Taking live batting practice before the game

[Bobby B]

Playing Major Men's Fastpitch & coaching varsity girl's softball the 1st thing I noticed is how many teams fail to take live batting practice before their games or even in their practices. I would like to hear all the comments on this. Thanks.

Bobby B

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Bobby, good idea, but for most that would be impossible at the varsity level. Maybe the home team could, but how and where would the visiting team do live ( pitching ) batting practice? Then who would do the pitching? Most HS only have 1 possible 2 decent varsity pitchers, you wouldn't want to wear them out pitching batting practice right before a game.

Maybe I sould ask how your varsity does it, I might learn a new trick.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

How do these teams do that don't take batting practice, prior to the game? I am thinking that they have found out that it doesn't matter one way or another. Back in the day, we hit pepper and that was it.

I know that UofAZ. hits prior to the game, but I often wonder how helpful it is 1 1/2 hours prior to the game.

 

[redhotcoach]

I would say that about 1 in 10 complexes we have played have enough cages to allow live bp. I can only think of one time that we had a practice field.

 

[Bobby B]

Ok this is how are varsity team did our hitting. When we had to travel to another school by the time we got there we only had time to warm up our arms and take infield and outfield. So to get our hitting in I had the girl's come in the field hse at 6:00am to take live batting practice. I agree with you on not using your pitchers to throw batting practice, plus most of them can't do it because they can't throw at a medium speed and throw good strikes to your hitters. I take a net protector and put it about 30 ft from the hitter and I throw live batting practice from about 35 ft. I learned how to throw underhand by going to all those pitching lessons with my daughters when they were younger. It wasn't that easy at first but once you put the reps in, it is so much easier on your arm than throwing a ball overhand. Throwing underhand batting practice is the closest thing to the game. We did this all the time when I played Men's Fastpitch. For home games the girl's would be out at the field at least an hour and half before the game. We had 6 girl's hit over 300 in our starting lineup. Everybody talks about defense but you have to score to win. But preparing your team for live batting practice is hard work but when the girl's are bugging me all the time to hit and when I see it transfer over to the game it's worth the sweat. Oh I forgot. The reason I pitch at about 35 ft I can throw strikes better and I can zip the ball, easier on my arm and plus being so close when the actual game starts the pitcher looks so much farther away and to my hitters it doesn't seem like she is throwing all that fast. I hope this helps. Thanks for your input.

Bobby B

Bobby B

 

[starsnuffer]

I use TCB balls from about 25 feet. You can use them anywhere and you don't need nets. Throw them hard enough so the trajectory is flat. Do not lob them.

A lot of schools/teams use wiffles but use them the wrong way. They just lob them underhand. The proper way to use a wiffle ball in fastpitch is to go to one knee and throw them overhand, similar to throwing a dart. This gives you a fast, flat trajectory at the same angle as an underhand pitch.

-W

 

[X pitcher]

Before games we always played pepper. 1 hitter and any number of players standing 15'-20' away throwing to the hitter and hitter spraying balls back ti players spread out a few feet apart.

Game situation with catcher and fielders is as close as a game situation as possible. Pitcher shouldn't throw so hitters can hit the ball, but challenge hitters like they are challenged in a game.

One on one hitting practice is good for those who want to learn to slap wrong handed. Pitcher should throw down and outside and let LH slappers know that, that is the pitch they want to slap to the SS side of the infield. Then pitch inside and explain that this is the pitch they will most often get, to keep them from hitting the ball to the SS side. One on one with RH hitters should be same way explain that pitchers will want to throw them outside at the knees, to get balls hit to the 2nd baseman for easy short throw outs.

Pitchers shouldn't ever have to throw BP and let hitters hit the ball to where they will have to pitch and duck. I hated for someone to tell me to let the hitter hit the ball in BP. If that's the case anyone can throw BP. Pitchers train to hit the corners at the knees...with pitches that look to be strikes but aren't.

 

[X pitcher]

Before games we always played pepper. 1 hitter and any number of players standing 15'-20' away throwing to the hitter and hitter spraying balls back ti players spread out a few feet apart.

Game situation with catcher and fielders is as close as a game situation as possible. Pitcher shouldn't throw so hitters can hit the ball, but challenge hitters like they are challenged in a game.

One on one hitting practice is good for those who want to learn to slap wrong handed. Pitcher should throw down and outside and let LH slappers know that, that is the pitch they want to slap to the SS side of the infield. Then pitch inside and explain that this is the pitch they will most often get, to keep them from hitting the ball to the SS side. One on one with RH hitters should be same way explain that pitchers will want to throw them outside at the knees, to get balls hit to the 2nd baseman for easy short throw outs.

Pitchers shouldn't ever have to throw BP and let hitters hit the ball to where they will have to pitch and duck. I hated for someone to tell me to let the hitter hit the ball in BP. If that's the case anyone can throw BP. Pitchers train to hit the corners at the knees...with pitches that look to be strikes but aren't.

 

[X pitcher]

Bobby, I am new to this site too. I read your profile. Our backyards used to meet. You take care of the hitting and I'll help with the pitching...Saw your dad while I was home in early March. Now you know me, right?

 

[NVfishing]

The most successful games I've seen or TB team have is when a coach can throw a BP during warm ups.