To follow up my last post, in which I explained why velocity is so important, I wanted to write about what velocity should mean to each age group. I hear parents talking about what their kids or some other kid threw at this event or that event and I wanted to share what average speeds look like for each age group. This is not to say that there aren't exceptions to this list. Some kids will grow earlier than others and they will probably throw a little harder than most at younger ages. On the other hand, some kids will grow later and won't throw as hard at younger ages.
Before I get into the list, I also want to talk about the radar gun itself. There are many different types and brands of radar guns out there. Each will pick up the ball velocity at different spots throughout the throw. Also, angles play a huge role. In order to get the most accurate reading you should be standing directly in line with the pitcher and the ball. When you get off from that angle the readings can be very skewed. The gun I use and the only one that truly matters is a Stalker brand radar gun. The reason I say it is the only one that truly matters is because that is the brand that is used by Major League Baseball. The Jugs guns are very good guns too but they differ slightly than the Stalkers. Sometimes, both guns are right on with each other and other times they can be way off. Other than those two, I wouldn't trust anything else out there.
Without further ado, here is the average velocities by age group:
Age Average Velocity Max Goal Speed
8 38-41 45
9 43-46 50
10 46-49 55
11 52-55 60
12 55-58 65
13 61-64 70
14 66-69 75
15 69-72 80
16 74-77 85
17 79-82 88
18+ 82-85 90
As I stated earlier, there are exceptions to this list. Most deviations will occur in the 11-13 age groups due to kids growing at different rates. It is not uncommon to see a 12 year old in the low 70's. It just doesn't happen all that often. These are usually the type of kids you see leading there teams to Williamsport because no one can catch up to their fastballs. Please keep in mind that how hard you throw when you are 12 doesn't determine how hard you will throw at 18. The focus should be on progressing towards high end speeds when you become a junior and senior in high school. In the Velocity Program we talk about what it takes to be great. One of which is throwing 3-5 miles per hour harder than your peer group. This list is meant to give them a basis as to what their peer group averages are and to give them a velocity goal to shoot for.
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