Live pitching practices VS bullpens/lessons

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Nov 18, 2015
1,585
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Hard to convince a couple of our coaches

Ask the “believers” to fill an OF spot for two or three batters. If they’re not bored out there minds by that point, maybe you can limit the damage and agree to live BP once a week, last 20 mins of practice. (And if those earlier drills run a bit long….)


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May 13, 2023
1,538
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@Nate711 , why did you post in 3 different sections? Most of us start with the tab "What's New" and everyone will see your post.

Westwind sums it up. Pitchers get better at home and lessons not during team practices. Lots of reps. 10U is the VERY hardest and most frustrating age division because the players are just learning to pitch. Don't be that coach that yells out "just throw strikes!"

It is hard and the pitchers are putting in more work than anyone else on the team.
And the catcher's dealing with the pitchers learning to figure it out!

Catching can be very grueling gnarly difficult exhausting and frustrating amongst a few other things.

They are doing their best.
👍
 
May 15, 2008
1,913
113
Cape Cod Mass.
Doing live hitting has two benefits, assuming that your pitchers can throw a decent amount of strikes and not just walk everyone. Pitchers need to get used to throwing to batters. I have seen young pitchers that are great in practice/bullpens but with a batter in the box they struggle. Most of the time it's because they don't want to hit the batter and the area they can safely make mistakes in has shrunk. The other benefit is for the hitters. I have seen a lot of batters who can hit front toss and off machines very well but in games where there is a ball/strike choice to be made they struggle. Live pitching and hitting in a scrimmage format where balls and strikes are called helps everyone. You can't put hitters up there and tell them they get 5 hits or something like that. If they swing at the first pitch and pop it up, well too bad, get back in line. I say give live hitting/pitching a shot, if it turns into a walkfest then change the plan.
 
May 21, 2023
11
3
Doing live hitting has two benefits, assuming that your pitchers can throw a decent amount of strikes and not just walk everyone. Pitchers need to get used to throwing to batters. I have seen young pitchers that are great in practice/bullpens but with a batter in the box they struggle. Most of the time it's because they don't want to hit the batter and the area they can safely make mistakes in has shrunk. The other benefit is for the hitters. I have seen a lot of batters who can hit front toss and off machines very well but in games where there is a ball/strike choice to be made they struggle. Live pitching and hitting in a scrimmage format where balls and strikes are called helps everyone. You can't put hitters up there and tell them they get 5 hits or something like that. If they swing at the first pitch and pop it up, well too bad, get back in line. I say give live hitting/pitching a shot, if it turns into a walkfest then change the plan.
I think this an understood thing.. I was speaking mainly on pitchers who are inconsistent in bullpens AND live.. We have a couple coaches who think we need to be doing live every other practice, but don’t take into account how much that holds the fielders AND the hitters back when they can’t throw strikes consistently.. Live serves its purpose, but it’s not where you are supposed to build your pitchers or your hitters
 
May 15, 2008
1,913
113
Cape Cod Mass.
I think this an understood thing.. I was speaking mainly on pitchers who are inconsistent in bullpens AND live.. We have a couple coaches who think we need to be doing live every other practice, but don’t take into account how much that holds the fielders AND the hitters back when they can’t throw strikes consistently.. Live serves its purpose, but it’s not where you are supposed to build your pitchers or your hitters
It looks to me like you opened this thread looking for opinions to support your position and aren't really "Curious to hear the thoughts from this board." Are you a pitching instructor?
 
May 13, 2023
1,538
113
both serve their purpose but if a kid is throwing 30-40, or even 50% strikes in a bullpen/lesson without the elements of a game, throwing live isn't going to be the difference maker. Curious to hear the thoughts from this board.
Pitching/hitting at practice provides.
The opportunity to see if that 30-40 or even 50% strikes increases or decreases.
Which can help provide whoever is calling pitches to learn what pitches are more effective or not.

Provides the opportunity for batters to be selective in the pitches they're getting.
Or
Provides the opportunity for batters to hit pitches that are out of the zone learning to make adjustments in their swing to be productive.

