Knob to the ball or barrel to the ball?

[Eric F]

I hope you aren't teaching launch angle. Don't sip on that juice.

I'm old school. Line drives and ground balls are good. Ball in the air is an out.
Knob to the ball isn't what I teach either but keep the ball out of the air people. Fly balls are easy to catch.

I advocate hitting the ball hard in the air - line drives and deep fly balls. Those are the hits that consistently do the most damage, at all levels of the game.

I have yet to see a ground ball go over an OF fence for a HR. Not even once.

 

[clemenslee1]

flyballs are a one step process...catch and your out.
ground balls are a 3 step process- field, throw, and catch.
I will take my chances on them making a mistake if they have to do three things vs. one.

Hitting balls in the gap are a result of staying in the middle of the ball. Trying to lift the ball increases strike outs too. 80% of the balls hitters swing through they are below when they miss. Today's culture has bought into the long ball and hitting bombs. I will take a team who puts the ball in play on the ground and line drives vs. a homerun team any day. This is my philosophy...Not saying what you believe is wrong I just don't like it. Again, I am old school.

There are some in the game that have bought into the Long ball, but I think the vast majority are players just simply wanting to drive the ball hard. The net results would be more HR's. But that same swing also produces harder ground balls and straight line drives.

 

[MoxieSoftball]

With that being said. My 4 hole is being taught to lift the ball and I don't mess with her. She goes to lessons with a guy who totally teaches that and she gets her moneys worth! I leave her alone and let her swing it because I know she will hit enough bombs to make up for her strikeouts. It comes with the territory. I tell her "let the big dog eat". Its hilarious too because her nickname is "hoss". That's her name she gave me the first day of practice. HA

 

[Eric F]

flyballs are a one step process...catch and your out.
ground balls are a 3 step process- field, throw, and catch.
I will take my chances on them making a mistake if they have to do three things vs. one.

Hitting balls in the gap are a result of staying in the middle of the ball. Trying to lift the ball increases strike outs too. 80% of the balls hitters swing through they are below when they miss. Today's culture has bought into the long ball and hitting bombs. I will take a team who puts the ball in play on the ground and line drives vs. a homerun team any day. This is my philosophy...Not saying what you believe is wrong I just don't like it. Again, I am old school.

I invite you to evolve.

 

[newnin]

flyballs are a one step process...catch and your out.
ground balls are a 3 step process- field, throw, and catch.
I will take my chances on them making a mistake if they have to do three things vs. one.

Hitting balls in the gap are a result of staying in the middle of the ball. Trying to lift the ball increases strike outs too. 80% of the balls hitters swing through they are below when they miss. Today's culture has bought into the long ball and hitting bombs. I will take a team who puts the ball in play on the ground and line drives vs. a homerun team any day. This is my philosophy...Not saying what you believe is wrong I just don't like it. Again, I am old school.

I had been hearing things like this my entire career, and I never quite bought into it, so the last few years, I started tracking my teams to see if it was true.

At the 12u level, I saw a 34% hit rate on balls hit on the ground, while balls in the air, had a 53% hit rate. At 14u, the gap seems to be widening, as ground balls are now at a 23% hit rate (though we don't have any bunters this year, which most likely accounts for part of the difference) and balls in the air are at 55%.

 

[MoxieSoftball]

I advocate hitting the ball hard in the air - line drives and deep fly balls. Those are the hits that consistently do the most damage, at all levels of the game.

I have yet to see a ground ball go over an OF fence for a HR. Not even once.

I agree, but how many kids on your team can actually drive the ball out of the yard? 2 maybe? the others use gaps and put the ball on the ground. A lot of it depends on your team makeup I get it but I have yet to see a team of HR hitters.

 

[clemenslee1]

With that being said. My 4 hole is being taught to lift the ball and I don't mess with her. She goes to lessons with a guy who totally teaches that and she gets her moneys worth! I leave her alone and let her swing it because I know she will hit enough bombs to make up for her strikeouts. It comes with the territory. I tell her "let the big dog eat". Its hilarious too because her nickname is "hoss". That's her name she gave me the first day of practice. HA

I think there is a difference between a hitting coach trying to teach lift the ball vs a hitting coach as many here would teach. As in getting the barrel in the zone earlier: which increase contact in all zones a batter faces and more adjustability. The end result just naturally produces more damage and fly balls, and line drives

 

[MoxieSoftball]

I had been hearing things like this my entire career, and I never quite bought into it, so the last few years, I started tracking my teams to see if it was true.

At the 12u level, I saw a 34% hit rate on balls hit on the ground, while balls in the air, had a 53% hit rate. At 14u, the gap seems to be widening, as ground balls are now at a 23% hit rate (though we don't have any bunters this year, which most likely accounts for part of the difference) and balls in the air are at 55%.

Nice...I have never done the stats on it. Very interesting, but I will tell you if I know you are a team who tries to lift the ball my pitching philosophy will be tailored to that.

 

[MoxieSoftball]

I invite you to evolve.

probably wont happen. I will take a team who puts the ball in play more consistently versus strikes out. Maybe its a baseball way of thinking since softball seams to rely more on one big inning...

 

[clemenslee1]

Nice...I have never done the stats on it. Very interesting, but I will tell you if I know you are a team who tries to lift the ball my pitching philosophy will be tailored to that.

i would guess by tailor, you mean up in the zone. The truth is that up in the zone especially with velocity is the hardest pitch to hit regardless of hitting philosophy