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Question:
My 10 yr old
daughter is playing up and has to adjust to the 12" ball rather
than the 11". She was always a power hitter but had her 1st
practice yesterday and couldn't hit the ball past the infield.
Since the ball is bigger and heavier, should I get her a heavier
bat?
Answer:
The 12 inch
ball should not effect your daughters swing. Give her some time
adjusting to playing up a level. You may want to check to make
sure her bat weight matches her overall strength and ability to
control the barrel during the swing. The heavier bat, (assuming
she is on time with her swing) will generate more bat speed
which will help in driving balls into the outfield. Don’t
confuse bat speed with bat quickness. Many young girls with bats
too heavy create significant bat speed but are consistently late
because of their inability to start the swing on time. As
illustrated in the hitting video we will release this Fall with
Team USA Olympian Jessica Mendoza, tell your daughter to swing
with maximum effort and hit through the ball at all times.
Question:
Hitting
theory, swing down or not?
Answer:
Swing down
when the pitch is up in the strike zone, swing up when the pitch
is down in the strike zone, swing flat when the pitch is in the
middle of the strike zone.
Question:
What is the
best way to incorporate a loss toss program and weighted ball
program? Should these be done on separate days or as part of the
same throwing session? What is the most appropriate age to
introduce the Frozen Ropes weighted ball throwing program?
Answer:
The intensity and
distance of any throwing program depends on the player's age.
Long toss should be done one days that your weighted ball
program is not performed. We recommend that players ages 14 and
older participate in the program.
Question:
I am having a
very difficult year this year in softball. I play shortstop on
my varsity team, but my hitting is going downhill. My coaches
always are nagging me because I either drop my bat, my shoulder
goes up or something else. I always am popping up and I just
cant get hits. My batting average has dropped from a .333 last
year to a .240 this year. I hardly ever get hits and when I do
they go right to people or like I said pop up. They keep trying
to fix it but right when I do they find something else. I am
losing all my confidence and I don't know what to do. I went
from being 4th batter to 6, to 8, then off the roster. Now I'm
back to 6th but I am not hitting at all. We had a tournament
today and I went 0 for 8 - no hits, they all popped up or went
to people and I struck out twice. Help! I want to start hitting
but the nagging is just bringing my confidence down more and
more and I just want to hit.
Answer:
Talk to your coaches and suggest they leave you alone during
the games so the nagging does not become a distraction.
Hitting is about seeing the ball and proper timing. When you
are missing, self-evaluate your swing. Am I early or late,
am I under or over the pitch? Within an at-bat, adjust the
start of your swing and the approach you take with the bat
based on the answers to the questions above. Depending on
where you live, a visit to a Frozen Ropes location might be
helpful for your confidence and for a professional set of
eyes to examine your swing. Hitting is an attitude. Believe
in your abilities and spend time in the on-deck circle
reviewing your “ hitting checklist” ( what is important in
my swing). Once you are in the batters box, expect a strike
each time and let your eyes tell you when “not “to swing.
Question:
My son is 11
years old, and I would like to work on his strength. Is this age
too young for light weight training? If so, what types of
exercises should he participate in to develop all-around
strength?
Answer:
At 11, suggest
that your son use his own weight in his training. Push-ups,
sit-ups and pull-ups (a bar in the garage or play room door way)
are the most effective exercises. Medicine balls (no more than
6kg) can be used to throw back and forth in a chest pass
movement. Interval sprinting (walk to jog to a full sprint) over
a few hundred feet is also a great way to strengthen
hamstring/quad/calves.
Question:
I'm 16 and on an 18 Gold team. My
goal is to play softball in college. I am a right handed batter.
I am having a problem in the batters box with what my travel
coach calls "happy feet", what he means is that I am moving both
of my feet in the batters box. I don't even realize that I am
doing it during a game. I don't do it during practice with my
team or with my hitting coach. My travel coaches tell me to keep
my feet still (during games) but then all I can think about is
keeping my feet still and I end up using my arms, no hip and I
pop up or strike out. I'm so frustrated that I have even stopped
swinging hard, or all the way through because I am so unsure of
what my feet are doing. I just can't seem to wait on the ball. I
used to be a great power hitter until this year. My high school
coach wouldn't even put me in the batting line up during
district play because she didn't think I was going to be able to
hit the ball. She said my batting style wouldn't work with fast
pitchers. Our high school team only scored 6 runs total for all
12 games (5A school). I figured I must really look bad if she
won't even put me in and it's time to make a big change because
I am sitting way to much. There are other coaches in my past who
have also told me that I move my feet around in the batters box
during games, they never told me to fix it and it just didn't
seem to be a problem before, I've always had a high batting
average and have been in the 3 or 4 spot. Is it because the
pitching has more movement on it now or because it is faster? I
have lost all of my confidence and still can't figure out how to
fix it. My dad just started video taping me batting and I see
where I am moving both feet. The question is... what do I do to
fix this problem, I am willing to do anything to be able to hit
again. None of my coaches seem to have a solution, they just
tell me to stop moving my feet and relax. I really am relaxed
when I move around because I don't even know I'm doing it. Are
there any drills that I can do to fix my Happy feet? I know,
long email, HELP! I love softball and just want to hit again! I
know I will end up sitting this summer if I can't hit and this
is an important time for college recruiting.
