Acclimating to better pitching

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Mar 29, 2015
61
18
My 04 house league team moved up to 12U for fall ball, and is about to start the spring season. The pitchers are doing pretty well with the new ball and distance, and generally things are going ok in the field (except for forgetting about dropped third strikes) but we're struggling with hitting on two levels.

1. Almost all of my players are having great trouble catching up to the good fast pitching that we're seeing in tournaments. They do great with coach pitch and machine pitch -- there's just something different about girl pitch at that level that they aren't comfortable with.

2. Some of the girls got used to relying on inconsistent pitching at 10U and expect to be able to stand in, swing only at perfect (hitters) pitches, and draw walks if those pitches don't materialize. They complain about getting punched out by pitches that they think are too low, but are really well executed pitches at the knees.

I try to explain to them about expanding their comfort zones, finding pitches they can hit, faster hands, loading earlier, etc. but the verbal coaching isn't sinking in.

What drills or strategies do you suggest to get these girls back on track with their hitting?
 
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Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
Sounds like it is mental. They have 5 extra feet and a bigger ball to hit.

Try to get an older player to come throw live pitching at your practices. Give her a few bucks.

(We had trouble with dropped 3rd strikes too, it worked itself out after a little while)
 
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Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
My 04 house league team moved up to 12U for fall ball, and is about to start the spring season. The pitchers are doing pretty well with the new ball and distance, and generally things are going ok in the field (except for forgetting about dropped third strikes) but we're struggling with hitting on two levels.

1. Almost all of my players are having great trouble catching up to the good fast pitching that we're seeing in tournaments. They do great with coach pitch and machine pitch -- there's just something different about girl pitch at that level that they aren't comfortable with.

2. Some of the girls got used to relying on inconsistent pitching at 10U and expect to be able to stand in, swing only at perfect (hitters) pitches, and draw walks if those pitches don't materialize. They complain about getting punched out by pitches that they think are too low, but are really well executed pitches at the knees.

I try to explain to them about expanding their comfort zones, finding pitches they can hit, faster hands, loading earlier, etc. but the verbal coaching isn't sinking in.

What drills or strategies do you suggest to get these girls back on track with their hitting?

Teach a good hitting sequence, initiating the sequence slow and early, and practice.
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
Sounds like it is mental. They have 5 extra feet and a bigger ball to hit.

Try to get an older player to come throw live pitching at your practices. Give her a few bucks.

(We had trouble with dropped 3rd strikes too, it worked itself out after a little while)

It may be both 'mental' and 'physical'.

Why 'physical'? Because while coaches/players/parents are embedded in such an environment they often avoid accepting the reality of the situation, ... that being that many of the girls haven't yet learned how to swing a bat properly. Sure ... they put the ball in play ... they scored ... and the other team fielded poorly ... all elements that one could use to convince oneself that the kiddos are swinging well. In reality, most of what they received was a positive introduction to youth sports. The pitching will have often been poor and the swings often could exist by timing the ball, determining if the ball could be hit, and then finally initiating a swing ... it will be a swing sequence that won't be much of a sequence based on how they adapted at that time.

The reality is that this coach may need to go beyond the 'mental' aspects and teach 'physical' aspects. The reality is that the kiddos may need to begin learning how to swing.
 
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Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
How educated are your players about hitting?

When you give cues like ''faster hands'' and ''loading earlier'', what does that mean to them?

Do they understand what faster hands is about? Do they know what it means to turn the barrel? To be short to the ball? If not, then faster hands just means swing faster, I guess. I don't know.

When you say load earlier, is that just because the pitcher is good and fast? Or do they understand the concept of slow and early to help with timing?
 
Feb 7, 2013
3,188
48
There is no easy quick fix, especially if they only started facing kid pitch at 10u (in our region it starts at 8u so when they get into tournaments they are prepared).

Have them face as much live pitching in practice as you can. Also, lots of front toss from 20 feet or so to replicate the reaction time of the faster pitching and the tosser can place the pitch inside, outside, up and down so they learn where the effective strike zone is for hitting and when to lay off pitches. Lastly, all the players at this age should be taking individual hitting lessons if they want to improve and get batter.
 
Oct 10, 2011
1,572
38
Pacific Northwest
I had to Opposite problem, we faced the slowest pitcher i have ever seen at 14u. My goodness it was a struggle.
Any tips for this? I play slow pitch, and play with Paid baseball players who struggle.


my first thought is do nothing, stay on course, but it seems to me, that if the girl throws change up, after change up, they should learn to adapt quicker.
 
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