bailing on fast balls

[cvsoftball]

Good morning! I am doing some work with a local D3 college. I have a hitter who is afraid of fastballs (60ish) and bailing on every pitch. We talked about it so she knows she's doing it but change isn't coming. My thought is to slow down the ball speed to a speed she's comfortable with and then gradually build up the speed and her confidence. Does this make sense? Are there other ways?
thanks!

 

[Cornbread]

Have her work on anticipating the ball being down and away. She needs to set up her posture looking for the ball down and away. When she stretches/strides, it needs to look like she is expecting the ball to be down and away. Can work it on front toss. Other thoughts of taking front shoulder to the ball, head to the ball, nose to the ball.

 

[lostcreek1]

Put her in front of a pitching machine so that her fear of getting hit is reduced. Set it on 65 and let her have at it. After that 60 wont seem so fast and scary. How does one get to be a D3 college softball player and can't quit backing out of the box.

 

[ArmWhip]

If she's worried about getting hit you need to put her in situations where she can get comfortable being up close to fastballs. I can't think of a better way to do this than have her practice a lot of bunting, you can start with a machine but live pitching will be more effective. You can't bunt if you're bailing out, and taking a bunt stance gets you up close and personal with the incoming pitch.

 

[4Martini]

I’m curious what advice people have. My daughter doesn’t bail- but is just learning 60s on the premise she’ll see it next year and might as well start to process and get a lot of failures out of the way now.

A lot of times on the machine she will bunt left, bunt right, hit, repeat. Just to get used to getting the bat on the ball at that speed.

 

[Lance Steckler]

helmet on, fielding glove on, batting stance, and machine set to throw ~60ish.... and throw .... catch every ball like leading with left elbow during swing and glove catch every pitch. take about 10 and fear will be gone.

 

[RADcatcher]

Work on Bunting at that speed.
Start by already being set up to bunt and
work into reacting to set up to Bunt.
Progress into swinging.

 

[Vertigo]

You can put her up against a machine set at about 55 mph from 43 feet and then have her move up about 5 feet after she hits some from the regular distance. It will look to come in faster and it will help to get her timing down. We used to do this with our 14U girls to get them used to seeing what they’d typically see plus the occasional faster pitcher. Really seemed to work well.

 

[Vertigo]

How does one get to be a D3 college softball player and can't quit backing out of the box.

You’d be surprised to see the level of play variance at the D3 level. I’ve see fielders afraid of the ball at this level. It’s crazy!