Answer:
The happy
feet may be your internal rhythm or outward sign of relaxing
while in the batters box. Replace your moving feet with a
bat waggle; move the bat back and forth or in a circular
motion to replace the happy feet. As you enter the box, look
down, talk to your feet and dig into the dirt a bit further
as a reminder to stay grounded during your swing. We have
had success with hitters happy feet by suggesting that the
cleats are removed for batting practice so you can really
“feel” your feet in your hitting set-up. Tough without
seeing your swing but make sure you are not going to get the
ball with your body. The bat makes contact and should be
aggressive; your body stops moving after the stride part of
your swing is completed.
"Thank
you thank you thank you. I will dig in and talk to my
feet. I haven’t tried that. I’m also going to go without
cleats during batting practice and concentrate on my hitting
set up and hip. I’m in Houston and looked up Katy on your
web site but there are no upcoming events scheduled yet. I
will call the number on there to see when they will have a
schedule.
Thanks"
Believe in
your abilities and work on the challenge in practice and
then trust your swing during the game and let your eyes take
over the swing once the game begins. If you live near a
Frozen Ropes, schedule a free evaluation…
Question:
Our little
league has taken measures to protect the young pitching arms. Is
there research/studies to address the young catcher's arm as
well? Little league has a tendency to place the one boy who can
catch behind the plate for the entire season. I would think we
would want to protect this shoulder like we would a pitcher's.
Thank you for your comments or directions for a better
understanding.
Answer: Presently, there
are no studies that address the injury rate for young
catchers. I would suspect since most of their throwing is
not maximum exertion, the injury tendency/stress loads on
the arm would be significantly less than the pitchers.
Remind your young catchers to stand up when they can as they
throw the ball back to the pitcher. Many arm injuries start
with deceleration issues in the arm; watch to make sure the
throwing arm is released and positioned near the opposite
knee after throwing and not pinned up against the body.
Question:
I keep hitting ground balls, not line drives. Is there a practice to get
better here?
Answer:
Try
swinging slightly up to lift or elevate the ball the next time you
practice. You may be swinging down on the ball, a common symptom
with young hitters.
With
pitches thrown down in the strike zone, a slight upper cut will
allow for a better chance to center the ball. Both on the T and
during soft-toss, attempt to hit the lower half of the ball and see
if that levels the contact points out.
Question: What are some
specific guidelines for parents to follow? I coach an 11 year old travel team
and am having a hard time coming up with a list of do's and don'ts for parents.
I want to accomplish two things: team chemistry and success for all players
involved.
Answer: Please check
back in two weeks when the Coaches Certification is available.
Question: Should
players swim before games? I have heard two different opinions on the matter.
One is that their equilibrium will be affected as well as make them overly
tired. The other school of thought is that it relaxes players and makes them
more prone to success in games due to being relaxed. Which thought is correct?
Answer: The
duration of the swim and the type of water, (pool vs. ocean) will affect
fatigue. Also, a player's personality is a factor. The overaggressive,
"think too much" type may benefit from a relaxing dip while the laid
back, reserved player might be negatively affected. Watch the amount of sun and
the intensity of the exercise in the water. Lying on a raft or walking through
the waves should not affect a healthy young player. Continuous hydration is a
must, drink plenty of water if you are in or around the water!!
Question: My
son is 10 and has been playing for several years. Unfortunately, he seems to
have a very difficult time (with hitting especially). It breaks my heart to
watch him strike out time after time and feel so terrible at the end of each
game. I try to be as positive as I can and continue to encourage him as much as
possible but now he just keeps saying "I know I stink, I should just
quit". Do you think your program would help him? I don't want to put him in
a situation where he's playing w/ a whole bunch of ace baseball kids and make
him feel worse than he already does.
Answer: Confidence
along with some personal tips to identify why he is missing could be helpful, it
also sends a life message not to give up. You should consider visiting your
nearest Frozen Ropes.
