Switch Pitching 101

Most states have rules on the total number of innings that a high school pitcher can throw in one week. In Kansas, a kid is allowed to throw 12 innings during a 48-hour span. A good high school pitcher might average 15 pitches per inning. 12 innings x 15 pitches/inning = 180 pitches That's a lot of pitches in a short time - especially for a young arm. But is the inning limit the best formula to protect a young pitcher's arm? Extended Innings ... The big problem that I see is with the long innings, where a kid throws 20+ pitches.  The pitcher starts loosing control, looses velocity, rolls their eyes, takes long walks around the mound and shows general signs of fatigue. And the 30 pitch innings are really tough on the arm. Most kids don't have the strength and conditioning to handle this type of load.  Plus, there is the mental fatigue of long stints on the mound.  It's hard to face a big hitter twice in one inning - with the bases loaded - after the ent...

I recently was asked this question by a pitcher: When you are switch pitcher are pitch counts tallied on each arm? Henry Knight - Switch pitching in a game Answer: Pitch counts are tallied per pitcher, not separately for each arm.  A switch pitcher is limited to the same pitch count as a regular pitcher during a Little League game. --- Total  Pitch Count  vs Pitches per Inning ---

by pitching to contact, Knight averaged 11 pitches per inning Henry Knight, ambidextrous pitcher Seattle, June 30, 2013 Columbia City Reds vs. Seattle Select Silver  Henry Knight  both hit and pitched well for the Columbia City Reds 15U, but it wasn't enough as the Reds fell to Seattle Select Silver 6-4 at View Ridge field on Sunday. Knight reached base three times in the game for the Columbia City Reds. He singled in the fifth and twelfth innings, scoring two runs in the game. Henry Knight pitched 11 innings and allowed one earned run on eight hits. Boxscore of the 12 inning game (STLC= Seattle Select; CLMB = Columbia City Reds) Note that there were lots of fielding errors in the game - dropped balls and overthrows. The Details Ambidextrous pitcher, Henry Knight, started the evening game of a doubleheader and went four solid innings throwing left-handed, giving up only one earned run. In the fifth inning he switched to pitching right-hande...

Articles about Pitch Counts in Youth Baseball The concept of limiting the total number of pitches thrown in a game is to reduce stress on the arm and shoulder in order to prevent injury among pitchers. Pitcher to Catcher Strategy Some coaches let a starting pitcher reach their pitch limit, then move them to catcher – putting additional stress on the arm. This strategy is no longer allowed in Little League. Pitcher to catcher ban : any pitcher who delivers 41 or more pitches in a game may not go behind the plate to play catcher for the remainder of the day.  2013  Little League Pitch Count  Limits and Mandatory Rest Rules By Lindsay Barton, MomsTeam In an effort to stem the alarming increase in elbow and shoulder injuries among young baseball pitchers,  Little League Baseball adopted important new rules in 2007 to limit the number of  pitches a pitcher can throw in a game and how much rest he must take pitching appearances.  In its con...

Learn how to prevent arm injuries by limiting pitches thrown. Watch college pitching coach Karl Kuhn demonstrate the Towel Drill. To prevent arm injury, throw with good mechanics and limit the total number of pitches thrown each year. After throwing 45 pitches off a mound - allow 72 hours of rest (its ok to throw, but not pitch from a mound) How many pitches can safely be throw in a calendar year? It depends on the players age. Coach Kuhn uses this formula: 100 pitches x kids age = total number of competitive pitches in a calendar year Example for 11-year-old pitcher: 100 pitches x 11 = 1,100 competitive pitches in a calendar year  That doesn't mean throwing 100 pitches per game. There are limits set by leagues - follow the guidelines to prevent arm injuries. Each player is different regarding their stamina on the mound. Watch the pitcher's posture and mechanics. On average, a good inning for a pitcher would be 15 pitches or less. About Karl Kuhn ...