Good reflex / reaction drills?

[mad hornet]

My older dd has demonstrated excellent reflexes as a pitcher. So far (knocking on wood), she has been able to either catch the ball or avoid being hit by comebackers after four travel seasons pitching. Once last year she ended up flat on her back but completely unscathed, another time caught a ball off a Rocketech right in front of her face.

I have a younger dd who is also a pitcher and I am concerned that her relexes have never been really tested. What are some good drills I can do that might help prepare her when the time comes?

 

[WinThemAll]

Have her take a tennis ball, throw it against a wall. Start out farther away and work at getting closer. You can also throw it from behind her and can add another ball to make it more challenging.

 

[chinamigarden]

I stand about 40 feet from my DD with a bat and hit a ball to her. She throws them back to me and in one motion it goes from my glove into the air and gets hit right back at her. Some end up as grounders, some go on a line. She gets a bunch of reps in a short amount of time.

 

[quincy]

Do not know if it helps or not but have DD put on a mask and I use a tennis racket and hit tennis balls at her. We have a good time especially when we switch places and she starts hitting them at me.

 

[quincy]

Different subject but our pitchers seem to do a good job catching hard hit balls. It is the little blooper, where they have a split second to think about it, that things go wrong.

 

[RubberBiscuit]

For my DD playing volleyball at high levels where there is a ton of spiking and needing the quick reactions there has really made a difference. This is similar to the concept here of get up close and fire fast ones at her profile and have her learn to react at that distance & pace. From my perspective there is no other way but to take some preferrably soft and low mass object and fire it. Start with a mask.

 

[Greenmonsters]

It's like the old Wild West - there will always be someone faster on the draw. IMO, in SB its an inevitability that there's a line drive coming that's not going to get caught, knocked down, or safely deflected. At less than 40 ft at finish, any pitcher that doesn't wear a mask is tempting fate. No question that working on fielding and improving reflexes helps, but a mask is cheap insurance. It's not in vogue in college currently, but then again nor were goalies masks and player helmets in the NHL, batter's helmets in MLB, etc.

 

[Softball_2]

If you have some money to spend, get these:
Nike Store. Nike SPARQ Vapor Strobe Eyewear

 

[02Crush]

Do not know if it helps or not but have DD put on a mask and I use a tennis racket and hit tennis balls at her. We have a good time especially when we switch places and she starts hitting them at me.

When do we get to watch this exchange! I bet it is a blast...and funny too

 

[02Crush]

It's like the old Wild West - there will always be someone faster on the draw. IMO, in SB its an inevitability that there's a line drive coming that's not going to get caught, knocked down, or safely deflected. At less than 40 ft at finish, any pitcher that doesn't wear a mask is tempting fate. No question that working on fielding and improving reflexes helps, but a mask is cheap insurance. It's not in vogue in college currently, but then again nor were goalies masks and player helmets in the NHL, batter's helmets in MLB, etc.

Also buy her an EVO shield body guard. I increases player confidence to put the glove on it rather than merely panic and turn away and be hit. Check them out at www.Evoshield.com
Many on our team use them. They do not restrict the pitcher's motion and are not too hot in Summer.