timing techniques for slow pitchers

[JJsqueeze]

Both DDs hit the snot out of the ball yesterday until they faced a couple of slow pitchers and then they both could not reel it back and wait. what are some tried and true tricks to give them to allow them to deal with a sudden 10mph drop in speed?

 

[pctrips]

Interested in this thread. My daughter's team struggles really bad with slow pitchers. So far they just try to get in some slow front toss before the game if they know and that helps a little. So many rolled over balls to the pitcher and SS.

 

[quincy]

For a RH hitter, drive the ball to RF.

 

[iMlearning]

This is what I was addressing in the hs pitching/hitting thread. DD had to move as far up in the box as possible. She is taking the 1st pitch to get a feel for the slow pitching and trying to hit oppo. Everyone says you should be able to hit all speeds and that's probably true but I know a verballed D1 and 2 D2 players really having a rough time also.

 

[JJsqueeze]

They tried to move up in the box and go oppo, but that just resulted in third base dugout pulls becoming fouls down the third baseline.

I was thinking of having them intentionally swing at the first pitch and try to miss it late just to get a sense of how long they have to wait. Or having them play a song in their heads with a certain timing that matched the pitchers rhythm of release and the glove snap of the ball hitting the catcher's glove. This works for some pitching timing work we do.

I am not afraid of doing something really unorthodox to give them some tools to deal with this. The irony is that a year ago it was all about trying to catch up to fast pitching....now they see fast pitching and they drool and they see slow pitching and they get nervous.

 

[iMlearning]

hitting late

Swingbuilder at one point suggested having DD try to hit it towards the 1st base dugout... That was for practice but it's the same concept. ..

 

[Lenski]

Think change-up and hit the inside half of the ball.

 

[1696]

All of the above. And (1) move a half step up in the box (slower pitchers often have more of a 'dying' pitch at the plate, take that away, and (2) some girls find success by changing timing on the coil. If she typically loads when the pitcher is at the top (12 o'clock) then load at 9. Gets their eyes pre-tracking the ball speed before release.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Although it seems to be the minority view, I don't like the idea of moving up in the box. It distorts the strike zone. Against a slow pitcher, a ball that just above the knees to a batter at the front of the box is a ball. A ball that come across at shoulder height might drop in for a strike.

Further, I like the idea of timing the ball, not the pitcher. Moving up is a tactic that would make it easier for those who time the pitcher and her release. I'd rather be at the same place every time and respond to the ball.

As for strategy, maybe your hitters can understand this-- Slow pitchers are effective because they coax you into getting your front foot down too early and committing. See how late you can get your front foot down and still knock the crap out of the ball.

 

[rdbass]

Learn to 'time' the ball in the air and not the pitchers motion. Look at how late Miggy loads his hands. Learn to load the hands later. The hands need to go back when the ball is in the air. This thought process needs to start while the hitter is on the bench. Then the on deck. Then in the batters box. JMHO.