Connector

[RayR]

Chest high pitches and you think it amazing that her arm is on the shoulder line?

OK, tossing them outside and having them use their brain to figure out how to hit is not a training protocol. I guess we just have to tee it up in practice and hope in a game they figure it out.

Why is a sin to expect that hitters figure things out on their own? It's no different that as parents we complain that our kids don't think for themselves as we chauffer them around, pay their way, carry their bags, set their appointments and step in when they don't get playing time.

 

[cartersball]

A lot of members of this site want comparisons of their girls to the best female players around. They could care less about MLB. They want to hear what coaches/instructors who work with girls do. They want a path that they know can help their dds improve which has helped the top female hitters earn scholarships and/or play at an elite level.

CB I can certainly respect that thought process and approach to helping a young female player learn. My question is with some of the current instructors who have taught those who are playing at that level such as Candrea now saying that the FP swing is the same as the MLB swing will the FP mechanics being taught change as well? More precisely, those who are coaching FP at the elite levels are evolving the thought process and it will not show in current FP swings IMO. As a coach just getting into FP the subject is somewhat interesting to me, as beginning young hitters down a path of muscle memory then changing it a few years down the road is a hard process.

 

[tom.guerry]

at ULL, they teach throwing and swing together.
I believe Bustos started off playing baseball.
the best "natural" female hitters I have seen have also either played golf or baseball too.
learning to throw overhand well is a lot easier with that tiny little baseball.
if you can throw you can hit,

just my opinion of course.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Chest high pitches and you think it amazing that her arm is on the shoulder line?

OK, tossing them outside and having them use their brain to figure out how to hit is not a training protocol. I guess we just have to tee it up in practice and hope in a game they figure it out.

Why is a sin to expect that hitters figure things out on their own? It's no different that as parents we complain that our kids don't think for themselves as we chauffer them around, pay their way, carry their bags, set their appointments and step in when they don't get playing time.

Whoa ..... "carry their bags"?

I draw the line there. If a kid won't carry their own bag then they can high tail it elsewhere.

"Step in when they don't get playing time"? .... nope, our job is to get the kids good enough so that shouldn't be part of the development plan.

 

[Mark H]

Chest high pitches and you think it amazing that her arm is on the shoulder line?

Amazed? Expected would be more the word. I posted those views to help you see what she is doing on all her swings.

OK, tossing them outside and having them use their brain to figure out how to hit is not a training protocol. I guess we just have to tee it up in practice and hope in a game they figure it out.

Well I didn't say amazed and I also didn't say I would work on a tee in practice and expect them to jump from there to game performance.

Why is a sin to expect that hitters figure things out on their own? It's no different that as parents we complain that our kids don't think for themselves as we chauffer them around, pay their way, carry their bags, set their appointments and step in when they don't get playing time.

Well, if that works for you, fine. But you already said it didn't. If a kid is struggling with the outside, continuing to do the same thing over and over and expect a different result is not coaching. It's Einstein's definition if you want to google it.

 

[Mark H]

I really don't think it's the message of ML swings are good to study. I think it's the delivery.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

I really don't think it's the message of ML swings are good to study. I think it's the delivery.

I see. You may be correct.

It's a tough world out there. I had a girl that went through my clinic last winter. Mid-way through her HS season she was hitting up a storm She was moved up from JV to Varsity where she continued to be a top hitter. The dad was sitting next to my wife in the stands and told her that after each clinic that she would come home and ball her eyes out. Apparently no one else had even spoken to her the way I did. Now .... before you slam me ... let me tell you that this kid was a "princess" .... she was an only child, of a wealthy family, who not only had never received formal hitting instruction before, but was wrongfully told by her parents that she was great. The reality was that she was a bottom performer on her team. Turned out by mid HS season that the kid was dragging me out on weekends to give her more instruction. She even went through my winter clinic again this year. I ended up giving the kid a complimentary bat a few weeks back. She works her tail off .... and I hope the results are there for her again this year.

From my perspective .... we need to be honest ..... it's a competitive game, and our job is to prepare them to face pitchers that don't intend to give free-bees. We don't want to give these kids false confidence. We need to get them truly prepared.

 

[JimB]

I log on here to learn rotational hitting, and so I may instruct my teenage daughter to become a better fastpitch hitter. I am not a coach and, initially, my single goal is to help my 14 year old learn the concepts as quickly as is practical.

I found Batspeed.com and read the archives, same at baseballfever, and here. Read Epstein, Englishbey, Lau, O’Leary, RightViewPro, Parker, and the list goes on.

I find DiscussFastpitch and there is this poster, “hitter”, offering these drills, hints, and explanations that finally lead me to grasp how to begin our hitting journey. He offers absolutely the best advice for teaching young girls how to hit that I have found (albeit a very short search for understanding – 5 months). I hope he posts more, or contacts me to let me know where he is posting. He’s an invaluable resource.

Another is “Boardmember”. His style is more bombastic, though supported through his videos and convincing explanations. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that he is able to drive his detractor’s refutations out of the park. Great poster, hope he continues.

There are other posters, I wouldn’t name them, that are all over the other boards, aggressively offering their opinions, and often attempting to belittle those they deem unworthy. Some have landed here and are monopolizing (or trying to) the discussion, often hijacking threads, and usually offering little to the subject at hand, and instead continuously asking inane, misleading questions in a nefarious attempt (I suppose) to “trip-up” certain posters.

I usually skip their posts. I realize they may potentially offer a “nugget” or two of wisdom, but their writing style usually nauseates me. Perhaps they feel the same towards me too.

Patience and humility will go a long way to earning the respect of newcomers like myself.

 

[RayR]

Amazed? Expected would be more the word. I posted those views to help you see what she is doing on all her swings.



Well I didn't say amazed and I also didn't say I would work on a tee in practice and expect them to jump from there to game performance.



Well, if that works for you, fine. But you already said it didn't. If a kid is struggling with the outside, continuing to do the same thing over and over and expect a different result is not coaching. It's Einstein's definition if you want to google it.

I mentioned the cone drill to work on hand path. I also use a hammer and even use the fence drill on some occasions. But, in the end front toss is by far the best use os time because the ball is moving and in different spots.

I work with teenage girls. I have been down the "lock the hands to the rear shoulder and turn" road and while I got some decent results I felt I was not able to help them be complete hitters. You may believe otherwise. Fine.

I have 2 girls now that are tremendous power hitters and will launch bombs on occasion (number 3 or 4 hitters for sure), but I can make them look silly with outside stuff. Doing the drills I mentioned to work on hand path and then front tossing them outside is helping them see that they need to change. Sometimes they put it all together and really rake one the other way and get that smile on their face. That makes it worth it.

 

[SBFAMILY]

MTS. I will try and find it, but working with my high school girls on outside pitches is always a challenge. Howard posted a very good drill that I use on outside pitches. I will try and find it. I use that drill and the rise ball drill with my high school team, because has Howard points out, anyone can hit an inside pitch. straightleg or cshilt may find it and post it for me.