High School coach may ruin DD's swing

[Ken Krause]

Or just say she doesn't feel well.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Yes, but ask her how many balls the coach throws at once. It should be 3. You could easily go through 8 sets and that would be a bucket of balls.

I am not so quick to jump on a HS coach, when we don't know the total story.

 

[obbay]

It's rapid fire till the bucket is empty. (Not unusual to have two balls in the air at a time). fill up the bucket and it's the next batter's turn.

The girls who are doing the tossing aren't coaches, they are HS kids just doing what the coach told them to do.
It's the Freshman coach's first year as a HS coach. He's been a LL (Senior League) coach for a long time. He was DD's coach last spring and took a girl who was an excellent 2-strike hitter and taught her how to strike out. So I have a preconceived grudge here and wanted to hear from unbiased 3rd parties as to the effectiveness and/or correct way to execute this drill.
I have never liked this drill because I thought it was bad for a swing, but wanted to keep an open mind and ask.

I know you have had unacceptable results from using a machine in the off season, but I think it has worked for my kids. So I have used it along with soft toss and tee work and a few other mechanics-related things. (Our pitching machines are highly inconsistent, so every pitch is in a different location. Maybe that helps?)

 

[Chris O'Leary]

Or just say she doesn't feel well.

While I'm sure this was offered partly in jest, it's one of the worst case things I suggest.

Another is to say you have to go to the bathroom when it's your turn at the station, get skipped, and when the coach asks if everyone has gone through the station reply, "Yes, coach."

You could also fake an equipment problem every three balls (e.g. fiddle with your batting gloves and pretend like they are too loose).

 

[Chris O'Leary]

It's rapid fire till the bucket is empty. fill up the bucket and it's the next batter's turn.

This is the worst case scenario.

Questioning the coach's logic doesn't do any good in this case because his logic exists, but is flawed. He just doesn't understand what a good swing looks like.

I know you have had unacceptable results from using a machine in the off season, but I think it has worked for my kids. So I have used it along with soft toss and tee work and a few other mechanics-related things. (Our pitching machines are highly inconsistent, so every pitch is in a different location. Maybe that helps?)

I'm not opposed to machine work, but you have to understand that it won't help your hitters work on their timing.

 

[softballphreak]

Just do the drill as the coach asks. Think of it as physical exercise, for example. Side tossing a medicine ball doesn't do much for a swing either, as far as mechanics are concerned. But it helps the core.

Print out some of Chris' opinions (his are always among the best, imo) and offer it to the coach; along with a link to this forum. If a coach finds you are sincere in wanting to be what you need to be for the team maybe he/she will respect that. If not, you at least tried; and you haven't compromised your integrity. Whatever you do, don't encourage the kid to be false!

None of us started out knowing everything. We didn't know everything until the last thing we learned; and that won't change until the next time.