Throwing bat

DD has picked up this new habit of throwing her bat. She's been warned a few times in games. Luckily she's never done it twice in a game. I don't know what she's doing differently but in 8 previous seasons, she never did it.

This is video of it last night - this one looks pretty bad:
https://youtu.be/_-capzQ7hCg

Sorry the video isn't great as it was a night game so it might be tough to see - but can ya'll see anything that she might be doing weird or some way to prevent it?

She had another hit in the game where you could almost see her place it on the ground but that affects her speed running to first so we really need to find a happy medium.

When I was a kid I used to throw the bat. My coach at the time tied a piece of string around my wrist and told me that this string is to remind you not to throw the bat. I never threw that bat again.

Getting called out is not the worse thing in the world.

That is what it took to stop some of our runners from leaving the bases early. Not ideal but right now there are no conscience so she probably doesn'the care too much.

You mentioned she has been warned and has not done it twice in a game yet, being called out can do wonders.

quincy said:

Getting called out is not the worse thing in the world.

That is what it took to stop some of our runners from leaving the bases early. Not ideal but right now there are no conscience so she probably doesn'the care too much.

You mentioned she has been warned and has not done it twice in a game yet, being called out can do wonders.

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Except there is no rule which provides for an umpire to call a batter out for throwing the bat, unless the bat actually interferes in a play. Some rule sets allow for a restriction to the bench after a warning but none have an out ruling just for throwing the bat.

Thanks for the clarification.

I assumed since she has been warned a few times that they had some rule in place like we do. Otherwise why warn them.

It doesn't happen very often but I know back in 8U, there'd be a few girls who kept doing it and on their second time, they'd be called out. I had read through some old posts here and I guess it's not a normal rule but one our rec league does enforce - I think she even got warned in a MS game but I didn't hear it.
Luckily, she's never thrown it where it got close to anyone - but I do wonder if she's doing something wrong in her swing that is causing this? Her coach said he is going to start working with her some on it.

nixxy311 said:

It doesn't happen very often but I know back in 8U, there'd be a few girls who kept doing it and on their second time, they'd be called out. I had read through some old posts here and I guess it's not a normal rule but one our rec league does enforce - I think she even got warned in a MS game but I didn't hear it.
Luckily, she's never thrown it where it got close to anyone - but I do wonder if she's doing something wrong in her swing that is causing this? Her coach said he is going to start working with her some on it.

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It's interesting, never seen any remedies or concerns tied specifically to throwing the bat (other than safety). On the plus side, she has nice relaxed, loose hands and she gets into her run to first base very quickly...as you said you don't want to negatively impact that. My thinking is when is the right time to release it? The right hand is coming free, and that's fine. The left hand is holding the bat and letting it fly on the way back. But then the left hand is going to change direction and synchronize itself with the right foot for driving forward towards first. In my mind, the right time for her to drop the bat would be when the left hand is stopping to change direction to start going forward. Maybe work on the run...not the swing. Have her set up in her follow through as if she just took a swing and the left hand is all the way back with the bat in her hand, practice letting go of the bat and pushing to start her run to first. Maybe think of dropping the bat as coinciding with her initial push out of the batters box. Practice getting out of the box...including the drop of the bat. Maybe you can instill muscle memory of dropping the bat when the hand has exhausted it's follow through backwards and is changing to drive forward.

I always tell mine that have this problem to take two steps towards first and drop the bat. The problem I see is anytime you have an umpire that has called a tee ball game recently they will call your batter out in a second. My DD got warned in an All Star Tournament this summer.

Comp said:

Except there is no rule which provides for an umpire to call a batter out for throwing the bat, unless the bat actually interferes in a play. Some rule sets allow for a restriction to the bench after a warning but none have an out ruling just for throwing the bat.

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Comp, I'd like to have you on speed dial and available for all games. You tend to clarify a lot of rules for me and i think it would come in handy to "have you in my back pocket" during the season

BrianTx01 said:

I always tell mine that have this problem to take two steps towards first and drop the bat. The problem I see is anytime you have an umpire that has called a tee ball game recently they will call your batter out in a second. My DD got warned in an All Star Tournament this summer.

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The game right before ours was a tee ball game
Usually we don't even play on the same field but this was at another association's park.
I think our coaches used to teach that as well - to run with the bat a few steps - when they were younger..