Criticism on DD hits please

[SB45]

Do you recommend continuing with the soft tosses or go back to tee drills? I've always believed that if they are not doing it correctly in soft tossed you should go back to tee work. I'm not really sure why I have that mind set though. No one has ever said that to me, I guess I came up with that on my own. lol

As you know, you're just working against muscle memory and natural reactions. If she can do it on a tee, with focus and someone pushing her, maybe quick videos on a phone to reinforce it...she can do it with soft toss with the same conditions...she can do it with front toss with the same conditions. It just takes time and focus. She focuses on doing something different/new on the tee. If she goes to soft toss/front toss/ live pitching and just clears her head and reacts naturally (the way she always has)...if the "new" thing is not part of her natural swing yet...it disappears. focus is the key. Go into front toss and make the same effort to institute something new. Understand this will take a while and that you don't let her get lots of bad reps without correction.

 

[Rolling Hard]

For me the typical lesson is ...
1) tee work ... general warm-up and review of what we'll be stressing live.
2) front toss
3) live arm

Do you throw the live arm (windmill) and from how far and about how fast? I think I need to commit to learning how to throw strikes windmill style. Any suggestions? I currently use the same progression but I replace live arm with machine set at various speeds (37 mph CU and 50 mph FB) from approximately 35 to 40 feet. From 37 feet 50 mph is fast. I cant hit it which delights my DD. I hold one ball in the hole and make windmill action with another ball and release the pitch as windmill arm reaches hip. Probably not ideal, but at least she is timing some type of motion rather them just dropping the ball in the hole. I like the machine also because I can set it up to throw outside/ inside /high/low so she learns how to drive(not just hit) all pitch locations.

 

[corlay]

Do you throw the live arm (windmill) and from how far and about how fast?

I do a sling-shot delivery from behind a screen at about 20'. I'm probably only ~46-48mph, though.
But like others have suggested, throwing from half-distance makes the reaction time about the same.

 

[Djubs]

I do a sling-shot delivery from behind a screen at about 20'. I'm probably only ~46-48mph, though.
But like others have suggested, throwing from half-distance makes the reaction time about the same.

Pretty close to the same. about half distance throwing around 45mph. I believe I use what is called the slingshot pitch as well but I call it the K position. But we never got to this point. The way we did it was I sat on a bucket a few feet in front of her off to the side and I would toss the ball almost straight up and then she would swing at it. I like the comment SB45 made because when we started it did looks like she was getting separation but it wasn't long after I noticed it was back to her normal swing. I may just have to sit there and remind her to focus on what she's doing. She has a bad habit of cranking up the sound system in the garage and just going through the motions.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

As you know, you're just working against muscle memory and natural reactions. If she can do it on a tee, with focus and someone pushing her, maybe quick videos on a phone to reinforce it...she can do it with soft toss with the same conditions...she can do it with front toss with the same conditions. It just takes time and focus. She focuses on doing something different/new on the tee. If she goes to soft toss/front toss/ live pitching and just clears her head and reacts naturally (the way she always has)...if the "new" thing is not part of her natural swing yet...it disappears. focus is the key. Go into front toss and make the same effort to institute something new. Understand this will take a while and that you don't let her get lots of bad reps without correction.

This is key.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Do you throw the live arm (windmill) and from how far and about how fast? I think I need to commit to learning how to throw strikes windmill style. Any suggestions? I currently use the same progression but I replace live arm with machine set at various speeds (37 mph CU and 50 mph FB) from approximately 35 to 40 feet. From 37 feet 50 mph is fast. I cant hit it which delights my DD. I hold one ball in the hole and make windmill action with another ball and release the pitch as windmill arm reaches hip. Probably not ideal, but at least she is timing some type of motion rather them just dropping the ball in the hole. I like the machine also because I can set it up to throw outside/ inside /high/low so she learns how to drive(not just hit) all pitch locations.

Yes I throw live arm (windmill). Guessing the distance I generally throw is approximately 35-ish ft. I throw at a speed that is commensurate to the hitter's skill set. I wouldn't get hung up on speed through ... location is more important. Anyone telling you that pitching 'vertical' is more important than 'horizontal' doesn't quite understand that 'young hitters', with a marginal sense of 'direction' (and with poor swing initiation movements), will struggle severely against pitching inside/outside variations. For speed adaption I will use a pitching machine ... but I don't use a machine that often.

Learning how to pitch is hugely helpful in terms of developing hitters.

 

[corlay]

Learning how to pitch is hugely helpful in terms of developing hitters.

imagine being a hitter whose coach throws a legitimate* riseball,
what an advantage that would be.

a large part of the effectiveness of a legit* riseball,
is that hitters are not exposed to one very often.'

* a 6-12 backspinning ball

 

[Rolling Hard]

FFS, while I am working on developing my riseball LOL Could you explain good and bad swing initiation movements?

 

[Rolling Hard]

My DD can turn on any pitch middle/in but can struggle on pitches away especially offspeed away or slower pitching in general. She will start (initiate) her swing too early and in order to make contact she decelerates the barrel resulting in at best a bloop basehit to the right side but more likely a bloop out or weekly hit GB. Where as someone might yell out " your late, start earlier." Thankfully she knows that they are wrong. Can an 11 year old hitter understand and apply the concept of never compromise your bat speed to make contact with less than 2 strikes? In other word, can and/or should they be taught to purposely miss the ball if they find themselves in a position that they can not drive the ball? What are some good drills and cues to get her to let the ball travel when it outside. When she does it right its gapper to RC field.

 

[FP26]

I do a sling-shot delivery from behind a screen at about 20'. I'm probably only ~46-48mph, though.
But like others have suggested, throwing from half-distance makes the reaction time about the same.

I used to play modified fastpitch softball. We were not permitted to do a full windmill, but could do a slingshot style delivery. That is how I pitch in sessions. The key is mixing locations, speeds, and spins (to what limited extent i am able)