In game approach to hitting while learning?

[stickpile39]

My 10U DD has just started to take this all quite seriously which I am thrilled about. We are working on so many different things and I am posting in the tech hitting forum. She is a work in progress and will need to work on the coil, stride sequence, hitting with body, the follow through, stop squishing the bug, stop hand drop, keep hands above the ball, and consequently stop swinging a straight level bat. With all that on the plate, how should she prepare herself for at bats in the meantime? (Game tonight for instance)

Most important one or two things to think about, or should it just be, see it, hit it.

She Hates swinging and missing in game! (Don't they all!)

thanks

 

[jbooth]

Swinging and missing can be caused by several things, but the main thing is too much head movement. You can't think about mechanics too much, while in the box, but prior to stepping in I would encourage her to tell herself to keep her head still.

The head is kept still mostly by using the legs correctly. The front leg must straighten and block forward movement. The back leg must stay bent to also prevent the head from going up and/or forward.

You can't think about more than one mechanic on game day. Pick just one.

 

[lhowser]

She is a work in progress and will need to work on the coil, stride sequence, hitting with body, the follow through, stop squishing the bug, stop hand drop, keep hands above the ball, and consequently stop swinging a straight level bat.

Reminder her off all of those things while she is on deck. That should give her confidence!

Actually the answer to me would be to analyze the top culprit in preventing her from getting barrel on ball and work there first.

Does she chop? Help her understand bat plane and the work of the elbows
Does she have bat drag with no rotation? World on the sync of the lower and upper body
Is she upper cutting - Work on hand path and tilt.

Just take it one step at a time. Some learn more quickly...others more slowly. Always tape her and show her (if she is interested) compared to model swings. You might be surprised at what she fixes when she sees herself.

 

[stickpile39]

thanks, she has a hand drop and a "level" arm swing

 

[Bucketrider]

too many thoughts at the plate generally don't help. You work hard at practice to get the mechanics correct so that it becomes second nature. When you are at bat, you said it correctly; See the ball, hit the ball. My DD went through a Horrible weekend after seeing a hitting coach for two weeks. Found too much going on under her blonde hair. We work on issues during practice and soon they will work at the game. But it HAS to be see the ball, hit the ball.

 

[rdbass]

too many thoughts at the plate generally don't help. You work hard at practice to get the mechanics correct so that it becomes second nature. When you are at bat, you said it correctly; See the ball, hit the ball.
Bucketrider is right.Takes alot of practice before you will see it in the game.Keep it simply in the game.No instructions in the box.I may say something to my DD before a game,but during the game I just cheer.Sometimes there will be a few steps back to go forward.

 

[redhotcoach]

Coaching both rec where I have girls that just want to hit, not work on it everyday, and tb where they need to work on it...I read your post and every idea I was thinking was already covered pretty much. I had commented on your other post that I think she gets her bat away from her body too far in her load and launch making a long swing to the zone. The hand and barrel path should be short to the zone or pitch path and long through the zone, keeping the bat on plane with the ball as long as possible.
Jbooth mentioned head movement. That would be my personal first check. I have rec girls that can hit the ball consistantly, and off good tb pitchers, and they look terrible swinging the bat. I have a head lamp with a laser pointer on it, at the beginning of the season they do tee work and have to keep the laser on the ball. Now at bats I am telling them to "make sure you keep the laser on the ball."

Howser mentioned upper cutting. Dropping there hands and upper cutting is the most common prob I see with girls our daughters age. My dd has worked on her swing several times a week for the last year and still does it at least one swing per game.

Bucketrider mentioned the mental game. That is the game of hitting. All hitters need to work the ups and downs of that for as long as they play.

Keep incouraging her. I know girls hate to swing and miss, but not as much as parents and coach's hate not swinging and backwards k's. My dd knows she can take high and high inside almost park consistently, so what do you suppose she has been doing with low and low outside corner pitches lately......

 

[lostbayou21]

My primary advice just prior to an at-bat is "hit the pitch you hit best". We spend a lot of time at practice helping the girls learn just what pitch that is. Sometimes it's not what they thought!

 

[stickpile39]

Thanks everyone we kept it simple and she had a great game. Much to work on here, but some progress. I will be updating my other post.

Thanks