Mike Stith told me this...

[Gambler Bob]

Not softball. Golfer Jim Furyk made quite a career with a wonky swing.

Perfect example.

 

[Cornbread]

This is fine if the hitter can hit high level pitching consistently. Everyone knows a players that can kill it vs average pitching but never touches elite pitching. Depends on your goals with instructing hitters.

 

[Rolling Hard]

This is fine if the hitter can hit high level pitching consistently. Everyone knows a players that can kill it vs average pitching but never touches elite pitching. Depends on your goals with instructing hitters.

This is why a player should/must pad their stats against softer pitching because everybody is going to struggle against pitchers with velo with movement that can hit spots. At what point does a player decided she has a better chance of success by guessing pitch location vs trying to hit every pitch will vary from player to player. The better the hitters eye hand, pitch recognition and timing the less often they will need to guess.
Quite a few HS/TB big hitters get recruited to P5 schools only to find out they are outmatched and can't hit elite pitching. They are thankful for the portal.
Oh, and BTW, HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all.

 

[Gambler Bob]

This is why a player should/must pad their stats against softer pitching because everybody is going to struggle against pitchers with velo with movement that can hit spots. At what point does a player decided she has a better chance of success by guessing pitch location vs trying to hit every pitch will vary from player to player. The better the hitters eye hand, pitch recognition and timing the less often they will need to guess.
Quite a few HS/TB big hitters get recruited to P5 schools only to find out they are outmatched and can't hit elite pitching. They are thankful for the portal.
Oh, and BTW, HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all.

Agree with this. Someone has to hit the average pitchers also.

I hate when people say that they can't hit well off of average pitchers, or their daughter can't hit off of slower pitchers. That is a very poor excuse for why a player does not succeed. In general, even the best hitters struggle against the elite pitchers at their age level, that is what makes an elite pitcher, elite!

In travel softball if you want to be a good a hitter you have to hit .500 or better off the average pitchers, and still be able to hit .300 off the very good pitchers. Those might not be the exact numbers to but hopefully you get the point I am trying to make.

Every now and then you get to see a hitter like Jocelyn Alo, it really seemed like she could hit off of whoever was pitching.

 

[Yawn]

There is a reason the top hitters in the world have better averages with less than two strikes and it has to do with their ability to be more selective in those counts. Pitchers love it when you swing at pitcher’s pitches (which can be balls in the zone) with less than two strikes. Even the best pitchers make mistakes (and more often than you probably think especially in TB where much less is known about hitter’s weaknesses). If you are not guessing a pitch, save swinging at a ball you have a 1 in 4 chance of squaring up till you have 2 strikes.

 

[Mike-Coach-Q]

The better hitters usually don't miss and will drive the pitcher's mistakes. The average hitter fouls off or mis-hits those same pitches. The better hitters, at least the HS kids i see, are on time and can adjust better to the pitch thrown. Don't take 400 hitter and turn her in to a 200 hitter.

 

[Mike-Coach-Q]

Nice share RAD I think I know the player but I’m trying to figure out the flaw

 

[uncdrew]

Agree with this. Someone has to hit the average pitchers also.

I hate when people say that they can't hit well off of average pitchers, or their daughter can't hit off of slower pitchers. That is a very poor excuse for why a player does not succeed. In general, even the best hitters struggle against the elite pitchers at their age level, that is what makes an elite pitcher, elite!

In travel softball if you want to be a good a hitter you have to hit .500 or better off the average pitchers, and still be able to hit .300 off the very good pitchers. Those might not be the exact numbers to but hopefully you get the point I am trying to make.

Every now and then you get to see a hitter like Jocelyn Alo, it really seemed like she could hit off of whoever was pitching.

Yup.

People know not to say the "my DD can't hit slow pitching" to me. I'll basically tell them they're making excuses and if you can't hit slow pitching you're not a very good hitter.

Batting Practice is (often) slow pitching. Can your DD not hit BP?

 

[uncdrew]

This is why a player should/must pad their stats against softer pitching because everybody is going to struggle against pitchers with velo with movement that can hit spots. At what point does a player decided she has a better chance of success by guessing pitch location vs trying to hit every pitch will vary from player to player. The better the hitters eye hand, pitch recognition and timing the less often they will need to guess.
Quite a few HS/TB big hitters get recruited to P5 schools only to find out they are outmatched and can't hit elite pitching. They are thankful for the portal.
Oh, and BTW, HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all.

We had a tournament recently against average pitching. Almost every girl on the team ended the weekend hitting over .500. We joked that the only thing that lowered BA of a girl was hitting it right to someone. Everyone was hitting everything hard.