Hitting Baseballs??

[benz99]

Is it harmful for a girl(12u) to hit baseballs with a small barrel baseball bat. I have a pitching machine that throws both baseballs & softballs but it's really a pain to make all the changes from baseball to softball. I throw underhand now from aprrox 20 ft but I still don't throw anywhere near what she see's in the games for the most part. I was just wondering to get her used to seeing faster pitchers would feeding her some baseballs at a greater speed be of any benefit. I know it would be a different angle as far as release point. I figured if she could hit a baseball at some speed a softball would look like a beach ball coming in. Or would that do more harm than good. I have looked at some of the cheaper softball only type machines but really didn't want to spend the extra cash for another machine. Thanks for the time

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Can you pitch a baseball? That would be best, if you can't toss underhand, very well. But, yes. Go ahead with the baseball pitching machine and switch around to tee work, and front toss, a lot.

 

[JAD]

I would not, under an circumstances, hit a baseball with a composite softball bat! If she uses a baseball bat to hit baseballs she is probably OK, but I would NOT recommend doing this on a regular basis. She is better off hitting softballs off a tee, or doing front toss where she has to adjust to the pitch speed and location. You do not want to turn your DD into a "cage hitting phenom" who cannot hit live pitching to save her life!

 

[benz99]

Yea for sure I can pitch a baseball. Been throwing better part of a 1000 pitches a week for the last 4-5 years. That would probably work best, even if I pitch baseballs sitting on a bucket I could simulate a faster pitch than I can underhand with a softball. Thanks for the idea. I just recently went to my pitching machine for baseball as I can't throw fast enough to challenge my son & it gets a little scary even with the L screen

 

[benz99]

I would not, under an circumstances, hit a baseball with a composite softball bat! If she uses a baseball bat to hit baseballs she is probably OK, but I would NOT recommend doing this on a regular basis. She is better off hitting softballs off a tee, or doing front toss where she has to adjust to the pitch speed and location. You do not want to turn your DD into a "cage hitting phenom" who cannot hit live pitching to save her life!

No for sure I would use my son's older baseball bat & not her softball bat. And yea I would mix in front toss as I have been doing with softballs. I just wanted to bring a little more speed into practice than I can bring underhand

 

[Cannonball]

Hitting with wood is a good thing for your dd. Hitting baseballs is a good thing. My dd grew up doing both. When she was your dd's age, she routinely hit softball machine balls with a wooden composite bat taped on the end.

 

[benz99]

Hitting with wood is a good thing for your dd. Hitting baseballs is a good thing. My dd grew up doing both. When she was your dd's age, she routinely hit softball machine balls with a wooden composite bat taped on the end.

Another good idea using wood, as I have several wood bats my son has grown out of. So If I give her 20 or so fast baseballs hitting with wood & then move on to underhand softballs with her game bat that should help her adjust to faster pitching

 

[nanotech14]

Okay, not pickIng on you, but you mean to tell me you can't throw underhand? It just surprise me. Just move your screen up closer and give it enough speed to keep it in control.

 

[benz99]

Okay, not pickIng on you, but you mean to tell me you can't throw underhand? It just surprise me. Just move your screen up closer and give it enough speed to keep it in control.

I can throw underhand no problem & pretty accurate but it is way off the speed she is seeing in school ball IMO. I really dont want her standing 15 ft away that would be to close to help. She stands about 22-25 feet now. She moves closer to me as I can't move the Screen without unlocking it & i feel it's to slow to be realistic,all i'm saying

 

[nanotech14]

I can throw underhand no problem & pretty accurate but it is way off the speed she is seeing in school ball IMO. I really dont want her standing 15 ft away that would be to close to help. She stands about 22-25 feet now. She moves closer to me as I can't move the Screen without unlocking it & i feel it's to slow to be realistic,all i'm saying

Being that close won't hurt at all, since almost every team, I have ever seen do this. But I'm not you and your not me.