldest is 14 - plays 14U majors. He's just now learning a curveball from a college pitching coach. He has excellent command of his FB. Both a 2 seam and 4 seam have tight rotation. Change up is really nice and arm angle and speed look very close to his FB. His rotation on the curve ball is also extremely tight. It's going to be filthy. I attribute tight rotation to the time he spent figuring out how to throw a FB correctly vs learn 4-5 different pitches.

No one is getting signed at 9U and I can't remember anything about the box full of $4 trophies I won as a kid. I'm proud of my HS and College playing career and even more proud I don't have a single zipper scar on my body.

He sounds dedicated and concerned just like you do, calm yourself....