bunting every PA

[BobInMadison]

Another suggestion is to get some plastic practice balls and use them for front toss with her. Get her working on that swing, swinging confidently and making contact. Then when she transitions back to real balls she may have a little less fear as well as the confidence to know that she can hit if she tries.

And to paraphrase what others have said, there's no better feeling than handing her a game ball in front of her teammates after she's just gone 0 for 20 in the first 9 games and finally got her first hit on a dribbler down third that the first baseman dropped because she never gave up... and neither did you.

I like coaches who do this sort of thing. It comes from ME having been the really clumsy kid.

I remember one time when DD 3 was on a rec league team, and was clearly the best player on the team. There was a girl on the team who had never played before, and it showed. But, she kept going through practices and scrimmages. Finally, the first game, close game. During the last inning, the coach made a last minute switch and put her at 2B. Sure enough, with the game on the line, a ball is hit right at her. She makes the catch, saves the day defensively, the team wins.

Afterwards the HC took me aside to explain why he gave that girl the game ball instead of my DD 3, whose pitching and hitting had set up the win. My reply was of course you give that girl the game ball. No brainer. That girl learned to love the game.

 

[djcarter1966]

Just go to the golf section of any big box store (even Walmart).

The reason I use the golf ones is that they are smaller meaning you have to be even more zeroed in on the ball. I stand 15 to 20 ft away and throw overhand almost exactly like you would throwing darts (wear sunglasses it can be dangerous), don't lob them at them under hand.

Then once they really get the hang of it remind them how much bigger the softball is it really build confidence.

 

[marriard]

BTW we do not allow walked in runs (when bases loaded, offensive coach pitches on 4 ball count), and even when I pitched to her in games, just could not get her to find the ball with her bat, eyes stayed glued to mine. maybe if I avoided eyecontact, maybe she would track the ball better?

Never make eye contact with your own batter as a coach pitcher. You will tend to throw at what you look at (just like people tend to drive towards what they are looking at) and it makes it way harder to throw a decent pitch to hit.

Learned that the hard way - looked at my DD one evening and threw the pitch right at her and hit her. Still gets brought up even though it is now over 7 years since it happened.

Also - and this is somewhat counter intuitive - throw coach pitch flat and hard. It is actually easier to contact a ball on one plane than it is to hit a loopy pitch that you have to adjust on two planes. Also you will be more accurate which means you also can throw pitches to where the bat SHOULD be - which again should give you a larger chance of getting contact. And as an added benefit you are setting them up for more success against kid pitchers.

 

[Eugene Stryke]

For the non-athletic kid who can't hit, there are few things in the world more satisfying than getting a base hit that they earned.

As a coach, there are few moments more personally satisfying than when the kid who couldn't hit a lick finally gets a base hit that they earned.

Your life, your team, your call, but in my humble opinion, I don't think you should shortchange the player...or yourself.

Isn't getting on base via walk or a bunt earned?


I think having her bunt often is a great way to build her confidence, especially when she is facing a tough pitcher. It doesn't mean you would give up on teaching her to swing the bat, but when my DD is in any kind of slump the bunt is a great way to get the ball rolling again.

 

[Eric F]

Isn't getting on base via walk or a bunt earned?


I think having her bunt often is a great way to build her confidence, especially when she is facing a tough pitcher. It doesn't mean you would give up on teaching her to swing the bat, but when my DD is in any kind of slump the bunt is a great way to get the ball rolling again.

A young player's first successful full-swing hit is a much bigger deal to them than a walk or bunt hit. I guarantee it.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Curious to know what age we're talking, too. This is a whole year later. Kids can develop significantly in a year. Not saying she'll go from Urkel to Trout, but kids do gain significant control over their bodies from year to year. I want to believe any kid can hit a little (at least make contact) with enough reps and good coaching, especially with a season under her belt. Fact that the girl is signing up to try again says something about her grit, IMO.

 

[Eugene Stryke]

There are so many factors in your situation, and fear is the toughest part of the equation. I would say that it will be hard for her to develop as a hitter while afraid of the ball. If you can get her over that fear, and assuming she likes the sport and wants to play, I would think she will begin to progress.

But, I applaud you for taking an interest in her softball development. I had a kid on my Rookie Babe Ruth team last season who swung and missed at everything the first 2/3 of the season. He started to get frustrated and then did what any kid would do: acted like he didn't care. After he got that first hit his confidence went through the roof and he hit consistently the rest of the season and had a blast!

 

[Greenmonsters]

Self toss. Most girls can't do it simply because they haven't tried and practiced it. It takes persistence and practice, but eliminates any fear aspect and can be done at practice with standard equipment or solo, inside at home with a wiffle ball bat and nerf ball. Once they get the hang of it, give them the goal to set a new personal best for distance. Transition to front toss softies or wiffles and to coach pitch - just keep the ball trajectory flat, no arcs!

IMO, it's no more difficult to teach a kid to hit the ball hard than it is to teach them to just make contact. Reaching base on a dribbler doesn't compare to reaching base on a well hit ball - kids are smart enough to know the difference and their self confidence soars when they self validate.


IMO self toss is as beneficial to the kid you are describing as it is to most college players IMO.

 

[Terror Coach]

"Ball-tracking drill....Have her stand in the batters box as you pitch. Her job is to watch the ball from your hand to the catcher. She is not to swing the bat, just watch the ball all the way."

I have/had a couple girls on my team just like this. One is 8 years old and got drilled when she was 7 in her first ever ab. The other is 10 and was struggling with fear of the ball. I did something very similar to the posted comment above. I would have the two girls stand in the box and track when my pitchers practiced. They called balls and strikes. I would use softies and it was against my slowest pitchers. I did this knowing these two would get hit, but against the slow pitching they were safe. They would get hit. They would cry. After a couple weeks I told them they could now swing if they wanted to. It took a little over a month but both now stand in the box and swing.

The girls crying was tough for me, but I would try to get them back in the box as quick as possible. When they did stand in the box and not bail out I would make a big deal out of it. The other coaches as well. When they would get hit and not cry or start to bail again we would make a big deal out of it. These girls were so afraid they wouldn't even swing at the batting cages. Tonight I watched them running cage to cage even jumping in fast baseball and hitting the ball. The oldest one even hit off one of my better pitchers at the last practice. I'm not sure this would work for every kid but it worked for these two. I would also like to think both these girls trust me and knew I was doing this to help them.

By the way I think it is awesome you care about this kid having success. I'm sure you will be able to figure out a way to unlock her.

 

[bmakj]

Never make eye contact with your own batter as a coach pitcher. You will tend to throw at what you look at (just like people tend to drive towards what they are looking at) and it makes it way harder to throw a decent pitch to hit.

Learned that the hard way - looked at my DD one evening and threw the pitch right at her and hit her. Still gets brought up even though it is now over 7 years since it happened.

Also - and this is somewhat counter intuitive - throw coach pitch flat and hard. It is actually easier to contact a ball on one plane than it is to hit a loopy pitch that you have to adjust on two planes. Also you will be more accurate which means you also can throw pitches to where the bat SHOULD be - which again should give you a larger chance of getting contact. And as an added benefit you are setting them up for more success against kid pitchers.

gonna take this to heart, gonna look at my batter to make certain they are ready, then switch focus to catcher. I try to make my pitches as flat as possible, and in BP I try to make it as fast as what they generally from players in their division. i probably give them good pitches 2 out of 3.

this girl does stand in the box, not jumping out of box, just not swinging any where close to on time/fast enough or near the ball. that is why I thought bunting might help, she would have not have to worry about her swing/timing, just moving bat up or down to get in way of the ball. might help develop her hand-eye.