10U Hitter in Slump - Not swinging the bat - HELP

[Domer60]

Hi,

Two girls on my 10U team are not swinging the bat...literally. They get into the batter's box and freeze! Both of these players had good contact rates (.600 +) and good OBP (.500 +) the first 7-8 games this season. We played a game against a dominant pitcher who threw hard and moved the ball around the strike zone. Since that game, these two girls don't seem to be afraid of the ball...but, they claim that they can't tell if the pitch is going to be a strike or a ball.

We've told them to hit every strike, hit every pitch below their shoulders, etc.

How can I help these two girls regain their confidence and swing the bat?

Thanks

 

[mad hornet]

I have a sign for "hit the ball no matter where it's pitched" when I see this tendency.

First time I tried it with my 10U team we had a nice rally with really solid hits. I don't recommend it when the pitcher is having control issues however, but if she's putting them in there it can work wonders.

 

[druer]

I had a similar problem years ago when I coached a fall 10U rec team for fun. A couple of girls were really developing as hitters, until a similar game. In my impression it had more to do with their parents than them. They kept yelling when the swang at balls, and totally took the girls confidence away. I did individual lessons with the girls to try and get them out of it. Tried something similar to Mad Hornet's suggestion which worked for other players, but these girls parents would just give them the "this coach is an idiot don't you dare do that" head shake and eye roll. I even had a parents meeting to explain my philosophy on being aggressive at the plate and explained that at that age it was crucial for the girls to believe they could hit nearly anything and that their bat was capable of reaching pitches that were outside of the magical "strike zone" and so on. Parents stopped harping on daughters out loud in games, but their looks and arm gestures said more than enough. Before and after the games they continued their verbal assualt on their daughters, and unfortunately both of the players ares till very tentative at the plate when I see them and that was 2 years ago.

Obviously I have no idea if the real issue with your players is them or their parents, but I wanted to give you something to think about that perhaps you hadn't. I wish I had a more positive outcome from my own situation to share with you and hope to see others insights on this. Hard to convince parents who are living through their kids that striking out isn't the worse thing in the world.

 

[redhotcoach]

I am not a huge fan of batting cages, but as a confidence builder I think they are great. My girls get the timing down fairly quickly, have lots of fun, and come out feeling pretty proud, plus when you have a machine kicking out dozens of balls, missing a few seems like no big deal.

 

[Hitter]

Possibly try this approach....There is no strike zone! It is their job to determine what they can hit. The only thing we want the umpire to do is call safe or out as it is our job to determine what we can hit.

I set up a tee exactly 11 inches off the back corner of home plate and draw a chalk line on the floor and tell them they must step straight ahead and to hit the ball on the tee.

They measure off the plate using the length of the bat from the outside corner.

It usually hits the bat right on the end of the bat however they can not believe they actually can hit a ball that far away from them and step forward while doing it.

My home plate is marked with gray duct tape on the outside lanes of home plate. Why? Because that is the gray area that hitters say, can I hit this or not!

We teach how to hit a ball 5 to 8 inches in / out and up and down out of the strike zone. I hold a ball at the top of the strike zone and have them position the bat to the ball so the elbow is above the plane of the pitch and the hand is below the elbow and the angle of the bat head is below the hands. Then I repeat for a ball below the knees.

Then we do face the fire drill so the will focus on moving their body while keeping the head steady. We explain the head is a camera and the eyes are the lens and we do not get a good picture if we are landing flat footed, so we want them on the inside edge of the lead foot or what is called eversion so the baby toe can be moved. Some times it helps if the take their shoes and socks off so they can see it and feel it and fix it!

Next is the bat angle drill. We soft toss below the knee, at the knee, mid thigh, waist, belly button and then at elbow height.

We start at by throwing up the middle, then outside and then inside last.

Then we do a timing drop drill and I start at eye level and flex my wrist and as I flex the wrist they begin to load and I drop the ball and it may take a couple of attempts and some encouragement however they will get it.

They want to stop on the load and we simply encourage them to change direction and not to stop and point out it is like water flowing in a bottle.

Again we start inside and work slowly across the plate to the back corner.

Once this is done we work in and then at the back corner as would a pitcher.

Then I start by giving them a look inside and I rock back on my heels and drop the ball middle away. Think in and adjust away.

Thanks Howard

 

[shockcoach]

Bribe them with ice cream if they swing at every pitch that comes in. I had to do that last year with my own DD who wouldn't take the bat off her shoulders. First she started striking out swinging. Then allot of foul balls followed by hits. This year, she's on fire with a .679 average. She goes up to the plate with confidence that she's going to hit the ball. Take baby steps with them. Once they're swinging the bat, you have something to work with.

This year I have two girls doing the same thing. It's a bit frustrating, but they're 9 so I try to get them as many at bats as possible. I also work front toss in the cage up close and behind a screen. Once they figure out how much fun it is to hit, we should be in business. I'm also bribing them to swing the bat. We'll see what happens this weekend.

Good luck

 

[stephanie]

I have a 10U team that had 3 hits last game..I told them tonight that I would get them a packet of those WRIST BAND THINGIES THAT LOOK LIKE SHAPES...(that are all the rage around here and then some) for every hit they had.

I have to go get 11 packs of them tomorrow...
Bribing 10yo little girls to swing at a pitch that looks like they could hit it couldn't have been simpler!!

 

[Brittany'sDad]

Having the girl's bunt is very helpful in regaining confidence, however it could be they are simply afraid. You said that fear does not seem to be a factor but with a 10u player it is hard to tell that.I had a 10u player who got drilled as a 8u and after that point refused to swing when in the box. She would go up to the plate literally shaking and refuse to swing the bat. Her mother who was my asst. tried to bribe her and even suggested she not play any longer. However, she loved the team and everything about the game just could not get over the fear at the plate. The way I got her to swing again was to use peer pressure or percieved anyway. We were in a weekend tournament and it was the last inning of a game we needed to win to move on. She came up with runners on second and third and two outs. I called time, called her over and told her I had to have her swinging this time or we would lose the game. She had tears in her eyes, but said she would try. First pitch nearly hit her, I am thinking there is no way she is swinging now, next pitch she drills to the outfield both players score and we win the game. She becomes my most consistent hitter the rest of the season and the rest is history. Sometimes as a coach we forget they are just little girls and standing there while a ball is hurled at up to 45mph can be a little frightening, especially if the pitcher is throwing all over the place.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Yes, to the bribe. I watched my then 10 year old pour in 41 points in basketball to get more Pokeman cards, back in the day.

Where can I get the wrist band things?

 

[jazz10NE]

I have a 10U team that had 3 hits last game..I told them tonight that I would get them a packet of those WRIST BAND THINGIES THAT LOOK LIKE SHAPES...(that are all the rage around here and then some) for every hit they had.

I have to go get 11 packs of them tomorrow...
Bribing 10yo little girls to swing at a pitch that looks like they could hit it couldn't have been simpler!!

Can you send a link to these wrist bands?

I have 3-4 girls that hardly swing and when they do it is really late or at the worse pitch of the at bat. I have been considering making them bunt every at bat until they either put it in play or strike / foul out.

My theory is to try to get them to stay in the box and have to watch the ball all the way to the bat.

I like Howard's suggestions - as does my daughter as she is starting to hit the ball more consistently and with more power after watching and doing his drills.

Howard - please keep them coming!!