Hitting Really Fast Pitchers

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May 15, 2008
1,913
113
Cape Cod Mass.
Live BP is great... but it is not efficient use of team practice time... And when my DDs are throwing live BP, the coach tells them... "throw it down the middle, we need them to hit..." <facepalm>

There are no easy answers, especially if the pitcher is significantly faster than what your hitters typically see, and you are talking 12U. What I notice first when hitters are overmatched is that they speed up their swings and then start to anticipate rather than react, which is understandable. The go-no go decision to swing the bat is largely subconscious and based on previous experience, getting that experience is difficult. Rather than live BP I prefer at-bats, it benefits the pitchers and hitters.
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
Live BP is great... but it is not efficient use of team practice time... And when my DDs are throwing live BP, the coach tells them... "throw it down the middle, we need them to hit..." <facepalm>

Well, hmmm. The thing is, there's BP and then there's batting practice. There are also "simulated games" you can do with "guest" pitchers. Does the team have a hitting coach? Or the girls see individual hitting coaches? THAT is when they work on their swing, hitting off their tees and silly soft toss stuff.

They are only going to get better by facing better competition. If they want to win the "B" league championships then play in "A" tournaments throughout the year, the B league will seem like child's play (no pun intended).

A really good BP pitcher can throw hittable pitches with all different spins on the ball so the hitters get used to seeing it and grow in their ability to recognize it out of the hand. I don't think the pitcher should be trying to K everyone when the team needs to get swings in, but pumping 60mph out of a machine straight down the middle hardly prepares them either.
 
Oct 28, 2015
18
3
Central PA
You can use your pitcher for live pitching. Use a throw down home plate about 5 feet closer to the pitcher.

We use two throw downs and the regular home plate (off a pitching machine) to help batters adjust timing. One 5 feet in front of home plate and one 5 feet behind home plate. 4 balls at each plate, start at front plate (fast pitcher) move to middle (regular) move to back (slow or change up). You can go through each plate as needed.
 
Jan 28, 2017
1,662
83
Kids tend to try and speed up and go get the ball when they see fast pitching. We talk about making sure you stay in the phone booth and don't go through the front of it. If they figure this out it simplifies things but very hard to get to that point.

Start faster normally leads to pushing the hands further back and moving forward faster and you are more disconnected than normal, IMO. I know this isn't what is the intention but
 
Oct 2, 2017
2,283
113
Kids tend to try and speed up and go get the ball when they see fast pitching. We talk about making sure you stay in the phone booth and don't go through the front of it. If they figure this out it simplifies things but very hard to get to that point.

Start faster normally leads to pushing the hands further back and moving forward faster and you are more disconnected than normal, IMO. I know this isn't what is the intention but

Been using this with my DD
 
Oct 14, 2019
897
93
Here in central Florida, we had an 08 pitcher guest with us at a 12u tournament in July this year. 61 on pocket radar. she threw a rise ball and a change up. in 7 games, one batter reached on a bunt and one batter on a dropped fly ball. maybe a couple of walks. she usually plays 14u usssa elite. so there are a few unicorns out there.
 

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