14U Trouble Hitting

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Mar 24, 2014
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So my 14yo can hit off the tee and front toss and crushes it. Get in the box and hesitates to swing or doesn't swing at strikes. When I ask why she's not swinging I get "not sure" or I don't know" responses. Staying positive with her but just want to try and figure out what the issue is so we can work on getting better.
 
Jun 11, 2013
2,619
113
One drill I used to do is throwing BP from about 20 feet behind a screen and telling DD to just swing at everything. Just learn you can hit any pitch. I never worried she would take that into a game, but it gets them thinking to think swing first.
 

radness

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Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
So my 14yo can hit off the tee and front toss and crushes it. Get in the box and hesitates to swing or doesn't swing at strikes. When I ask why she's not swinging I get "not sure" or I don't know" responses. Staying positive with her but just want to try and figure out what the issue is so we can work on getting better.
What is the coach on the team saying to the players to do?

Some coaches say things like~
Take one strike.
Only swing at your pitch.
Don't swing if it's not a strike.
Stay off the _______ pitch.

Other coaches say things like~
Go up there swinging.
Let's be aggressive in the box.
Green light is on.
Put the ball in play.

Aside from the coach, who may/not be influencing the situation,
What is her mindset stepping in the box?
 
Last edited:
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Sounds a lot like a mental approach issue. A hitter has to EXPECT to swing at EVERY pitch. On every pitch, they need to go through the preparation to swing, which includes starting the physical pre-launch sequence of movements. Hitting is not an "I don't know" event. It's always "yes"...until it's "no".
 
Sep 29, 2020
26
3
Agree mental approach issues. My DD was always a free swinger if it was close she was swinging, kept her in that yes yes mode. She aged up to another coach in her organization and they wanted girls to take the first pitch or work the count. That didn't work for her. So was so lost at the plate she literally got locked up. Would not swing at pitches. Towards the end of the season I said just go back to swinging at anything close and the hitting gate was swung open. You always hear be on go or yes yes yes and if it's not there yes yes no. Always ready. Was she a free swinger or did she always take pitches? As above I would just swing at everything right now just to get into that go mode at the plate.
 
Nov 13, 2020
92
18
Sounds a lot like a mental approach issue. A hitter has to EXPECT to swing at EVERY pitch. On every pitch, they need to go through the preparation to swing, which includes starting the physical pre-launch sequence of movements. Hitting is not an "I don't know" event. It's always "yes"...until it's "no".
This- my DD is always thrown off when they start facing a pitcher who is throwing wild. Instead of assuming everything will be a strike and then pull back when not, she decides too late to swing and misses the ball. It’s almost always mental issue.
 
Mar 24, 2014
450
18
Sounds a lot like a mental approach issue. A hitter has to EXPECT to swing at EVERY pitch. On every pitch, they need to go through the preparation to swing, which includes starting the physical pre-launch sequence of movements. Hitting is not an "I don't know" event. It's always "yes"...until it's "no".
This is what we've been talking about for awhile and I guess just keep trying. Staying positive with her don't want to add any extra pressure. I just told her trust your swing and see what happens.
 
Mar 24, 2014
450
18
Agree mental approach issues. My DD was always a free swinger if it was close she was swinging, kept her in that yes yes mode. She aged up to another coach in her organization and they wanted girls to take the first pitch or work the count. That didn't work for her. So was so lost at the plate she literally got locked up. Would not swing at pitches. Towards the end of the season I said just go back to swinging at anything close and the hitting gate was swung open. You always hear be on go or yes yes yes and if it's not there yes yes no. Always ready. Was she a free swinger or did she always take pitches? As above I would just swing at everything right now just to get into that go mode at the plate.
Will suggest that to her thanks
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
This is what we've been talking about for awhile and I guess just keep trying. Staying positive with her don't want to add any extra pressure. I just told her trust your swing and see what happens.

Staying positive is good, but you telling her may not have any effect on her own self-doubts.

A couple of things I did with my DD and her 12U teammates, when I was an active coach...

- Set up a tee on the low outside corner, have her hit at that location until she can square it up well. Then move the tee....everywhere. High, low, middle, inside, outside, middle, even a bit off the plate. Hit balls at each location until she is squaring them up. What you want her to realize is that she can hit the ball hard wherever it is pitched, and ask her to think about where her favorite location is. This is not a time to nit-pick her mechanics. That's not the point of the exercise.

- Mental approach: With a 0-strike count, the hitter should be looking for a pitch in their favorite location. Know what that location is, and what a pitch at that location looks like. If the pitch is there, hit it!! If it's not, take it, even if it's a strike. Expect that the very first pitch of the at-bat is your perfect pitch, and be ready for it. With 1 strike, expand the hot zone. Now, the hitter should be expecting to swing at anything in the strike zone. With 2 strikes, you are now using the skills you learned in the tee exercise above. If it's near the strike zone, hit it!! A big part of this is being able to recognize pitch location. The other big part is being prepared to swing, and EXPECTING to swing.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
This- my DD is always thrown off when they start facing a pitcher who is throwing wild. Instead of assuming everything will be a strike and then pull back when not, she decides too late to swing and misses the ball. It’s almost always mental issue.

I've seen this a lot, mostly at younger ages. As pitching speeds increase, the hitter starts running out of time to determine if the pitch is going to hit them before starting their swing process, and the result is late and panicked swings with terrible mechanics. There comes a point where a hitter MUST start their pre-launch movements before they know the location of the ball, or they won't have the time to execute a good swing movement.

A rule-of-thumb..."Ball in the air, foot in the air". When the pitcher releases the ball, the batter should be starting their stride.
 

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