Teaching to hit the outside pitch !!!!

Hi,

I have two girls on my 14u team that are good hitters, but many times they both let the outside pitch go thinking a better pitch is coming and its not. I am very furstrated with trying to teach them we also need to go opposite side.

They know how to hit the outside pitch we always practice it with the entire team. When I asked them both why did you let it go by, they bascially both said I dont feel comfortable hitting it. WHY !!!
Now if there is a girl on third they will hit it ? But noone on base and the pitcher will eat them alive on the outside....

Any ideas on the outside pitch ??

T-work.
The other choice is to crowd the plate to the point that an outside pitch is always a ball, but then you can be jammed with inside strikes.

justwannaplay said:

Hi,

I have two girls on my 14u team that are good hitters . . . . They know how to hit the outside pitch . . . . the pitcher will eat them alive on the outside. . . . Any ideas on the outside pitch ??

Click to expand...

Assuming they have practiced it and you know that they know how to hit the pitch and you (THE COACH) have told them to hit the outside pitch - bench if they don't give the effort you ask for.

Next "friendly" or "pool" game instruct the first girl to look outside and hit that pitch opposite field - let everything else go until 2 strikes. If they get a good outside pitch and don't at least give an effort - bench them DURING THAT AT BAT, BEFORE THE NEXT PITCH. Explain why you did it and that you will do it again, that SB is a team sport and they have to sacrifice "what they want" for what's best for the team - ever heard of the sacrifice bunt?

justwannaplay said:

Any ideas on the outside pitch ??

Click to expand...

Tactically speaking, have them hit fungos for you and let them get comfortable hitting the ball the other way.

Strategically speaking, you've got to explain the idea of protecting the plate and sometimes that means going the other way with an outside strike. Just taking the K isn't a strategy. I would rather that they grounded out every time rather than taking that outside strike for a K every time.

Chris O'Leary said:

Strategically speaking, you've to explain the idea of protecting the plate and sometimes that means going the other way with an outside strike. Just taking the K isn't a strategy. I would rather that they grounded out every time rather than taking that outside strike for a K every time.

Click to expand...

+1 A K doesn't move the runner (if there's a runner on base), while a ground out does (most times). Philosophically, I taught my DD that putting the ball in play is always better than taking a K. Once the ball is in play, anything can happen.

Tilt

Try this. set up a tee on the outside, let the contact be a bit deeper. have them tilt so their arms are still connected, then drive ball to the right side extending bat to right side of field (2b) after contact. also make sure they are palm up/down at poc do this at different heights

Dragoncoach said:

Try this. set up a tee on the outside, let the contact be a bit deeper. have them tilt so their arms are still connected, then drive ball to the right side extending bat to right side of field (2b) after contact. also make sure they are palm up/down at poc do this at different heights

Click to expand...

Good advise, we work a lot off the tee and toss from the side to the out side corners high, middle and low. It has been said that a hitter does not deserve to hit a pitch in a location until they have hit 1000 balls off a tee at that location. Once our girls have the correct swing for the inside and out side pitch, we use a pitching machine and have the hitter move in and out from the plate to see out side pitches and inside pitches to able to ID and hit both.

When doing tee work move the ball and tee out side the strike zone to give feed back to the hitter on hitting balls out side the zone, to be ready for thoes umps who like to call these pitches strikes.

They let it go with 2 strikes or early in the count?

5 Drills for Hitting the Outside Pitch « Softball Excellence

Above is a link to a drill we use on our team and in addition my daughter will do this drill during the winter months 3-4 a week

From my old baseball day's........... You can work off the tee all you want, but you also have to adjust your timing. To hit a true strike outside pitch you have to let the ball get deep and then hit it. This was my and my dd's hardest pitch to hit since we are both dead pull hitters.