How often do you strike out?

[FiveFrameSwing]

Can't disagree, although I can find some MLB exceptions. My DD has a poor SO/BB ratio. Hits well at the level she plays (top 2 in OPS for the last two travel teams), but strikes out more than you'd expect given her other numbers and almost never walks. My concern is that she needs to keep barrel on plane longer but given three cracks at average pitching she usually averts trouble. But perhaps better pitching would exploit that.

Fwiw, Yasiel Puig had 97 SO, 36 BB, last season but obviously hit a ton. Others who have had seasons like that are Ryan Braun, Kirby Puckett, Juan Gonzelez.

Maybe the best example ever – Andres Galarraga, 1988 – 153 SO, 39 BB, but hit .302 with 79 extra-base hits.

None of that is meant to dispute the red flag. In fact, this is MLB. Would be more meaningful if I had the data on NCAA softball. I just find it interesting since my DD falls into this category of high SO/low BB and I'm worried that I should be worried.

A low number of walks can be indicative of not being selective enough ... especially if the same player has a fair number of KOs.

I consider it a warning flag when a player has less than 10% walks and generally have a 1-on-1 with those players regarding hitting mentality ... along with setting a goal to collect 1-walk in their next 10 at-bats. Frequently I'll see a hitter's stats improve noticeably when they take that goal seriously.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

True, but if your batters step into the box with the mentality "it's ok if I strike out", you're not going to have any runners for the potential DP. A good team needs all types of hitters, the contact hitters with low K's to the power hitters who typically K more, the ones who can lay down the bunt, slapper a with speed. Each is a link of the chain.

You step into the batter's box "fearless" and with a sense of "calm" that slows the game down. The attitude is that all pitches are strikes until they are shown not to be. A strike-out is one potential result ... and there shouldn't be any phobias associated with it ... there shouldn't be any fears at all ... a hitter should have a fearless attitude with a focus of remaining in the present and working towards a positive outcome.

 

[Doug Romrell]

It's been my observation that it is much harder to get the batter to swing at pitches she should swing at than it is to get them to be more selective. At younger, less experienced levels of play, I believe this is particularly true.

In other words, if I had to choose between batters who don't swing enough (i.e., at pitches they should swing at) and batters who swing at a bit more pitches than they should, I'd choose the batters who swing too often.

Then, as we work with them, our goal would be to hone in on not swinging at pitches just to swing, but to swing at pitches that should be hit and hold off on pitches that will likely not be called a strike.

Further, I like Cabrera's check swing. He initiates turning the "C" (gets the barrel going), then stops short of full commitment. I think this motion on every pitch makes for a great hitter. Barrel is moving on every pitch.

 

[cblake33]

Quality at bats lead to production. You can have a quality at bat that ends in a strike out

 

[Bouldersdad]

Right now mine has 68 AB with 23 BB vs 5K. If my math is correct she wiffs every 13 times she comes to the plate, vs walks every 3rd time. If she can keep that discipline at the plate thru the entire season dad will be a pretty happy camper.

Discipline to your hitting zone is key.

Tim

 

[FP26]

Our team has a significant range in this category. It is a new group that was just brought together in the fall. After several games and roughly 25-30 PAs per player, our range goes from a 7% strike out rate (my DD with another player very close behind) to 39% strike out rate (one of the younger girls on the team). This has been one of the major focuses of our winter hitting program. Hopefully we will find out in the next few weeks if we have helped them.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Discipline

Tim

2 thumbs up!

 

[Doug Romrell]

Get'em swinging first, then get'em to be selective/disciplined.

 

[CoogansBluff]

A good team needs all types of hitters, the contact hitters with low K's to the power hitters who typically K more, the ones who can lay down the bunt, slapper a with speed. Each is a link of the chain.

Not sure I agree with that either. I guess I'm in an argumentative mood.

I think it's largely about OPS. Give me 9 girls w/ OPS of 1.000, and I don't care if each has the exact same skill set and stats, that will usually out-produce a team with a lesser OPS that has more diversity. People said the Braves would struggle last season because they had too many all-or-nothing, high-HR, high-SO guys, no true leadoff hitter. They won 96 games and finished 4th in runs scored. They couldn't bunt. They couldn't steal. They could've move a runner over. But they delivered runs. It's not diversity. It's productivity.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Not sure I agree with that either. I guess I'm in an argumentative mood.

I think it's largely about OPS. Give me 9 girls w/ OPS of 1.000, and I don't care if each has the exact same skill set and stats, that will usually out-produce a team with a lesser OPS that has more diversity. People said the Braves would struggle last season because they had too many all-or-nothing, high-HR, high-SO guys, no true leadoff hitter. They won 96 games and finished 4th in runs scored. They couldn't bunt. They couldn't steal. They could've move a runner over. But they delivered runs. It's not diversity. It's productivity.

Though Im a great defender of BB, the offensive strategy differs ( just a tad ) between the two. Bunts have steady declined over the last 20 years at the college and MLB levels, although they spiked a smidgen in 12'13'. So offense diversity is a small factor in the " larger " game. Baseball is also a much s-l-o-w-e-r game.

Maybe we could agree productive diversity has it's place in fastpitch?