yeah dude, most have played some organized ball. it looks big. and its the easiest way to knock it out the park if you can catch up to it. maybe you can post your minor league stats later.
And the pitcher is only 45 feet from home plate. I don't watch much softball so I never realized it until I looked at that video vball posted but the windup and pitching motion the pitcher looks like she is 5 or 6 feet closer to the plate when she releases the ball. If they had used the same aluminum bats that LSU used in 1997 there would have been lots of dead softball pitchers.
Of course not. What I would say is that I've played and been around competitive fastpitch for more than a few years, starting when I was 8. Maybe I know a thing or two and have been around the circuit recently, have caught, and logged pitch counts so I know a little something about it. Is it possible? Sure. Is it normal/average/or recommended? No, not by a long shot. If nothing else, kids who do this end up getting burned out and quit or move on. That happens far more than someone who actually makes it. The arm needs rest. Pitching more doesn't always equal better. Diminishing returns. I would also once again point out that throwing practice is different than game pitching.
I think it's more normal than you care to admit for the ace of most clubs. Is it good for their arm, probably not. And I also think you believe we are trying to downplay the fact that these girls are athletes or that it's hard to do, which isn't the case, but pitch for pitch it's a lot different than an overhand pitcher and pitch for pitch it's not as grueling on an arm. Now, I think that the softball pitchers arms are probably ragged out more than a baseball pitchers arm because they throw more.
They use composite and it still can come off the bat pretty hard, particularly if there is a screwball. Most girls wear a guard like this, Until they get to high school but some wear them longer than that. I was watching this game and saw the batter go down.
There's nothing to admit to. I took exception to information that I know to be incorrect from MY first hand experience. I talked to two local and well established pitching coaches that I know to make sure I hadn't lost my mind. Your comment is almost counter-intuitive. Someone who pitches 1000-2000 pitches a week is not going to be an ace who lasts for very long. It's usually the 2nd or 3rd who puts in more practice and any weekends where someone would reach a max count is rare. I don't think you were downplaying anything, just speaking from an uninformed point of view. I already said it is different than overhand and that it causes less damage. The damage comes, not from the motion, but from the breakdown of form, and that happens the higher the pitch count goes.
OOOH! I did the same thing with a baseball once but it went down instead of up and hit me in my foot. Still it hurt like hell.
And throw from much closer as Bengal B said so thats less effort than 60' 6 inches. I wonder how pitching from there would change things.
I think the 24" rule has changed pitcher movement somewhat. When the girls know their pivot foot has to stay inside the line, it results in a shorter drag IMO. Then again, look at Keilani work.....insane.
