- Aug 2, 2011
- 129
- 16
My daughter played 4th grade rec. ball earlier this spring/summer. I have been coaching her swing since kindergarten and it was the best on the team mechanically. It certainly has a long ways to go, but as many of you know at 4th grade rec. ball most of the girls have bat drag, swing with their arms only, pull their heads completely off the ball, don't shift their weight forward, etc. I could go on. My daughter didn't exhibit these faults to the the degree of her team mates. In practice she regularly drove the ball to the outfield. In her first game she got a triple and was poised to lead the team in hitting for the season.
But it didn't turn out that way. She quickly went into a slump and her goal from then on was to "not strike out." She took a lot of close pitches that may have been balls but that she could have driven. So she walked a lot since it was the first year of player pitch and the pitchers were wild. And she occasionally swung at pitches way out of the strike zone.
I always praised her for swinging at strikes even when she missed. But I got on her a little when she took strikes and wasn't swinging the bat or when she swung at pitches way out of the zone. (I mean a little; I'm not a "barker" or one of those overbearing dads that suck enjoyment for all out of the game)
One issue is aggressiveness. She wasn't a great soccer player. Instead of diving into the crowd and trying to control the ball, she was like a satellite always near but rarely IN the action. Her main activity since kindergarten has been ballet. She has great self-discipline, balance and I think physically ballet has made her a good softball player.
The other issue is the wildness of the pitching and the uncertain strike zone. Every ump called strikes differently. A pitch at the neck would be called a strike one day and a pitch an inch inside or outside would be called a ball one game.
It was confusing to say the least.
Her problems at the plate did not extend to her defensive play. She regularly made great plays in the field.
She just made a 10U club team. I am wondering if anyone has suggestions on how to approach at bats mentally at this level. I told the team to always be thinking swing and then "decide NOT to swing at a pitch." This had them thinking swing and deciding not to when the pitch was out of the zone. This advice seemed to work for a lot of the girls.
Being nervous is certainly normal for girls this age playing their first year of player pitch, so I am not that concerned, but I am looking for the right thing to tell her to adjust mentally from passive and hesitant to more aggressive and confident. More at-bats will certainly help.
Thanks in advance for any help!
Jim
But it didn't turn out that way. She quickly went into a slump and her goal from then on was to "not strike out." She took a lot of close pitches that may have been balls but that she could have driven. So she walked a lot since it was the first year of player pitch and the pitchers were wild. And she occasionally swung at pitches way out of the strike zone.
I always praised her for swinging at strikes even when she missed. But I got on her a little when she took strikes and wasn't swinging the bat or when she swung at pitches way out of the zone. (I mean a little; I'm not a "barker" or one of those overbearing dads that suck enjoyment for all out of the game)
One issue is aggressiveness. She wasn't a great soccer player. Instead of diving into the crowd and trying to control the ball, she was like a satellite always near but rarely IN the action. Her main activity since kindergarten has been ballet. She has great self-discipline, balance and I think physically ballet has made her a good softball player.
The other issue is the wildness of the pitching and the uncertain strike zone. Every ump called strikes differently. A pitch at the neck would be called a strike one day and a pitch an inch inside or outside would be called a ball one game.
It was confusing to say the least.
Her problems at the plate did not extend to her defensive play. She regularly made great plays in the field.
She just made a 10U club team. I am wondering if anyone has suggestions on how to approach at bats mentally at this level. I told the team to always be thinking swing and then "decide NOT to swing at a pitch." This had them thinking swing and deciding not to when the pitch was out of the zone. This advice seemed to work for a lot of the girls.
Being nervous is certainly normal for girls this age playing their first year of player pitch, so I am not that concerned, but I am looking for the right thing to tell her to adjust mentally from passive and hesitant to more aggressive and confident. More at-bats will certainly help.
Thanks in advance for any help!
Jim