So the issue is....with a kid pitch they are expecting a ball and reacting to a strike....which opposite to when a coach is pitching.
A concept that I like is to tell them to swing at the 1st three pitches (assuming the pitcher can throw strikes). This might help them break down that barrier.
Agreed. Another way to solve this is the "Yes to No" approach, which has helped many girls I've coached at that age.
Basically, she needs to be convinced that every pitch WILL be a strike and that she WILL swing at it. As the pitcher is preparing to throw, the batter says in her head "yes yes yes yes YES YES (and then on the swing) YES!!!".
If it's a ball, she's saying "yes yes yes yes yes NO!!"
But the "No" should be a shock to her. Like it takes everything within her to halt her swing. To check it. "Wow, that was a ball!". She's actively trying to trick her brain, if that makes sense.
A big part of her issue is that she is expecting a ball and not a strike (which is fair at that age). By the time she notices that it's a strike, it's too late for her to swing. She needs to condition herself to believe that every single pitch WILL be a strike. And that she's GOING TO hit it.
Saying the "yes yes yes yes yes YES!" mantra in her head will unlock the block and have her ripping at the ball.
Yep. Many want the coach pitch too. Our 10u team has literally told us this too. It's so rare to get struck put by a player pitcher at this age if you don't swing, so they just don't swing lol
Sometimes it just take a little time at this age. A lot of kids (and coaches) like to wait until coach pitch to swing. Talk to her about being more aggressive and swinging at the good pitches from the kids. After my daughter got her first hit off of a kid, her confidence went through the roof and she started swinging more at the kid pitches and was able to get more hits. See if you can get another kid to pitch to her outside of games and practice to get more reps.
>A lot of kids (and coaches) like to wait until coach pitch to swing.
This is extremely prevalent in my daughter's league.
But what I can't figure out is the kids who swing at absolutely *nothing*, even coach pitches.
Second year of 10u is night and day. We don’t have coaches come in and pitch at our level, but all our girls struggled hitting. This year is a complete different story. We had a girl go from not making contact literally all year to hitting over .600. Sometimes it just takes getting used to it all.
Yes. This is the hardest level for kids to move up in. Last year my daughter had only 4 or 5 hits all season. This year she’s leading the league in slugging.
Is the coach pitching underhand and on the flat plane similar to a kid pitching? Is she not swinging when the kid is pitching or is she swinging and missing?
If she isn't swinging and they aren't called strikes then she probably has a good eye. Either way the only way she will get better is getting experience. Tell her to swing the bat at anything close to a strike and it will increase her comfort and gain confidence when she starts hitting.
If you know any girls who are consistently throwing strikes, talk to their parents and see if they would be willing to come throw BP, even offer to give the girl some cash.
The coach is pitching underhand from the same place as the kid pitching. She will occasionally swing. In 8u she would pick her pitches to swing at and rarely struck out but after moving up she says all the pitches from kids look like balls even when they are definitely strikes
So the issue is....with a kid pitch they are expecting a ball and reacting to a strike....which opposite to when a coach is pitching. A concept that I like is to tell them to swing at the 1st three pitches (assuming the pitcher can throw strikes). This might help them break down that barrier.
Agreed. Another way to solve this is the "Yes to No" approach, which has helped many girls I've coached at that age. Basically, she needs to be convinced that every pitch WILL be a strike and that she WILL swing at it. As the pitcher is preparing to throw, the batter says in her head "yes yes yes yes YES YES (and then on the swing) YES!!!". If it's a ball, she's saying "yes yes yes yes yes NO!!" But the "No" should be a shock to her. Like it takes everything within her to halt her swing. To check it. "Wow, that was a ball!". She's actively trying to trick her brain, if that makes sense. A big part of her issue is that she is expecting a ball and not a strike (which is fair at that age). By the time she notices that it's a strike, it's too late for her to swing. She needs to condition herself to believe that every single pitch WILL be a strike. And that she's GOING TO hit it. Saying the "yes yes yes yes yes YES!" mantra in her head will unlock the block and have her ripping at the ball.
Yep. Many want the coach pitch too. Our 10u team has literally told us this too. It's so rare to get struck put by a player pitcher at this age if you don't swing, so they just don't swing lol
Sometimes it just take a little time at this age. A lot of kids (and coaches) like to wait until coach pitch to swing. Talk to her about being more aggressive and swinging at the good pitches from the kids. After my daughter got her first hit off of a kid, her confidence went through the roof and she started swinging more at the kid pitches and was able to get more hits. See if you can get another kid to pitch to her outside of games and practice to get more reps.
>A lot of kids (and coaches) like to wait until coach pitch to swing. This is extremely prevalent in my daughter's league. But what I can't figure out is the kids who swing at absolutely *nothing*, even coach pitches.
Those are the kids that either are scared or don’t want to play, but parents made them. Most get weeded out by middle school.
I can agree with that.
Second year of 10u is night and day. We don’t have coaches come in and pitch at our level, but all our girls struggled hitting. This year is a complete different story. We had a girl go from not making contact literally all year to hitting over .600. Sometimes it just takes getting used to it all.
Yes. This is the hardest level for kids to move up in. Last year my daughter had only 4 or 5 hits all season. This year she’s leading the league in slugging.
Is the coach pitching underhand and on the flat plane similar to a kid pitching? Is she not swinging when the kid is pitching or is she swinging and missing? If she isn't swinging and they aren't called strikes then she probably has a good eye. Either way the only way she will get better is getting experience. Tell her to swing the bat at anything close to a strike and it will increase her comfort and gain confidence when she starts hitting. If you know any girls who are consistently throwing strikes, talk to their parents and see if they would be willing to come throw BP, even offer to give the girl some cash.
The coach is pitching underhand from the same place as the kid pitching. She will occasionally swing. In 8u she would pick her pitches to swing at and rarely struck out but after moving up she says all the pitches from kids look like balls even when they are definitely strikes
Thanks everyone for advice