So Cal Ellie

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Sep 29, 2014
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With younger players, we have to get them to learn to get to the launch position every single time. No matter what. Because you will notice young players wait until the ball leaves hand and is coming to them before they start their sequence. Often times, they don't even go through their sequence if they think its a bad pitch, and they will be starting their sequence late if they do determine its a good pitch. In my opinion the solution is to start early and slow. This slows everything down, allows them to relax more and allows them to get to the launch position every time, which they can then swing or not. Also allows them to see the ball better. Again start early and slow. Then get to the launch position every time - This is critical.

Also i found that Yes, Yes, No doesn't always help. At this age I would much rather have the player swinging. The "No" part will come over time as they gain more confidence. The only way to gain confidence at this age is to hit the ball. Can't hit if your not swinging. More often then not the younger player will say no, before yes. So, I suggest you tell her to think, "I'm swinging. I'm swinging, This is my pitch, I am swinging!" Before they even step into the box. Do not even use the word "No". Will they strike out more, yep. But they will then start self adjusting, to swing or not on their own. Just my opinion.

Hopefully this all helps
All good advice but at 8U kid pitch teaching any kind of plate discipline becomes really hard you get probably only one pitch or so that you should probably be swinging at anyway; but as long as it's not on the ground or over their head would rather see them swinging than not I guess.
 
Oct 2, 2017
2,283
113
All good advice but at 8U kid pitch teaching any kind of plate discipline becomes really hard you get probably only one pitch or so that you should probably be swinging at anyway; but as long as it's not on the ground or over their head would rather see them swinging than not I guess.

Totally agree that at this age discipline is tough and your right you're not going to get many good pitches at all (Might only get one the entire game LOL). Part of the problem in my opinion is because many of these kids are coming from coach pitch. Meaning someone is trying to give them a meat ball every time to hit. I told my daughter during the fall, Her first time kid pitch, that the days of the meat ball every pitch are gone. You going to have to learn to swing the bat even though its not a meat ball LOL
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
One of the things I did with Maddie pretty early on (9yo, I think), was to set up a tee and move it around all over - high, low, inside, outside, even a little outside the zone. I had her work on each location until she was able to hit it with decent power. Afterwards, we talked about how she just proved to herself the pitch doesn't have to be perfect for her to hit it hard. It was a lightbulb moment for her.

A couple more years down the road, we got into refining her approach, learning to be patient, and adjustments for different counts.
 
Mar 22, 2016
505
63
Southern California
It's been a while. Figured I'd share some videos of Ellie's recent play for posterity purposes. She is a 2011, first-year 10U player thrust into travel play because of the pandemic. Her primary position is catcher, where she continues to grow mentally and physically. And I finally got her watching at least SOME college softball ; )

Here is to five games scheduled this weekend raises glass of whiskey sprinkled with poison.







 
Oct 2, 2017
2,283
113
It's been a while. Figured I'd share some videos of Ellie's recent play for posterity purposes. She is a 2011, first-year 10U player thrust into travel play because of the pandemic. Her primary position is catcher, where she continues to grow mentally and physically. And I finally got her watching at least SOME college softball ; )

Here is to five games scheduled this weekend raises glass of whiskey sprinkled with poison.








Wow, she smoked that ball!
 
Oct 13, 2014
5,471
113
South Cali
It's been a while. Figured I'd share some videos of Ellie's recent play for posterity purposes. She is a 2011, first-year 10U player thrust into travel play because of the pandemic. Her primary position is catcher, where she continues to grow mentally and physically. And I finally got her watching at least SOME college softball ; )

Here is to five games scheduled this weekend raises glass of whiskey sprinkled with poison.









Think you have done a good job w her. she looks like a good athlete. Aggressive. moves well. does swing the front foot down as well as a cast w the back arm causing max barrel speed out front. Or later acceleration. but she’s only 10. keep Working, she’s gonna be really good.
 

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