Fidgety in the batters box

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Oct 4, 2016
176
18
Hey. My daughter moves her feet in the box a lot before the pitch comes. I am trying to teach her to settle in before but she doesn't seem to understand. There are times when the pitcher has some pace that she doesn't seem ready to swing and she either doesn't have time to swing or swings very late. Most of her hits against pitchers who are slow to normal speed still go to the right side. Any suggestion on how to help her dig in and be ready? Thanks in advance!
 
Feb 3, 2010
5,752
113
Pac NW
I'd focus on her timing and intent for each pitch. Think "HIT" on every pitch and begin the slow load as the ball passes over the pitcher's head. I like kids who dance in the box. I think it helps with rhythm.
 
Sep 29, 2014
2,421
113
One persons fidgeting is anothers timing mechanism. She just need to figure out for each pitcher what her cue is to stop moving and be "ready".
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Hey. My daughter moves her feet in the box a lot before the pitch comes. I am trying to teach her to settle in before but she doesn't seem to understand. There are times when the pitcher has some pace that she doesn't seem ready to swing and she either doesn't have time to swing or swings very late. Most of her hits against pitchers who are slow to normal speed still go to the right side. Any suggestion on how to help her dig in and be ready? Thanks in advance!

Based on your description, I have a suspicion that her first intent is not to hit the ball, but rather to judge whether the ball is going to hit her. Once it has been determined that she will not get hit by the pitch, then she starts the swing/no-swing decision process. With moderate-to-slow pitching, she can get away with it, and still execute a decent swing. As the pitching gets faster, there simply isn't enough time to fit all of those processes into the time window. The mental approach HAS to be one of "I'm hitting this pitch", and the body needs to go through its pre-launch movements on EVERY pitch, before the hitter even knows where the location is. It's the only way to be on time with fast pitching.

This is a great illustration of getting started on every pitch, before the location is known... http://noontimebaseball.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Cabrera_062313_PbP_stack.gif

Mental approach...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWWcXUMUILI&index=14&list=PLLo_t691U8DVQCriImV9Kt44VdEI6iFir
 
Oct 4, 2016
176
18
Based on your description, I have a suspicion that her first intent is not to hit the ball, but rather to judge whether the ball is going to hit her. Once it has been determined that she will not get hit by the pitch, then she starts the swing/no-swing decision process. With moderate-to-slow pitching, she can get away with it, and still execute a decent swing. As the pitching gets faster, there simply isn't enough time to fit all of those processes into the time window. The mental approach HAS to be one of "I'm hitting this pitch", and the body needs to go through its pre-launch movements on EVERY pitch, before the hitter even knows where the location is. It's the only way to be on time with fast pitching.

This is a great illustration of getting started on every pitch, before the location is known... http://noontimebaseball.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Cabrera_062313_PbP_stack.gif

Mental approach...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWWcXUMUILI&index=14&list=PLLo_t691U8DVQCriImV9Kt44VdEI6iFir

I don't think it's a concern about getting hit, but I do agree that her mentality isn't to hit every pitch. We've talked about getting that mentality but it's not there yet. Let me see if I can find a vid.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
I don't think it's a concern about getting hit, but I do agree that her mentality isn't to hit every pitch. We've talked about getting that mentality but it's not there yet. Let me see if I can find a vid.

I was just guessing based on experiences I've had with other young players. Good to hear that's not an issue for your DD. However, the rest of it still applies. It's a change in attitude from "is this a pitch to hit?" to "I'm hitting this pitch!".
 
Oct 4, 2016
176
18
I was just guessing based on experiences I've had with other young players. Good to hear that's not an issue for your DD. However, the rest of it still applies. It's a change in attitude from "is this a pitch to hit?" to "I'm hitting this pitch!".

Thanks! Yeah - she's even that way in front toss and tee drills.

Any ideas on how to change to that mentality? Me telling her that doesn't seem to be enough lol.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Thanks! Yeah - she's even that way in front toss and tee drills.

Any ideas on how to change to that mentality? Me telling her that doesn't seem to be enough lol.

How old is she? Sometimes it's just a matter of maturity, experience, and confidence. Fear of striking out can be a big limiter for some kids, and they step into the box hoping to walk. I don't have a problem with a kid striking out swinging. Striking out looking, however, irritates me.

One thing I did with my DD at about 9yo was to set up a tee and move it around to lots of different spots, even slightly outside the zone - high, low, left, right. My DD learned that she had the ability to hit the ball pretty well, no matter where the location was, and she learned how to make adjustments for different locations. This turned on a lightbulb for her, and her confidence grew. This might be a helpful exercise for your DD.

Currently, my DD's mental approach adjusts depending on the count. With 0-strikes, she's looking for a pitch in her "hot" zone (hitter needs to know where that is). If it's not there, taking a strike is just fine. With a 1-strike count, she expands her "hit" zone to about the size of the strikezone, and is aggressive about trying to hit the ball hard. With 2-strikes, it's about getting the bat on everything, unless it's clearly WAY outside the zone. If she can hit it hard, great. If she can foul off a borderline pitch, great. It's another chance for the pitcher to give her something she can hit hard. The most recent adjustment has been to expand her "hot" zone on 0-strike counts. She has developed into a confident and capable hitter who can perform under pressure with a 2-strike count.

My DD's confidence didn't develop overnight. It started by trying to fool the pitcher into thinking she was a really good hitter. At first, I asked her to put on an act - step into the box with swag, and get the pitcher to believe you're the best hitter on the team. If they think you're timid and unsure, you're giving them the advantage. Before too long, that false bravado became real confidence as she started having success.
 
Oct 4, 2016
176
18
How old is she? Sometimes it's just a matter of maturity, experience, and confidence. Fear of striking out can be a big limiter for some kids, and they step into the box hoping to walk. I don't have a problem with a kid striking out swinging. Striking out looking, however, irritates me.

One thing I did with my DD at about 9yo was to set up a tee and move it around to lots of different spots, even slightly outside the zone - high, low, left, right. My DD learned that she had the ability to hit the ball pretty well, no matter where the location was, and she learned how to make adjustments for different locations. This turned on a lightbulb for her, and her confidence grew. This might be a helpful exercise for your DD.

Currently, my DD's mental approach adjusts depending on the count. With 0-strikes, she's looking for a pitch in her "hot" zone (hitter needs to know where that is). If it's not there, taking a strike is just fine. With a 1-strike count, she expands her "hit" zone to about the size of the strikezone, and is aggressive about trying to hit the ball hard. With 2-strikes, it's about getting the bat on everything, unless it's clearly WAY outside the zone. If she can hit it hard, great. If she can foul off a borderline pitch, great. It's another chance for the pitcher to give her something she can hit hard. The most recent adjustment has been to expand her "hot" zone on 0-strike counts. She has developed into a confident and capable hitter who can perform under pressure with a 2-strike count.

My DD's confidence didn't develop overnight. It started by trying to fool the pitcher into thinking she was a really good hitter. At first, I asked her to put on an act - step into the box with swag, and get the pitcher to believe you're the best hitter on the team. If they think you're timid and unsure, you're giving them the advantage. Before too long, that false bravado became real confidence as she started having success.

She's 11. I do know she has had a fear of striking out in her for a while now and when she does she strikes out looking more often than swinging. Which irritates us both, as well as her HC.

I'll give your ideas a try! Thanks!
 

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