Training the Swing-No Swing Decision

[ArmWhip]

I'm helping out with a local 12U B level team. No one takes or has taken hitting lessons. They practice hitting once a week over the cold months, for an hour with two tunnels, one for front toss the other with a machine. For the first two tournaments the hitting was terrible. Then the coach got access to a new, single wheel Jugs machine which he set up at 35ft and cranked up to 57-8. He used it three times and the players got used to the velocity, most were making decent contact. At the next tournament, in the first game, they faced a pitcher throwing 43-4 mph. You would think that after getting used to 57-8 the girls would be swinging early. Nope, they were all swinging late, whiffing or fouling off pitches into the backstop.The HC was mystified and wanted to crank the machine up even more at the next practice. I explained to him that the machine does nothing when it comes to training the decision to swing or not swing at a given pitch. The swing-no swing decision is not something I see discussed very much. Most hitting discussions (and BP) are focused on mechanics, timing, quality of contact, launch angle, etc. During team batting practice pitches outside the strike zone are considered a waste of time, with only weak advice to 'swing at the good ones'. I told the HC that rather than cranking the machine up more try moving it back until some of the pitches are outside the strike zone, then attach some consequences to swinging at balls or letting strikes go by. Does anyone have any drills or games for working on the swing-no swing decision?

 

[chinamigarden]

Change your and your teams thinking. It’s not a swing no swing decision. Too many things to consider. It’s only a no swing decision. Every pitch you are on go until you aren’t.

Assigning punishment to swinging at balls is counterproductive. It does 2 things it freezes the player and delays her swing and it fills the roster of the local soccer team.

 

[chinamigarden]

At least 3 things should jump out at you in this video. The hitting part is the beginning.

And yes she calls it a mound. Don’t watch this and think you should correct her. Look at her resume first and then decide if you want to do that.

 

[Rolling Hard]

Awesome video. I use the term pitching machine mentality. You get in the box with the same mindset you have when coach is feeding the pitching machine (preferably mimicking a windmill delivery). Yes, yes, yes.
There are very few players that err on the side of swinging at too many pitches. Most err on taking strikes, falling behind and flailing at strike three with a late indecisive arm swing.

 

[RADcatchers]

Fantastic observations !!!
Lets look at them again

There are very few players that err on the side of swinging at too many pitches.

Most err on taking strikes, falling behind and flailing at strike three with a late indecisive arm swing.

 

[ArmWhip]

Change your and your teams thinking. It’s not a swing no swing decision. Too many things to consider. It’s only a no swing decision. Every pitch you are on go until you aren’t.

This really doesn't answer the question, this deals with a hitter's intention or attitude when they are in the box, there's only one decision. I'm talking about improving the decision making process itself. I will modify my question to make it easier to understand: how do you train the "continue to swing-stop the swing" decision?

Assigning punishment to swinging at balls is counterproductive.

There are consequences to swinging at bad pitches (balls) in games, why not have consequences in practice also? We have kids in BP who swing at head high pitches and balls in the dirt, is that okay?

 

[CoachCeetar]

This really doesn't answer the question, this deals with a hitter's intention or attitude when they are in the box, there's only one decision. I'm talking about improving the decision making process itself. I will modify my question to make it easier to understand: how do you train the "continue to swing-stop the swing" decision?

It sounds like you're asking more about the decision point, rather than the decision itself? They've timed the machine, and they're not applying that timing to the slower pitches. I think you'd want to some more varied speed to the BP.

 

[Rolling Hard]

I would rather see kids swing at bad pitches than having the "oh, shirt, it's a strike" swing. We all know that swing. It's not yes, yes ,yes. It's let me see, maybe, oh, shirt it's a strike. All arms, no lower body, flailing swing with no drive.
*Worse parental/ coach advice:
3 and 1 count. "Careful, you don't want to swing at ball four. A walk is as good as a hit."
2 and 0 count. "Make her throw a strike."

The last thing you want your players to be in the box is careful. You would rather have aggressively reckless.

 

[chinamigarden]

This really doesn't answer the question, this deals with a hitter's intention or attitude when they are in the box, there's only one decision. I'm talking about improving the decision making process itself. I will modify my question to make it easier to understand: how do you train the "continue to swing-stop the swing" decision?


There are consequences to swinging at bad pitches (balls) in games, why not have consequences in practice also? We have kids in BP who swing at head high pitches and balls in the dirt, is that okay?

It does answer the question. They go up there to swing the bat. What’s a ball they don’t want to swing at will become obvious with experience. And its not continue the swing stop/ the swing. Again that’s 2 decisions. Swinging is not a decision. It’s the default.

If you want to continue along the idea of punishing a player for swinging at a ball I suggest you start learning the offsides rule for soccer. It’s simple yet Complicated at the same time.

 

[chinamigarden]

I would rather see kids swing at bad pitches than having the "oh, shirt, it's a strike" swing. We all know that swing. It's not yes, yes ,yes. It's let me see, maybe, oh, shirt it's a strike. All arms, no lower body, flailing swing with no drive.
*Worse parental/ coach advice:
3 and 1 count. "Careful, you don't want to swing at ball four. A walk is as good as a hit."
2 and 0 count. "Make her throw a strike."

The last thing you want your players to be in the box is careful. You would rather have aggressively reckless.

Man do I hate that walk is as good as a hit mentality. You only say that after a walk, no other time. A walk doesn’t drive a run in from second. It’s better than an out. But it’s not as good as a hit.