if you're not going to swing at strikes...

[Tarheel9er]

Daughter had always been a free swinger kept her in the hit, hit, no or hit, hit, hit, yes mode. Had a travel coach tell her to take some pitchers and that messed her thought process up and she started to lockup. Towards the end of the season the assistant coach told her to start swinging at the first pitch due to her huge slump. Kid started to light the ball up again just because her mind started to think hit hit yes again. Some kids are different you need to find out how each kid operates.

 

[_MIA_]

Anybody read The Science of Hitting?

 

[CoachJD]

Yep. Taking a change-up for strike 3, after swinging and missing at 2 change-ups in the dirt, with runners at 2B and 3B, down by 2 runs, with 2 outs in the last inning. My kid did that.

I imagine she thought another change-up, especially a change for a strike, was the last thing she'd see in that moment.

 

[Eric F]

I imagine she thought another change-up, especially a change for a strike, was the last thing she'd see in that moment.

Nope. She knew it was coming. Everyone knew it was coming. She thought it was going to miss high. It didn't. With 2 strikes, however, it was too close to just watch. Oh, well.

 

[eagle6]

Anybody read The Science of Hitting?

Couple of times. Ted was ahead of his time in dissecting the swing and his success with different pitches in the strike zone.

 

[AW95SY]

What does that mean? TB pitchers don’t get gassed? Softball is about run prevention along with run production...sometimes you have to sacrifice one a bit in order to greatly improve the other..

TB Pitchers get gassed, but the coaches' approach to the issue is less cerebral.

 

[ChaosCoordinator16]

use your on deck time properly and you should be ready for that first pitch. it hurts me to see kids talking through the fence during their on deck time. worse is a coach talking to a player when she is on deck. on deck time is very important. use it wisely.

This! I hate the don't swing at the 1st strike because if you're swinging while on deck then you're getting that timing down and seeing how the pitcher is pitching.

 

[_MIA_]

You guys would have hated watching Wade Boggs hit... TBH I wasn’t a fan either.

 

[NBECoach]

My favorite is "watch the first strike!" So, you knowingly handicap your batters?

My favorite is when the batter takes strike 1, steps out of the box looks at the coach and shakes her head up and down. Yep that was a hittable strike.

 

[CoachJD]

This! I hate the don't swing at the 1st strike because if you're swinging while on deck then you're getting that timing down and seeing how the pitcher is pitching.

I really gotta wonder if people who think getting ready on deck and actually standing in the box are the same have done either.

Yes, it helps some. But there's really no comparison. The brain registers the speed different from the side vs coming at you (hence one of the reasons why Major Leaguers get as close to directly behind the catcher as umpires will allow). You can't get the same sense of break on pitches. You miss out on late movement, a pitch getting on you quicker than expected (taller pitcher releasing two feet closer).

Players should absolutely prepare while on deck, and I'm not saying you should always take the first pitch, but it's silly to act as if you should have it all figured out just from being on deck.