Switch hitter

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Dec 5, 2012
4,143
63
Mid West
What are your thoughts on this?
A student is struggling at the plate due to poor mechanics that we cant seem to break. So, with her being the amazing, super strong and fast athlete that she is, we moved her to the left side a few months ago. No bad habits to break, and is showing massive progress. Her Zepp data shows better numbers on the left... Her parents and I agreed, she's a lefty now. Period! Don't look back. 100% lefty! (triple threat! can slap and power hit!!)
Travel ball coach says its situational and wants her going back and forth.... HS coach says the same.
I don't want the poor right side mechanics creaping over into her left side after we've spent so much time building it up.
Thoughts, suggestions???
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
What are your thoughts on this?
A student is struggling at the plate due to poor mechanics that we cant seem to break. So, with her being the amazing, super strong and fast athlete that she is, we moved her to the left side a few months ago. No bad habits to break, and is showing massive progress. Her Zepp data shows better numbers on the left... Her parents and I agreed, she's a lefty now. Period! Don't look back. 100% lefty! (triple threat! can slap and power hit!!)
Travel ball coach says its situational and wants her going back and forth.... HS coach says the same.
I don't want the poor right side mechanics creaping over into her left side after we've spent so much time building it up.
Thoughts, suggestions???

If the coaches want her to bat right handed there isn't anything you or her can do about it. She can simply say, I will bat right or left handed if that's what you want but I am not focused or even practicing batting right handed anymore.

I am assuming the statistics will illuminate this for the coaches but some coaches are stubborn.

I have never dictated which way a batter hits although I have said that prefer them not to switch back and forth (unless they truly were a switch hitter and practiced both).
 

rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
83
Not here.
Switch hitter to me is a player than can strike out from both sides of the plate. :p Pick a side an stick to it.
 
May 30, 2013
1,442
83
Binghamton, NY
i doubt that she will replicate same "bad mechanics" on the left side.
no one is that 'symmetrical' both physically or cognitively.

but I do agree: if she's a lefty now, be that 100%.
Lots of advantages to hitting lefty in fastpitch, but not much advantage to being a switch hitter, like in baseball....
 
Sep 17, 2009
1,637
83
What typically drives a coach to turn a hitter "back around"? Making a few outs? Like the hitter never made a few outs from her original side, right? That's what made them try to turn around in the first place :)

If they are good enough to hit lefty ONCE -- ie, they've got some the skills and mechanics -- then they are good enough to stay there and gain the advantage of working at it.
 
Dec 5, 2012
4,143
63
Mid West
Any way to talk to he TB coach? And or maybe the HS coach? I dont see how it’s situational if she can’t hit from the right...

HS coach is a gym teacher who coaches softball for the extra money... she doesn't know what shes doing...
Ive already spoken with TB coach...its his messed up mechanics that jacked her up in the first place. I think I'll have to have my student make lemonaid here... and just do her best
 
Jun 29, 2013
589
18
I was told a few years ago that there are no such things as switch hitters in softball. If you're good enough to hit left handed, always hit left handed. The coach who told me this was of the opinion that the metrics of LHP vs. LHB were not that important, and lefties get to first so much quicker in softball that it made no sense to switch.
 
Dec 5, 2012
4,143
63
Mid West
A few terrible looking strikeouts from the right (intentional or not) will end that.
That's the thing though.... She NEVER strikes out....ever. She wrist rolls while being jammed up, has collapsed front elbow, no weight shift and the ball is way in on her (shes the girl whos coach wants the ball to get deep) Her balls are always weak dribblers to the 2nd baseman because her contact is late on the handle while rolling over the ball.

When she hits left, shes getting a weight shift, gets extention, has proper sequence, has faster bat speeds and better launch angles... no bad habits. But for some retarded a$$ reason, TB coach wants her to switch hit????
 

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