Live pitching provides perhaps the best opportunity for batters to learn timing.

Live pitching provides the opportunity for pitchers to learn to throw with batters standing there.

Offense is how teams score runs. I would not look at this situation only as a question for the pitcher.
*It is for the entire team.

Coach can say,... every batter is getting 10 pitches, whatever they are, do your best with them. Whatever coaching advice you want to implement on approach is up to you.
 
May 21, 2023
11
3
It looks to me like you opened this thread looking for opinions to support your position and aren't really "Curious to hear the thoughts from this board." Are you a pitching instructor?
It looks to me like you opened this thread looking for opinions to support your position and aren't really "Curious to hear the thoughts from this board." Are you a pitching instructor?
Huh?
I think this an understood thing.. I was speaking mainly on pitchers who are inconsistent in bullpens AND live.. We have a couple coaches who think we need to be doing live every other practice, but don’t take into account how much that holds the fielders AND the hitters back when they can’t throw strikes consistently.. Live serves its purpose, but it’s not where you are supposed to build your pitchers or your hitters
It looks to me like you opened this thread looking for opinions to support your position and aren't really "Curious to hear the thoughts from this board." Are you a pitching instructor?
Huh? I asked a specific question about a specific situation.. I think we all know that live practicing helps pitchers and hitters. But that wasn’t the question. And no I’m not a pitching instructor at all.
 
May 13, 2023
1,538
113
50% strikes in a bullpen/lesson without the elements of a game, throwing live isn't going to be the difference maker.
^Is this the specific topic?^
Curious to hear the thoughts from this board.
imo practicing things that are more game like is definitely beneficial! Live pitching hitting even without an Umpire is at least closer to the real thing.

They are 10, guide keeping it moving along. Once a week doing live pitching is probably not going to be bad for development. Would not treat one pitcher differently than the other two.

Move practice along by putting a bucket of softballs next to the pitcher, no need to have the catcher throwing back, just grab a ball and Pitch it.
5 per batter
Next..........
Keep rotating.

Can even add elements like if the pitchers throwing strikes and the batter is not hitting it after three strikes she's out.
Makes throwing strikes and hitting priority!
Or
If the batter smashes the first two or three pitches maybe the next couple of pitches the pitcher tries to locate out of the Zone more.

Add change-ups!
 
Last edited:
Dec 11, 2010
4,713
113
^Is this the specific topic?^

imo practicing things that are more game like is definitely beneficial! Live pitching hitting even without an Umpire is at least closer to the real thing.

They are 10, guide keeping it moving along. Once a week doing live pitching is probably not going to be bad for development. Would not treat one pitcher differently than the other two.

Move practice along by putting a bucket of softballs next to the pitcher, no need to have the catcher throwing back, just grab a ball and Pitch it.
5 per batter
Next..........
Keep rotating.

Can even add elements like if the pitchers throwing strikes and the batter is not hitting it after three strikes she's out.
Makes throwing strikes and hitting priority!
Or
If the batter smashes the first two or three pitches maybe the next couple of pitches the pitcher tries to locate out of the Zone more.

Add change-ups!
All of this can be done in the 100 games a year these kids play now.

There are too many things a kid that age needs to learn than standing around waiting for a ball to be hit by them, waiting to have the same situation accidentally happen twice so it can be reinforced. (And wain’t for it to randomly happen 6 more times so they will actually remember it.)

Practice hitting. Have front tosses and work on locations and hitters recognizing locations. Throw them BALLS as well as strikes. You can thank me later.

Practice outfield. Fly balls. Cutoffs. (When two evenly matched teams play, it is usually decided in the outfield.)

Repetitively practice common situations with multiple players in different positions.

Practice sliding to the back of the bag at 2.

Practice lead offs and reading/going on dirt balls.

Practice diving back to first on a pick so your players can lead off further and be a threat the defense has to worry about.

There are a million more. They are 10u, they aren’t softball players yet. Yes, college teams scrimmage a lot. They are already players. They practice 3 hours a day every day. It’s different.
 

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