Watching too many good pitches go by

[CoogansBluff]

One more thing I will add...at the plate she is very confident and very focused.

Confidence is always good. My DD tends to be confident regardless of how she's hitting. As far as focused? I guess, but just when I think she's figured it out, she'll have at-bats where she swings at pitches and lets others go that defy explanation.

My DD enjoys the talks about about how to approach an at-bat, but yet she tells me she does better when she doesn't think about anything - including the count, and what pitches she's looking for. That's a bit of a dilemma. I don't want her mind to be cluttered, but don't want it to be empty either, and sometimes it's obvious that it is for a particular AB. The mental game and coaching it is a challenge.

 

[Rocketech1]

One thing you need to remember is she may be getting signs from her 3B coach and doesn't have as much flexibility in what pitches she can and can't swing at. For example, in 12U many times the coach will have the batter take a pitch to allow R1 to attempt to steal 2B; a fake bunt and swing away: bunt attempt; runner on third with less than 2 outs a sac fly attempt; etc.

My DD has the opposite problem, she is almost too aggressive at the plate. For example, this spring the first 10 games and approximately 30 at-bats she had zero walks which told me she wasn't patient enough.

With that said, unless you are one of the lead-off batters with a high on-base percentage, I believe in Sue Enquist's philosophy of "yes, yes, ...no" swing.

 

[CoogansBluff]

My DD has the opposite problem, she is almost too aggressive at the plate. For example, this spring the first 10 games and approximately 30 at-bats she had zero walks which told me she wasn't patient enough.

I think you're confusing your daughter with mine. A hitting coach once remarked to me, ''You can't walk your way into a college scholarship.'' I've always believed that developmentally it's better to be too aggressive than not enough. So I'm not concerned yet about the lack of walks, but I'd guess there are 3-4 swings per tournament where I wish she'd taken the pitch. Not obvious, ball-over-your-head swings, but more subtle ones, like taking a strike at 2-0 if it's not right down the pike. But as DR suggested, it's hard to say ''be selective on 2-0'' for fear that she hears that as ''don't swing on 2-0.''

btw, I think my DD has 3-4 walks in 65-66 plate appearances in travel ball this year. Might be the fewest on the team, though have not seen stats.

 

[Doug Romrell]

I've always believed that developmentally it's better to be too aggressive than not enough.

I agree, but I don't think this is the norm in terms of coaching philosophy.

 

[Rocketburke5]

This is a tough issue at any age. In college we see it a lot because of hitting being mostly a mental game. Something that we do a lot in practice to help with this, our coach will give us a count before we actually step in the box to practice live hitting, generally one with at least 1 strike. This gets us to already get in the mindset of going after a good pitch. Because for some people, they have a very hard time going after a pitch if they haven't seen a strike yet in the count. I am exactly the opposite and like to hit the first pitch because it is usually a good pitch and I am also generally at the top of the lineup. Which also means that I am often too aggressive, so it also is beneficial for those who get in that habit. It may sound like a mediocre or simple drill, but it really seems to work.

 

[T.J.]

Ok so we talked tonight....I casually (with some excitement to hear) asked her to tell me more about the pitch she hit to right field. Here was her response....almost verbatim.....

DD. "oh yeah...well you know how some coaches have been telling me I can't hit to right field?"
TJ. "Yeah"....
DD "well I've been trying to do that more to show them I can....so when I saw this pitch going outside I knew that was the pitch to hit over there....so I did what you told me and I hit to right".....
TJ. "that's great I'm proud of you...you should be proud too"
DD. "yeah I am..(she continued)...I know I haven't been swinging at some pitches lately, like the last two weeks...it's just that when I see certain pitches I know I will either pop it up or not get a good hit on it, so I don't swing....the coaches have yelled at me, they think I can't see the pitch but I can!..I'm visualizing the ball the whole way, but if it's a pitch I can't hit good I don't swing. I know I should be swinging at them more and I'll start to do that."
TJ "Hey ...don't get upset...trust me when I see you up there I know you're focused and thinking, with an aggressive attitude. They don't know you the way I do...you keep doing what you're doing"...."so tell me...what's your favorite pitch?"
DD "Letter high!"
TJ "Nice!"

So it appears the pitches I see her "taking" aren't as ideal as I may think they are....at least not to her. I'm happy she was able to explain what her thought process was and that she is aware of what she is doing. I told her at times you need to take what the pitche gives you....you may not always get the ideal pitch you are hoping for....when you see the pitch coming, if it's in the zone....accept it's location, and use the skills you've learned to hit it.

We'll see how she does the next few games....but it was a good talk.

 

[Greenmonsters]

....you may not always get the ideal pitch you are hoping for....when you see the pitch coming, if it's in the zone....accept it's location, and use the skills you've learned to hit it.

It sounds like your DD has a very good approach!

Regarding the above, I would clarify that "the zone" should always be defined by the batter up until they have 2 strikes on them; after that, the zone is defined by the umpire.