Fast Pitch Softball Pitching Lessons Old info,but this is what most use in terms of the current topic you two are talking about.
Hitting the high pitch - Suggestions?
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Greenmonsters
Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
GD - good stuff. You might just have what it takes to develop into a good catcher.
However, there's is one fundamental thing I disagree with - I believe that you should always use YOUR strengths to take advantage of your opponent's weaknesses rather than simply focus on their weaknesses. Where there's an overlap, you have an obvious advantage. But if there isn't an overlap, I'd much rather play to my strengths. If I can't hit a change up to save my life, it makes no sense to sit on a change up simply because its a pitcher's worst pitch. And the same holds true if the roles are reversed, a batter's biggest weakness may be a riseball but if I'm a pitcher with a poor riseball, what advantage does it give me to throw it?
However, there's is one fundamental thing I disagree with - I believe that you should always use YOUR strengths to take advantage of your opponent's weaknesses rather than simply focus on their weaknesses. Where there's an overlap, you have an obvious advantage. But if there isn't an overlap, I'd much rather play to my strengths. If I can't hit a change up to save my life, it makes no sense to sit on a change up simply because its a pitcher's worst pitch. And the same holds true if the roles are reversed, a batter's biggest weakness may be a riseball but if I'm a pitcher with a poor riseball, what advantage does it give me to throw it?
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If I played to my strengths and preyed on another's weakness, that would be brutally unfair.
GM, now you wouldn't call my worst pitch on purpose would ya?
Greenmonsters
Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
If I played to my strengths and preyed on another's weakness, that would be brutally unfair.
GM, now you wouldn't call my worst pitch on purpose would ya?
Oh, never (at least not without first telling the batter it was coming).
Just a quick update. Went out to the cages for the first time in a few weeks. DD has had 2 weeks off from softball. We spent a lot of time talking about all the great advice that was provided in this thread. The went at it.
Spent a good amount of time working the high tee. Stationary, walk-through, one leg drills, etc. Within a few swings she was able to crack line drives. Then we setup a Hack-Attack pitching machine to pitch rise balls at the top of the zone and she again was able to hit them with authority. Of course she knows the pitch is coming which makes it easier; however, she was hitting them much better than she ever has (even off a machine).
We talked a lot about the suggestions provided in the thread. There were a lot of good ones. The key cues that seemed to work with her were what Bonds said about taking the hands past the chin on the high pitch. I think she could visualize that one very well. She also really responded to the "turn the bat" cue.
I read the entire "DD Bat Drag ?" thread on the technical group and found a ton of good stuff. She has been told on a number of occasions that her swing was sometimes a little long. We talked a lot on the drive to the cage about how she got to stretch and initiated the swing. Interestingly enough when I asked her to describe what she does, she was very front arm dominant in her thought. She said she pushed the bat back to stretch with her front arm and pulled the bat forward with the front arm. Talked about "pulling back the bat like pulling back a bow with the back hand" and "turning the barrel" to get on plane... and her sequencing (IMO) seems a lot better. She also was able to keep the front side from drifting and she didn't seem to be popping up her body to make adjustments in height.
It was just one practice session, but it seems we may be onto something. (It could also have been the 2 weeks off as well. She was having a blast hitting again. I had to pry her out of the cage!)
We are going to work daily on high T and the high pitch. Now on to see how she does against live pitching.
I will try to get some video posted in the next few days. Thanks everyone.
Spent a good amount of time working the high tee. Stationary, walk-through, one leg drills, etc. Within a few swings she was able to crack line drives. Then we setup a Hack-Attack pitching machine to pitch rise balls at the top of the zone and she again was able to hit them with authority. Of course she knows the pitch is coming which makes it easier; however, she was hitting them much better than she ever has (even off a machine).
We talked a lot about the suggestions provided in the thread. There were a lot of good ones. The key cues that seemed to work with her were what Bonds said about taking the hands past the chin on the high pitch. I think she could visualize that one very well. She also really responded to the "turn the bat" cue.
