Follow
Donate to HeyBucket.com - Amount:

Welcome Anonymous !

Your Fastpitch Softball Bible
 

IN

o

by Mark H » Thu Nov 03, 2016 11:45 pm

Well let's see. What about other skills? Should we leave the piano playing child alone? Maybe tweak her playing years later? When it comes to swinging a bat, the most attractive option to hit the ball hard turns out not to be what elite hitters do. Excepting a few, they don't figure it out on their own. Maybe your kid will be one of the few. What if they aren't? Maybe they are just a poor athlete who wants to hit better in rec league. Maybe your kid is a great athlete with superb vision and a terrible swing. What's a parent with a frustrated broken hearted kid who can't hit supposed to do?

Having said all that, the state of swing instruction is poor enough we might very well be ahead on average if everyone just quit doing it. It IS getting better due to the ready availability of good swings to study on the net but at a snail's pace.

Here's the thing. If your swing takes more than .16 seconds (preferably .13) from first move of the bat head into the swing plane till contact, you are going to disappear against good pitching unless you are a really great guesser. If you have a quick swing, as defined in the previous sentence, and it's repeatable AND you can put it where you want to, you should have a lot of fun. If you have the standard youth rec .23 second swing you are going to hit the ball hard occasionally. Very occasionally against good pitching. You just have to commit too soon with that long of a swing. I don't think that's arguable. You can do the math and set balls in the dirt .23, .16 and .13 seconds from home plate and you will quickly be convinced if you aren't already. You can measure this swing quickness with Zepp or with video by counting frames.

All this begs the question, what do those hitters with .13 second swings have in common mechanically if anything? That's where the conversation turns into a mess. That's why I laugh when anyone says "good" or "proper" or "accepted" swing mechanics. There is no commonly accepted good, proper or accepted agreement on how to swing a bat. Usually discussion of such devolves into a religious argument.
Mark H
 
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2012 7:08 pm

by Mark H » Fri Nov 04, 2016 7:41 am

C77fastpitch wrote:That technical stuff may all be true, but again I'm talking about those young ladies with little or no experience playing..


So the person with no experience is the person who needs instruction the least?


C77fastpitch wrote: I wouldn't try to teach a beginning piano student the Rachmaninoff Concerto 2 either.


Clearly. Haven't noticed someone suggesting such.


C77fastpitch wrote: Educational experts call it," Age appropriate Lessons," again that depends on the student..

Agreed. More showing than talking. Having said that, if mom or dad shows an inclination and ability to understand, there can be talking to them.


C77fastpitch wrote:Kids can't understand what they haven't experienced, to some minimal degree. Simple prove- Why can't most high school softball players hit a 65mph fastball right down the middle. Answer, experience and natural ability,..

Not sure that's a prove. Why do high level 18 gold hitters struggle when they face a kid throwing fifty. What does either of those things prove?



C77fastpitch wrote: most high School girls have had hundreds of hitting lessons..

And most lessons are crap.


C77fastpitch wrote: I wouldn't ask kids to give up, keep hitting, keep playing, learn everything you can, and when the time is right seek profession help..


The right time being after bad habits are deeply ingrained?


C77fastpitch wrote: However, these meaningless weekly hitting lessons given to students that have never batted against any pitcher over 54mph is a total waste of time and money.


Most "weekly" hitting lessons are filled with baffling b s designed to make parents and kid think they could never understand the deep secrets this instructor knows and so they must write this instructor a check every week. Good lessons are understandable and designed to make you and or the parents their own instructor with only the occasional check in and tune up needed.
Mark H
 
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2012 7:08 pm

by Mark H » Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:19 am

C77fastpitch wrote:First assumption- Those that know the least, need the least instruction. That's not what I said, that's what you say I said..
That's what I got so thanks for clearing that up.


C77fastpitch wrote: Your assuming kids with little or no experience are kids with little knowledge. These instead are kids that are not physically mature, emotionally ready, and are not experience players. However, you are going change all of that a super duper lesson..
Huh?



C77fastpitch wrote: Try to explain baseball to someone that has never seen a baseball game, they are not necessarily stupid, they don't know what you are talking about, experience.


So kids who have never seen a game are seeking lessons?

C77fastpitch wrote:Again answer the question- Why can't most high school softball players hit with any consistency a 65mph fastball placed right down the middle? Answer- lack of experience and/or natural talent.


Could be talent. Could be experience. Almost certainly they don't have a .16 second or quicker swing. Likely a combination of two or three of these factors.

How about the very athletic mid teens great SS who can't consistently drive the middle middle mid fifties pitch? What do you suppose their issue might be?
Mark H
 
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2012 7:08 pm

by Mark H » Fri Nov 04, 2016 10:09 am

C77fastpitch wrote:Whatever- Are you suggesting that most of these kids have been taught wrong..


Yes.

C77fastpitch wrote:Can't lose, they hit, taught right, can't hit taught wrong. Well, most apparently were taught wrong, because I guarantee you most high school kids can't hit that speed,.


Even with all the ability and great mechanics you aren't going to hit what you haven't seen. Few have seen 65 more than a few times in travel much less hs.

C77fastpitch wrote:and most likely never will..


Most likely they will never see 65 the first time so yeah. Even poor mechanics can learn to hit 65 if they see it enough...till the pitcher starts changing spins and speeds.


C77fastpitch wrote: Like you said it's combination of experience and natural talent. But again, these are older kids and should seek some professional help,.


I think if you want to be good at anything you seek out mentors and learn everything you can as soon as you can.

C77fastpitch wrote: but I'm talking about kids that haven't experienced enough softball to even know what they are bad at..


They know if they get hits and reach base or not. Regardless, see my comment above.


C77fastpitch wrote: I've seen 10yr old kids taking hitting lesson twice a week, are you kidding me, if that's not over kill what is..


Perhaps. I'd be more worried about comparing everything they are taught to lots of video of elite hitters to see if it's true or not.

C77fastpitch wrote:You can watch Jenny finch pitch all day, but until you stand in the batter box and bat against pitchers with similar ability, don't try to face Jenny..


Relevance?


C77fastpitch wrote: I guess it might a take a super-duper Jenny Finch hitting lesson. Mark, your knowledge about hitting is apparent, and I know the kids where you teach are lucky to have you coach them. I truly enjoyed this discussion.
Thanks. I'm still scratching my head over the conversation.
Mark H
 
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2012 7:08 pm

by Mark H » Fri Nov 04, 2016 9:28 pm

If you are saying age appropriate instruction then I'm with you. If you are saying leave them be till they have played for a few years then no.
Mark H
 
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2012 7:08 pm


Return to IN