Timing Drills

Looking for your best drills to work on timing. 12U girls are a little different than. LOL

Live pitching is the best thing, preferably with an older girl.

Have had this discussion before and didn't win, different options.

If the fastest or normal is 50, pitch 50. No reason to throw 60, messes them up IMO.

Lots of work with a moving ball - front toss, live pitching, even pitching machines have their place.

Pitching machines have their faults but one benefit to them is kids figure out how to hit off them even if they are going fast, it can boost their confidence to know they've hit much faster than the girl throwing to them in games.

3 plate drill - each plate closer to the front toss pitcher. The pitcher needs to keep consistant so it seems faster when the player is close and slower when the player is far away.

Teach them what to do on deck to time up the pitcher.

Oh, and lots of live at bats.

We see from 35 to 55. Work hard on deck. Love the three plate drill. Keep them coming please.

Tango said:

We see from 35 to 55. Work hard on deck. Love the three plate drill. Keep them coming please.

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Big range, almost have to throw it 55. Had better luck slowing them down then speeding them up.

I agree with Quincy if you only have the option to pitch at one speed. However, one big mistake I made when pitching to my DD is pitching at the constant highest speed, she had a lot of trouble with the slower pitchers. If she see's the range 35-55 then I would hit all those speeds IMO. For example I like to emulate a game situation;

Pitcher 1 at 55
Let your player warm up on deck and see a few pitches to get her timing right. Then let her swing at that speed until she is comfortable hitting at that speed.

Pitcher 2 Reduce speed to 45
Repeat process

Pitcher 3 Reduce speed to 35
Repeat process

Once consistent hitting at these speeds, start throwing in change ups as well.

Personally I don't like batting machines ... how can a girl time a batting machine correctly in comparison to timing a live pitcher? I think batting machines enforces bad mechanics and throws their sequence off.. just my personal experience with my DD.

DD crushes a pitching machine after seeing 2 or 3 pitches. I could never hit off one. 3 plate drill is inconsistent and always hits better at the middle plate. Working hard on deck. Doesn't make adjustments between pitches like I think she should. She is an average athlete that works hard and competes. Any suggestions appreciated. I'm coached at a fairly high level of baseball (HS and Ollege) but not a 10 year old playing 12U softball. Lol

FFS and others will likely explain this better, but we've been slow coiling/loading as the arm hits 12 o'clock, then half-firing on EVERY pitch--just after release. She thinks "Hit" on every pitch, then doesn't if the location stinks.