Swinging at the high pitches

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May 25, 2015
26
0
Any tips, tricks or drills to help a batter lay off the high pitches. I have a Freshman that continuously chases after high pitches.
And she misses them, of course. :)

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Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
What do you mean by "zone low"?

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Just that ... zone low. You look for strikes (or pitches you can drive) only in the lower half of the strike zone, and take (don't swing at) pitches elsewhere.

You DO NOT tell an athlete WHAT NOT TO DO ... for example "lay off the riseball". Instead you instruct an athlete WHAT TO DO ... for example, "zone low".

If you tell an athlete to "lay off the riseball" then you are setting them up for failure.

Coach: Lay off the riseball Brenda.

Brenda: Yes coach, I'll lay off the riseball.

Brenda's thoughts in the box become: Lay off the riseball ... riseball ... riseball ... riseball ... oh, here is that riseball ... sugar, I swung at what I was thinking about again ... thank you coach for getting in my head and screwing up my at-bat.

Coach: I don't believe it. I told Brenda to not swing at a riseball, and there she goes again swinging at a riseball. Will she ever learn?

Brenda: What a douche bag I have for a coach. Will he ever learn?
 
May 25, 2015
26
0
Well,.... That got dark in a hurry.
Okay, I understand what you mean.

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Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
It's really simple. You evaluate an opposing pitcher for their ability to throw strikes in a certain zone ... and if you find that they can not throw strikes in a certain zone, then re-zone the strike zone. Gives a batter a heck of an advantage.
 

Chris Delorit

Member
Apr 24, 2016
343
28
Green Bay, WI
Coach,

If they're strikes in the top half of the zone, you have to teach her to hit those pitches. Among other things, it could be that she's just too anxious, has never been taught to track the ball or may need an adjustment in her mechanics.

If she's consistantly swing at pitches out of the zone, there aren't going to be too many physical drills that can help. In that scenario, you'll have to focus training her mental approach to hitting. FFS already offered you one approach to use to begin to re-train the thought process in her AB's. That's something she could easily repeat to herself in her own mind during every pitch of every AB as her own training tool, until she reconditions her mental discipline enough to stop using it.

She'll need a ton of high BP, to begin to train her ability to track a softball correctly. To do that, you can use a variety of methods such as numbered balls, balls with stripes, different colored stripes, seam orientation pattern, etc. Really, anything to help her focal track because like most kids, it can commonly be just a guessing game. Ideally, this will also help build confidence and calm anxiety to a point where she can become more comfortable in tracking each pitch deeper into the zone. With hope, swinging at better strikes.

At some point, you start mixing pitches at a variety of planes to increase the challenge and continue to build and strengthen that mental discipline.

It's a ton of work, but you'll get there! ;)

Chris
 
Last edited:
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
Coach,

If they're strikes in the top half of the zone, you have to teach her to hit those pitches. Among other things, it could be that she's just too anxious, has never been taught to track the ball or may need an adjustment in her mechanics.

If she's consistantly swing at pitches out of the zone, there aren't going to be too many physical drills that can help. In that scenario, you'll have to focus training her mental approach to hitting. FFS already offered you one approach to use to begin to re-train the thought process in her AB's. That's something she could easily repeat to herself in her own mind during every pitch of every AB as her own training tool, until she reconditions her mental discipline enough to stop using it.

She'll need a ton of high BP, to begin to train her ability to track a softball correctly. To do that, you can use a variety of methods such as numbered balls, balls with stripes, different colored stripes, seam orientation pattern, etc. Really, anything to help her focal track because like most kids, it can commonly be just a guessing game. Ideally, this will also help build confidence and calm anxiety to a point where she can become more comfortable in tracking each pitch deeper into the zone. With hope, swinging at better strikes.

At some point, you start mixing pitches at a variety of planes to increase the challenge and continue to build and strengthen that mental discipline.

It's a ton of work, but you'll get there! ;)

Chris

Bold above ... I highly advise against doing this. Such tactics encourage a hard focus, which in turn essentially "speeds the game up" on a hitter. Good prediction of ball trajectory comes from a batter's use of an open relaxed/soft focus. Slow the game down ... use an open relaxed focus.
 

Chris Delorit

Member
Apr 24, 2016
343
28
Green Bay, WI
Coach,

It's very important that you train the eyes to identify the softball within it's path from release to contact. If you have a young, anxious (freshman) hitter who hasn't yet been trained to be able to track the 11 or 12" object, and eventually identify the spin on that object, you will never coach her out of a guessing game. Without that, it's a fly-swatting contest. Suggestion is to micro-focus within those drills, and then you can slowly work outwards into a macro-focus (soft-focus) mode. Really develop that mental engrainment, which should eventually lead to better anxiety control (because she'll now better understand ball trajectory) and more relaxed body language (as she's more confident in her actual ability to hit the ball).

Eventually, her goal is to become very relaxed in the box, both mentally & physically. Remember, she's a freshman. The game should eventually slow down with proper training, experiences & successes. In the process, soft-focus within a general range of vision of the ball path is an extremely important aspect to mental relaxation. What absolutely must occur at a point shortly after the pitcher's release...is an hyper-level of focal sharpness. Soft-focus and focal sharpness can, and will eventually co-exist together as she becomes more experienced as a growing player with developing skills.

Chris
 

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