When to start MISSING the strikezone~

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radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
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@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.
Question for @sluggers
Why do you think the red/pink rectangle will not be helpful for advanced pitchers?
Asking because seems your post offered a conflicted message.

( red/pink rectangle is one softball out of zone. Scraping egde of strikezone area.)
We know~
* pitching locations are used in combination with other locations.

Why then do you say it will not help advanced pitchers?
Why do you think throwing just outside the zone would work for beginners and not advanced?

*Both of your other comments
Throw out of zone to keep batters off balanced.
And keep pitch locations moving around in/off by 3to4 inch increments
(a balls width)
Supports using locations like
1 & 2 softballs out of zone.
 
Last edited:
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
Yep. I believe in this.

It's partly why I also believe in teaching the girls to get the out at first, then move on to getting the lead runner. It's very easy for them to transition from beginner strategy to advanced. And it's part of learning anything. And it's fun. I remember well the conversation between DD and I when I told her "Now you start throwing balls on purpose!"

Whoa!
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,132
113
Dallas, Texas
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?

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.)
 

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Last edited:
Aug 1, 2019
962
93
MN
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.)
Now you're blowing my mind like a Matrix movie o_O. But I sure can't disagree to any of it!
 
Oct 1, 2014
2,219
113
USA
Solid post Sluggers! Pretty much nailed it all the way around. Question though, I thought Riseball's DD (Jake) went to S. Carolina, did she go to Alabama first?
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
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.)
Well thank'goodness you observe its a useful location to throw!
As for that warp'zone :)
Thats why i call the strize zone
'The strikezone area'
Or
'Area called a strikezone'.

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
 
Last edited:
Feb 15, 2017
920
63
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 only thing I would add is that as soon as you can start putting the ball where you want a majority of the time you need to figure out where the umpires strike zone as early in the game as you can. How far in, out, up, and down the umpire is going to call a pitch a strike. It's amazing how often you don't see pitchers and coaches figure this out.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk
 
Mar 10, 2020
734
63
Best advice in this thread.

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

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.
Nailed it!
This thread is about how you become a real pitcher.
 

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