Live arm practice

[rowdy]

I have always been opposed to using our pitchers in practice against our hitters. I have been a person who thinks number one the pitchers may let up and then get lit up which could be bad for their confidence. Or maybe the pitchers will completely shut down our hitters and have the same impact on them as the first example.

My assistant on the other hand hounds me to use our pitchers in practice. We have four girls who are pretty solid so we can mix it up and reduce the number of pitches.

The question for all of you is whether I am being hard headed or closed minded and maybe missing an opportunity to help our team. Please let me have it!

 

[CycloneSoftball22]

I also hate using our pitchers. But , it is because all of our girls have private instructors and throw a lot during th e week already. Not crazy about them throwing much more before weekend tourneys. Also , sometimes the pitchers struggle in practice or the batters all of a sudden become really selective and practice takes forever.

 

[Sparky Guy]

The question for all of you is whether I am being hard headed or closed minded and maybe missing an opportunity to help our team. Please let me have it!

Tried it a couple of times with disastrous results, both ways. I will never do it again.

My DD's college coach would do it from time to time. My DD would be worn out by the time practice is over because she was the #1 and everyone wanted to try and hit off of her to see the best possible pitching they could. For her it was like pitching a complete game at practice.

 

[CycloneSoftball22]

I really see no need for it. We won HS baseball championships and never one time hit off of our pitchers. Only did stations and some BP from the coach.

 

[nanotech14]

well,take this for what it is worth,but it is good for both the pitchers and batters.the pitchers get work and the batters.But your pitchers are not just letting the batter hit,they have to earn their hits.I look at it this way if the pitcher and the batter can't hit or pitch off each other then it will show them that they need work.Sounds like you don't want to hurt your players egos.Remember not everybody is a winner.We can't keep having this eveyone gets a trophy for just for showing up.We are hand cuffing these kids for life in this country.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

No. I would never do that.

In Cheryl Kempf's book she says not to do it, too.

 

[CycloneSoftball22]

well,take this for what it is worth,but it is good for both the pitchers and batters.the pitchers get work and the batters.But your pitchers likare not just letting the batter hit,they have to earn their hits.I look at it this way if the pitcher and the batter can't hit or pitch off each other then it will show them that they need work.Sounds like you don't want to hurt your players egos.Remember not everybody is a winner.We can't keep having this eveyone gets a trophy for just for showing up.We are hand cuffing these kids for life in this country.

It isnt about egos or anything like that. It is a matter of having efficient practices and not overthrowing our pitchers.

 

[rowdy]

I isn't about the egos for me. I played college ball and never had a player throw to me the whole time. It was the pitching coach every day and sometimes a couple of the other coaches would throw. I worry more about the efficiency of the practice.

 

[FPMark]

The best practices you can have are as close to game conditions as possible. The more at bats against real pitching the better for hitters, and practicing how to get hitters out is great for pitchers.

There is alot less pressure in practice than in games, that's a good time to work on new pitches without it costing you a game during a tournament. Aren't pitchers supposed to practice during the week? Please tell me how it is bad for pitchers to practice pitching to live batters.

 

[LAdad]

well,take this for what it is worth,but it is good for both the pitchers and batters.the pitchers get work and the batters.But your pitchers are not just letting the batter hit,they have to earn their hits.I look at it this way if the pitcher and the batter can't hit or pitch off each other then it will show them that they need work.Sounds like you don't want to hurt your players egos.Remember not everybody is a winner.We can't keep having this eveyone gets a trophy for just for showing up.We are hand cuffing these kids for life in this country.

If you want that, then play a scrimmage: divide the team in three groups, one group bats, the other two are in the field; with three outs, you switch one of the groups. Nobody objects against that. (But it does kind of require that you have three pitchers on your team.)

What many frown upon is a setup like batting practice with your real pitcher. If the pitcher throws for real, then it isn't so much wrong as it is inefficient. If the pitcher is asked to throw hittable pitches, then it puts the pitcher at risk without benefit for her. I'm against it, unless maybe the pitcher herself wants to do it, but that only counts in an environment where the pitcher doesn't feel pressured to do it. (If you have a team where children don't feel pressured by adults nor by their peers, that's pretty rare indeed.)