batting practice

[jstadad]

Does throwing batting practice help or hinder the development of a young 12u pitcher?

[DerekD]

Let the pitcher use his arm in the bullpen throwing.

I also don't think you'd have an efficient batting practice. I prefer to sit on a chair or bucket behind an L-screen up close. I'm so much more accurate that way when we want to focus on a certain location of pitch.

[clayadams]

If allowed to throw just the same as you would in a game, I'd say definitely. The mental aspect of pitching against a live batter is just as tough as the physical one. If just throwing lobs for strikes then no.

[Standballdad]

Does throwing batting practice help or hinder the development of a young 12u pitcher?

Keep his pitching to bullpens, maybe an occasional game situations during practice where you would have him throw an inning. Otherwise BP would be take forever and the other kids would be bored.

[tradosaurus]

I wouldn't do this on a league team because the quality of pitching isn't as good but I never understood why our travel team doesn't have the pitchers pitch against batters on the field?

It creates more of a game situation and it saves the arm of the coach. :cap:

[jstadad]

This is not team practice. My sons throw to each other just to hit. As a team practice it would be slow. I dont want hurt there arms nor reduce velocity by just throwing 80%. I love the fact they are playing with each other and not fighting.

[PCC]

This is not team practice. My sons throw to each other just to hit. As a team practice it would be slow. I dont want hurt there arms nor reduce velocity by just throwing 80%. I love the fact they are playing with each other and not fighting.

My friends and I used to do this all the time when we were kids. I see no problem with it.

I wouldn't have them throw for team practice though. When a pitcher throws he should be working on getting a batter out, not throwing softballs for BP.

[tradosaurus]

I think practice should be as close to game situation as possible.

I found that my son can hammer the coach in practice all day long but in the game struggles to time the pitch.

If pitchers pitched in practice to batters as if they would in a game how can that be detrimental?

[Standballdad]

I think practice should be as close to game situation as possible.

I found that my son can hammer the coach in practice all day long but in the game struggles to time the pitch.

If pitchers pitched in practice to batters as if they would in a game how can that be detrimental?

A lot of working on baseball skills is through good repetition, having your pitchers throwing BP is just not an efficient way to get the team hitting in on a regular basis. As I posted earlier, maybe having your pitchers throw an inning in a game type situation once in a while during practice would be fine.