Please swing the bats!!!!

[ConorMacleod]

12u 'B'. Went 1-2 this weekend. Kind of sort of competed in two losses. But we had 9 called third strikes over three games. If hitting is contagious, not swinging must be too. The Umpires had a very large strike zone, but I love that! When the Umpire says during pregame; "I know how to count to four, but I don't like doing it...", that's a clue! The players shouldn't have to think all that much knowing anything in the area mandates they swing the bat! I definitely need an idea or two on getting 12 year olds to swing the bats.

 

[Jquick823]

I had this issue last year first tournament. 4 games and we went down looking 15 times I think. If you're like me you remember just about everyone of those K's. How many of them were because the pitcher was just better than that hitter on that pitch and how many were because they were afraid?

But I think the key here is that you had a crap umpire. I say that because you taught the girls what a strike zone is (hopefully) from the armpits to the knees and from river to river. An umpire who doesn't like walks and blatantly tells you he's not going to count to 4 shouldn't be behind the plate. They probably weren't swinging because in 2 weeks those will be a ball. So really 9 looking on a large zone is probably 4 on a normal zone.

 

[ConorMacleod]

I hear ya. But, if the two teammates before you take called strikes 4 inches outside the plate, then I need the players to realize that is a strike that game. The other pitcher was throwing 8 out of 10 strikes, so the players need to go up there hacking.

 

[Jquick823]

You're correct if it's a strike to the ump it's a strike. There's also that theory that you can't teach hitting in the box so that's something you have to instruct the girls on. You have to ingrain in the player that they need to remember the umpires zone, share the info so their teammates can be more effective during the games. I bet the pitcher and catcher remember that 4 inches outside is a strike, so ALL BATTERS need to. I put that in caps because I have a team of 14U girls that need to be better at this.

 

[Me_and_my_big_mouth]

12u 'B'. Went 1-2 this weekend. Kind of sort of competed in two losses. But we had 9 called third strikes over three games. If hitting is contagious, not swinging must be too. The Umpires had a very large strike zone, but I love that! When the Umpire says during pregame; "I know how to count to four, but I don't like doing it...", that's a clue! The players shouldn't have to think all that much knowing anything in the area mandates they swing the bat! I definitely need an idea or two on getting 12 year olds to swing the bats.

We had this issue last year on my DD's 12u team. Coach finally ended up buying a red foam clown nose, and if you went down looking, you wore the nose the rest of the inning.

Significantly improved the swinging on the team, pronto!

 

[Jquick823]

We had this issue last year on my DD's 12u team. Coach finally ended up buying a red foam clown nose, and if you went down looking, you wore the nose the rest of the inning.

Significantly improved the swinging on the team, pronto!

Just prepare yourself for the people that are now going to tar and feather you for "PUNISHING" a player for failing at a game that the acceptable fail rate is around 70%. It's going to happen, there's no way to stop the bashing that is coming. 3-2-1.....

 

[canyonjoe]

We had this issue last year on my DD's 12u team. Coach finally ended up buying a red foam clown nose, and if you went down looking, you wore the nose the rest of the inning.

Significantly improved the swinging on the team, pronto!

Did it help you hitting or did you just turn K's from backwards to frontwards?

 

[Me_and_my_big_mouth]

Just prepare yourself for the people that are now going to tar and feather you for "PUNISHING" a player for failing at a game that the acceptable fail rate is around 70%. It's going to happen, there's no way to stop the bashing that is coming. 3-2-1.....

People can tar & feather all they want, I didn't do it, coach did.

FWIW, it was 1 game, 3 girls total. After that, the nose always made an appearance but wasn't used again. Was it effective? Yep. Was it nice? I don't know. I watched girls play an awesome game last weekend, only to be screamed at when they lost and made to run foul poles. Still punishment, right? And it isn't a unique occurrence.

That was our first experience with TB, and it was B level. We were too uncertain about which tactics were Ok and which were bad. It didn't make my DD cry, it didn't scar her, and she started swinging the dang bat. Was it love and logic approved? Yeah, probably not.

 

[Me_and_my_big_mouth]

Did it help you hitting or did you just turn K's from backwards to frontwards?

You know, I really can't answer that. I don't remember. If I had a guess? I'd say there was probably a marginal improvement, but we weren't the greatest team out there to begin with. Unlike many of the parents and coaches on this board, I am not a "softball fanatic" - so my involvement in the game at that point was providing sunscreen, snacks, and cheers. I am trying to fix this, however, by hanging out on these boards and educating myself. I'm afraid I'm instead becoming a little hostile and crazed . . . Oh wait . . .

Maybe I'm arriving? SMACK TALK STARTS ANY MINUTE!

Nope. I got nothing. Guess I'll head back over to the mask thread and hone my skills.

 

[Jojo]

Try some "contact" games. I have a couple I play.

One is everyone is line and each hitter gets one pitch and has to make contact no matter where the pitch is. If successful, returns to the end of the line, if she misses, she goes into the field. Play until there is a last hitter and she is the winner.

Second one is "Contacts in a row", similar to the first one, but most players are in the field and you have abut 3 waiting to hit, they make contact with each pitch until they miss, the winner is whoever hit the most pitches in a row.

I have mine play this game to get a lot of swings in and to learn what they can hit. If you get an umpire like that again, remind them what they can hit.