If it is slower pitchers they are struggling with have them stay back and try and drive the ball to the right side of the field.
We are not hitting
- Thread starter Slappers
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Live batting against live pitchers in practice. Either your own or borrowed from older/other teams.
We bring in older girls from our older teams to pitch against our team all the time - we pay them in 'service hours' since most of them are in HS or MS and need them. We also play a fair few intra-squad scrimmages/games where our pitchers pitch against our own team.
Note: Not batting practice. Live pitching. No meatballs - your pitchers trying to get them out, older girls maybe not so much, but still at least 80% (we ask the older girls to throw more fastballs then they would in a live game but that is about it)
No substitute to seeing the ball come out of a real pitchers hand for timing and pitch selection.
[QUO TE=Slappers;274805]I have been unsuccessful at coaching it too...if I had any hair left I would be pulling it out.....I'm not bald, its a style since I choose to shave it.
How do u react when a batter does not hit the ball like u would like? What do u do? What do u say? Sometimes I think coaches can put so much pressure on a their team that they just choke. Ask them what do they think about when they r in the box. "I have to hit the ball?" "I don't want to strikeout!" " Coach will b mad if I don't hit it" I recently asked a 12u player on a team that was struggling what she thought about when she was in the box. She started to cry! That Was the pressure she was putting on herself and carrying that around. I just told her just to relax and not to put that kind of pressure on herself.
This may not apply to your team but just a thought.
I recently read a post about the mental part of the game and I thought the guy was right on! Maybe somebody can remember where that was.
How do u react when a batter does not hit the ball like u would like? What do u do? What do u say? Sometimes I think coaches can put so much pressure on a their team that they just choke. Ask them what do they think about when they r in the box. "I have to hit the ball?" "I don't want to strikeout!" " Coach will b mad if I don't hit it" I recently asked a 12u player on a team that was struggling what she thought about when she was in the box. She started to cry! That Was the pressure she was putting on herself and carrying that around. I just told her just to relax and not to put that kind of pressure on herself.
This may not apply to your team but just a thought.
I recently read a post about the mental part of the game and I thought the guy was right on! Maybe somebody can remember where that was.
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Slappers
Don't like labels
I don't get angry. I typically try to build them up between innings by saying things like, its our time, let's get some hits etc..the same ol' song and dance.
I'm pulling my hair out because I don't understand what is going on, not at the girls. We'll be doing some live pitching tonight..
I'm pulling my hair out because I don't understand what is going on, not at the girls. We'll be doing some live pitching tonight..
I have been preaching "Yes, yes, yes until it's no," at the plate for my fall ball girls (12U rec), seems to be helping all but my DD, who refuses to swing at a pitch this year, haven't figured that one out yet.
If they're hitting the ball at people, they'll hit 'em where they ain't eventually!
If they're hitting the ball at people, they'll hit 'em where they ain't eventually!
Greenmonsters
Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Sounds like a mechanical issue masquerading as a timing problem.
Awesome Slapper.
Somewhere on this site there is a hitting drill where the coach stands on a chair and when the batter loads the coach drops the ball. If he calls Changeup, then the hitter must wait for the ball to bounce off the floor and then hit it. I thought it was a great drill.
Somewhere on this site there is a hitting drill where the coach stands on a chair and when the batter loads the coach drops the ball. If he calls Changeup, then the hitter must wait for the ball to bounce off the floor and then hit it. I thought it was a great drill.
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- Oct 10, 2011
- 3,117
- 0
mechanics/pitch selection
(Glad I'm not taking a drink for every time I wrote pitch or pitcher
I agree with this as well as pitch selection. As far as the pitching machine. ...a suggestion from someone on another site was to lower the speed. DD had trouble with the slower pitchers. She got over anxious and wanted to crush the ball. You need patience on slow pitches which is difficult. She now thinks "right field" for slower pitchers.
(Glad I'm not taking a drink for every time I wrote pitch or pitcher
- Oct 25, 2009
- 3,335
- 48
Sounds like a lot of top half swings. That causes a lot of ground balls and pop ups because they swing too early off slower pitching. What I call reaching for the ball.
The cure. In practice, let them see nothing but outer half of the plate pitches. EVERYTHING must be hit to opposite field. No ground balls allowed. Line drives to opposite field gap only.
This will cause tons of moaning and groaning. In the beginning there will be many ground ball outs to second baseman and LOTS of pop up slices to the opposite side. Within a few buckets (each) they will start driving balls to the gap. It will get much better from there. And a real plus is when they face a slower pitcher and they are "early" it will be a power drive to the pull side.
Find Cabrera's story about practicing opposite field.
The cure. In practice, let them see nothing but outer half of the plate pitches. EVERYTHING must be hit to opposite field. No ground balls allowed. Line drives to opposite field gap only.
This will cause tons of moaning and groaning. In the beginning there will be many ground ball outs to second baseman and LOTS of pop up slices to the opposite side. Within a few buckets (each) they will start driving balls to the gap. It will get much better from there. And a real plus is when they face a slower pitcher and they are "early" it will be a power drive to the pull side.
Find Cabrera's story about practicing opposite field.
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