Changing from Righty to Lefty

[wave_twister]

My DD played 8u (she just turned 8 this year 5/2013) and was playing for a rec league team and bats right. We recently moved to a travel club, A division. DD is now playing 10u because they have no 8u team but she still gets compliments from our new coaches that her eye-hand coordination is very good.

She can't crush balls because she's petite (her mom is petite) and while she does make contact a lot it's just not very powerful so in games when she does hit, she's out easily. Since DD is like the smallest player she gets walked a lot. We realized this to be her strength in 8u with the rec ball league as well and even her past coach said her strength is getting on 1st and then stealing. Our new coaches also pointed that out.

New coaches have now pointed out that as DD gets older, she'll lose her size advantage to more accurate pitching so her ability to get walked so often will become less, and less while she'll still struggle with getting power hits. Head coach suggested we switch DD up to a lefty slapper since she's got the hand-eye and we've seen her fooling around with the team after games where they play a mock game but everyone must bat opposite. DD actually hits pretty good at left, just fooling around with the girls.

Any opinions out there? Our coach did that to his daughter who is also petite and she does pretty well. Coach says he's also converted a few girls to left with the same attributes. But his style is once you go Lefty, you'll never go back to Righty...ever again. Our past rec ball team had one girl who would go left for 2 strikes, then switch back to right but new coach calls that "bullsh!t", lol.

 

[rdbass]

JMHO. My DD is 15 y/o and is small. My DD bats rht. Listen to me your DD is not up to walk your DD is at bat to hit. Teach your DD to hit. Educate yourself. Teach your DD to hit. Teach your DD to hit from the right side. When I see a girl that goes up to try and slap/bat from the left then on after the 2 strike switch rht. I say the hitter is a switch hitter, a switch hitter who strikes out from both sides of the plate.

 

[go4um]

Batting LH with slap skills as well as full swing is a big advantage for a fast player. I have helped about 100 players make the switch and on average they hit about 100 points higher after having gained experience for a year or so...slower players lower and faster players higher.

However, it is not an easy path. To take full advantage, the player has to develop full swing, hard slap, soft slap and drag bunt skills...each of these has their own unique mechanics. Success requires a lot of practice and the player, parents and team coach have to commit and support during the learning curve. Doubt and half measures will only reduce the chances for success.

If you or your daughter have doubts at this point I would suggest that you wait to see how things develop between now and say 12u. At that point if she wants to play HS ball and hasn't improved rh enough to make that a high likelihood then she would still have time to make the switch if she wants to put in the work.

 

[ConorMacleod]

Agree with go4um. At her age, why limit her? Plus, a player of ANY size can hit. I'll take a line drive over the pitchers head for a single any day of the week. My DD, at age 11, has declared she wants to learn how to slap hit. I said; "great!" She can practice all winter, and then we will see where she is at. Will she always bat from the left side of the plate? Of course not. Why would she when she can hit line drives righty. She is also very small. But her heart and love of softball is bigger than the entire teams.

 

[Cobb_of_Fury]

This is a bit off topic but...


My daughter is right handed but when she was 3 or 4 started hitting left handed. we tried to fix her a couple times but she insisted that’s how she hit. So we left her go. She’s turning 12 and still hits left (she has tried a few times to hit right when her team mates were learning to hit lefty - We have discouraged that) She's a good hitter hit's for power (doesn't really have the speed to be a slapper). As it turned out she had a weak eye and had trouble picking up the ball from the right side so essentially taught her self to bat lefty when she was 3.

Never realy thought about it but... IS THIS ODD? - has anyone else had this experiance?

 

[rdbass]

My DD now 15 does everything rht handed except basketball. My DD pitches,throws,fields and hits rht. When it comes to basketball DD dribbles mainly left and shoots left. Does lay-ups better from the left side. When DD was young 8 y/o she started dribbling the ball left hand. I didn't switch her because, I felt that when DD got older and realized she was a rht player she would be also good at the lf hand side also. DD didn't start wearing her glasses while playing sports untill she was 12 y/o. DD plays basketball and softball in high school Soph.

 

[bucket pinata]

My DD was 11 at TB tryouts batting right, always had.as she was batting off a pitching machine a college coach was watching her. after a few hits the college coach yelled out to the coaches turn her around.my DD has never even tried to bat left before but what the heck.she turned around and just started driving the ball. The college coach yelled out that girl is right eye dominant. she could see the ball allot better from the left side. There are other reasons to switch other than speed. there is a test to see witch eye is the dominant one that you can do at home. Google it up and see.