How do I make this point to a 13 year old?

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May 12, 2008
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Good report. On the change getting hit, fastballs, drops and rises get hit too. Keep throwing the change and learning to command location on the change.
 
Oct 19, 2009
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beyond the fences
She has been taught to throw strikes. A strike is a ball thrown in the strike zone, but she needs to understand that a strike is also a pitch that the batter swings at. My DD recognizes that once a batter swings at a pitch high in the zone, she can take her out with a high rise or rise curve. These are strikes regardless of location. Be patient and help her understand. Location is key. My DD pitched yesterday and had 7 K's and gave up just one hit to a very good team as we had faced them in the past and we charted how she should throw
 

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,168
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New England
Congratulations, sounds like DD took a big step this weekend. If shes 13 w/ a 50 mph FB and a change, then she had to be hitting her spots and mixing the 2 pitches well because good or even mediocre 18U hitters would have taken her WAY deep. A flyout on a change is a good result because it means the hitters timing was off enough not to hit a rocket line drive or bomb over the fence.

Sometimes all it takes is trying a different approach to explaining something. I believe that coaching,like teaching, requires an individualized approach to be effective. Add in the parent coach situation (i.e., assume our own DD only hear 1/2 of what we say to them in the capacity of a coach because of their genetic parent frequency cancelling device) and its a real challenge.

I agree w/ mastering the FB and change before moving on to new pitches. How effective is a pitcher w/ 4 (or the oft claimed 9!) pitches if they can't throw any of them well?!

GM :D
 
Jun 6, 2009
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Add in the parent coach situation (i.e., assume our own DD only hear 1/2 of what we say to them in the capacity of a coach because of their genetic parent frequency cancelling device) and its a real challenge.

GM :D

I like that. I think i'll steal it. :D
 

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,168
38
New England
JV - good point re hitter tendencies. Also need to recognize that the strike varies by umpire too (but hopefully not on a pitch by pitch basis!) If blue favors the ankle high or off-the-outside corner strke, or has a tall or wide zone, identify it and use it to your advantage.
 
Oct 19, 2009
639
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I tell my pitchers that good pitchers do not throw strikes every pitch. They are not to give batters something to hit with 0-2 or else I make the slow walk to the circle. Change-ups have got to be ankle high. They come in looking waist high and fall off the table.
 
May 12, 2008
2,214
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I tell my pitchers that good pitchers do not throw strikes every pitch. They are not to give batters something to hit with 0-2 or else I make the slow walk to the circle. Change-ups have got to be ankle high. They come in looking waist high and fall off the table.

On an 0-2 count yeah. Or against weak hitters. Against good hitters, at some point, you do need to demonstrate the ability to throw the change for a strike. I'm sure you know this. I'm posting for others.
 
Feb 6, 2009
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I was going to say the same thing about the change. It eventually needs to be a strike to get a swing on it against better hitters.

That reminds me of something I do with my daughter to practice against changeups. We have alight flite machine. I found that the older balls (we use the baseball size ones) come in substantially slower (10MPH-15MPH) than new ones. So I mix them up on her. I'm trying to continue to teach her to really watch that pitch and reconize it and check her swing or foul it off. It works very well. Juggs should sell old balls too lol
 
May 12, 2008
2,214
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That's good but a ML hitter once, when asked when he recognized the curve said, before it comes out of his hand. My point being look for clues before ball flight. Hand position at release, ball gripping differences, initial motion differences, patterns etc.
 

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