How to help with timing the pitcher..

[cooprules15]

So...my daughter has rebuilt her swing over the winter. The sequence was good. She was getting a good scap load.
All is good...off the tee.

Now, trying to transfer this to live pitching it's all falling apart. She isn't getting into any kind of load fast enough and everything ends up way too quick and jerky. She makes contact but the sequence is gone...She's not starting her load until almost release, which is when she should be starting her advance.

Any ideas on how to help her get things started earlier and slower. She knows. She has seen the video...She just can't seem to get it going.

 

[CJ D]

She is "reaction" swinging. In other words, she is getting in the box telling herself that she needs to swing at strikes. In doing so, she doesn't take her normal load and swing. She has to react to strikes and she doesn't have time to take a good swing that way.

The only way for her to take her tee swing is to preach the opposite. She has to not swing at balls. She is swinging at everything else.....put more simply, she is swinging at every pitch until she sees that she's not. If she has been taught to react and swing at strikes, she can be retaught to react and not swing at balls. Every pitch should leave the fans saying "ohhhhhhh!!!! She wanted that one!" Yup. My hitters want EVERY pitch.

 

[cooprules15]

Ok..having trouble following that...I agree with the 'reaction' thing. That is exactly what is happening. You're saying I should just have her swing at everything? At least as a mindset. Then react to not swinging at balls?

 

[mann]

front toss. In blocks. fast in blocks slow in blocks all strikes. then random. Learn to ride the coil, softly and slowly.

 

[cooprules15]

In blocks?

 

[CJ D]

Ok..having trouble following that...I agree with the 'reaction' thing. That is exactly what is happening. You're saying I should just have her swing at everything? At least as a mindset. Then react to not swinging at balls?

Exactly. Most every youth ball player has been taught since they could hold a bat that they have to swing at strikes. So, they go up to the plate and when facing slow pitching can do a pretty good job of hitting the ball. As they start facing faster pitchers, they start having increased difficulty getting their timing on faster stuff. It's because they don't have the time to process the pitch, decide to swing, and then load and perform a correct swing. The result is choppy reaction type swings. The next time she is on the tee, use a stopwatch and see how log it takes her from the very start of her load to the contact with the ball. Compare that to the time it takes the ball to go from the pitcher to the plate. You'll see they are wayyyy different, in most every case. In extreme cases, girls won't even load until they process "strike". Some load, but don't initiate swing until they process it. My contention, which is really no big secret because it is taught by most everyone who coaches higher level teams, is that they have to load and initiate the swing on every pitch. It is fundamental change in philosophy than how most of them were taught, and can take some growing pains. Many girls do it naturally and it is far easier to teach. It doesn't sound like that may be the case in your situation, so expect growing pains and some cuts at bad pitches along the way. But the only way to get a kid to take "their" swing is for them to know that they ARE going to swing.

There are a multitude of drills you can do with this to help. One I like to do is simple front toss and have them know they are swinging at every pitch. Quickly work in them calling out balls and strikes as early in the delivery as they can. On strikes, they continue the swing. When they call ball, they have to check....but the initiation of load and weight transfer is important.

There is so much emphasis put on the mechanics of the swing, and rightly so. But the mental approach at the plate can make a potential .500 batter look like a tee ball player. It is as important, imo, as anything mechanical you can teach.

 

[mann]

In blocks?

Groups of. Like when learning math. first you learn addition then subtraction. then random between both. I use the same "block training" with all new skills. It works wonders even with defense, such as flyballs.

Give her a steady pitch in the same spot, same speed. then a group of, faster pitches same spot. you must do this in all locations all speeds. then use random speeds, same spot, get the pic?


Your players "visual library' must be built.

 

[cooprules15]

Groups of. Like when learning math. first you learn addition then subtraction. then random between both. I use the same "block training" with all new skills. It works wonders even with defense, such as flyballs.

Give her a steady pitch in the same spot, same speed. then a group of, faster pitches same spot. you must do this in all locations all speeds. then use random speeds, same spot, get the pic?

Ok. Thank you. They did that in her lesson and she did well. But they just pitch to them at club practice. We will work on that on our own.

 

[rdbass]

Yes, like most have said your DD needs to be swinging at every ball until she decides not to swing. DD doesn't have enough time to start her load/sequence when she thinks the pitch is going to be a strike. DD needs to be loading on every pitch. DD's mind set is yes,yes yes,yes, noooo or yes,yes,yes,yes gooooo. I would do front toss and every now and then 'fake' throw a pitch and make sure DD started loading/sequence.

 

[JJsqueeze]

i think it is telling that with all varying opinions on what isn't a high level swing, that the advice on timing is pretty much universal on this board. As others have said, YES YES YES NO...swinging on every pitch until they aren't. It is the single most effective thing you can teach a hitter to improve their performance.