Hitting Coaches

As a hitting coach you are expected to have the all the answers when it comes to your players swings, but sometimes you get stuck. In this thread I would like you guys/gals to say what is the hardest thing when it comes to coaching hitting. What is something that you may struggle with? For me it is the mental side of hitting. I just do not understand how you look at strike three. I get more frustrated with players that leave the bat on the shoulder, or girls that hit .400 however hit .200 with girls in scoring position. Lets hear what you struggle with and maybe somethings that you do to help others. If someone can tell me how to get that girl that can not hit with people on base let me know.
Scott Miller
www.gaptogapsoftball.com

 

Agreed !!!

MENTAL,MENTAL,MENTAL........................

 

mental is the toughest......

The mental part of hitting has got to be the toughest to deal with. I've had girls that have said " I just can't hit". Maybe not, but what I try to convince them is that if you go to the plate thinking " this is my plate, nothing you throw is getting by me, I'm getting a hit or moving the runner or sac fly a runner home". Alot easier said than done. I agree watching the third strike go by is by far the most frustrating thing to have to watch. Some coaches may not agree with me on this, but I tell all my players if that first pitch is your pitch then drive it. Most of the time that will be best pitch you will see.

 

Mental Hitting

While hitting a baseball or softball is considered one of most difficult things to do in all of sports, hitters can make it more difficult than it really is.

Think about the speed of the pitch and the reaction time you have from release to contact, it can be overwhelming if you let it be. I teach my hitters to anticipate a good pitch every pitch. One of the first things I ask my new students is, "When you step to the plate, what pitch are you hitting?" I have gotten many responses like: strikes, fastballs, my pitch, belt high, etc. I then explain that when I step to the plate I'm hitting THIS PITCH. Then I explain my theory further and that this should be their mindset at the plate no matter what the count. Every pitch the hitter is loading/striding and starting the lower body and hands. In your mind you are swinging at every pitch up until the point that you decide not to. Of course there is alot more that goes into our mental preperation for our hitters, but this gives you an idea of how I deal with it.

 

To swing or not to swing

I would agree that every pitch that a hitter sees is a pitch to hit, and would encourage every hitter to think that way. That is how I teach my hitters to approach every at bat, your hitting this pitch until you see that it is a ball,( or a pitch that you can't drive, if less than two strikes.) I belive that if you go into your atbat with the mindset that you are going to hit every pitch thrown then you will be ready for anything the pitcher sends your way. If your standing there waiting to decide what the pitch is then your beat, to many times a hitter will see a ball come into the strike zone and then say swing only to be late and not hit the ball with authority, where as if your going into the atbat with the mind set that every pitch is a strike untill you decide otherwise, you can be on time with the pitch and drive it if it is the strike you are ready for. To take this one step futher lets look at the load for the hitters, I am of the opion that to few hitters employ a load to ready themselfs for the swing, thus all they do is react to the pitch and maybe catch it flush, maybe not. If the hitter loads on every pitch they will at least be in a hitting mode, ready to attack the ball and not be on the defensive just trying to make contact. Ask yourself how many time has your hitter made checkswings? What does that say about there willingness to hit every pitch?