r/Softball • u/coolhand212 • 2d ago

Hitting 🏏🥎 Getting in Hitting Reps

My daughter plays 10u travel and practices 3 times week, but they focus a lot on defense and she doesn’t get a ton of reps hitting (not complaining, I’m all for how the coaches run things) We just upped her bat to bigger one and I want of help her get some reps in on before some games.

The nearest batting cages are 25 minutes away so it’s not really feasible during school nights. I’d like to take her to the local diamond a few nights a week but I can’t pitch with a crap.

A pitching machine isn’t in the budget so I’m hoping someone can recommend a way I can help her, whether it’s using different balls, soft tosses, etc. I’m open to any and all suggestions.

6 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

18 comments sorted by

9

u/Crookz_O 2d ago

25 minutes away isn’t feasible on school nights? Sheesh I’m driving an hour each way just for practice lol you don’t need to pitch from the mound. Get an L Screen and move it close, let it rip. Tee work isn’t to be ignored neither

0

u/coolhand212 2d ago

Two kids in 4 different extra-curricular events (oldest is in soccer and softball, youngest is in swim lessons and dance) plus school and work make finding 2 hours on a school night difficult.

0

u/This-Professional345 1d ago

Let alone u should be able to perfectly hit off the tee. No 10 yr old can so they can always use the tee on their own

2

u/KiloG349 2d ago

The pitchers on your team have to practice. Either at home or a park. Get with their parents. Pitching machines, parents and coaches are great when you're working on mechanics, but live pitching is what made my daughter comfortable in game time situations

0

u/coolhand212 2d ago

She’s more than comfortable in game situations, but she just needs some one on one time where she can slow down and focus on mechanics and work on specifics like rolling her hands, proper loading, etc.

7

u/West-Vermicelli-6 2d ago

I'm guessing if your travel ball team is serious, the expectation is that players do their own hitting (and other specialized lessons for pitcher, catcher, etc.) on their own time. Not ideal but common. Perhaps ask the other families what they do to cover hitting. If they are going to the same batting cages, might be able to carpool and split costs. And 25 minutes to get to cages on a school night IS FEASIBLE for most families so might want to stretch your limits on what you can/cannot do.

If on your own, there's some less expensive tools like MaxBP, Personal Pitcher, or using smaller wiffles with skinny bats. They can't replicate "live" pitching but can help with tracking, reaction time, and hand-eye.

2

u/643dp 1d ago

Our practice is 25 minutes away.

5

u/Dude_amundo 2d ago

Tees are cheap and the best way to work on mechanics

3

u/OkFarmer158 1d ago

Let me try. Long time HS coach and father of two ball players. You wouldn’t put her in piano lessons if you don’t have a piano at home. I had a half cage in back yard and threw some patio grass carpet down. All we did was tee work and soft toss. 100 swings before practice and games (you’re already suited up just start early, takes 30 minutes, 50 swings half that). Use 10 balls. That gives you a little break. My kids took 1,000’s of swings and there was never a single negative ever. Both kids were HS All State and stars for their college teams. All I did was provide space and participate m

2

u/redmosquito1983 2d ago

Tee work with side and front toss in the back yard. We have some wiffle balls and then she’ll hit real balls into a cheap hitting net. It works, my 10u daughter is carrying a .560 average over 20 games this fall. The side and front toss really help her with hand eye coordination and tee work keeps her swing on form. But, she also had a great coach teach her her swing last season and great coaches this season that are keeping her swinging great. It’s really fun to watch her hit, she has become really good at working counts full and then smacking the ball.

2

u/Original-Bug3330 1d ago

The best thing i did for my girls, this age, was get a net that hangs from garage and a solid tee, rope bat, and camwood. They see a hitting coach but we work on drills in garage- super easy set up and convenient way to get reps in. The tee is the best place to work on mechanics and get that muscle memory.

2

u/FastpitchAILab 1d ago

A few things that work without a pitcher or a machine:

  • Tee work from different spots (inside, outside, high, low) so she isn't just grooving one swing.

  • Short front toss from behind a screen or a net, sitting on a bucket about 15 to 20 feet away. At that distance you don't need to throw hard for it to feel quick.

  • Wiffle balls or plastic golf balls from close range for tracking. Smaller ball, smaller margin for error.

  • Write a color or number on a few balls and have her call it out before she swings, so she has to actually read the ball.

A focused 30 to 50 swings a couple nights a week usually does more than one long session. Picking one thing to work on each round (load, hands staying inside the ball, finish) keeps it from turning into mindless swings.

1

u/New_Conversation_303 1d ago

We got my daughter a tee and a batting net. She has a batting coach that is a little far (maybe 20 minutes), but her grandfather takes her there (makes my life easier) but she do 10-15 minutes of swings on her net daily. She is also 10u and the most consistent (but not most powerful) batter on her team. Give the net and tee a try, but she consider also a private batting coach if it's within your budget.

Best of luck!

1

u/mikecurtis32 1d ago

One drill i like, get behind a net 6 feet or so away, sit and throw underhand to her....keep the net and distance close to help her become quickee

1

u/AliveInZihuatanejo 1d ago

Tee work, soft toss, bucket bounce, etc

1

u/I_am_Hambone 1d ago

Tanner tee and bow net

1

u/Ordinary-Material-77 1d ago

A tee and a net. It's also not too much to ask for you to improve your BP pitching. You don't have to be 40 feet. Get a screen and set up 10-15 feet away. It shouldn't take you long to get the hang of it.