I read the entire "DD Bat Drag ?" thread on the technical group and found a ton of good stuff. She has been told on a number of occasions that her swing was sometimes a little long. We talked a lot on the drive to the cage about how she got to stretch and initiated the swing. Interestingly enough when I asked her to describe what she does, she was very front arm dominant in her thought. She said she pushed the bat back to stretch with her front arm and pulled the bat forward with the front arm. Talked about "pulling back the bat like pulling back a bow with the back hand" and "turning the barrel" to get on plane... and her sequencing (IMO) seems a lot better. She also was able to keep the front side from drifting and she didn't seem to be popping up her body to make adjustments in height.
It was just one practice session, but it seems we may be onto something. (It could also have been the 2 weeks off as well. She was having a blast hitting again. I had to pry her out of the cage!)
We are going to work daily on high T and the high pitch. Now on to see how she does against live pitching.
I will try to get some video posted in the next few days. Thanks everyone.
FiveFrameSwing
Banned
Appreciate your post Goobie. Keep us posted.
That's the key to a high zone pitch. ( or any ) You've got to see it, see it, and then see it some more. Once the mind repeatedly recognizes an objects path it eventually will process it quicker and quicker. That will make the difference in judging a pitch 10' before the plate and judging it 20' before.
Once you get these two down, you will separate yourself from average hitters. Live "moving" pitches, and lots of it...........
Pitch Recognition: A batters’ ability to recognize a pitches’ type, velocity and placement. Develops with coaching but premium vision is genetic.
Plate Discipline: The ability– as a batter– to judge the strikezone as well as differentiate hittable pitches from unhittable ones. Plate discipline is distinct from patience, albeit related, as it shows selectivity– not just a willingness to take pitches early in the count.
Glad yall are having fun with it. Small steps forward, and pretty soon you've walked a mile.
FiveFrameSwing
Banned
GD ... I find that when my hitters place more of a focus on "turning the barrel" that their hands are better able to work towards the ball. Simply giving that as a goal not only removes issues with prematurely lowering the barrel, but it also allows the hitter to better seek the ball with their hands.
Often when I see a kid struggle performing the high-tee drill, and finally realize success of line-drives from the high-tee position, what they have done is activated their top hand earlier. For some ... what I see is that they have altered their swing from an elbow-centric approach to more of a hand-centric approach ... where it is the desire to use the hands that is then governing the slotting of their rear elbow.
Often when I see a kid struggle performing the high-tee drill, and finally realize success of line-drives from the high-tee position, what they have done is activated their top hand earlier. For some ... what I see is that they have altered their swing from an elbow-centric approach to more of a hand-centric approach ... where it is the desire to use the hands that is then governing the slotting of their rear elbow.
Just to clarify. Bonds wants to feel his hands brush his cheek on every pitch. Not just the high ones.
Can't remember who ( BB guy ) said after vision, the hands are a hitters best friend.
FFS, I've kinda taken a different approach over the years for this particular game. Remember 12 years ago was my first day on a fastpitch field. The dementional layout was so small than what I was use to. It dong-ed on me while watching a regional HS playoff game one night after my teams ( 7yo ) rec game, that this game is all about consistently putting the ball in play.
Background: This playoff game was to be a great matchup at the time. Home team had a top notch pitcher with a great defense behind her, the visiting team was known for just simply banging the ball all day long. Without me giving inning by inning details, the visiting team absolutely crushed the defensively sound home team. You could tell the home team had never seen any thing like it. All the hits, base runners, runs shook the D up so bad they "rushed" the whole game.............of coarse piling on the errors.
The hitters mechanics were just plain Jane average, some below average. But they lived on "line drives". And I mean one after the other.
Being a fastpitch new born, I stayed after that game and waited 20 mins or so to tell the coach ( who I didn't know ) congrats and ask "how are you teaching them to simply drive the ball". ( let me add, there was NOT one homerun, no triples. They just pounded the ball for singles and doubles all night. I'd even go as far to say no fair ball was hit higher than 20' off the ground. )
He told me "all I want is them to do is put the ball in play, I don't need 3-4 homerun hitters or power hitters, I need 9 HITTERS who return the ball to the fielders with great consistency". "I tell them if you hit the ball you've done your job, then it's on the defense". He told me he had coached BB years before FP, and in BB we evaluate a hitters future by a lot of physical signs. "For FP I evaluate solely by the ability of a batter to get on base". Doesn't matter how, just get on. "Runs win games, runs pressurize the defense, errors happen and we get a W. Simple as that".
