"I am your child from the future. I'm sorry I didn't tell you this earlier." - Dylan Easton
Not much should change based on how hard a guy is throwing. I don't recommend changing where a hitter stands in the box. If he can cover the whole plate and is comfortable in a certain position in the box, keep him there no matter who is throwing.
The only thing I like to remind a hitter when he's facing a guy with a little more zip is to make sure he has his front foot down earlier. A swing can't start until your front foot is down and a lot of times kids struggle against a fast pitcher because they don't have their front foot down in time. Get your front foot down early, while keeping your weight evenly distrubted, and throw your hands at the ball.
Now, good luck drilling that into 3rd and 4th graders heads...
"In our sundown perambulations of late, through the outer parts of Brooklyn, we have observed several parties of youngsters playing 'base', a certain game of ball. Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our close rooms, the game of ball is glorious"
-Walt Whitman
Maybe you can contact a local batting cage place see if they would provide a reduce rate or even give your players some free time during non-peak hours. Or how about renting a pitching machine?
Or find some older high school kid that has a good arm and see if he wants to do some community service time as an assistant coach.
Or tweet Brandon Phillips and he might bring over Chapman to pitch to the kids.
Last edited by RBA; 06-15-2011 at 03:34 PM.
This is your answer. Kids swing late on pitches not because they have slow swings but because they are planting their foot and starting their swings late. Get the kids used to having their front foot planted early just before the pitcher is to release the ball.
Like Freak said, at that age body control and mind control can be a bit tough to manage, so some kids might have trouble with timing and balance (and remembering).
...the 2-2 to Woodsen and here it comes...and it is swung on and missed! And Tom Browning has pitched a perfect game! Twenty-seven outs in a row, and he is being mobbed by his teammates, just to the thirdbase side of the mound.
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