"Take more pitches"??

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sluggers

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May 26, 2008
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Dallas, Texas
I watched the movie Moneyball. The players were encouraged to take more pitches and to get deeper into the count. I saw similar advice give to HS baseball players by way of a big sign in the practice area.

What do you think about that philosophy?

Thanks!
 
Apr 28, 2014
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I love this topic!
I am from the school of take pitches.. Especially if the pitcher is losing steam or the ump has a postage stamp strike zone.
DD's coach this year is an expert... He forgot more about the game than I'll ever know and he is a firm believer in hitting aggressively. He shared that with every strike the batters average goes down 50 points. Sometimes it's frustrating when we see a team taking pitches against us with a tight zone while our kids are swinging away, but almost always he's right.
 
Jun 29, 2013
589
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I saw it all the time in Rec Ball, not fun when you're a pitcher's dad and it works for the hitters, lol! Seriously though, I rarely see that anywhere around here with the top half of the lineup. Conversely, I see it almost all the time with the girls who hit at the end of the lineup. A relative who coaches in Southern CA has told me it isn't taught there at all, everyone wants to see good, aggressive hitters.
In youth baseball, it makes a ton of sense with pitch count rules, we don't have that (yet?) in softball. Also, with the top pitchers being able to throw multiple games, fatigue also isn't an element most teams can afford to wait for.
 
Oct 3, 2011
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Right Here For Now
I'm a firm believer in swing early and often. In other words be aggressive as a hitter. If our opponent is sitting back and waiting, my pitchers are throwing 3 strikes in a row and the third one the batter absolutely will not like. OTOH, if the umpire's strike zone is the size of squirrel's butthole, that's a different story. Patience comes into play. Part of a good hitter is learning when to be aggressive and when to have patience.
 
Jun 12, 2015
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I'm a firm believer in swing early and often. In other words be aggressive as a hitter. If our opponent is sitting back and waiting, my pitchers are throwing 3 strikes in a row and the third one the batter absolutely will not like. OTOH, if the umpire's strike zone is the size of squirrel's butthole, that's a different story. Patience comes into play. Part of a good hitter is learning when to be aggressive and when to have patience.

I can't make mine stop swinging at the first pitch. She hasn't been walked in like 6 tournaments. She's got aggressive down; how do we help with the patience part? She gets some great rips off that first pitch if it's good pitching sometimes. But with slower/weaker pitching it's a pop up or ground out usually.
 
Oct 3, 2011
3,478
113
Right Here For Now
I can't make mine stop swinging at the first pitch. She hasn't been walked in like 6 tournaments. She's got aggressive down; how do we help with the patience part? She gets some great rips off that first pitch if it's good pitching sometimes. But with slower/weaker pitching it's a pop up or ground out usually.

IMO, you shouldn't even try to make your DD stop swinging at the first pitch. Most Pitchers are taught to work from ahead and a good/great pitcher will try for a first pitch strike. Often times, this will be the fattest pitch a hitter will see. Even if it's on the corner, it will probably have more ball hanging over the plate to ensure a strike call than the following pitches will have. It sounds to me as if your DD is having issues with timing the ball versus mechanics. Make sure when she's on deck, that she is practice swinging to the pitches as they are thrown to the batter in the box and timing up when to start her swing. This should help somewhat. The real fix will come with a ton of front toss from 20-25' away and constantly varying the speed of the pitches. Make your DD time the ball. Once she becomes proficient at it, this issue will go away when she combines the new skill with the timing the pitcher while on deck.
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
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IMO, you shouldn't even try to make your DD stop swinging at the first pitch. Most Pitchers are taught to work from ahead and a good/great pitcher will try for a first pitch strike. Often times, this will be the fattest pitch a hitter will see. Even if it's on the corner, it will probably have more ball hanging over the plate to ensure a strike call than the following pitches will have.

And that's exactly what DD said. lol
 

rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
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Not here.
I'm a firm believer in swing early and often. In other words be aggressive as a hitter. If our opponent is sitting back and waiting, my pitchers are throwing 3 strikes in a row and the third one the batter absolutely will not like.
Total agree. DD approach in HS and Tourney ball.
OTOH, if the umpire's strike zone is the size of squirrel's butthole, that's a different story. Patience comes into play. Part of a good hitter is learning when to be aggressive and when to have patience.
DD's approach in college because of the strike zone being tight/small. I felt bad for the pitchers. Surprisingly didn't see a lot of walks because seems hitters waited for their pitch.
 
Jan 22, 2011
1,610
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My 11yo DD tends to swing at anything she thinks she can hit on the first pitch. Frustrating when she gets out on a first pitch ball put into play, but several coaches have told me they like the aggressiveness and they can teach being more selective based upon the situation when she is older.
 

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