Swinging for contact after 2 strikes....

[PJR202]

Way to have a plan!
Care to share how that works out for the team and what age bracket?

I had a much larger reply here, but...

Middle school team, a third of which are 6th grade, and 12 of 14 with two years or less of experience. Halfway solid defense, though.

I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not, but in this case it doesn't matter...lol. We're not quite a quarter of the way into the season, and most of our 1 through 6 batters are still somewhere between weak and average. A lot of it is just learning to adjust to variations in pitcher speed from team to team. We prepared for it the best we could before the season, but nothing is better than real experience.

One thing we've really worked on though, is bunting. We're small and inexperienced but we have some speed, and the bunting is really coming along well. We're trying to beat teams by largely taking advantage of walks, HBP, passed balls, and poor infield play, all of which are plentiful in MS around here. Get on base, steal, create panic and chaos, and score. There's not a lot of 2B steal throw-outs so we take the chance until they can make that play, which so far no one really has. We'll call a bunt with two strikes as well. When we get on base, we do well. When there's a really solid pitcher and we can't get on base, our plan can't work. We do the best with what we have. Last year was much, much worse and we've worked hard to get better and be a little more creative.

 

[radness]

I had a much larger reply here, but...

Middle school team, a third of which are 6th grade, and 12 of 14 with two years or less of experience. Halfway solid defense, though.

I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not, but in this case it doesn't matter...lol. We're not quite a quarter of the way into the season, and most of our 1 through 6 batters are still somewhere between weak and average. A lot of it is just learning to adjust to variations in pitcher speed from team to team. We prepared for it the best we could before the season, but nothing is better than real experience.

One thing we've really worked on though, is bunting. We're small and inexperienced but we have some speed, and the bunting is really coming along well. We're trying to beat teams by largely taking advantage of walks, HBP, passed balls, and poor infield play, all of which are plentiful in MS around here. Get on base, steal, create panic and chaos, and score. There's not a lot of 2B steal throw-outs so we take the chance until they can make that play, which so far no one really has. We'll call a bunt with two strikes as well. When we get on base, we do well. When there's a really solid pitcher and we can't get on base, our plan can't work. We do the best with what we have. Last year was much, much worse and we've worked hard to get better and be a little more creative.

No not sarcastic.
There are all different levels of softball and approaches to playing it.
Think it's good to share details of experiences.

Like the paying attention of what's happening on the field and how you explained learning timing when one strategy works and when it's not so effective. Even the utilization of bunting that is another tool.
Think this type of conversation is
Particularly important because there is a big difference between when equal competitive teams are playing eachother vs. when the competitive levels of the teams are out of balance and how to try and compensate in some sort of strategy for that situation.

That is why I commented earlier in this thread about how even at the top levels of softball batters are making adjustments.

 

[PJR202]

No not sarcastic.
There are all different levels of softball and approaches to playing it.
Think it's good to share details of experiences.

Like the paying attention of what's happening on the field and how you explained learning timing when one strategy works and when it's not so effective. Even the utilization of bunting that is another tool.
Think this type of conversation is
Particularly important because there is a big difference between when equal competitive teams are playing eachother vs. when the competitive levels of the teams are out of balance and how to try and compensate in some sort of strategy for that situation.

That is why I commented earlier in this thread about how even at the top levels of softball batters are making adjustments.

Gotcha. Yeah we just call it "small ball" and plan on utilizing it as a primary strategy until our hitting picks up speed a bit. It's getting better every game, but small ball can be devastating when executed well. I wouldn't say we're executing WELL yet, but we're building confidence. Head coach is the wizard here. I just reinforce his plans. It's exciting but the whole thing just stresses me out for the first two innings.

We have 4 or 5 basic signs and most of them remember what they are, most of the girls won't swing at a bad pitch (to their detriment when they have two strikes), three who are fairly consistent bunters and a few others who get lucky some. And about half of them will slide when the time comes...lol. It's generally taken something like losing an easy score at home to get them to slide on the next opportunity. That's definitely how it went for my kid. And best of all, when we do it right, we have FUN. We've won two out of ten games, but three came down to the wire and one of the losses was to a team of recruited private school kids. And one of the other losses was just a complete panic collapse by the defense. The team was beatable, and we'll have another crack at them and a few good prospects on the horizon.

 

[Gtrips07]

understanding this might be too advanced for 10U or even a lot of 12U players. By 14U platers should be able to think a little in the box. I like aggressive hitting too. But when you are up 2-0 there is no need to swing at a pitch at the knees on the outside black. You look fast ball middle in (or whatever is your preference). If you don't get it, you let it go. With two strikes you can't do that. If you want to make sure to put the ball in play, you have to sit a little longer to see change up or whatever.

Many at the MLB level (many young ladies at the collegiate level as well), don't need to square up the ball to hit homers. OK, so perhaps those hitters can keep the swing for the fences mentality. But players that can't hit homers or need to really square up a ball to do so, I don't believe that the MLB approach would be best for them.

Good hitters take 2-0 pitches. Great hitters take 2-0 pitches at the knees and go opposite field..

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[cnardone]

Good hitters take 2-0 pitches. Great hitters take 2-0 pitches at the knees and go opposite field..

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Sure, and the hitters that do the most damage are the ones that consistently swing at hitters pitches. Not the pitchers pitch.

More importantly, how many hitters are you coaching that are truly great hitters?

 

[_MIA_]

Sure, and the hitters that do the most damage are the ones that consistently swing at hitters pitches. Not the pitchers pitch.

More importantly, how many hitters are you coaching that are truly great hitters?

Ted Williams approves this message (or at least his cryogenically frozen head does..)

 

[Gtrips07]

I guess you haven't watch much of OU play. They're agressive and smash the crap out of the ball. Further at most travel levels the pitcher has a very small selection of pitches they use with a 2-0 count. If you know what it is why wouldn't you smash it?

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[_MIA_]

I guess you haven't watch much of OU play. They're agressive and smash the crap out of the ball. Further at most travel levels the pitcher has a very small selection of pitches they use with a 2-0 count. If you know what it is why wouldn't you smash it?

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They are not typically swinging at knee high pitches on the black on 2-0. Also if you are going to call someone out it usually helps to quote them.

 

[CoachJD]

I guess you haven't watch much of OU play. They're agressive and smash the crap out of the ball. Further at most travel levels the pitcher has a very small selection of pitches they use with a 2-0 count. If you know what it is why wouldn't you smash it?

Oklahoma is third among D1 teams in walks, so my guess is they're almost certainly not swinging at too many borderline 2-0 pitches.

Great hitters don't swing at pitcher's pitches.