8u batting cage ball size question

[efastball]

Do not use tees with 8u.

You know that players use a tee all the way through the pros, right?

It's probably the only hitting aid I recommend.

[Perpetual] "I was wondering if it was ok for our 8u girls to hit off of a tee and soft toss using 12" balls. 8u is 10","

I used to use the golf sized balls, tennis balls, and all kinds of other lighter balls for training etc. But now I think that stuff hurts their timing and mechanics more than helps.

Now if you want to use a ball that is slightly bigger based on the next age group, I don't see anything wrong with that.

[Blue] "if you only care about programming a cookie-cutter "perfect" swing, use tees with them. "

This is a red herring. They are going to get (bad) instruction from other people anyway - Dads, Moms and Grandpas telling them to use door knocking knuckles, swing down on the ball, extend their arms, squish the bug, and other such nonsense. It's good to try to tell them a few things to counter all that.

 

[The Man In Blue]

You know that players use a tee all the way through the pros, right?

They are going to get (bad) instruction from other people anyway

Yes, pros have been taught the proper ways to use it and the value of it. 8u plays lack that level of understanding and micro-technical proficiency.

I suppose if you are making the argument for teaching Suzy not to run at the ball, I'm good with that. If you are trying to get into individual body part control . . . [raspberry]

They are going to get bad instruction from other people anyway . . . thankfully, my principal doesn't subscribe to that. Although, I keep telling my students they need a better teacher.

 

[dogpatch]

Yeah I should've mentioned, we're only going to the cage due to rain and the setup isn't very large. We have a tee station and just enough space to toss them the ball. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I would think it would be beneficial to have some of the girls on the tee and some on live toss then rotate instead of just one long line of girls waiting to hit a ball tossed to them. There's no real way to have 2 live toss areas unfortunately.

I'm sure its easier said than done, but... an ideal batting practice will have enough separate stations to allow no more than 2-3 hitters per station. If safety is a concern with limited hitting space or lack of netting, use whiffle balls or lite flite balls (any size ball). Since injury is not an issue if one is hit by these balls, their use may allow you to safely expand your BP space. These kinds of balls are part of our high school BP kit and are used on a regular basis. Involve parents if necessary so all stations are supervised. It takes minimal skill to be a soft toss or front toss pitcher. Your little ones need to be given as many cuts as possible during your BP time in order to learn how to hit a ball.

 

[Rolling Hard]

ALWAYS have helmets on when doing anything with a bat.