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Dr. Old School
314 Posts |
 Posted - 03/12/2009 : 14:47:52
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I see a lot of discussions about the different age groups, and hear a lot of questions on "What to expect" so I thought I would give my view of them.
9U – Fresh out of coach pitch. Pitching is spotty because they are learning. Pitchers have a tendency to focus on “just getting the ball over the plate” rather than pitching to a particular spot, so many hitters that thrived in “Coach Pitch” will still be successful. The field dimensions are typically smaller, so the pop-up homerun is still effective. Speed on the base paths are a big plus because most catchers are not experienced enough to throw many runners out. Teams can live on the “get walked, steal to 2nd, steal to 3rd, wait for a passed ball, score” mentality. Almost every AB results in one passed ball. You just have to be in the right spot (on 3b) to take advantage of it.
10U – One year removed from coach pitch. The pitchers become a little better because they are still throwing from 46’, like last year. The hitters still take advantage of the lack of good pitch location but speed pitchers dominate. The pitching distance is too close to really get a good change-up going. The only thing that can be consistently affective is trying to throw one to the back left corner of the strike zone. Most batters have not developed staying closed and driving the ball the other way, so if they try to pull that pitch, it turns into a weak grounder. The catchers get more comfortable behind the plate and throw out a few more runners. Most of the time throw-outs are more about bad jumps by the base runner than by the skills of the catcher. Walks are still frequent and speed on the bases still has great benefit. Stronger outfielders are needed as more hits end up there. The 9-3 putout becomes a big part of the game and can really break a rally.
11U – Move back 4 feet on the mound and 10 feet on the base paths. The mound distances gives hitters a little bit of an advantage, but does open the door for pitchers to start working on that change-up more. Field dimensions are not significantly different than at 9U & 10U so pop-up HR’s are still quite frequent. The defense gets better and the “holes” become more visible. Catchers are stronger but now have to adjust to throwing the ball further to 2b.
12U – Playing at the same field dimension as 11U. Some games are played on bigger outfields, but there are still many played on the same field as 9U-11U. Popup HR’s can still be seen, but not as many. Pitchers have started working on off-speed pitches more (change-up, curve ball, knuckle ball, etc) so not as many pitches look like batting practice. The good pitchers can dominate the good hitters. The good hitters feast on the average pitchers. Defense continues to get better and, with the introduction of some bigger outfields, teams can start executing cutoffs and back-ups correctly. Catchers have gotten stronger but base stealing is still a big advantage to get runners in scoring position.
13U – Move back 4 feet on the mound and 10 feet on the base paths. The field becomes bigger. Many fields will have fences between 265 and 325, which takes away most of the pop-up HR’s. Slow runners can now clog the base paths. With the bigger infield, a lot of the players that were punch hitters now will struggle to get the ball out into the outfield. The batters that can drive the ball into the gap can really thrive as there is a lot more space in the gaps. Catchers strength and ability become more critical and can help keep you in a game, or can take someone out of one. Pitching depth becomes more important because the games go to 7 innings. It will be that way through HS. This age starts to show a lot of separation between the top and bottom teams.
14U – Move to “Real Baseball” sized field with 60’6” pitching distance and 90’ bath paths. Many players also play JV ball at their HS. Ball movement and Off speed pitches become even more important as there is a lot more distance for a pitch to move or slow down. Hitters become smarter and begin to develop a “hitting plan” on what to do with the ball other than just going up there and “whacking” it.
15U-17U – Summer ball after HS season is over. The continuation of development and, for those looking to play past HS, it’s a lot of summer showcases.
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Edited by - Dr. Old School on 03/12/2009 14:49:02 |
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bmoser
1633 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2009 : 15:53:06
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Thanks for that Doc! Those of us with 1 child dont have the benefit of going through it all multiple times. That's why I like Coaches with older boys who are now Coaching their younger son (like the Coach my son has now). They are generally more knowlegable having been through it all before.
