Bat Drrrrrrrrrrrag

[Ade's Dad]

My DD needs help, she is 12, she is a very high level pitcher for our area. She has devoted a lot of time practicing the last two years . We practiced hitting a lot more this winter as she started losing confedance in her bat last fall . She has already played one tour this year and hit better than .500 hit the fence in the air at 225ft,now middle school ball . Pitching is slower than change ups she sees in TB . She is fully rotating her body before she even starts her hands,elbow was leading knob maybe a foot . Popped up to 1st all three at bats . None of the pitches were even outside . What can i do to help her ?

 

[Sweet Pitch 96]

This suggestion comes from my dh: try batting practice in a slowpitch softball style so she learns how to wait on the ball and drive it. I know the other gurus can offer up more, but it's a thought.

 

[obbay]

Something that helps my DD adjust to slower pitching is to fake bunt and then swing away.

Also, stand as far forward in the box as she can.

 

[Hitter]

My DD needs help, she is 12, she is a very high level pitcher for our area. She has devoted a lot of time practicing the last two years . We practiced hitting a lot more this winter as she started losing confedance in her bat last fall . She has already played one tour this year and hit better than .500 hit the fence in the air at 225ft,now middle school ball . Pitching is slower than change ups she sees in TB . She is fully rotating her body before she even starts her hands,elbow was leading knob maybe a foot . Popped up to 1st all three at bats . None of the pitches were even outside . What can i do to help her ?

Ade's Dad

Put a tee up the middle 2 to 3 inches forward of home plate and in the middle about 4.5 feet away from the net.

Hang a cord or weave it through the net vertically so we have a point of reference as to left, center and right.

Measure off from the back corner of the plate the length of a bat across the outside corner of the plate and then put her toe at the knob and get her stance width.

Have her hit a ball off the tee and see it is going left ( probably so based on what you described).

Ask her to hit while finishing with her belly button is pointing towards the pitcher until she can do it everytime.

Then move the tee to the back corner and and hit and see where the ball goes and where her belly button is pointed. We term this rotating as needed and this sounds like what she is doing and that is rotating back towards the short stop or third baseman on every pitch as a right handed hitter.

Most of my pitchers are my best hitters because they practice pointing the belly button towards the hitter and now we have to plant in their mind to rotate as needed.

Use a piece of electric tape and put it on her shirt or pull the draw strings out for her shorts and use that as a reference point.

Thanks Howard

 

[Ade's Dad]

Thanks All, Howard you are so right about over rotation. I looked at a picture of DD a mom had and her belly button was almost facing third base. Tomorrow we will pull out the tee and go to work . I was waiting until it happened before I told you, but i had ask you earlier about tracking a ball and worked on your suggestions . She has played nine games so far and has not missed a ball yet,that is amazing. You have made such a difference in my DD's game. THANK YOU !!! I will let you know how this comes out.

 

[Ade's Dad]

Well all balls went left of center probably half way between short and 3rd .Most were between the lines a few were below,belly button was going too far,we worked on that then moved the tee back. Hit between lines every time to the right between 1st and 2nd. Still had to work on over rotation but seemed to be a light bulb event for DD . Thanks so much we will continue to work on it.