All that he said made perfect sense and was the same thing that "dong-ed" on me watching the game. That's why we have worked so hard on the mental approach of the box, sometimes to the small decline of mechanics. Vision, processing the visual data, hand to eye coordination, short bat paths, and pure contact is what we have developed over the years.
Since 2008 in TB and school ball we have out scored opponents ( seasonal records ) by at least 2-1 margins. ( I've posted web links and paper clipping in the past ) Does that mean we win every game? No, but we win over .700 of them and thats not chicken scratch.
Each of us has our own tools for training/practice, and each works in its own special way. I've leaned more mental in this game than technical, that in no way means my way is best, just has worked out best for us.
I'll know in about 6 months if this ( mentality ) was a pipe dream or something others should consider. Taking a bunch a snot nose 5-6yo from a hole in the wall small rural town, winning 3 TB state championships in 3 different organizations, 7 who have signed to play at the college level, 2 consecutive HS state appearances, and this year hopefully bringing home the ring for those 8 seniors who have given most of their short lives to get there.
FFS, I've kinda taken a different approach over the years for this particular game. Remember 12 years ago was my first day on a fastpitch field. The dementional layout was so small than what I was use to. It dong-ed on me while watching a regional HS playoff game one night after my teams ( 7yo ) rec game, that this game is all about consistently putting the ball in play.
Background: This playoff game was to be a great matchup at the time. Home team had a top notch pitcher with a great defense behind her, the visiting team was known for just simply banging the ball all day long. Without me giving inning by inning details, the visiting team absolutely crushed the defensively sound home team. You could tell the home team had never seen any thing like it. All the hits, base runners, runs shook the D up so bad they "rushed" the whole game.............of coarse piling on the errors.
The hitters mechanics were just plain Jane average, some below average. But they lived on "line drives". And I mean one after the other.
Being a fastpitch new born, I stayed after that game and waited 20 mins or so to tell the coach ( who I didn't know ) congrats and ask "how are you teaching them to simply drive the ball". ( let me add, there was NOT one homerun, no triples. They just pounded the ball for singles and doubles all night. I'd even go as far to say no fair ball was hit higher than 20' off the ground. )
He told me "all I want is them to do is put the ball in play, I don't need 3-4 homerun hitters or power hitters, I need 9 HITTERS who return the ball to the fielders with great consistency". "I tell them if you hit the ball you've done your job, then it's on the defense". He told me he had coached BB years before FP, and in BB we evaluate a hitters future by a lot of physical signs. "For FP I evaluate solely by the ability of a batter to get on base". Doesn't matter how, just get on. "Runs win games, runs pressurize the defense, errors happen and we get a W. Simple as that".
All that he said made perfect sense and was the same thing that "dong-ed" on me watching the game. That's why we have worked so hard on the mental approach of the box, sometimes to the small decline of mechanics. Vision, processing the visual data, hand to eye coordination, short bat paths, and pure contact is what we have developed over the years.
Since 2008 in TB and school ball we have out scored opponents ( seasonal records ) by at least 2-1 margins. ( I've posted web links and paper clipping in the past ) Does that mean we win every game? No, but we win over .700 of them and thats not chicken scratch.
Each of us has our own tools for training/practice, and each works in its own special way. I've leaned more mental in this game than technical, that in no way means my way is best, just has worked out best for us.
I'll know in about 6 months if this ( mentality ) was a pipe dream or something others should consider. Taking a bunch a snot nose 5-6yo from a hole in the wall small rural town, winning 3 TB state championships in 3 different organizations, 7 who have signed to play at the college level, 2 consecutive HS state appearances, and this year hopefully bringing home the ring for those 8 seniors who have given most of their short lives to get there.
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