My son plays in the 10u age group, but I watch 11U teams practice to see what they are working on, and even take in a few games. Helps me to give my little guy a jump. |
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coachdan06
433 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2009 : 03:48:40
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quote:
Originally posted by Dr. Old School
I see a lot of discussions about the different age groups, and hear a lot of questions on "What to expect" so I thought I would give my view of them.
9U – Fresh out of coach pitch. Pitching is spotty because they are learning. Pitchers have a tendency to focus on “just getting the ball over the plate” rather than pitching to a particular spot, so many hitters that thrived in “Coach Pitch” will still be successful. The field dimensions are typically smaller, so the pop-up homerun is still effective. Speed on the base paths are a big plus because most catchers are not experienced enough to throw many runners out. Teams can live on the “get walked, steal to 2nd, steal to 3rd, wait for a passed ball, score” mentality. Almost every AB results in one passed ball. You just have to be in the right spot (on 3b) to take advantage of it.
10U – One year removed from coach pitch. The pitchers become a little better because they are still throwing from 46’, like last year. The hitters still take advantage of the lack of good pitch location but speed pitchers dominate. The pitching distance is too close to really get a good change-up going. The only thing that can be consistently affective is trying to throw one to the back left corner of the strike zone. Most batters have not developed staying closed and driving the ball the other way, so if they try to pull that pitch, it turns into a weak grounder. The catchers get more comfortable behind the plate and throw out a few more runners. Most of the time throw-outs are more about bad jumps by the base runner than by the skills of the catcher. Walks are still frequent and speed on the bases still has great benefit. Stronger outfielders are needed as more hits end up there. The 9-3 putout becomes a big part of the game and can really break a rally.
11U – Move back 4 feet on the mound and 10 feet on the base paths. The mound distances gives hitters a little bit of an advantage, but does open the door for pitchers to start working on that change-up more. Field dimensions are not significantly different than at 9U & 10U so pop-up HR’s are still quite frequent. The defense gets better and the “holes” become more visible. Catchers are stronger but now have to adjust to throwing the ball further to 2b.
12U – Playing at the same field dimension as 11U. Some games are played on bigger outfields, but there are still many played on the same field as 9U-11U. Popup HR’s can still be seen, but not as many. Pitchers have started working on off-speed pitches more (change-up, curve ball, knuckle ball, etc) so not as many pitches look like batting practice. The good pitchers can dominate the good hitters. The good hitters feast on the average pitchers. Defense continues to get better and, with the introduction of some bigger outfields, teams can start executing cutoffs and back-ups correctly. Catchers have gotten stronger but base stealing is still a big advantage to get runners in scoring position.
13U – Move back 4 feet on the mound and 10 feet on the base paths. The field becomes bigger. Many fields will have fences between 265 and 325, which takes away most of the pop-up HR’s. Slow runners can now clog the base paths. With the bigger infield, a lot of the players that were punch hitters now will struggle to get the ball out into the outfield. The batters that can drive the ball into the gap can really thrive as there is a lot more space in the gaps. Catchers strength and ability become more critical and can help keep you in a game, or can take someone out of one. Pitching depth becomes more important because the games go to 7 innings. It will be that way through HS. This age starts to show a lot of separation between the top and bottom teams.
14U – Move to “Real Baseball” sized field with 60’6” pitching distance and 90’ bath paths. Many players also play JV ball at their HS. Ball movement and Off speed pitches become even more important as there is a lot more distance for a pitch to move or slow down. Hitters become smarter and begin to develop a “hitting plan” on what to do with the ball other than just going up there and “whacking” it.
15U-17U – Summer ball after HS season is over. The continuation of development and, for those looking to play past HS, it’s a lot of summer showcases.
well stated Doc!
for many of the differences + changes you mention year to year it is why many of your so labeled "studs" at 9 10 and 11 years old are no longer competitive and some even no longer playing the sport at 13 and 14 years old. 
families of the younger boys remember this in advance , thats mostly for the boys who may not be seen as "all stars" now but many will be in a few years when they pass right by those who are today ! |
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Different age groups - what to expect
