T-Work

[HYP]

Apparently O'leary can make a post with nothing constructive (which is typical of him) and it won't get deleted.....and yes Hyp - he still cannot tell the difference between a chicken wing and good front arm movement....

Well, he has only been reading about it for 7 years. So, give him a break. Maybe it will take 7 more. (fingers crossed)

 

[coach james]

I was gonna offer my two cents but HYP already said the exact same thing that I was gonna say...

 

[Chris O'Leary]

Who considers that Chicken winging?

Tony Gwynn.

Obviously, if Jessica Mendoza does it, it isn't as bad as people say.

P.S. I was agreeing with MTS, but he can't resist the need to take a shot at me. Pretty sad.

 

[softballphreak]

To the OP's question: It is a crap shoot to tell someone where to place the tee without knowing where the player sets up in the seven foot long batters box.

With regards to the video in this thread, I strongly recommend you have the player set up in the same place *relative to the plate* for every tee swing. To practice inside/outside, you move THE TEE, not the player. I wouldn't tell the player to move closer or further from the plate as is demonstrated.

IMO, most people botch tee work (some olympians included, smile) because they do not know how to set up. Get a tee like the tanner or schutt which does not have a home plate shaped base. Have the player always set up on a plate in the position she normally would, then place the tee accordingly for inside, outside, middle when working those locations. Again, the important part is that the location of the tee/ball changes, but the batter's position relative to the plate does not.

Good luck!
VW

Don't depend on the plate. Set the tee up relative to your body. Your body can end up anywhere in the box; the plate will always be where it's at. For example, if a batter gets used to a point of contact in front of the plate, and the coach moves the batter to the back of the box, say, then the batter would have a bad reference point for point of contact.

One reason a batter should not practice with the tee out at the front foot is because it causes them to "reach" for that point of contact against real pitching. Telling a batter to "wait" is not as efficient as having them experienced with hitting a deeper pitch.

Most every batter I see practicing off of a tee that is way out front (even with, or past the front foot) has trouble staying back on offspeed pitches.

 

[RayR]

My apologies Chris. I am so used to you taking the first shot at me....my inner child broke loose for a bit....

So, please mark this on your calendar as the first time I believe we agree.

Tony Gwynn.

Obviously, if Jessica Mendoza does it, it isn't as bad as people say.

P.S. I was agreeing with MTS, but he can't resist the need to take a shot at me. Pretty sad.

 

[HYP]

Tony Gwynn.

Obviously, if Jessica Mendoza does it, it isn't as bad as people say.

P.S. I was agreeing with MTS, but he can't resist the need to take a shot at me. Pretty sad.

Admittedly I have never heard Tony Gwynn say this was chicken winging. I also don't know many people who say what Jessica Mendoza is doing is bad.

 

[nanotech14]

Don't depend on the plate. Set the tee up relative to your body. Your body can end up anywhere in the box; the plate will always be where it's at. For example, if a batter gets used to a point of contact in front of the plate, and the coach moves the batter to the back of the box, say, then the batter would have a bad reference point for point of contact.

One reason a batter should not practice with the tee out at the front foot is because it causes them to "reach" for that point of contact against real pitching. Telling a batter to "wait" is not as efficient as having them experienced with hitting a deeper pitch.

Most every batter I see practicing off of a tee that is way out front (even with, or past the front foot) has trouble staying back on offspeed pitches.

I agree with you, but I also disagree with you. Moving the tee around and not the batter,I agree with, but also don't think you should have the tee set up deep all the time. You talk about a girl reaching, during live pitching, but I don't want them to always think it needs to get deep either.

 

[HYP]

I agree with you, but I also disagree with you. Moving the tee around and not the batter,I agree with, but also don't think you should have the tee set up deep all the time. You talk about a girl reaching, during live pitching, but I don't want them to always think it needs to get deep either.

There are always exceptions but I have found that most kids are afraid of being late. They short change their load and go out to the ball or they slow their swing down to "feel" for the ball.

Placing the T a little deeper gives them the understanding, feel and confidence that they can hit the ball if it gets deeper.

 

[Cannonball]

IMO, set up of the T is determined by what you are working on.

If you are just talking in general placement.

1) Inside - out in front of front foot
2) Middle - between front foot and lead knee
3) Outside - between front hip and belly button

Pretty good guidelines and you can adjust off of that.

I would add that in softball, high tee is important. Practice a "strike" high because of the rise. However, I also had my players practice the what I referred to as a dynamic take. IOWs, get to the position some of you call, "go" and then take. With the rise, players often get to that point and give up and flail at the ball.

 

[wichita]

1) When using the hitting Tee, it seems that most of my girls hit the ball to opposite field. Is that because they are setting up with hitting tee lined up in the center? Not sure if I am explaining myself correctly with that but they set up
with the hitting tee in the center of the plate and it aligns right up the middle of their body.

2) Is there a proper way to have then set up when using it. I tell them to stand in the box where they normally stand.

I usually set the tee up off the front foot for inside pitch, off the front torso or maybe a little bit farther back for middle of the plate, and middle of the body for outside.... it teaches the kids where to make contact depending on location of the pitch... inside ball should be hit from up the middle to left (right handed batter) middle of the plate should be from gap to gap and outside from up the middle to right field...on inside pitches in my experience you have to watch and make sure kids are getting full extension through the ball a lot of kids will short arm the ball and never make a full extended swing.