Swinging at high balls, I need help

[David Carter]

and this is exactly why I do a little drill with my pitchers with a basketball placed on a tee right in the middle of the plate and tell them to throw strikes without hitting the basketball......this is part of our fun wind down or warm up time and contrasts with the putting a softball on a tee on the corners at having them try to knock the softball off the tee, just fun things to do with pitchers to mix it up a little I usually line up our pitchers and have them throw a couple pitches each and make a contest out of it.

 

[mgardner]

You don't agree that 100% of strikes are hittable?

As I said before I don't think it's always true. For some batters it is, and I think it should be a goal for those that it isn't true of.
At the younger ages I initially teach the strike zone. With experience and coaching they become aware of their hitting zone. Once a player understands the strike zone and their hitting zone the can lay off the knee high "strike" (or whatever pitch it is they struggle with) if they are ahead in the count and it isn't a pitch they currently hit well. They should at this point be aware (or made aware) of their hitting weakness. At that point the focus should be on expanding their hitting zone.

 

[Dirtybird]

Have her stand in her stance and "track" every ball without swinging. Track it from the pitcher's hand until it goes by her. Stating high, low, inside, outside. The key is getting them to see the ball

 

[Greenmonsters]

Reps, reps, reps. I've thought about an electronic dog training collar too, but never found a volunteer willing to try that approach. Go figure.

 

[Jdaddy]

I don't know if this is the case with your DD, but a lot of first year 10s are used to having pitches lobbed to them when they were in coach pitch. Make sure you are throwing "flat" pitches when practicing, even if you have to get behind a screen at 15 feet. Ball trajectory is key to training the eyes.

 

[coach james]

Practice, practice, practice...
They simply need repetition of seeing the difference between hittable pitches and ones they should let go. No magic wand here. Practice makes permanent. Make sure they are only attacking what's in their hitting zone while at practice.

 

[Sftballdad1]

The fact that they are actually swinging is a good sign.

I wouldn't get caught up in, "is it a ball or strike". The question they should be asking is, "can I hit this pitch?". Balls and strikes are subjective.

I agree with this totally.... Too many kids get caught up with is it a ball...is it a strike...is it a ball....dang it it was a strike.

I go with the approach of can you hit it.