Why do excellent baseball hitters strike out against Fastpitch pitchers

[lhowser]

We've all seen the clips. Fastpitch softball pitchers striking our college, minor league and even major league baseball hitters. Most of the time it is a combination of riseballs and change-ups that do the baseballs guys in.

At the same time most of us are trying to teach some form of high level MLB swing to the girls we coach believing the softball and baseball swing are the same swing.

here is the question for discussion:

WHY DO SO MANY OF THE BASEBALL PLAYERS STRIKE OUT SWINGING UNDER THE BALL?

Some possible answers-

~!The high level baseball swing is not compatible with the pitch plane of a riseball and the higher/flatter fastpitch pitch (maybe the barrel approach needs to be flatter)

~The baseball players haven't seen enough pitches to adjust

~They only show the failures because it's entertaining

~other

Thoughts?

 

[nanotech14]

At the same time most of us are trying to teach some form of high level MLB swing to the girls we coach believing the softball and baseball swing are the same swing.

YOU JUST HAD OPEN UP THIS CAN OF WORMS!!! Okay, I do like your thread, I think? I need to get the popcorn started.

 

[Perfect Circle]

Maybe because they are trying to knock it out of the park? It is very entertaining to watch the demonstrations. Plus they are used to getting K'ed.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

I would say it's a timing issue. Major League hitters have an internal clock that goes off in a matter of milliseconds. Throw off that timing just a little and they have issues.

Forget fast pitch; ever watch a major league hitter try and hit a slow pitch softball? It can be embarrassing (see any celebrity softball game). Again it's just a timing issue.

Give any major league hitter a week to get the timing down (slow pitch, fast pitch) and they will show you why they are the best in the world.

 

[softballdad04]

I would say it's because baseball hitters are used to swinging "down" on the ball and most of the stikeouts you see on TV are agianst the riseball. It's been proven that a hitter can adjust their hands down faster then they can up. In baseball the natural motion the pitcher makes is to force the ball down or on an even plane. In fastpitch softball, pitchers can make the ball rise, which is just naturally harder to catch up to.

Just my thoughts...

 

[MEL]

Not used to release point

 

[redhotcoach]

I have only seen one clip. Post some of the others.

That one I am sure can be in the category of "only the misses were shown because it is entertaining."

Give the top 100 mlb hitters a minus 8-10 composite bat, a dozen warm up pitches to get the timing, and then call 911.

 

[Greenmonsters]

I have only seen one clip. Post some of the others.

That one I am sure can be in the category of "only the misses were shown because it is entertaining."

Give the top 100 mlb hitters a minus 8-10 composite bat, a dozen warm up pitches to get the timing, and then call 911.

I've seen a number of clips and they all end predictably in failure. If it were only a matter of timing (i.e, there being less reaction time for 70 mph at SB distance than 95 mph at BB distance), I agree that it would only take a dozen or two swings before they were locked in and lasering. However, the release point is different and, most importantly, the pitch trajectories are different. IMO, it would take several hundred or thousand pitches to get the pitch trajectory ingrained mentally so that it can be recognized without thinking so that a hitter can react instictively and consistently make good contact. I think curves and screws would get adjusted to pretty quickly, and the rise would be the last to master.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Same exact scene would happen if you took fastpitch's best hitters and put them up against MLB pitchers. Both ways can adjust with enough time, but not over a short exhibition.

 

[jbooth]

We've all seen the clips. Fastpitch softball pitchers striking our college, minor league and even major league baseball hitters. Most of the time it is a combination of riseballs and change-ups that do the baseballs guys in.

At the same time most of us are trying to teach some form of high level MLB swing to the girls we coach believing the softball and baseball swing are the same swing.

here is the question for discussion:

WHY DO SO MANY OF THE BASEBALL PLAYERS STRIKE OUT SWINGING UNDER THE BALL?

Some possible answers-

~!The high level baseball swing is not compatible with the pitch plane of a riseball and the higher/flatter fastpitch pitch (maybe the barrel approach needs to be flatter)

~The baseball players haven't seen enough pitches to adjust

~They only show the failures because it's entertaining

~other

Thoughts?

Because EVERYTHING is different and they haven't practiced at it. Give them 2 hours per day for 5 days, practicing against the fastpitch distance and pitching motion, and I'd bet those ladies would look pretty bad.