Posted by: BHL (Knight1285@aol.com) on Mon May 17 15:36:56 2004

what is the age a kid should start throwing a curve my son is 11 and i know that to young so what would a good age to start. Thanks

Hi Coach Jeff,

This I why I favor the elimination of high-tech bats at the lower levels.

When I went to some little league games, I noticed that some pitchers added a curve to their repotoire not so much to rebel against conventional as to keep the ball off the fat part of the bat, and prevent line drives from taking their lives. Pitchers have been killed in the past for this reason.

Also, when I was seven years of age, kids were always throwing curves at makeshift sandlots game during school recess. There were no parents around to forbid the kids from having fun.

I have also heard one major league commentator say that a three-quarters curve, when thrown properly, puts far less stress on the arm than an overhand fastball.

Why should Americans refrain from throwing "junk" when Taiwanese pitchers use it all the time to dominate Little League World Series games?

While your intentions are noble, the psychology of children is to do something "in secret" that they are "forbidden" to do. And if you forbid your son to throw curves, guess what strikeout "weapon" he will use next time he plays in a pick-up game against his friends? The curve ball?

I believe at this age, he will be prone to attempting curves, and brush aside any medical precaution. Therefore, the smartest choice you have is to spend time teaching him to throw it right, and from an angle that will not cause arm injury.

Put bluntly, if you say "no," he will probably rebel, and hurt his arm anyway.

If you say "yes," but do not show him how throw the curve properly, he will suffer the same fate.

However, if you teach him to throw it properly--well, let's say I'm looking forward to a great LL World Series, watching him strike out his opponents. Hence, we can learn much by watching what Taiwanese, Mexican, Dominican, and other pitchers from various national teams do to win games.

At this point, this is best loguc I can provide.

Good luck to you and your son,
BHL