8u TB (Coach Pitch) Hitting Slump!!! HELP

[Rocketech1]

For the right type of players, I see nothing wrong with 8U travel ball if they can't get that experience through rec league. My DD was fortunate that she didn't have to play TB at 8U because she was always on an all-star team every spring/summer to get her "fix". I look back at 8U all-star tournaments the players and families had some great times at tournaments that cannot be replicated during regular season rec leagues.

To the OP, continue to work on swing fundamentals, do lots of coach pitch practice with your team (preferably with the coach who will pitch in games so you can groove the pitch for each player), and don't worry too much with hitting stats at this age since most "hits" should be technically scored ROE (reached on an error) anyways. Lastly, find a few players who would want to pitch and work with them so that they will have some familiarity with the mechanics when they move up to 10U kid pitch.

 

[Blaze2007]

Lastly, find a few players who would want to pitch and work with them so that they will have some familiarity with the mechanics when they move up to 10U kid pitch.

Thanks Rocket!!! We are actually a team made up of mostly Rec ball All stars that wanted to keep playing year round. Right now we have 4 girls taking pitching lessons preparing for the move up this fall!!!

 

[JJsqueeze]

Everyone knows what they say about opinions.... But, honestly Alex is right...We are in Louisiana and the Rec competition is very small. Same 6 teams playing over and over and alot of the girls aren't dedicated. The only way to play year round or decent competition is to play travel ball. We don't play every weekend and stay within 150 mile of our house. Our girls want to play and we don't make them play as the Head Coach I tell my daughter atleast once very 2 weeks, if you want to stop you just let me know!!!

Anyway don't want to start a fight with anyone on here, like I said earlier, just looking for suggestions...another tournament this weekend that has 10 8u teams signed up in it so trying to get ready...

You don't seem like the guy I may have prematurely made you out to be... here is some tried and true advice to your OP...

The problem of hitting at this age is going to be player specific, so identifying the issue for each player is going to be the challenge. If you observe your girls closely, look for signs of being tentative (late swings on some pitches), signs of where they miss (under or over, late or early), are they bleeding power while they are reading the pitch etc. The whole team may be hitting poorly right now so it seems like it might be a single solution, but my experience says that you help them improve on an individual basis based on their needs.

A really good thing to do is just to video tape a single at bat for each girl so you can see what is happening in slow motion. You will be surprised at the flaws you can see in a swing that you think is good when you play it frame by frame. If you really observe them closely over a few at bats you will intuitively see what needs to be fixed. Usually it is just a matter of removing unnecessary motion during the reading of the pitch to make them shorter to the ball, teaching them to be swing more aggressively and make good hard contact instead of "any contact" or remiving a fear of striking out and encouraging them to just go for it.

 

[Blaze2007]

Thanks Squeeze, myself and one of the other coaches were talking about recording today. One other thing that it maybe...is the last two tournaments we played in, have been postponed due to rain. We have gotten started later in the day after sitting there waiting and the field conditions have been way less than ideal... At one point this past weekend if you stepped in certain places in the outfield water was halfway up their shoes. I just wonder as an 8 year old if it doesn't affect them in a way. All the 8u teams played on one field and the batters box was slanted as well, not in great condition which probably made them feel akward in stance. We play in a tournament that is here in our home town this weekend. On fields they are very used to and no rain after tomorrow so hoping maybe some of our old Blaze bats show up.....