There is an entire list of things some coaches teach that need to go away. My daughter came up through little league baseball and virtually every coach taught never to swing until they took a strike. You only get 3, why would you tell a kid to give up 33 percent of their chances to hit the ball? Or, never sing at the first pitch. If it is belt high right down the middle why wouldn't you drive it hard?
There is an entire list of things some coaches teach that need to go away. My daughter came up through little league baseball and virtually every coach taught never to swing until they took a strike. You only get 3, why would you tell a kid to give up 33 percent of their chances to hit the ball? Or, never sing at the first pitch. If it is belt high right down the middle why wouldn't you drive it hard?
It wasn't until travel ball that my DD got any instruction on count-dependent strategy at the plate. With zero strikes, she's looking for a pitch in her hot zone. Anything else, she takes. Of course, this means she looks at a lot of 1st strikes. With 1 strike, she expands her "hit" zone to about the size of the strike zone. With 2 strikes, she's looking to get her bat on anything near the strike zone. She tends to have a fair amount of 2-strike foul balls, and punish mistakes over the white of the plate.
What I have never understood is why some players aren't taught that their "hot zone" can depend upon situations and how the hitter is typically pitched.
Agreed. High school pitchers in our region tend to pitch outside corner early and often. DD is focused on that location first pitch most of the time.What I have never understood is why some players aren't taught that their "hot zone" can depend upon situations and how the hitter is typically pitched.
I have no idea when it started but DD will not swing at 1st pitch, ball or strike. She is not waiting for a strike but 1st tpitch she is not swinging at.
What I have never understood is why some players aren't taught that their "hot zone" can depend upon situations and how the hitter is typically pitched.