Pitching - Speed or Accuracy First?

Question
Hi my sister is 10 and she plays fastpitch softball and she has one more year in the 9-10 age group she is a pitcher and she is the best in her age but she still has a hard time figuring out her release point i was wondering if it will come natural and what age do they start actually releasing without thinking about it and the only real pitch she knows is the fastball what age do they start knowing how to throw other pitches also i was wondering wether its speed before accuracy or accuracy before speed please if u dont mind email me back with your opinion and please feel free to leave me tips.
Thanks
Ashley

Answer
The release will come natural. Arm speed, wrist snap, body rotation, balance, stride length, and follow-through are the fundamentals to becoming a great pitcher.

Good Mechanics will give her both speed and accuracy. Work on speed using proper mechanics then the control will follow. A problem that happens with many young pitchers is that they try to 損lace?the ball, thus losing speed. Their mechanics then break down resulting in the development of bad habits that are hard to break later.

It normally takes 2 or 3 years for most pitchers to be able to throw strikes consistently and then It takes another 2 or 3 more years for pitchers to attain the necessary control so they can place the ball anywhere in the strike zone. However, pitchers cannot achieve this skill level unless they learn and practice the mechanics first.

Master each skill level before going on to the next skill level. First she must master good form and mechanics. After form and mechanics are mastered she needs to work on speed and control.  After speed and control is developed then she can works on placement. At the same time she can start adding a different pitch or two and master them.

The great pitchers will master perhaps 3 types of pitches - that is all they need. I once knew a pitcher that could throw 7 different types of pitches. The problem was she couldn抰 consistent throw any of them for strikes.

If she becomes serious about becoming a pitcher I advise her to find a pitching instructor in your area that will work with her.