15yo Maddie

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Nov 25, 2012
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USA
@Eric F . She looks damn good IMO and sorry to hear of the recent injury and string of injuries she has had. Completely frustrating I am sure. Heal up, give it time, and she will be back better than ever. Also, I love the heel up, laces to pitcher, knee to knee I am seeing. That is an old Rick Pauly term for pitching but as he has said it applies to hitting as well. Your DD is turning into a model hitter IMO. Of course, I am not a hitting guru or never will be but I sure like what I see. Best of luck and prayers for a speedy recovery!
S3
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
I know you don't wanna be that dad but tell the coach she cant catch. Maybe play 1st or just hit. Let that shoulder heal now.

The coach knows. Maddie knows. We all talked about it. It was the very end of an "easy win" game that was getting out of hand, and Maddie told the coach she wanted in, just to resolve the issue of the receiving struggles the other catcher was having. She had instructions not to throw to bases, and held off on a back-pick attempt that she normally would have gone after. She was just doing easy tosses back to P with no pain. On the final play, an opportunity for a 1-2-3 DP to end the game landed in her lap, and - in her competitive heart - she couldn't hold off from making the play.

I had suggested to the coach that Maddie could maybe play 1B, but up until that final batter, she was just the DP. I'm totally good with that. It's a good thing she didn't play 1B, in the long run. Another player got an opportunity to play, and made it loud and clear that she deserves to be on the field.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
First game of the HS season...


Full disclosure - The fields we were playing on didn't have HR fences. This hit ended up being a 210'+ triple. In their second game, she hit a laser line drive to RF that went for a HR. With a fence, it probably would have been a double.

She's frustrated with yet another injury (rotator cuff strain) that is keeping her from behind the plate. In their second game, after blasting their way to an early 13-1 lead, the coach gave some circle time to the #2 and #3 pitchers, and the lead was whittled away to 13-10. Additionally, the #2 catcher was really struggling to hang on to the ball, and it cost a few of those runs. In the final inning, with the bases loaded and 1 out, the coach decided to go back to the #1 P to close out the game, and Maddie asked to catch, even knowing she can't throw very hard. They worked one batter who dribbled a change up back to P. P flipped it to Maddie for the force at home, who then made one hard throw to turn the double play, and closed out the game to preserve the win. After, Maddie said the throw hurt, but she wasn't going to NOT make that play.

Looking good..she loves those high pitches doesn't she :)
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
She likes low pitches, too. Her soft spots are in on the hands, and low-out.
Ok...wasn't there a point last year where she was having a hard time laying off
high pitches (not that she would be the 1st to have that issue in particular with
a riseball...). Probably imagining things.

Edit: In this case it was good that she swung at it obviously ;)
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Ok...wasn't there a point last year where she was having a hard time laying off
high pitches (not that she would be the 1st to have that issue in particular with
a riseball...). Probably imagining things.

Edit: In this case it was good that she swung at it obviously ;)

High above the zone she will still chase too often. In the upper part of the zone, she tends to crush.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Maddie is off to a strong start this HS season. She's leading her team with a .500 avg, and 1.278 slg. Our non-league games haven't been against top-level competition, but is similar to about 1/2 the teams in our league. Frustrating for her has been playing on fields with no fences where her 220'+ bombs become triples (3 of those, so far). With typical HS fences in play, she would easily have 5 HRs in their 6 games so far. Stats say 2. Oh, well.

Compared to last year at this time, we are seeing an increase in power of roughly 10% (20'+ on her best hits). I attribute this to her overall increase in strength and improved mechanics from her hitting work with @Mike-Coach-Q.

Some swings...
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
All the talk in other threads about early bat speed or not, what we found was the intent to create early bat speed, and TTB down to and up through, being significant components in the improvements in Maddie's swing, and her increases in quickness and power.
 

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