Switch hitter

[_MIA_]

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

So why do baseball players switch hit and softball players don't?

 

[uncdrew]

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.

First time I've seen a dad brag about his own pitching speed.

 

[_MIA_]

Post her righty and lefty swings, maybe somebody here can help you figure out which one she should stick with........

 

[uncdrew]

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.

Theoretically perhaps it makes sense.

How many players get HBP per game? What percentage of those are the Pitcher? What percentage of those are hits in the arm? What percentage of those actually affect her pitching?

That's a really, really small number/risk. I wouldn't even consider it. And I'd downright reject it if the girl hits better from the side that exposes her pitching arm.

The college pitchers I know and talk to don't hit because they specialize in pitching so much that they're not as good hitters as the non-pitchers who spend hundreds of hours and dollars on hitting lessons. Not to protect their arms from HBP. And they get run for to conserve energy, not for fear they hurt their pitching arm.

 

[MadBandit22]

Not sure what a Ke

Not sure what a Kershaw curve has to do with s

Theoretically perhaps it makes sense.

How many players get HBP per game? What percentage of those are the Pitcher? What percentage of those are hits in the arm? What percentage of those actually affect her pitching?

That's a really, really small number/risk. I wouldn't even consider it. And I'd downright reject it if the girl hits better from the side that exposes her pitching arm.

It only takes one. We had a pitcher locally and she got hit on the hand while batting during a game. Broke a couple of fingers. She doesn’t play softball anymore. The coach you mentioned may be being overly cautious.
My concern other than the head would be the hands. I would let her hit but remind her please try not to take one off the hands. If she got on base she would be pulled for a pinch runner.

 

[_MIA_]

Not sure what a Kershaw curve has to do with s

Wrong answer..another hint..it isn't only Kershaw's curve but also the fact that the batter was
LH. Put yourself in the batter's box as a LH and a RH in that scenario....Keep thinking..you'll get it

 

[marriard]

I haven't seen a switch hitter in softball above 12U. Mainly because there doesn't appear to be the advanatges of switch hitting that exists in baseball which is related to left and right hand pitching..

There is a distinct advantage of switch hitting batters in baseball with the differences in facing left and right handed pitching and batting results. The stats are fairly conclusive of RvR and RvL and opposite. A lot of comes from a huge variety of release points and angle differences between different left and right handed pitchers.

But in softball, the actual release point and angle of lefties and righties is not all that much different. Most pitchers are releasing the ball next to their hips - that means the difference is the width of the body. And the arm slot is the same - so no side-armers, or mid-slot or high-slot pitching - it is much the same.

Sure the spins of lefties often is annoying and can be distracting to those who don't see it often, but the release point and angles balls come in is not all that different. I don't have the stats and I don't know if the stats exist at the college level but I don't see how we hit left-handed pitching any better, worse or different than right-handed pitching.

So if there isn't a real advantage to switch hitting, why spend any time on it? Pick a side and concentrate on it. If they can be lefties, be a leftie - there is an advantage in that with shorter base distances and of course if you have elite speed.

 

[MadBandit22]

Theoretically perhaps it makes sense.

How many players get HBP per game? What percentage of those are the Pitcher? What percentage of those are hits in the arm? What percentage of those actually affect her pitching?

That's a really, really small number/risk. I wouldn't even consider it. And I'd downright reject it if the girl hits better from the side that exposes her pitching arm.

The college pitchers I know and talk to don't hit because they specialize in pitching so much that they're not as good hitters as the non-pitchers who spend hundreds of hours and dollars on hitting lessons. Not to protect their arms from HBP. And they get run for to conserve energy, not for fear they hurt their pitching arm.

Actually it’s both to conserve energy and avoid possible injury.
There have been some good pitchers/hitters that were allowed to hit early on and then due to injury were relegated to just pitching roles. Paige Parker of OU comes to mind.
Then you have somebody like a Lauren Haegar of Florida who did both. I guess it’s a risk/reward factor. If she’s that good a hitter can we afford not to use her.

 

[_MIA_]

I haven't seen a switch hitter in softball above 12U. Mainly because there doesn't appear to be the advanatges of switch hitting that exists in baseball which is related to left and right hand pitching..

There is a distinct advantage of switch hitters batters in baseball with the differences in facing left and right handed pitching and batting results. The stats are fairly conclusive of RvR and RvL and opposite. A lot of comes from a huge variety of release points and angle differences between different left and right handed pitchers.

But in softball, the actual release point and angle of lefties and righties is not all that much different. Most pitchers are releasing the ball next to their hips - that mean the difference is the width of the body. And the arm slot is the same - so no side-armers, or mid-slot or high-slot pitching - it is much the same.

Sure the spins of lefties often is annoying and can be distracting to those who don't see it often, but the release point and angles balls come in is not all that different. I don't have the stats and I don't know if the stats exist at the college level but I don't see how we hit left-handed pitching any better, worse or different than right-handed pitching.

So if there isn't a real advanage to switch hitting, why spend any time on it? Pick a side and concentrate on it. If they can be lefties, be a leftie - there is an advantage in that with shorter base distances and of course if you have elite speed.

BOOOO!! You ruined my little game..party pooper!!

The biggest difference, imo, is trying to hit a curveball that sometimes starts behind you is a hell of a lot harder then one that is breaking towards you. Balls don't move nearly has much in softball as they do in baseball.

 

[MadBandit22]

Wrong answer..another hint..it isn't only Kershaw's curve but also the fact that the batter was
LH. Put yourself in the batter's box as a LH and a RH in that scenario....Keep thinking..you'll get it

I didn’t get a chance to finish my reply. A curve ball in MLB is different than a curve in softball. I would say much more break on MLB curve high to low vs in/out in softball.
In any case I believe you would prefer/benefit from a hitter being the opposite of the pitcher.