RH thrower - LH batter

[NBECoach]

The thread on LH catchers got me to thinking about the absolute lack around here at least of LH batters that throw RH. It just seems that the only kids who hit LH also throw LH. I guess I can see this at the youngest age groups, but as they age I would think that some players would see certain advantages of hitting LH and at least try it in practice.

Over the years I have suggested trying hitting LH to a number of RH incoming HS players and they all seem uninterested in trying or unwilling to put in the time.

 

[KPower]

That's funny because around here there are a ton of RH throwers who bat LH.

In fact - last year DD's HS team had only 2 true lefties but 8 of the 11 players on her Varsity team batted lefty. And they had 3 who batted left on JV.

On her TB team there is a girl who is a true lefty but her dad had a hard time teaching her throw with her left so she throws and bats right.

 

[joe720]

I flipped my DD around first year 12U to hitting lefty. She's a natural righty but is real fast. Coach had her slap the first year she flipped. To everyone's amazement she had much more power as a left as opposed to righty. She hasn't slapped in two years but can tare the cover all the ball lefty. There is another girl on her HS team that is the same way.

Though on her travel team she is the only lefty.

 

[badmonkey]

DDs team has two that RH throw LH bat.

DD has expressed interest in switching sides. However, that interest comes to the surface between games at tournaments, and never at practice.

I was Rh throw LH bat, and I will say going to that side dramatically reduces the issue of casting in younger players.

 

[murphdog]

There are 5 lefty batters on DD’s college team but she is the only one who throws lefty also. Her HS team had 6 lefty batters and only 2 threw lefty

 

[Tango]

I throw RH and hit LH. I couldn't swing the bat RH at all. Both my granddads were the same. My dad is a righty/righty but shoots a gun left handed and plays pool left handed. All of my nephews and 1st cousins throw LH and bat RH..

Always wondered how much genetics played in this. Both my kids are righty/righty..

 

[Fluid Fastpitch]

My 10yo RH DD saw the WCWS and fell in love with the idea of slapping. Next day switched to LH. I realized she wasn't appreciably worse at hitting lefty, so we haven't looked back. She doesn't have slapper speed, but at worse she'll be able to switch hit. (She has a lot of issues to work through, though, either side of the plate.)

 

[NBECoach]

There are 5 lefty batters on DD’s college team but she is the only one who throws lefty also. Her HS team had 6 lefty batters and only 2 threw lefty

I'm thinking that with all other abilities being equal including RH throwing, colleges are most likely choosing LH batters. That's why I suggested the incoming HS players try hitting LH in the off season. But that has been met with indifference.

Over the past 5 years on the HS team we have had only 3 RH throwers who hit LH. One was recruited to a Big 10 school, the other 2 started for D3 schools. And of our best RH hitters during those same 5 years 6 played in college, none above D3.

I just get frustrated when I see most of our opposition with 2-4 lefties in the lineup and we have 1 with nothing much in the way of LH batters in the pipeline.

 

[Rick M]

I've seen a number of DD's current and former teammates try to make the switch to LH batting as they made the move to 14U. Basically, kids who were decent hitters but suddenly can't buy a hit against better pitching making a last-ditch attempt to try slapping. I think they (or more likely, their dads) have this idea that being a lefty slapper is easy. One kid has gotten fairly proficient at it, the others... not so much.

 

[Tango]

There is a video somewhere about if your dominant hand is your front hand how hard it is to drive the ball. Basically you do not use it so it's hard to teach the back hand to work. My back hand was not my dominate hand and you couldn't strike me out but I hit everything the opposite way and not a HR hitter. It does seem that your front hand being dominate would help you slapping. Just from the science but it's still hard to switch. Most natural lefty/lefty that we tried to make slappers also had issues with slapping. We have a local that has always made his DD hit and throw with both hands and she can slap really good but is turtle dust.