Hopefully I am posting this on the right forum. Am looking for any drills or tips to help a girl on our LL team (12U). She is 11 and is playing LL Majors this spring for the first time. I believe she also plays for a local 10U B-level travel team. Anyway...
This girl looks decent in the box and in the batting cage at BP. Right handed batter. Average size girl for her age. Decently athletic. She has a tendency to be late. Lot of stuff getting fouled off to the right side. In games, she will start out having a decent at bat. Laying off bad pitches. Swinging at good ones (even if not making contact). When she gets behind in the count, and definitely when she gets to two strikes, she seems to just “lock up.” Will just watch good pitches go by and strike out looking. Gets very upset with herself, crying, all of that.
The head coach and I are not yellers (other than of encouragement) and the environment is supportive. We do not run girls down or get on them for mistakes or striking out, etc. My question is what are the most effective ways you’ve found to help a girl that is striking out looking too much and losing her confidence in the process? My own view is that she is thinking too much at the plate—I think that is part of the reason she tends to be late too. I think she is having a debate with herself on every pitch or even a silent debate with the umpire about the strike zone. I think she needs to do less thinking and more hitting. But I assume others have run across this. What worked for you?
Thanks.
This girl looks decent in the box and in the batting cage at BP. Right handed batter. Average size girl for her age. Decently athletic. She has a tendency to be late. Lot of stuff getting fouled off to the right side. In games, she will start out having a decent at bat. Laying off bad pitches. Swinging at good ones (even if not making contact). When she gets behind in the count, and definitely when she gets to two strikes, she seems to just “lock up.” Will just watch good pitches go by and strike out looking. Gets very upset with herself, crying, all of that.
The head coach and I are not yellers (other than of encouragement) and the environment is supportive. We do not run girls down or get on them for mistakes or striking out, etc. My question is what are the most effective ways you’ve found to help a girl that is striking out looking too much and losing her confidence in the process? My own view is that she is thinking too much at the plate—I think that is part of the reason she tends to be late too. I think she is having a debate with herself on every pitch or even a silent debate with the umpire about the strike zone. I think she needs to do less thinking and more hitting. But I assume others have run across this. What worked for you?
Thanks.