Switch hitter

[MadBandit22]

How many switchhitters have you seen in college/pro softball?? If the answer is not many or none then there is probably a reason for that.....

What night that reason be? Maybe takes too much more training time? Plenty in MLB.

 

[_MIA_]

Plenty in MLB.

 

[MadBandit22]

She just turned 13. Flipped her around just before turning 11 because she is fast.

Gotcha. Makes sense. Now she can utilize that speed a little more.

 

[MadBandit22]

My daughter switch hit in rec ball. She was pretty effective on both sides. But once she started playing TB she went 100% left. (She is a natural lefty and speedy) Her hitting coach said in his opinion it was best to focus all your energy on one side. She does bunt, slap and hit away and has finally gotten to the point where she is a pretty legit triple threat. She loves to bait the defense in with a little blooper in her first at bat and then fire it over their heads the next time around. She is 15.

Very nice. See I would think working both sides could be advantageous to a certain degree. Maybe work the core a little more and use/build all muscles on both sides rather than just the one side. Maybe break-up the monotony a little and pit one side against the other in a little competition.
I really haven’t encouraged adding lefty but she shows good potential and it may be beneficial in some way down the line.

 

[_MIA_]

Very nice. See I would think working both sides could be advantageous to a certain degree. Maybe work the core a little more and use/build all muscles on both sides rather than just the one side. Maybe break-up the monotony a little and pit one side against the other in a little competition.
I really haven’t encouraged adding lefty but she shows good potential and it may be beneficial in some way down the line.

Bolded would be the only reason to do it..e.g. it could be fun to do it once in a while. Don't do it thinking it is going to help her hit from the side she eventually ends up at. If she isn't fast I would just have her concentrate on hitting RH.

 

[uncdrew]

My dd is a natural lefty, but could hit from both sides. After she hit 14 she was showing off in a practice and her coach told her he would never let her hit righty in a game as it would expose her left (pitching) arm to more hit by pitches.

Never heard that one before.

 

[MadBandit22]

Bolded would be the only reason to do it..e.g. it could be fun to do it once in a while. Don't do it thinking it is going to help her hit from the side she eventually ends up at. If she isn't fast I would just have her concentrate on hitting RH.

Batting lefty would speed her up a little. A well placed drag bunt can’t be defended.
I’m not an advocate of taking the bat out of a good hitters hands but if your in a tight well pitched say PGF game and runs are at premium you gotta get runners on any way you can. Play a little small ball and manufacture runs.
She would have a better chance of getting on with a lefty drag than a conventional righty attempt.
If it was easy everybody would be doing it. I get what your saying it may not be utilized at higher levels but if it burns some extra calories and she has fun with it what the hell.
She did ok off the tee but did very well against live pitching. I was 35’ away and throwing mid 40’s and she was hitting line drives to the gaps like crazy. Not home run power like right side but very consistent. Did very well with drag bunts. We simulated a 4 inning game and it was 20-18 righty.
I dusted off the old 14 Demarini Bustos drop 13 from LL for lefty use.
We were practicing at a neighboring towns HS field. There was a pitching coach a parent and two players taking a break after there lesson.
They stayed and watched our practice for about an hour. My daughter pitched and hit off the tee both sides. When the people got up to leave the HS age girl came on to the field and said to my daughter your going to this HS right? My daughter responded no I’m going to X HS. The girl responds you really should consider coming to this school.

 

[_MIA_]

We were practicing at a neighboring towns HS field. There was a pitching coach a parent and two players taking a break after there lesson.
They stayed and watched our practice for about an hour. My daughter pitched and hit off the tee both sides. When the people got up to leave the HS age girl came on to the field and said to my daughter your going to this HS right? My daughter responded no I’m going to X HS. The girl responds you really should consider coming to this school.

Ok cool, but what does this have to do with switch-hitting? Your kid may be gifted enough where you can take away X reps from her RH side and still be fine..most kids are not.

With my help have you figured out why people switch hit in baseball but do not in softball or do I need to give you more hints?

Also, what did you do, put a radar gun on yourself throwing BP?

 

[MadBandit22]

Never heard that one before.

It makes sense. Pitchers are IMO the most important players on the field. They are always at a premium. You want to protect them especially at older ages. That’s why many pitchers don’t/aren’t allowed to hit when they get older. The really good hitters are allowed to hit and then they have pinch/sub runners when they get on base.
Any good competitive athlete wants to play every game and help the team in any way possible. Sometimes you have to protect them from themselves.
Nobody needs their pitcher getting hit on the hands while batting or sliding into a base and getting injured. I’m sure it takes a little fun out of the game for the girls affected. Necessary evil.

 

[MadBandit22]

Ok cool, but what does this have to do with switch-hitting?

Your kid may be gifted enough where you can take away X reps from her RH side and still be fine..most kids are not. Also, what did you do, put a radar gun on yourself?

She was hitting off the tee both sides. Yes I do have my speed checked.