Does anyone besides me teach these things?

[cmustangsfp]

Some little something to further deceive a batter or confuse a batter long enough so they do not make good contact or do not swing the bat at all?

Saw a rec coach do that. It was bush league. Once the pitcher for the other team released the ball he would start with the "Good Eye" "Too high" "No!" comments before the ball got close to the plate. When his pitcher was out there it was, "Good Pitch" "Yes!" "Right in there!" in an attempt to confuse the 10U batters. 10U. Pretty pathetic.

 

[Dusty]

Some may call this tactic 'Busch League'. That is EXACTLY the type of batters and teams you want to use this against. Sometimes ya gotta fight fire with fire.

But then that would make your team bush league also. Your pitcher would be a bush league pitcher using bush league tactics against another bush league team in a bush league tournament and paying a bush league pitching coach for weekly lessons.

 

[halskinner]

Dusty,

Do you allow your pitcher to show a fast wind up but then deliver a slow pitch? A slow change up? I'm certain you do. That is done to deceive the batters right? A Busch league tactic for sure. How does it feel to be a 'Busch League' team with Busch League pitchers?

What if a pitcher showed a slow wind up but delivered a fast pitch? Would that be 'Busch League'? I taught all my students that tactic.

 

[canyonjoe]

There is a huge difference between trying to deceive the hitter with changes of speeds versus trying to distract a batter as they are hitting. Heck why not have someone with a mirror stand in the outfield to distract them too. There are a lot of people on this board that love softball but I don't think you will find a ton of allies that agree with your approach.

 

[halskinner]

CJ,

Are you saying you have never ran up against a team that used Busch league tactics? I'm sure you have.

What did you do? Nothing?

I have seen a 12u team, all big kids for 12u, threat to beat uip any player that made it to 2nd base. They whispered it to them so nobody else heard. An intimidating and Busch league tactic for sure.

Again, sometimes fighting fire with fire is justified.

 

[canyonjoe]

We've had a couple of players on opposing teams say a few nasty things, but seriously have never had an issue like that. It's only our first year in TB, so maybe things will change, but if anything I am amazed at the level of sportsmanship that I see at our games.

 

[halskinner]

Canyon Joe,

I believe the official term umpires use is "To fool or deceive the batters". So, therte is NO DIFFERENCE between changing speed or anything else that is legal for a pitcher to do. They arte all done to 'Fool or deceive'.

As far as being an instructor that taught many different types on tactics, It is part of a good instructors training to make sure the student goes prepared and aware of what the other teams might do. Most instructors simply send the pitcher out and let the other teams give them THAT part of their education. I was not like other instructors.

 

[slingnit]

Dusty,

Do you allow your pitcher to show a fast wind up but then deliver a slow pitch? A slow change up? I'm certain you do. That is done to deceive the batters right? A Busch league tactic for sure. How does it feel to be a 'Busch League' team with Busch League pitchers?

What if a pitcher showed a slow wind up but delivered a fast pitch? Would that be 'Busch League'? I taught all my students that tactic.

deception- something that deceives or is intended to deceive; fraud; artifice

distraction- that which distracts, divides the attention, or prevents concentration

There is a huge difference between the two. One is using your pitching skills and ability to trick or throw a batter out of time. The other is using a gimmick, that has nothing to do with your ability, to pull their attention away from the pitch. You wanted opinions, don't pout now that the majority appears to not agree with you.

 

[slingnit]

AND that little trick may work in 10, 12, or low level 14u but in competitive 16 and 18u and especially college this TRICK would be useless. Just like using a submarine and windmill, trying to throw off hitters. Oh, let me guess you have seen it work in a men's C league in 1964, it must be full proof! If a girl is working towards a college scholarship and this is what they have to offer, coaches would be turned away ina a heartbeat. You said I have never posted one thing that would help a young pitcher improve. DO NOT TRY THIS SILLY TRICK!!!!. There I have helped numerous young pitchers.

 

[Rocketech1]

The best way to deal with teams that use bush league tactics is to go out there and beat them the way the game was meant to be played. There is no need to be "sneaky". My DD pitched against a one team that knew they were out matched against us so in the first inning their batters squared around like they were going to bunt but instead would wave the bat around like crazy in an attempt to distract our pitcher and make her walk them (IMO, "bush league"). So instead of resorting to "sneaky tactics", my DD instead preceded to strikeout the side. Guess what, in the second inning this team stopped waving their bats around. The moral of the story is, prepare properly for the game and then go out and play YOUR game the way it was meant to be played and good things will happen for the team. Don't stoop down to the level of your competition.