DD can hit against good pitching, but struggles against bad/slow...

[aec4444]

I find it funny when a player parent say they can't hit slow pitching. Truth is they can't hit the fastest 5% either (not many can, and you don't see them often).

So the reality is that they can hit average pitching. As a coach I tell them they have a mechanical issue they need to sort out. Nine times out of ten they don't understanding timing and how to resist.

Just my observation.

There's no doubt something mechanical is going on. I didn't make this post to brag, I made it to try to find out why she isn't hitting the slower pitching. To me, it looks like she's overanxious and tries to "kill" it which results in dropping her hands a little. However, when the ball starts moving some, that doesn't seem to happen.

No one is hitting the fastest 5%, like you said, but that's part of the reason why, at the lower age levels, this game is dominated by good pitching. That's why the game we played against the good pitching was 2-1 why the other games were 16-0 and 11-5.

Good pitching beats good hitting. Same is true in baseball and softball.

 

[obbay]

At the age level you're talking about, are the slower pitchers throwing with a lot more arc on the ball? I have seen that work very effectively against hitters at 12U.

last year DD#2 had the same problem between HS games and rec league games. hitting for extra bases in HS, hitting mostly pop-ups in rec. In her case she was too impatient and could not time the slower pitches correctly. i think it was harder for her to focus as well , thinking it would be like BP for her (overconfident).

With my older DD, she would fake bunt for every pitch against slow pitchers as a way to compensate for timing. it worked for her.

 

[coach james]

This is actually pretty common. The mentality must be "this pitch is perfect and I'm ready for it". If it's a decent pitcher, the batter's mentality will gravitate towards this mindset, because the pitcher has established herself. However, with weaker pitching, the pitcher is UNestablished, therefore the batter's mindset goes towards "I don't need to be ready, because the pitch isn't gonna be in my zone anyway..."
As a parent or coach, it's imperative that we change this mindset to "every pitch is perfect and I'm hitting it". If the ball happens to not be in our zone, just lay off of it.

I like to assign a number to pitchers. Very fast is a 1, medium is a 2, and slow is a 3..... Our stride/stretch timing is dictated by the number assigned. If the pitcher is a 3, we simply will stretch AFTER the ball is in flight. Combo'd with being in the very front of the box. Easy adjustments produce big results. If she's a 1, we start our stretch somewhere in the arm circle.
In practice, use front toss behind a screen or use MOJO balls. Tell the batter a number assignment and let them make timing adjustments based upon the speed. This will prepare her for realistic game at bats with her adjustments to different skill levels of pitchers.

 

[aec4444]

At the age level you're talking about, are the slower pitchers throwing with a lot more arc on the ball? I have seen that work very effectively against hitters at 12U.

last year DD#2 had the same problem between HS games and rec league games. hitting for extra bases in HS, hitting mostly pop-ups in rec. In her case she was too impatient and could not time the slower pitches correctly. i think it was harder for her to focus as well , thinking it would be like BP for her (overconfident).

With my older DD, she would fake bunt for every pitch against slow pitchers as a way to compensate for timing. it worked for her.

Yes, the slow pitchers are throwing it with an arc. To make matters worse, since these pitchers don't throw that many strikes in some cases, umpires are calling strikes with huge strike zones which confuses a 10 year old. Fortunately, my daughter hasn't started increasing her zone.. She's still focused on her pitch. She wants to hit... shes not scared to swing even on 3-0 pitch (if the coach gives the green light).

She is suffering from the overconfidence thing though. She thinks she should get a hit every time up. Tried explaining to her that her job is to hit the ball hard. If someone on the other team makes the play that's them doing THEIR job.

 

[aec4444]

This is actually pretty common. The mentality must be "this pitch is perfect and I'm ready for it" if it's a decent pitcher, the batter's mentality will gravitate towards this mindset, because the pitcher has established herself. However, with weaker pitching, the pitcher is UNestablished therefore the batter's mindset goes towards "I don't need to be ready, because the pitch isn't gonna be in my zone anyway..."
As a parent or coach, it's imperative that we change this mindset to "every pitch is perfect and I'm hitting it" if the ball happens to not be in our zone, just lay off of it.

I like to assign a number to pitchers. Very fast is a 1, medium is a 2, and slow is a 3..... Our stride/stretch timing is dictated by the number assigned. If the pitcher is a 3, we simply will stretch AFTER the ball is in flight. Combo'd with being in the very front of the box. Easy adjustments produce big results.
In practice, use front toss behind a screen or use MOJO balls. Tell the batter a number assignment and let them make timing adjustments based upon the speed. This will prepare her for realistic game at bats with her adjustments to different skill levels of pitchers.

Thanks! I like this.

 

[Westwind]

This is actually pretty common. The mentality must be "this pitch is perfect and I'm ready for it" if it's a decent pitcher, the batter's mentality will gravitate towards this mindset, because the pitcher has established herself. However, with weaker pitching, the pitcher is UNestablished therefore the batter's mindset goes towards "I don't need to be ready, because the pitch isn't gonna be in my zone anyway..."
As a parent or coach, it's imperative that we change this mindset to "every pitch is perfect and I'm hitting it" if the ball happens to not be in our zone, just lay off of it.

I like to assign a number to pitchers. Very fast is a 1, medium is a 2, and slow is a 3..... Our stride/stretch timing is dictated by the number assigned. If the pitcher is a 3, we simply will stretch AFTER the ball is in flight. Combo'd with being in the very front of the box. Easy adjustments produce big results.
In practice, use front toss behind a screen or use MOJO balls. Tell the batter a number assignment and let them make timing adjustments based upon the speed. This will prepare her for realistic game at bats with her adjustments to different skill levels of pitchers.

Really good. Incorporates mental approach, preparation for the situation at practice and a plan to execute the preparation in the game.

 

[BT3100]

MY DD played travel and Rec ball last spring.
In hindsight it was a mistake from a hitting perspective she did get a ton of circle time which really helped.
Her problems were two fold. First she put so much pressure on herself as the pitchers were not travel caliber in her mind. She found herself being too aggressive and not relaxing and taking the walks. She wanted to crush every ball. Her swing got funky and it's still not back to where it was. Amazing what different pitching and too much self induced pressure can do.
The advice above is great. Have her try to relax. I didn't help last spring when I told her that she may only see one good pitch each at bat. Once she saw and didn't hit that pitch she was checked out. I learned my lesson.

 

[dinogirl]

I have the same problem. I had a solid career hitting the fastest stuff and even in my old age, can drill fastpitch balls in a cage. However I only play slow pitch myself now. During the season, if I take my daughter to the cages and dare to jump in to hit off fastpitch to show off, I am totally humiliated on Sundays when I cannot hit an arc ball to save my life -- nothing but pop ups and crappy ground balls. It is way easier to move up from slow to fast than the other way around -- takes me three swings to go up in speed and probably about 10-20 to recalibrate to slow. I agree that the best way to think about it is like soft toss. But don't underestimate how difficult it is to move from fast to slow until you try it yourself. If you have one good pitcher on your rec or travel team and one who lobs in arc balls, that is a great 1-2 punch that can win a lot of games!