Pitching and Pitchers Discussion Dancing with the pitcher./Timing question

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Hello, I would like to have the dancing with the pitcher idea broken down a little more for me to understand how to help my 10U dd.

I read as a basic rule the batter should be at toe touch when pitcher is at the K position. Could someone post a video showing the hitters position vs. where the pitcher is or write a list something like this.

Pitcher getting signal - hitter relax/neutral
Pitcher ...

What tips might you have to adjust timing? Does a batter say a word or count or is it hand eye as the pitch is delivered?

I really appreciate your input. kelley

 

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E......................R..............................

 

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I think being at toe touch at "K" would be a tad early? Watching video of college hitters - stride foot lifts at about 12:00 ("K") pitcher position, toe touch when pitched ball is about 1/3 to 1/2 distance to plate, heel plant when pitched ball is about 3/4 distance to plate. That's what happens in real time, but I'll let the experts put that into a "song and dance" that a batter can understand.

Misjudged change-up (too early)
http://imageevent.com/siggy/hitting/ullvsunt?p=7&w=4&c=3&n=0&m=9&s=0&y=1&z=9&l=0

better timing on knuckle-change...
http://imageevent.com/siggy/hitting/ullvsunt?p=8&w=4&c=3&n=0&m=9&s=0&y=1&z=9&l=0

 

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Dancing with the pitcher is a timing tool and the e...r... is part of it. Getting to toe touch early has its advantages and disadvantages. One advantage is all you need to do is pull the trigger, one disadvantage is forward momentum has been halted and all you are using is rotation. We need both for power. Unless the batter is 6 ft 200 lbs and uses it as a batter would to shorten up their swing and put the ball in play on a 2 strike count it will not be a very powerful swing especially at your dd,s age. The on deck circle is one of the most important tools a batter has to time a pitcher, The issue is most dont or wont use it to its full potential. Every Pitcher has a different time to go to toe touch and heel plant.

We stay at the neutral position until the pitcher presents the ball and then the dance starts, getting to toe touch when the pitchers throwing arm is at 12 oclock is a good starting point and one I use when just learning the system. As they become more proficient at the system you will notice they load to early. So then the timing or dance needs to be more in tuned to the individual pitcher. Thus the on deck circle. I have actually started calling it the timing circle for just that reason. We load slow and then explode, closing the back hip on the ball at the same instant the bat head reaches the point of contact, using both forward and rotational momentum and the whip from the upper body.

Tim

 

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Dancing with the pitcher is a timing tool and the e...r... is part of it. Getting to toe touch early has its advantages and disadvantages. One advantage is all you need to do is pull the trigger, one disadvantage is forward momentum has been halted and all you are using is rotation. We need both for power. Unless the batter is 6 ft 200 lbs and uses it as a batter would to shorten up their swing and put the ball in play on a 2 strike count it will not be a very powerful swing especially at your dd,s age. The on deck circle is one of the most important tools a batter has to time a pitcher, The issue is most dont or wont use it to its full potential. Every Pitcher has a different time to go to toe touch and heel plant.

We stay at the neutral position until the pitcher presents the ball and then the dance starts, getting to toe touch when the pitchers throwing arm is at 12 oclock is a good starting point and one I use when just learning the system. As they become more proficient at the system you will notice they load to early. So then the timing or dance needs to be more in tuned to the individual pitcher. Thus the on deck circle. I have actually started calling it the timing circle for just that reason. We load slow and then explode, closing the back hip on the ball at the same instant the bat head reaches the point of contact, using both forward and rotational momentum and the whip from the upper body.

Tim

Oh fer crying out loud......see ball....hit ball.....its not that complex......

 

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Oh fer crying out loud......see ball....hit ball.....its not that complex......

Get back in the circle where you belong lol

 

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gosh how I wish all could "see it... hit it...". Dancing, E..R..., all take time to master. Bottom line is if they track the ball on the tee, working on timing drills, it will all come together. At 10u... you'll need pixy dust to speed this up!

 

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At 10u getting the front foot down at the pitchers release might work for you, but I agree with Bouldersdad, the on deck circle is where the true timing needs to happen. Good luck getting your girls to remember to do this though, you will have to constantly remind them to do it and it will drive you crazy.

Also try YOU TUBING: "Softball Flaws and Fixes-Poor Timing". This drill may help.

 

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This put timing into a pretty good perspective for me and the vids were also very helpful. I am not familiar with E..R.. but will search it. We will keep chipping away at it. Thanks, kelley

 

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Hitaball, stick with it, and in 6 or 7 years you'll be on here explaining to another 10u dad how to hit! Honestly, heed Bouldersdad's advice - you are in good hands there. Even though his daughter chose a rival school I don't hold that against him!

 

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The term E,R came from when I worked with the Chinese National Softball Team. It simply translates to 1,2 in Chinese.

Pick a stance that gives you a good two eyed look and use your nose as an indicator of direction. If you find it difficult to turn your head far enough towards the pitcher simply move your back foot about 2 to 4 inches in towards the plate and that should relieve the tension in your neck and allow you to be more comfortable. Ted Williams used it and it is termed a 5 to 10 degree open stance.

As we load/ coil we wind up the hips with a slight twisting motion towards the catcher and say EEEEEEEE and as we stride we say R. It is important that we do not turn the shoulders or the right eye as a RH hitter will move away and you no longer have a good two eyed look.

Balance before the swing and at toe touch is important.

Ask your hitter or yourself, what triggers their movement to load and stride from the pitchers movements?

As Tim says timing starts from tee work and that means learning how to track the ball and that is another subject.

Most people would consider the K position as 12 o'clock, so as the ball hand lowers based on your hitters athletic ability, around the 3 to 4 o'clock position we load (EEEEEE) and upon release (R) we stride.

We have a saying, slow to load and soft to step on a bent/ flexed front knee. By landing on a flexed knee you can allow the hips to keep moving or the weight is shifting as you make up your mind to swing.

When we soft toss as we lower our hand the hitter says EEEEE and when we release the ball up they say R and then hit the ball. The R is the stride NOT the swing.

I see too many people just teaching to look at the ball on the tee verses looking forward at an object and tracking the ball on the tee.

Same thing with pitching machines. Timing and rhythm must be used in all facets when teaching hitting. Watch Kavin, Shannon, Les of the Static team and you will hear E, R being used.

Howard