Hitting Against Better Pitchers

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

May 3, 2018
12
3
My DD is on her 5th year of TB and is currently 14U. She has mostly played C level ball, but her coach is bringing the team to tougher "A" tourneys. Against C/B teams, she usually bats about .700. These better teams have better pitching. In the "A" tourneys, she's batting about .200. Up till now, I have been able to prepare my daughter for hitting. In the past a lot tee work, batting cages, & live pitching a team practice was sufficient. Her hitting coach tells me her mechanics are fine & that hitting against better pitchers is mental. Our team is a low B team. Our pitchers are not "A" level pitchers, so more live pitching from her teammates may not help. She has spent a lot of time in the last two weeks hitting 60mph in the cage. She actually told me 60 seemed slow, so I'm thinking her lack of hitting pitcher may be confidence and pitch selection.

I have a few questions. Should I be concerned or will she adjust? How can I prepare her to hit against better pitching? Would it make sense to find some older girls to pitch to her during the week?
 
Oct 29, 2019
89
18
My DD is on her 5th year of TB and is currently 14U. She has mostly played C level ball, but her coach is bringing the team to tougher "A" tourneys. Against C/B teams, she usually bats about .700. These better teams have better pitching. In the "A" tourneys, she's batting about .200. Up till now, I have been able to prepare my daughter for hitting. In the past a lot tee work, batting cages, & live pitching a team practice was sufficient. Her hitting coach tells me her mechanics are fine & that hitting against better pitchers is mental. Our team is a low B team. Our pitchers are not "A" level pitchers, so more live pitching from her teammates may not help. She has spent a lot of time in the last two weeks hitting 60mph in the cage. She actually told me 60 seemed slow, so I'm thinking her lack of hitting pitcher may be confidence and pitch selection.

I have a few questions. Should I be concerned or will she adjust? How can I prepare her to hit against better pitching? Would it make sense to find some older girls to pitch to her during the week?

Better pitchers will have more change of speed, more pitches with different movement, location... It's not just mental.

It's hard to switch to a different level of pitching. If she is hitting .700 it's probably time to find yourself an A team if getting better is what she wants to do.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
Did i read that correctly?
Her hitting coach said 'hitting off better pitchers is mental?'

Talk to the hitting coach one more time about the physical application and response to better pitches like anothersoftballdad pointed out.

If the hitting instructor does not connect/communicate further in instruction.
.....you can think that thru ;)
Would hope~The instructor would know how to teach to the next level.
That said.
It could be reaction time and devloping that for faster pitching.
Hitting/practicing pitch locations is necessary.
 
Last edited:
May 3, 2018
12
3
Better pitchers will have more change of speed, more pitches with different movement, location... It's not just mental.

It's hard to switch to a different level of pitching. If she is hitting .700 it's probably time to find yourself an A team if getting better is what she wants to do.

That may be an option in the fall. What can i do in the short term to better prepare her?
 
Apr 20, 2018
4,581
113
SoCal
5th year of TB at C level.
There is the problem. If she can hit 60 mph in the cage she should be hitting better than .200. With good pitching you want to hit the first good pitch. Watch for patterns in pitch calling. Also you want to try to avoid hitting with 2 strikes as much as possible. Good pitchers with good pitch calling can be real tough with 2 strikes. Also girls try to swing harder/faster against faster pitching and get sloppy (armsy) and over swing. Timing the faster pitching with your normal swing.
 
May 3, 2018
12
3
Did i read that correctly?
Her hitting coach said 'hitting off better pitchers is mental?'

Talk to the hitting coach one more time about the physical application and response to better pitches like anothersoftballdad pointed out.

If the hitting instructor does not connect/communicate further in instruction.
.....you can think that thru ;)
Would hope~The instructor would know how to teach to the next level.
That said.
It could be reaction time and devloping that for faster pitching.
Hitting/practicing pitch locations is necessary.

Let me clarify. He did tell me it could take a bit to adjust to the better pitching. Currently he's focusing on reading the pitch and pitch selection. reaction time could always be better, but I don't think that is the issue. She's getting bat to ball. Usually fouls one or two and gets into a two strike situation. Then they get her with a back door curve or a really good rise ball... or she doesn't think its a strike because its a screwball to the outside or a pitch in the river.
 
Jun 19, 2016
858
63
It is probably not the speed but the movement and location that is getting her. Commercial cages are probably not going to help her. For one they throw straight (relatively). Additionally, the machine is probably throwing 60, but it is also probably set up for baseball and it is more than the 37' or so that the pitcher is at release.
 
May 3, 2018
12
3
5th year of TB at C level.
There is the problem. If she can hit 60 mph in the cage she should be hitting better than .200. With good pitching you want to hit the first good pitch. Watch for patterns in pitch calling. Also you want to try to avoid hitting with 2 strikes as much as possible. Good pitchers with good pitch calling can be real tough with 2 strikes. Also girls try to swing harder/faster against faster pitching and get sloppy (armsy) and over swing. Timing the faster pitching with your normal swing.

YA I know. She's also a new pitcher. Had to make some tough decisions to get mound time. She's steadily making pitching improvements. It may be time to look for an "A" team in the fall.
 
May 3, 2018
12
3
It is probably not the speed but the movement and location that is getting her. Commercial cages are probably not going to help her. For one they throw straight (relatively). Additionally, the machine is probably throwing 60, but it is also probably set up for baseball and it is more than the 37' or so that the pitcher is at release.

Correct. How can i help her adjust to better placement?
 
Jun 19, 2016
858
63
Correct. How can i help her adjust to better placement?
You can try bringing in the net closer to the plate and move the ball around during front toss on the cage but probably the only way you are going to address the issue is get her more at bats against better pitchers. You can move the ball around but you can't spin it.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,482
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top