Watching 3rd strike

[hambon47]

How do you other coaches deal with players watching 3rd strikes? I feel there should be consequences, I use a "cruise" home plate to foul pole to foul pole back to home. Some parents seem to think this is "brutal" any comments?
After 4 yrs. of 12 & 14U I'm doing 10U pard this year, quite a change!

 

[SD DAD]

you can punish as much as you want, more than likely won't change anything.
The best luck i've had is changing my ways. I would be more positive to the girls so that they are up there with good vibes and no attitude. Also try to reinforce that you don't care if they strike out.....as long as they swing at strikes. As long as they do that and stay off the bad pitches, that's all you as a coach could ask for.

I had to do this with 8's and got very good results. After they were letting the bats go, we then worked on intensity and driving the ball.

 

[quincy]

swing at strikes

1st pitch, last pitch does not matter. If you want to incorporate a consequence for not swinging it should be at all called strikes not just the 3rd.

 

[hambon47]

Thanx for reading.

 

[hambon47]

To quincy: your reply doesn't make sense to me, 1 & 2 strike don't produce an out, 3rd one does.

 

[andyh64000]

At 10U? I wouldn't punish them. They probably feel bad enough and being punished isn't going to help. Sometimes they just get fooled or freeze or whetever. I would just work on improving.
My daughter ('99) might be the most aggressive hitter on her team but she had a backwards K this year on a pitch right down the middle. She had no explaination other than a possible rift in the space time continuum. I guarantee if her coach made her run as punishment for that it wouldn't have improved her hitting and might have made it worse.

 

[andyh64000]

To quincy: your reply doesn't make sense to me, 1 & 2 strike don't produce an out, 3rd one does.

I agree...sometimes the right move is to take a strike. If the count is 2-0 and the pitcher makes a great pitch I don't want my daughter swinging at it (she probably will anyway but we are working on that ).

 

[KevinC]

I wouldn't call it brutal but I also don't think it's going to help. The girls may start swinging at any garbage pitch after 2 strikes which is not what you want.

Since I started giving out "hard hit ball" helmet stickers our offensive production has gone way up. Maybe a coincidence or maybe the girls are being more agressive at the plate trying to earn a sticker instead of trying not to strike out.

 

[quincy]

If the batter swings at strikes, they will be successful.

The batter has 3 shots at the ball; they need to use them all.

Looking at the 1st and 2nd strike is as bad as looking at the 3rd strike.

 

[andyh64000]

If the batter swings at strikes, they will be successful.

The batter has 3 shots at the ball; they need to use them all.

Looking at the 1st and 2nd strike is as bad as looking at the 3rd strike.

I guess we agree to disagree.