Getting an off the plate/outside strike

[Lreeve]

My lefty 12u daughter often gets mixed calls on outside pitches. She has a curve so they are caught more out sometimes. Some umps give her all of them some none and she ends up walking batters more than normal. When she attempts to pull it inside she can over correct and hit batters. As a lefty she tends to veer to that side of the plate so I anticipate the mixed calls to continue. She can usually correct if she is too high or low for an umpire's zone but left to right is harder.

My question: Is there a fix to bringing the pitch more inside without overcorrecting and sending it too far inside? She has tried scooting over on the rubber and it has helped but many times she is just an inch off from a strike. I am not being picky on umpires, it is their call and I know different angles can make things look different. I would just like to fix this on her end if possible.

Just for reference these are from 2 different games. Both of these were called balls. Not arguing if they are balls or strikes. Just wanting advice on pulling a pitch more inside. Sorry about the pole. Worst seat in the house. You can see where it was caught in the 3rd picture.

 

[Towny9]

Hard to tell in or out from those angles. What I will say is this - the way a catcher sets up and the way they receive the ball has a lot more to do with whether the pitch is a strike or not then most folks realize.

 

[Lreeve]

Hard to tell in or out from those angles. What I will say is this - the way a catcher sets up and the way they receive the ball has a lot more to do with whether the pitch is a strike or not then most folks realize.

I agree. My daughter's main position is catching. She has one younger catcher that catches for her some that gets into runners on stance every pitch. She catches them high and tends to pull them up higher trying to frame.

 

[Hillhouse]

My lefty 12u daughter often gets mixed calls on outside pitches. She has a curve so they are caught more out sometimes. Some umps give her all of them some none and she ends up walking batters more than normal. When she attempts to pull it inside she can over correct and hit batters. As a lefty she tends to veer to that side of the plate so I anticipate the mixed calls to continue. She can usually correct if she is too high or low for an umpire's zone but left to right is harder.

My question: Is there a fix to bringing the pitch more inside without overcorrecting and sending it too far inside? She has tried scooting over on the rubber and it has helped but many times she is just an inch off from a strike. I am not being picky on umpires, it is their call and I know different angles can make things look different. I would just like to fix this on her end if possible.

Just for reference these are from 2 different games. Both of these were called balls. Not arguing if they are balls or strikes. Just wanting advice on pulling a pitch more inside. Sorry about the pole. Worst seat in the house. You can see where it was caught in the 3rd picture.

Right hand or left hand has nothing to do with throwing strikes.

 

[Lreeve]

Right hand or left hand has nothing to do with throwing strikes.

I agree, but since she is left handed and learning she tends to throw more outside. Trying to bring it in so she isn't getting balls where she could have had strikes.

 

[Hillhouse]

Ok, if I got this correct: she's a lefty pitcher, and throws outside to RHB's a lot and wanting to bring those pitches in some more?

High/low pitching is a timing problem. Side to side pitching is a mechanics problem.

If she's a lefty and throwing outside to RHB's, it means she either has a gap between her arm/body or she's turning her hips too quick. Basically it means she's throwing around her hips, not through them, her arm is probably not touching her body at the release. If you're familiar with the terminology many people on this board use, along with what those phrases mean, then it sounds like most here would be saying she's missing her B/I (brush interference) if you posted a video. I say this without having seen her pitch, and only assuming that I know what B/I is. Either way, most of the people on here enjoy breaking down a video for someone. I'm sure if you post one you'll get a lot of different suggestions and ideas. What does her pitching coach think?

 

[Lreeve]

Ok, if I got this correct: she's a lefty pitcher, and throws outside to RHB's a lot and wanting to bring those pitches in some more?

High/low pitching is a timing problem. Side to side pitching is a mechanics problem.

If she's a lefty and throwing outside to RHB's, it means she either has a gap between her arm/body or she's turning her hips too quick. Basically it means she's throwing around her hips, not through them, her arm is probably not touching her body at the release. If you're familiar with the terminology many people on this board use, along with what those phrases mean, then it sounds like most here would be saying she's missing her B/I (brush interference) if you posted a video. I say this without having seen her pitch, and only assuming that I know what B/I is. Either way, most of the people on here enjoy breaking down a video for someone. I'm sure if you post one you'll get a lot of different suggestions and ideas. What does her pitching coach think?

This is exactly what I was asking. She had a big correction of her glove hand recently after a glove side shoulder injury, but this doesn't seem to be associated with the issue. For instance Saturday she was relief and pitched the last two innings and without even a warmup pitched near perfect, striking out a very good hitting team. Then Sunday she started warmed up great and then walked 11 over 3 innings. All her balls were just about an inch too far off the plate. She is clearly doing something in the moment that is just off. She is playing tonight so if she pitches I will if I can get some video that will maybe help.

 

[sluggers]

The only "fix" is through lots and lots of practice.

A good D1 pitcher can move the ball in 4" (a ball width) increments from left to right and up and down. You can't teach her to do that. She has to teach herself how to do it.

(The math: The plate is 17" wide. Your DD is 480" from the plate. The difference in release angle for an inside strike versus an outside strike is about 2.5 degrees. Your DD's hand is traveling around 1000 inches per second at release.)

So, how does she learn something like that?

BUNGEE BATTLE: My DD's college coach made a square of bungee chords and made my daughter throw through the middle. The coach would reduce the size of the square until it was only slightly larger than a ball and move the square around.

ALABAMA ROPE TRICK: You take a 2-inch rope and put a knot in it. Hang it from something over the plate. She practices hitting opposite sides of the knot. Hitting the knot in the middle doesn't count. She has to hit either the left or the right side of the knot. (This is an actual drill a pitcher at Alabama did.)

BEER CAN BOWLING: Set about 3 beer cans on a ledge, bucket, or plate and spaced about or 5 inches apart. Have her knock them down one at a time.

This is hard work and it's up to *you*, as the parent, to make it fun.

 

[Lreeve]

The only "fix" is through lots and lots of practice.

A good D1 pitcher can move the ball in 4" (a ball width) increments from left to right and up and down. You can't teach her to do that. She has to teach herself how to do it.

(The math: The plate is 17" wide. Your DD is 480" from the plate. The difference in release angle for an inside strike versus an outside strike is about 2.5 degrees. Your DD's hand is traveling around 1000 inches per second at release.)

So, how does she learn something like that?

BUNGEE BATTLE: My DD's college coach made a square of bungee chords and made my daughter throw through the middle. The coach would reduce the size of the square until it was only slightly larger than a ball and move the square around.

ALABAMA ROPE TRICK: You take a 2-inch rope and put a knot in it. Hang it from something over the plate. She practices hitting opposite sides of the knot. Hitting the knot in the middle doesn't count. She has to hit either the left or the right side of the knot. (This is an actual drill a pitcher at Alabama did.)

BEER CAN BOWLING: Set about 3 beer cans on a ledge, bucket, or plate and spaced about or 5 inches apart. Have her knock them down one at a time.

This is hard work and it's up to *you*, as the parent, to make it fun.

My daughter loves drills so we will definitely try these.

 

[ArmWhip]

The quick in game fix to try is to change the location of the target. Where is the catcher setting up the glove? And I'm not sure that you want to try a serious mechanical change for pitches that are only missing by an inch.