strikeouts or putting the ball in play--the mental appraoch

[Cannonball]

Alexander58, thanks! Mostly, she's been to her dad. I have Bill Hillhouse's stuff and have tried to use it with her. I'm sure that if Bill went and looked, he'd comment that he doesn't see much of his stuff in her. Still, that is what we did. She goes to a lady at times who is very good and very expensive. We just can't afford that now. So, my dd gets me.


BTW, the expense of softball could be its own thread. At times I just can't believe it. We only have one child and so we make due for the most part. I wouldn't know what to do if we had more.

 

[rowdy]

Nothing a like a good debate to really get the holidays rolling. Cat Osterman was the most dominant pitcher in the history of the game when it comes to strikeouts per game. She was under 70% so even if you are the best you still have 30% that you need to get out somhow. My daughters instructor was a ASA HOF pitcher and I don't remember him ever making a statement about striking out everyone, but often discussed command of your pitches. Just a thought.

 

[halskinner]

Alexander58, thanks! Mostly, she's been to her dad. I have Bill Hillhouse's stuff and have tried to use it with her. I'm sure that if Bill went and looked, he'd comment that he doesn't see much of his stuff in her. Still, that is what we did. She goes to a lady at times who is very good and very expensive. We just can't afford that now. So, my dd gets me.


BTW, the expense of softball could be its own thread. At times I just can't believe it. We only have one child and so we make due for the most part. I wouldn't know what to do if we had more.

I remember one tourny in particular. They all stayed Friday and Saturday night at a hotel in Silicon Valley, SF Bay area. I drove up for the last games on Sunday. One of my old high school buddies kid was playing. It was him, wife, daughter and young son.

He added up their costs forthe whole weekend, $1,200.00. Hotels, restaurants,gas, etc..

HOLY CRUD.

 

[lefturn]

jimginas, don't listen to that nonsense about trying to strike out every batter. Having confidence should consist of being able to throw the proper pitch, to the proper spot, at the proper speed to get a batter out. There are batters out there that your pitcher, no matter how good, is NOT going to strike out. Some macho strike'em out attitude would be counter productive. Getting the batter to hit "your" pitch is the best advice. Your pitch preferrably is one that the batter has trouble with or is not in the strike zone.

I can't believe that someone who gets on here as an expert offered that advice regarding trying to strike out batters.

This mind set with your pitchers will depend on what type of pitcher you have pitching. Your base philosophy should be to get the batter out, whatever your pitchers strength are is how you attack the batter. If you have a power pitcher you don't continuously pitch junk. And like wise you don't throw fastballs with your junkers. The ultimate goal is to get the out, the mind set of a pitcher should be such, pending on her talents. Your great pitchers go out there thinking they can strike anybody out, but they do it with there talents god gave them. Both philosophies will work if you have the support, if your field is weak having the mine set of getting the ball in play could end up with a lost, the pitcher should have the strikeout mentality with the smarts to know when to blow it by or junk them to the bench. Every pitcher will get hit, but I would rather have a smart pitcher that will go to the rubber with the attitude to strike the batter out using all her talents, than one pitching to get hit and relying on her defence to get every out. The mind set is everything with a pitcher, she must have the strikeout mind set, and having the support of her team to back it up. To rely on your team to make all the plays is fine if they can do it... but your pitcher should still go to the rubber thinking she can set them down, throwing their best stuff every pitch, if they get hit... well that is all she can do.

 

[Hillhouse]

Cannonball... where are you located? if you'd prefer, drop me an email here <houseofpitching@yahoo.com> if you'd like to send some video clips to me, I'd be happy to look at them and give you some advice based on what I see. If I'm in your area, I'll invite you to a clinic or lesson as my guest.

Bill

 

[Hillhouse]

apparently it won't let me list my email. it's houseofpitching at yahoo dot com

 

[Cannonball]

Cannonball... where are you located? if you'd prefer, drop me an email here <houseofpitching@yahoo.com> if you'd like to send some video clips to me, I'd be happy to look at them and give you some advice based on what I see. If I'm in your area, I'll invite you to a clinic or lesson as my guest.

Bill

Bill,

I'm 20 miles east of St. Louis. Thank you for the very nice offer. I sent an email to you.

 

[CoachFP]

Left turn, your post started out pretty good but you got right back in the strike em out mode. Any really good pitcher will tell you that having that mentality is counter productive. Like I have said, I have played with and against some pretty good pitchers and I never heard such talk. Now Hal, who had success at a lower level of men's fastpitch says that's what a pitcher needs to do and many on here adopt it as their credo. Pitching is the game within the game. It is about strengths and weaknesses, and sometimes those weaknesses are the pitcher's. Going after a hitter in strikeout mode when the pitcher has a weakness relative to the hitter's strengths is ridiculous.

 

[SoCalASABlue]

CoachFP;

Your shot at Hal was unnecessary to make your point.

 

[halskinner]

Left turn, your post started out pretty good but you got right back in the strike em out mode. Any really good pitcher will tell you that having that mentality is counter productive. Like I have said, I have played with and against some pretty good pitchers and I never heard such talk. Now Hal, who had success at a lower level of men's fastpitch says that's what a pitcher needs to do and many on here adopt it as their credo. Pitching is the game within the game. It is about strengths and weaknesses, and sometimes those weaknesses are the pitcher's. Going after a hitter in strikeout mode when the pitcher has a weakness relative to the hitter's strengths is ridiculous.

I was gonna save this for some time early next year, but..... Pitching is a game of odds, math. The more options the pitcher has, the more things a batter must deal with and the more the odds go up in favor of the pitcher. At some point, the odds go up high enough the batter just cannot win the battle.

Speed. location and ball movement. Just three things in a pitcher's arsenal. Three things a batter CAN be trained to deal with. I never restricted myself to that limited way of thinking, never restricted my students to that either.

This is for you Coach FP; YOU better make sure your nickers are on good and tight for the 2010 season. You may very well have to deal with more pitchers using my 'Shenanigans' (as you called them) than you EVER dreamed you would have to.

I find your way of thinking and approach to the game very limited, restrictive and actually, very boring. So will your students once they learn some 'Shenanigans' of their own.

Have a great season.

Hal