DD cannot throw strikes..

[quincy]

I put videos on Ytube, marked as public, and shared them here. Marked them private or deleted them after about a week after we received some good feedback.

DD Hitting.



Can she possibly have more colors on her.

 

[sluggers]

First, you don't teach a kid to "throw strikes". Why? There isn't a strike zone.

Can you tell me if a pitch 2 feet above the middle of the plate is a strike? Nope. It depends upon the height of the batter. Add onto that that each umpire has a different strike zone, and that sometimes an umpire's zone will change during a game.

So, forget the notion of teaching a kid "to throw strikes".

You teach a kid how to move the ball in 4 inch increments (one ball width) around the strike zone. Up-down-left-right. You start at the inside corner and you move across the plate, and then at the outside corner, start moving up, etc. Go around the strike zone in circles. (FYI--this is how pitchers and catchers think..."I need a pitch 1 ball outside" or "I have to put the pitch 1 ball on the plate.")

Then, teach her that *she* has to figure out the umpire's strike zone. She has to pay attention when she is pitching and when she is on the sidelines to what the umpire is calling as strikes.

By the end of the game, she should be able to draw the umpire's strike zone.

Finally: 12U is the most challenging age for "just throwing strikes." First, the variation in height between batters is challenging...one kid might be 4 feet high, and the next batter could be 6 feet. Second, a lot of batters are trying to walk. They don't swing at good pitches, so they aren't going to swing at marginal pitches.

 

[SoftballDadPHD]

I put videos on Ytube, marked as public, and shared them here. Marked them private or deleted them after about a week after we received some good feedback.

DD Hitting.



Can she possibly have more colors on her.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[_MIA_]

After viewing this and comparing it to my DD’s release zone, this could be the issue. There’s a significant gap btwn her forearm and hip.

I’ve been trying to upload video or add a gif but it’s next to impossible trying to get it up on this forum.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Use something like igmur for gifs. Youtube for videos.

 

[SoftballDadPHD]

First, you don't teach a kid to "throw strikes". Why? There isn't a strike zone.

Can you tell me if a pitch 2 feet above the middle of the plate is a strike? Nope. It depends upon the height of the batter. Add onto that that each umpire has a different strike zone, and that sometimes an umpire's zone will change during a game.

So, forget the notion of teaching a kid "to throw strikes".

You teach a kid how to move the ball in 4 inch increments (one ball width) around the strike zone. Up-down-left-right. You start at the inside corner and you move across the plate, and then at the outside corner, start moving up, etc. Go around the strike zone in circles. (FYI--this is how pitchers and catchers think..."I need a pitch 1 ball outside" or "I have to put the pitch 1 ball on the plate.")

Then, teach her that *she* has to figure out the umpire's strike zone. She has to pay attention when she is pitching and when she is on the sidelines to what the umpire is calling as strikes.

By the end of the game, she should be able to draw the umpire's strike zone.

Finally: 12U is the most challenging age for "just throwing strikes." First, the variation in height between batters is challenging...one kid might be 4 feet high, and the next batter could be 6 feet. Second, a lot of batters are trying to walk. They don't swing at good pitches, so they aren't going to swing at marginal pitches.

Thanks for clarifying and I understand what you mean. I love the game but never played it myself (baseball or Fastpitch) so I was just trying to say what you explained in a more common/basic version of it.
In any case, before I can get her to a point where she can move the ball one ball at a time up or down inside or out, I’ve gotta get her to figure out how to be in a specific zone for every pitch and lessen those wild pitches that are too high and outside or inside and low into the dirt. I feel like once that happens then she can move forward with moving the ball in 4” increments.


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[Traps71]

Brush trigger isn’t a term I’m familiar with. Correct me if I’m wrong but are you talking about the glove hand sequencing with the Whip?

For the most part, she’s misses high and away when she’s at her worst. She’s better with inside pitches than she is outside pitches and sometimes will release too early and the ball is low never reaching the plate. Out of the 3 days practicing, we usually use one of the days to practice accuracy. Lately, she’s been leaning forward on release so I been working/focusing on keeping her tall/balanced with a good follow through.

She was a lot better in the fall when she pitched a lot of innings but this year her coach hasn’t pitched her much and it seems to have impacted her. (I’m not really sure as she doesn’t seem to be phased by it.)

In any case, Your suggestions are all good. We’ll keep working no matter what.


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The meaty part of the inside of her forearm should be brushing—not slamming into—her ball side hip/upper thigh as her arm travels from 9:00 to approx 6:00. This brushing is a consistent, tactile cue that the ball needs to be released. Put more simply: the ball arm/arm circle needs to be tight to the body. She should be releasing the ball from her ball side hip pocket if she had jeans on.

If she is releasing the ball late—say, with her hand getting past her drive leg thigh—the ball is going to sail high (assuming she is standing tall and not bent over). If her arm circle is away from her body, she is likely to miss toward her ball arm side.

Agree video would help diagnosis. Also am with RAD: if an instructor is taking your money, they should be familiar with common mechanical problems and be able to help you correct them (assuming you are putting in the work outside of lessons, which it sounds like you are).

 

[radness]

First, you don't teach a kid to "throw strikes". Why? There isn't a strike zone.

Can you tell me if a pitch 2 feet above the middle of the plate is a strike? Nope. It depends upon the height of the batter. Add onto that that each umpire has a different strike zone, and that sometimes an umpire's zone will change during a game.

So, forget the notion of teaching a kid "to throw strikes".

You teach a kid how to move the ball in 4 inch increments (one ball width) around the strike zone. Up-down-left-right. You start at the inside corner and you move across the plate, and then at the outside corner, start moving up, etc. Go around the strike zone in circles. (FYI--this is how pitchers and catchers think..."I need a pitch 1 ball outside" or "I have to put the pitch 1 ball on the plate.")

Then, teach her that *she* has to figure out the umpire's strike zone. She has to pay attention when she is pitching and when she is on the sidelines to what the umpire is calling as strikes.

By the end of the game, she should be able to draw the umpire's strike zone.

Finally: 12U is the most challenging age for "just throwing strikes." First, the variation in height between batters is challenging...one kid might be 4 feet high, and the next batter could be 6 feet. Second, a lot of batters are trying to walk. They don't swing at good pitches, so they aren't going to swing at marginal pitches.

Agree to the topic of control.

That said
Can understand
Often people use throwing 'strikes' as a measuring stick.
(in a compairison to control because charts are kept, right?!)

Agree also, no one zone.
Its an 'Area'
That gets interpreted/measured dimensions differently.

 

[NBECoach]

If the ball is out of the strike zone up or down DD has a timing issue.
If the ball is out of the strike zone left or right DD has a mechanics issue

at about 1 min 15 sec. Bill Hillhouse explains

 

[Ken B]

The release point:

 

[whiporee]

I'm saying this with humor, but also with a bit of experience and sincerity.

She needs to stop pitching. Focus on hitting. Accuracy is hard to teach, and if she doesn't have a good feel for it at 12, it's really hard to instill later. I say this as someone whose daughter struggled with accuracy from 12 until 18, and I still take deep breaths every time she gets to ball 2. I've learned that you either were taught the correct techniques early, or you had a natural feel, but if you don't have a good feel for being able to throw where you want at 12, 14's going to be harder and 16 even harder.

And your coach either doesn't know how to teach accuracy, but they like your money so they are going to keep helping her get incrementally better. And she will be -- DD got her walks down to less than one an inning this year, but that's still not great. Some girls just don't have the knack, so maybe think about a different way to enjoy the game. And hitting always helps and is valued.