Attacking a dominate pitcher- 10U

[bmakj]

you also might show bunt a lot and pull back, sometimes seeing the girl waving the bat out there will rattle a P, especially at younger ages.

also, if not bunting, move them all the way back in the box. and work in the cages with the machine at 55, but only 30 feet.

the good news is if you can get them to catch up to her FB (even if it does not result in a lot of hits), other pitchers will seem slow and they can start to really work on putting it where they want, etc.

 

[Towny9]

Just getting them to stay in the box at 10U against that kind of velocity is a challenge. I wouldnt make it about hitting her so much as I would about “rising to the challenge” and “getting your cuts in”. Over time they will figure it out if they have that mentality. By then you will be at 12U and the 5 extra feet and bigger ball will even it out some.

 

[G&G]

Just getting them to stay in the box at 10U against that kind of velocity is a challenge. I wouldnt make it about hitting her so much as I would about “rising to the challenge” and “getting your cuts in”. Over time they will figure it out if they have that mentality. By then you will be at 12U and the 5 extra feet and bigger ball will even it out some.

You are correct. We have a couple of girls that won’t stay in the box against her. I’ve never seen her hit anyone, but they still step out on every pitch.

 

[Towny9]

You are correct. We have a couple of girls that won’t stay in the box against her. I’ve never seen her hit anyone, but they still step out on every pitch.

We have a few girls on teams we play like this. We have a girl on our team who is also pretty dominant. Our area doesn’t use the A/B/C designations so in tournaments you see teams of all types. When our girls go up and swing hard and stay in the box I praise it like crazy even if they don’t sniff a pitch.

 

[Shiloh]

You are correct. We have a couple of girls that won’t stay in the box against her. I’ve never seen her hit anyone, but they still step out on every pitch.

Been there. Not a great situation for anyone. Try to encourage the girls, but don't force them if they are truly afraid. Take the out and find a substitute batter the next go-around. Have your 12U and 14U pitchers come to practice and throw to the team so they get used to seeing speed.

To answer your earlier question: there is no magic bullet. My DD simply grew early and she's big, now 5'9" and 190 lbs. She was about 5'4" and 145 lbs at the end of 2nd grade. She literally towered over everyone, and was dominant in the circle and at the plate.

It is difficult if not impossible to teach speed. Mechanics and athleticism will largely dictate how fast she'll eventually throw. Focus first on mechanics and spin, including change of speed. When she gets to high school, then she can start training in the gym, which will help improve agility, leg drive, core and arm strength. Long toss and sprints can also help, but she'll have to do a lot of them. Like 2-3x/week for months to really see a difference.

But keep in mind, it's not all about speed, esp once you get to 16/18U when everyone can throw in the high 50's/low 60's. Cat Osterman and Gabbie Plain barely reach 64mph and they are two of the best pitchers on the planet. Being able to deceive batters by moving the ball around the zone and changing speeds is the key. Some players just naturally have the ability to throw a curve, or rise, or drop very, very well. Find out what your DD's strengths are and play to them. I know a mid-major D1 pitcher who's a rise ball specialist; she barely hits 57mph but she can fool batters all day long.

BTW - my DD is committed to a D3 college. She could have played D1, but was never a P5 prospect. What was fearsome in 10U becomes routine by 14U.

 

[BrianTx01]

The best older pitchers are probably not going to want to pitch 10U because the ball is smaller and the mound is 5' closer. I know once my daughter moved to 12U I would not let her touch an 11" ball. I likewise would not let her pitch from 35'. A 12" ball from 40' wouldn't be the same.

Just grin and bare it....try and face her as much as you can. Swing away until you make contact. I will also tell you that a great number of 10U top pitchers don't transition well to 12U. In my opinion, it is the hardest jump to make because of the differences in ball size and 5 extra feet.

 

[Shiloh]

Been there. Not a great situation for anyone. Try to encourage the girls, but don't force them if they are truly afraid. Take the out and find a substitute batter the next go-around. Have your 12U and 14U pitchers come to practice and throw to the team so they get used to seeing speed.

To answer your earlier question: there is no magic bullet. My DD simply grew early and she's big, now 5'9" and 190 lbs. She was about 5'4" and 145 lbs at the end of 2nd grade. She literally towered over everyone, and was dominant in the circle and at the plate.

It is difficult if not impossible to teach speed. Mechanics and athleticism will largely dictate how fast she'll eventually throw. Focus first on mechanics and spin, including change of speed. When she gets to high school, then she can start training in the gym, which will help improve agility, leg drive, core and arm strength. Long toss and sprints can also help, but she'll have to do a lot of them. Like 2-3x/week for months to really see a difference.

But keep in mind, it's not all about speed, esp once you get to 16/18U when everyone can throw in the high 50's/low 60's. Cat Osterman and Gabbie Plain barely reach 64mph and they are two of the best pitchers on the planet. Being able to deceive batters by moving the ball around the zone and changing speeds is the key. Some players just naturally have the ability to throw a curve, or rise, or drop very, very well. Find out what your DD's strengths are and play to them. I know a mid-major D1 pitcher who's a rise ball specialist; she barely hits 57mph but she can fool batters all day long.

BTW - my DD is committed to a D3 college. She could have played D1, but was never a P5 prospect. What was fearsome in 10U becomes routine by 14U.

Just realized that this is a pretty much inappropriate and stupid response to the parent of a 10U pitcher. Ugh. Apologies.

Work with your DD on her mechanics and moving the ball around the zone. Simulate batters and see how many outs she can get. See how many strikes she can throw in 10 pitches, 20 pitches. Have her throw 10 pitches to a certain spot and see how often she can hit it. Then pick a different spot and do the same thing.

Then work in a change up. A flip change is easy to learn and can be really effective for years.

Hope that helps.

 

[G&G]

Just realized that this is a pretty much inappropriate and stupid response to the parent of a 10U pitcher. Ugh. Apologies.

Work with your DD on her mechanics and moving the ball around the zone. Simulate batters and see how many outs she can get. See how many strikes she can throw in 10 pitches, 20 pitches. Have her throw 10 pitches to a certain spot and see how often she can hit it. Then pick a different spot and do the same thing.

Then work in a change up. A flip change is easy to learn and can be really effective for years.

Hope that helps.

Thank you. It has been fun to watch her develop. I’ve spent hours on a bucket catcher her, and frankly there is nothing I would rather do. Thank you for your advice.

 

[RedeemerKing]

you also might show bunt a lot and pull back, sometimes seeing the girl waving the bat out there will rattle a P, especially at younger ages.

also, if not bunting, move them all the way back in the box. and work in the cages with the machine at 55, but only 30 feet.

the good news is if you can get them to catch up to her FB (even if it does not result in a lot of hits), other pitchers will seem slow and they can start to really work on putting it where they want, etc.

My thought would just be to be a little cautious though with that approach. Cranking it up to 55 miles an hour from 30 feet is an impossible task for girls on a 10-year-old C level team.

If you aren’t careful, they’ll not only get frustrated and/or scared, but it can breed bad hitting habits as they try to find a way to hit a pitch that’s the equivalent of a 110mph fastball from a MLB mound.

 

[radness]

Adding to the other good comments,
Old school suggestion
Choke up on the bat.
1/2" - 1"
Slightly shorter quicker swing.