PITCHING A SLIP PITCH AT 10-12 YEARS OLD

See "Kids Throwing Curve Balls" for my comments about curveballs. Basically location and speed are the keys to pitching and if a player can "spot" his fastball and change speeds, he is going to be a successful pticher.

As the competition increases, most pitchers are loooking for an extra edge and a third pitch may just be that ticket. The concern comes from the fact that pitching damages a players arm. Now does a curveball damage more than a fastball... I'm not so sure. Basically young players still have growth plates on their bones which you don't want to injure, but each type of pitch puts strain on the arm and growth plates. So should you not allow a kid to pitch until 14 or 15 years old? Use that answer to determine whether to throw a third pitch.

The key I believe is to moderate everything during the growing phases. I think that limiting the number of pitches and how frequently a pitcher throws in game situations is much more important for injury concerns than the type of pitches he throws (assuming correct mechanics). Keep a pitch count and limit the number of pitches a player throws (50 max for lower ages gradually increasing with age) Create a pitching schedule which provides for ample time between games and light work on off days. And remember stretching is one of the best ways of preventing injury.