Finishing the strike out

[TeNeetKeeMom]

Hi, do any of you guys have drills/scenarios/suggestions that can help a pitcher finish the strikeout. My DD has sometimes been getting 2 strikes and then usually by 4th pitch gives them a pitch that they hit - no meatballs but rather a pitch in which a batter usually hits a small little dinker (stays in the infield) or a short, little pop-up. The thing that is frustrating is she does so good at getting those first two strikes, so I don't understand why she doesn't/can't get that 3rd strike for the strikeout. I just want to help her find a way to "finish it" and earn the strikeout. The little hits usually result in an out anyways and "we" are "okay" with the out earned that way but you know as a pitcher it would be so much "better" to earn that strike out. Any suggestions? Thank you!

 

[John T]

I will take the dinks and dunks any time...as she gets older the defense gets better. Give me the one pitch ground ball out any time. Same result as a "K" just less pitches.

 

[Coach JV]

I watched a game over the weekend in 16U. My neighbor's dd was in the
circle, she is 15. Game went 6 innings, she had 2 strike outs, no walks and threw
only 65 pitches. I would take this all day long. There were about 10-12 dinks and dunks.
It was a great game, 2-0 win for her. As the girls get older, they make contact more often
so the strikeouts go down and the defensive play in the field is exponentially better
beginning at 14U and up

 

[Lozza]

What coach JV said. The batters are getting good enough that they only need to see the ball twice before they can get their bats to the ball.

One thing she could try is throwing a change up after the first strike. Its enough to throw their timing out that when they get a fastball for the third pitch, they can't get to it.

 

[SoftSocDad]

I will take the dinks and dunks any time...as she gets older the defense gets better. Give me the one pitch ground ball out any time. Same result as a "K" just less pitches.

QFT

Your daughter is managing the game exactly as she should be.

 

[Mrek]

While low pitch count games are great, there will come a time when you really need a strikeout. Tying/go ahead run is at 3rd in the bottom of the seventh with less than 2 outs. You didn't mention age group, but as you move up in skill level strikeouts come from changing speeds and, if you are at that level, late movement. And changing speeds doesn't mean just slowing it down. Pitching in the upper/middle of her velocity to get to two strikes than amping it up 3-4 mhp for the out is still effective several times a game. The best way to pitch to contact is to throw every pitch within 2mhp of every other pitch.

 

[BoardMember]

While low pitch count games are great, there will come a time when you really need a strikeout. Tying/go ahead run is at 3rd in the bottom of the seventh with less than 2 outs. You didn't mention age group, but as you move up in skill level strikeouts come from changing speeds and, if you are at that level, late movement. And changing speeds doesn't mean just slowing it down. Pitching in the upper/middle of her velocity to get to two strikes than amping it up 3-4 mhp for the out is still effective several times a game. The best way to pitch to contact is to throw every pitch within 2mhp of every other pitch.

There's nothing more frustrating then a pitcher who ALWAYS works the count in her favor and gives up a hit vs. finishing the job she started. Here is some advise that you may not get anywhere else......

Over the years I've found that many pitchers who start with an 0-0 count have a certain level of confidence because of the "count cushion" they have. During the early stage of a particular at bat, there are 2 separate dynamics at work.........

The hitter is swinging a little more agressively early in the count, AND the pitcher is throwing a little harder, and working a little harder (with a count cushion) to keep the ball OUT OF the red zone. With good pitching, this combination usually works the count in the pitchers favor........

The problem lies here:

When the hitter finds herself behind in the count. She is a little more picky about what she'll trigger on......AND cuts her swing down to a more controled contact swing...........

The pitcher on the other hand, is now NOT getting swings like she was early in the count........So, she moves the ball closer to the red zone as the count progresses and she loses her "count cushion"......She becomes much more "cautious" in the process, often losing velocity AND losing her ability to BE COMFORTABLE with NOT throwing the ball off the plate in the GREEN ZONE.......

Here is my advise to you..........

FORCE your pitcher to throw the ball IN THE GREEN ZONE (off the plate) until she has 3 balls on the hitter.........

One of the BEST game situation drills you can do with a pitcher is to start her with a 2-2 count on a ficticious hitter..........Then.........MAKE her throw a "good pitch that IS a ball (IE NOT a strike)".........Then make her throw a strike when the count is full............

I can't tell you how many pitchers dads/moms come to me with this same story......."My kid gets WAY ahead in the count, then gives up a hit"........."Why is that"????

The answer is simple........SHE'S AFRAID to go "deep in the count"..........She's afraid to throw those pitches that put her ahead in the count......LATE IN THE COUNT.........

The later they get in the count, the CLOSER they puts the ball to the red zone.........You MUST break this habit.........

YOU MUST teach her to "trust" her skills when the LAST PITCH is on the line......

This type of training to go deep in the count WITHOUT fear of "losing the hitter to a walk" is the number one mental tool a pitcher can use to "FINISH THE HITTER".........

MAKE THE HITTER FISH at "close but no cigar" pitches UNTIL YOU MUST THROW IT OVER THE PLATE............Then, the hitter will only have about a 1/3 chance of getting a hit on that last pitch.........Until then SHE MUST HAVE ALMOST NO CHANCE of getting a hit..........

Training a pitcher to go deep in the count without fear is imparative to her development...........

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Home plates with the red zone. Strike zone baseball home plate - Shop sales, stores & prices at TheFind.com

 

[de Groot]

One thing she could try is throwing a change up after the first strike. Its enough to throw their timing out that when they get a fastball for the third pitch, they can't get to it.

It will throw their timing off but 2nd or 3rd strike is the most obvious time someone will throw a change up.
Always keep the batter on their heels, throw any pitch at anytime. I throw my change first pitch and it works great.
Also to finish your strike outs I get my catcher to set up outside of the strike zone inside or outside, 90% of the time the batter will swing or miss, foul it off or hit into an out.

 

[TeNeetKeeMom]

Great advice guys! I love this message board. I agree Mrek with your post. As for "changing of speed"; my daughter is 11 yo (12U team) and she is learning to figure out when to shake off a pitch and use a change-up instead. DD's coaches don't use the change-up that much but I agree it is a way to keep the batter off balance. Though DD's coaches don't use the change-up as much as they could (DD has a pretty nice change-up) her coaches do tell her that she can shake off any pitches she wants in lieu for the one she wants. As my DD gets older and she figures out how to successfully throw off-speed pitches then I am sure she will also use those pitches. BM, thanks for some great information! I will definitely share this with her and work with her on the items you listed.

Side note: I am replying late because DD's team is playing in Broomfield, CO this week in the 12U Fireworks tournament. It is our 1st "really long trip" for a tournament as we had a 12 hr drive. So we are trying to get some vacation type things in our daily activities as well ;o) DD's team will be facing some good competition (I am assuming) from several states including a team from Australia - so we will get to see how things fare with her pitching to batters from all over! Hoping to have some good news to share on this message board :0) Or I'll have some more questions/more posts asking for suggestions/comments on some things.

Again, thank you for all your comments - we always find some great information on this message board.