Against a good pitcher that can paint the outside corner she doesn't stand a chance. She would hit everything off of the end of the bat.
How Close To The Plate Should A Batter Be??
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Not if they have had proper hitting instruction. If you are any closer and use proper mechanics, you will hit the inside pitches off of the handle and that is when kids get "shocked" from the vibration.
Here is a rather poor picture, from my lessons. You can't see the plate, but it is drawn on a bath mat (one of Hitter's ideas.)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/newtson/6132493937/
Here is a rather poor picture, from my lessons. You can't see the plate, but it is drawn on a bath mat (one of Hitter's ideas.)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/newtson/6132493937/
FiveFrameSwing
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I asked the person demonstrating this, if they used that approach to distance themselves from the plate ... and they said no, that they did that in jest after receiving a 'strike call' that they thought was too far outside. I posted it only because it looks to be what you describe.
As for watching MLB games ... that's good advice ... and I plan to do just that.
I teach what Amy described, I learned it from Howard Carrier on this site. I did some math
plate....17"
inside corner of plate to white line...6"
line width...3"
32" bat puts front of left foot (rh batter) 6" from the white line in the batters box
which puts you about 1/3 of the way in the batters box
proper plate coverage....priceless
Obviously thats just the beginning, and if practiced they dont lay there bat across the plate during games they can almost line up within less than an inch +or-.
proper inward lean, tilt, anterior tilt, whatever you call it, gives you good coverage on the outside corner and allows you to hit inside pitches.
Kids still need good timing and the ability to adjust to different pitches, thats where the real work is.
Might be camera angle but looks like in ffs second clip the batter is slightly more open, maybe he was expecting an inside pitch He is a pro and I am dealing with slightly better than A but not quite A players, giving them an absolute to start there approach is a big help.
plate....17"
inside corner of plate to white line...6"
line width...3"
32" bat puts front of left foot (rh batter) 6" from the white line in the batters box
which puts you about 1/3 of the way in the batters box
proper plate coverage....priceless
Obviously thats just the beginning, and if practiced they dont lay there bat across the plate during games they can almost line up within less than an inch +or-.
proper inward lean, tilt, anterior tilt, whatever you call it, gives you good coverage on the outside corner and allows you to hit inside pitches.
Kids still need good timing and the ability to adjust to different pitches, thats where the real work is.
Might be camera angle but looks like in ffs second clip the batter is slightly more open, maybe he was expecting an inside pitch He is a pro and I am dealing with slightly better than A but not quite A players, giving them an absolute to start there approach is a big help.
Where ever they stand, the bottom line is that their swing needs to cover the zone. Not just the outside portion but also the inside. If the player is extremely close to the plate, of course they can cover the outside edge but the inside edge of the plate is not reachable (to hit the ball hard AND keep it fair).
Sometimes the players don't really have a good feel for where they really are in the box.
One way to give them some perspective is to have them stand in the box where they do in a game, then mark their feet. Have another player stand in where the marks were and have the original player squat behind and see the catcher's perspective. You can also have them see from the pitcher's perspective if need be.
Anyway, this should give the player some perspective as to where they actually stand in the box. This helps when a player needs to make an adjustment with this but may not trust it.
Sometimes the players don't really have a good feel for where they really are in the box.
One way to give them some perspective is to have them stand in the box where they do in a game, then mark their feet. Have another player stand in where the marks were and have the original player squat behind and see the catcher's perspective. You can also have them see from the pitcher's perspective if need be.
Anyway, this should give the player some perspective as to where they actually stand in the box. This helps when a player needs to make an adjustment with this but may not trust it.
The typical swing has a radius, an "arc". The typical hit you want to meet the ball in front of the body. So to hit the outside pitch, with the normal "arc", if you are in position to cover the outside part of the plate when the bat is held straight out, are you still in position to hit the outside ball that you are trying to hit when its half a foot in front of the plate?
Not if you arent 6-8 inches from homeplate.
- Dec 28, 2008
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I would buy into the whole formula for distance from the plate, if all girls bodies were created equally, and they all had the same natural tendencies.
My belief is that players should figure the pitches their eyes and brain go "ding-ding-ding" over and they attack. The ones they know they will get great hits from. The pitches you know as a parent are the ones you want her to swing on with 0-0 count and yell "wait for your pitch." Then they should stand in the box in a way to encourage more of that type of pitch. If they are afraid of inside pitches and don't hit them well, then they shouldn't crowd the plate because the pitcher is going to challenge them inside and they aren't going to be productive. If they do love inside pitches and aren't afraid, then by all means crowd the plate and encourage that pitcher to throw inside and even pitches over the plate will look inside to them. Those that naturally drive the ball the opposite way should back off the plate slightly so that more pitches are outside for them.
As they develop additional skills through lessons, and their inner aptitudes change that position can be adapted as necessary.
My belief is that players should figure the pitches their eyes and brain go "ding-ding-ding" over and they attack. The ones they know they will get great hits from. The pitches you know as a parent are the ones you want her to swing on with 0-0 count and yell "wait for your pitch." Then they should stand in the box in a way to encourage more of that type of pitch. If they are afraid of inside pitches and don't hit them well, then they shouldn't crowd the plate because the pitcher is going to challenge them inside and they aren't going to be productive. If they do love inside pitches and aren't afraid, then by all means crowd the plate and encourage that pitcher to throw inside and even pitches over the plate will look inside to them. Those that naturally drive the ball the opposite way should back off the plate slightly so that more pitches are outside for them.
As they develop additional skills through lessons, and their inner aptitudes change that position can be adapted as necessary.
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