Just take the first strike!

[SoftSocDad]

We're in a league with hit or miss pitching. At the start of the season, I'd check out the opposing pitchers and give a signal to my DD on how to approach the at bat. By mid-season, though, she was doing all her own scouting. Her coach would yell at her to swing at anything that was 'close' even with 0-1 strikes, but my DD is too disciplined for that. Call me overbearing, but I didn't want her swinging at garbage. If the pitcher couldn't throw strikes...not my kid's problem.

 

[Ken Krause]

Stephanie, so you're saying with a 2-0 count the kid is going to take a strike? Unbelievable. That's a horrible idea.

At this point in my coaching career I really don't have a problem telling a kid not to listen to daddy. And if they still want to, I move on. It is its own punishment.

 

[Greenmonsters]

Stephanie, so you're saying with a 2-0 count the kid is going to take a strike? Unbelievable. That's a horrible idea.

At this point in my coaching career I really don't have a problem telling a kid not to listen to daddy. And if they still want to, I move on. It is its own punishment.

Right, it shouldn't be an automatic take; however, at 2-0 the batter should be looking for a hitter's strike (i.e., a pitch they can hit well) as opposed to going after a pitchers strike that just grazes the outside corner.

OOOH NO, KEN!!! - you just gave all our DD's permission to never listen to Daddy - and don't think for a second that they won't try to use it against us when AT HOME!!!

 

[Coach JV]

The only time I see it used is at 10U when the pitcher is struggling.
Why teach a bad habit? a first pitch strike is a nail in the strike out coffin.

 

[batsics1]

I’ll turn this one around for a different perspective. My DD has produced a ton of outs including a significant number of strikeouts, as a pitcher, with a 3-0 count. Of course she loses some of them, but the ratio is surprisingly in favor of the pitcher – if she has decent control. Why, is fairly simple.

Most batters will take the next pitch. Then they will swing at anything close to the strike zone. The third pitch, if necessary, favors the pitcher.

The difference between a 3-0 and an 0-0 count is a seasoned pitcher will tend to find the additional focus she may have lost and really bear down. The batter will have a tendency to relax for a pitch and then will over focus on the next pitch expecting it to be a strike.

A take one approach in any count will produce a similar relax and over focus response in a reasonably aggressive hitter. Beyond the specific situations that favor advancing runners – a pitcher consistently throwing too high or in the dirt, straight steal, etc. I believe it is much better to teach what to hit rather than when to hit.

 

[StacieM]

No, I mean the first strike.. I have two players that have been taught from early on to not even swing until the first strike has been thrown.
And I'm trying to see WHY they were told that to begin with..and they both are so habitual that they wait until they have a strike on them before they start really looking..
It's crazy!

lol - sounds like me. Actually I never did that until my HS coach yelled at me to stop swinging at the first pitch because apparently when I did that I popped up a lot which is one of the worst things a player with speed can do.

I was a good 2-strike hitter who very rarely struck out. Soooo, my HS coach didn't want me swinging at the 1st pitch EVER. Of course, I turned into a hitter that waited for a least 1 strike almost all the time. I actually felt more comfortable hitting with two strikes.

THAT SAID - when I got to college, this all changed very quickly! Often times if you get a really great pitch you know you can hit, you aren't going to get it more than once in an at bat (maybe even in the whole game) so I was taught to be more aggressive and swing as soon as I saw a pitch I knew I could hit. Of course, we also worked on KNOWING exactly what that was. I am still surprised by the number of 16U/18U players that can't answer me when I ask them what their favorite pitch is (location). It's no wonder they can't hit, they have NO idea what they are looking for when they're in the box.

Also - when my coach just KNEW I was going to get a good first pitch (from knowing the pitcher) and KNEW I probably wouldn't swing, he started giving me hit-and-run signals on the first pitch. Smart guy that Bob Coolen. lol

 

[druer]

Anyone want to explain the logic behind this?
And how do I get the girls to "forget what dad told you" and swing if it's hittable, without offending daddy??

Logic is simple - "I'm not confident that you can earn your way on base so just stand there and hope that the pitcher will walk you." I think it's very inspiritational and motivating. Don't you?

Just kidding of course. I'm more the "You are a hitting machine. You go up there assuming that every pitch she throws is going to be a strike. If she is afraid of you and throws you something your bat can't reach, or isn't the right pitch in the situation then let it go by. Otherwise you attack the ball and take the bat out of the other side of it."

How to do motivate the girls without offending daddy? You can't. Nothing you do is over going to go over well with all your players parents. So at some point you have to relinquish yourself to the concept that at best you can minimize the number of people offended while maximizing your impact on the players ability to perform well. In this case avoid ever saying "that's stupid when you stand there taking the first pitch." Instead walk through logically with the girls the fact that most pitchers first strike is the prettiest one that the batter ever gets to see. That most good pitchers use that pitch to then setup the next one which is going to look different. That girls with a glove on their hand are called "defensive" players, there job is to not let the ball get by them just like a goalie in soccer/hockey. But girls that have a metal weapon (bat) in their hand are called "offensive" players. An "offensive" players job is to attack and try and produce runs. Do lots of batting practice drills that will instill the confidence in all players that they can "attack" the ball. Do live pitching drills where the players start out at a 2-2 count. Or short scrimmages where they only get 3 pitches and you either hit or you are out. Something that will put the drive in to them to attack the first good pitch that they see.

 

[druer]

Also - when my coach just KNEW I was going to get a good first pitch (from knowing the pitcher) and KNEW I probably wouldn't swing, he started giving me hit-and-run signals on the first pitch. Smart guy that Bob Coolen. lol

I love it when I hear about great coaching concepts like that show a real understanding of the situation and a real understanding of a player's psychie.