The sooner you learn to not be afraid to throw inside, the better.
The sooner you learn to not be afraid to walk their #4 hitter, the better.
The sooner you learn to not be afraid to walk their #4 hitter, the better.
Question for @sluggers@RADcatcher -- The rectangle with the red is fine for young pitchers. It is not helpful for advanced pitchers.
The ultimate goal is for the pitcher to be able to move the ball in three to four inch increments around the strike zone.
@NBECoach -- Old school. Backing them off the plate isn't what it used to be. Now days, the kids are wearing more body armor than the troops in Afghanistan. They don't jump away from a high inside fastball...they turn their head, take the pitch on their arm guard, and take first base.
Why do you think the red/pink rectangle will not be helpful for advanced pitchers?
Why do you think throwing just outside the zone would work for beginners and not advanced?
Now you're blowing my mind like a Matrix movie . But I sure can't disagree to any of it!The red/pink rectangle is great for beginning and intermediate pitchers. Absolutely, advanced pitchers have to throw at the edge of the strike zone...they need to do it more than beginners do.
But, as a training tool, the red/pink rectangle isn't helpful for advanced pitchers.
Why?
You've got a better chance of seeing a unicorn than a regulation strike zone in fastpitch.
At the CWS with the best NCAA umpires around, the strike zone is all over the place. And if we are talking about an away Thursday non-conference game in Bush League, Idaho...heaven help the pitcher. (Or, don't they have hometown umps in SoCal?)
Attached is a picture of the usual strike zone at a softball game. Umps usually call strikes on too many low/inside and high/outside pitches. On the other hand, getting a low and outside pitch called is a struggle.
If that isn't complex enough, softball umpires will change their strike zone as the game progresses. If it is a tight game, the umpire will shrink the strike zone. If it is a rout, the umpire expands the zone. In Chicagoland, the strike zone depends upon the will chill--and the coaches/fans/players are ecstatic about it. (At a March softball game, you can get frostbite and a sun burn at the same time.)
And, of course, umps are not immune to fans. Sometimes, the low inside strike disappears in the 5th inning.
If the umpire isn't calling a rule book low and outside strike, the pitcher has to find what is a low outside strike for this umpire. The pitcher has to work the pitches toward the plate until she finds it. If a pitcher can't move the ball slowly toward the plate, she's doomed.
To be consistently successful, a pitcher has to be able to move the ball in 3 to 4 inch increments in and around the plate. If the umpire isn't calling low inside pitches
The red rectangle is a good *starting* point. But, in the long run, the pitcher has to do something more challenging.
My DD's college coach (Kathy Rodolph, now HC at NMSU) would form rectangles with bungee cords and my DD had to throw through the rectangle. Sometimes the rectangles wouldn't be much larger than a ball. At Alabama, Riseball's daughter worked on hitting opposite sides of knot in a rope.
(You might find this interesting...my DD was throwing to a catcher. Made for great foul tip practice for the catcher.)
Well thank'goodness you observe its a useful location to throw!The red/pink rectangle is great for beginning and intermediate pitchers. Absolutely, advanced pitchers have to throw at the edge of the strike zone...they need to do it more than beginners do.
But, as a training tool, the red/pink rectangle isn't helpful for advanced pitchers.
Why?
You've got a better chance of seeing a unicorn than a regulation strike zone in fastpitch.
At the CWS with the best NCAA umpires around, the strike zone is all over the place. And if we are talking about an away Thursday non-conference game in Bush League, Idaho...heaven help the pitcher. (Or, don't they have hometown umps in SoCal?)
Attached is a picture of the usual strike zone at a softball game. Umps usually call strikes on too many low/inside and high/outside pitches. On the other hand, getting a low and outside pitch called is a struggle.
If that isn't complex enough, softball umpires will change their strike zone as the game progresses. If it is a tight game, the umpire will shrink the strike zone. If it is a rout, the umpire expands the zone. In Chicagoland, the strike zone depends upon the wind chill--and the coaches/fans/players are ecstatic about it. (At a March softball game, you can get frostbite and a sun burn at the same time.)
And, of course, umps are not immune to fans. Sometimes, the low inside strike disappears in the 5th inning.
If the umpire isn't calling a rule book low and outside strike, the pitcher has to find what is a low outside strike for this umpire. She can't just stop throwing low and outside pitches. She has to work the pitches toward the plate until she finds it. If a pitcher can't move the ball slowly toward the plate, she's doomed.
To be consistently successful, a pitcher has to be able to move the ball in 3 to 4 inch increments in and around the plate. If the umpire isn't calling low inside pitches
The red rectangle is a good *starting* point. But, in the long run, the pitcher has to do something more challenging.
My DD's college coach (Kathy Rodolph, now HC at NMSU) would form rectangles with bungee cords and my DD had to throw through the rectangle. Sometimes the rectangles wouldn't be much larger than a ball. At Alabama, Riseball's daughter worked on hitting opposite sides of knot in a rope.
(You might find this interesting...my DD was throwing to a catcher. Made for great foul tip practice for the catcher.)
The red/pink rectangle is great for beginning and intermediate pitchers. Absolutely, advanced pitchers have to throw at the edge of the strike zone...they need to do it more than beginners do.
But, as a training tool, the red/pink rectangle isn't helpful for advanced pitchers.
Why?
You've got a better chance of seeing a unicorn than a regulation strike zone in fastpitch.
At the CWS with the best NCAA umpires around, the strike zone is all over the place. And if we are talking about an away Thursday non-conference game in Bush League, Idaho...heaven help the pitcher. (Or, don't they have hometown umps in SoCal?)
Attached is a picture of the usual strike zone at a softball game. Umps usually call strikes on too many low/inside and high/outside pitches. On the other hand, getting a low and outside pitch called is a struggle.
If that isn't complex enough, softball umpires will change their strike zone as the game progresses. If it is a tight game, the umpire will shrink the strike zone. If it is a rout, the umpire expands the zone. In Chicagoland, the strike zone depends upon the wind chill--and the coaches/fans/players are ecstatic about it. (At a March softball game, you can get frostbite and a sun burn at the same time.)
And, of course, umps are not immune to fans. Sometimes, the low inside strike disappears in the 5th inning.
If the umpire isn't calling a rule book low and outside strike, the pitcher has to find what is a low outside strike for this umpire. She can't just stop throwing low and outside pitches. She has to work the pitches toward the plate until she finds it. If a pitcher can't move the ball slowly toward the plate, she's doomed.
To be consistently successful, a pitcher has to be able to move the ball in 3 to 4 inch increments in and around the plate. If the umpire isn't calling low inside pitches
The red rectangle is a good *starting* point. But, in the long run, the pitcher has to do something more challenging.
My DD's college coach (Kathy Rodolph, now HC at NMSU) would form rectangles with bungee cords and my DD had to throw through the rectangle. Sometimes the rectangles wouldn't be much larger than a ball. At Alabama, Riseball's daughter worked on hitting opposite sides of knot in a rope.
(You might find this interesting...my DD was throwing to a catcher. Made for great foul tip practice for the catcher.)
Seperate point
Regardless of the zone the umpire is calling its still important to be able to control locations.
Especially at a level where your not throwing for the umpire to call the game,
Rather throwing to beat the batter.
In other words
Its not about the umpire
its about pitch locations
Nailed it!The sooner you learn to not be afraid to throw inside, the better.
The sooner you learn to not be afraid to walk their #4 hitter, the better.
This thread is about how you become a real pitcher.