Strike Zone

[starsnuffer]

So many coaches neglect to teach kids how to foul off pitches successfully. You will see them spend hours in batting cages teaching how to hit strikes from gap to gap, but 0 time teaching how to hit inside or outside balls foul.

With 2 strikes, the batter cannot afford to be picky, however, they can force the pitcher to fail and throw something fat if they know how to continually foul off pitches that are not desirable.

Besides, good hitters do not need princess pitches. Be more like Cabera. All six of these hits were home runs.

-W

 

[Lenski]

I have worked very hard to teach my DD the strikezone, and it fustrates her/me when umpires take it upon themselves to modify the strikezone.

Why do umpires feel its acceptable to expand / modify the strikezone ? Speeding the game up to me is not a legitmate reason.

My rules of thumb concerning batting:

With no strikes - Swing only at YOUR perfect pitch. I don't care where the location is....but it better be in your favorite 6" x 6" area.

With one strike - Swing at anything in the rules-based strike zone. Never swing at the riseball; chances are it's not a strike. Don't swing if fooled by a changeup.

With two strikes - The zone expands from upper chest (armpit) to mid-shin, and to the farthest reaches of each river. Waste what you don't like and drive what you do like.

Do what you need to do to survive when batting. You cannot rely on the umpire. You need to take matters into your own hands. Make it a point not to let the umpire control your fate. This is the mind-set I believe is needed when batting. It beats getting rung up on a borderline call.

 

[Eric F]

...haven't seen a strike called above the belt in a long time...

I have. LOTS of them. In So Cal.

 

[starsnuffer]

I have. LOTS of them. In So Cal.

Especially at showcases. No one wants to tell that "red hot future D1 pitcher" that none of her rise-balls are strikes.

-W

 

[Sparky Guy]

What I have noticed this year is the NCAA strikezone has found its way into the lower levels of travel softball with a lot of umpires. I have found the strikezone has shrunken quite a bit at the top and bottom. When we played in different parts of the country I've asked other coaches if they've noticed it too and most have answered yes.

It's too bad the training for calling a consistent strikezone like MLB does is too cost prohibit. As a coach I can't tell you how glad I am to get an umpire who calls the whole strikezone and is consistent with it. Have you ever noticed, when the strikezone is consistent there is MUCH less chirping from the dugouts.

 

[coach james]

Agreed.
There needs to be more training or certifications on the zone. Its the ones that require the entire ball over the white that frustrate me the most.

 

[SB23]

You forgot to teach her that the strike zone changes. She's supposed to watch and pay attention to the other batters and she is supposed to communicate with her teammates after each of their at bats to understand what is being thrown and what is being called. If she is a lead-off hitter she isn't supposed to be picky and wait for princess pitches, she's supposed to work the pitcher and foul a lot of pitches off before putting something in play.

Now go teach her right.

-W

WOW - thank you so much ! I have alot of work to do !!

 

[Softball scholar]

My DD is a 13 year old pitcher and we saw some small strike zones this year. And we saw a lot of batters going up there for a walk when that happens. It was so bad, it did hurt her confidence this season. But what Im trying to teach her is she also has to adapt to the umpires strike zone and that you have to be mentally tough. The strike zone like many other things is out of her control. She just has to find more of the plate when it happens. But still the inconsistency of the zones is a real tough thing for young pitchers.

 

[CoachKevin]

My DD is a 13 year old pitcher and we saw some small strike zones this year. And we saw a lot of batters going up there for a walk when that happens. It was so bad, it did hurt her confidence this season. But what Im trying to teach her is she also has to adapt to the umpires strike zone and that you have to be mentally tough. The strike zone like many other things is out of her control. She just has to find more of the plate when it happens. But still the inconsistency of the zones is a real tough thing for young pitchers.

Not easy for the experienced pitchers either... Overall the umpires we had were pretty good, there were a couple that I couldn't tell you what they were looking at.

 

[josh]

What drives me nuts is when the umpire takes it upon themselves to give the weaker pitchers a break. We play 8U rec ball, and my daughter pitches well, and the strike zone for her is very small, they require the ball to be fully over the plate and she doesn't get calls over the belt much, then we get to bat and they call them at the ankles to the chin and a few inches on either side of the plate. A lot of the pitchers are having trouble even getting it there, but that is not my batter's problem. (well it is when we get these clowns)

I don't really want them expanding the strike zone for my daughter, I prefer they make her work for it .. but I don't want my batters to have to swing at everything because the other teams pitcher is awful. I mean sometimes it so obvious the other coaches are astounded in how different the strikezone is for our pitcher versus theirs.

I want my daughter to work and find the corners, but there are days when they will not call anything except center of the plate (luckily she has fantastic speed for an 8 year old) while the other pitcher gets anything in the air that reaches the plate.

End of my rant, but its hard enough adjusting from umpire to umpire but when they call each half inning different its maddening.