Overhand Pitching for Batting Practice?

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Just curious. What is your opinion of a coach overhand pitching to girls for them to do their batting practice? Been a travel softball parent for a very long time and have never seen this before and not sure that I approve. But trying to be open minded and respect the coach's tactics. Any thoughts out there? I am asking out of concern for the girls being able to read pitching correctly. If they are having overhand (baseball) throws coming at them at practices, but will never see an overhand throw in fastpitch softball then what is the point? Will this do them more harm then good or am I just an over-reacting parent? Please advise! We don't want our daughter or her team getting screwed up, but don't want to say anything to the coach if this is just a "New" method, even though most parents are commenting at practice about this. So please reply with your opinions on this cause I am concerned and dumbfounded over this one.

 

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I have never seen this and can't say that I would agree with it. When you are doing batting practice, you should be watching the pitchers hip to pick-up the ball, but if it is being thrown overhand that is a different point of release with a different trajectory. If he can't throw accurately or fast enough underhanded, time for him to find a pitching machine. I absolutely would not like that, can't be much good for the girls either.

 

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(copied from the General Forum...)

The angle of the pitch isn't the only thing to consider, and probably the least important. How can the girls work on timing and loading with an overhand throw? Just like hitting off a machine, there is no opportunity for the girls to get a totally accurate feel for a "game pitch" - which is what they are practicing to hit. Without seeing a windmill motion that simulates the release and speed of an actual game pitch, it's less than ideal.

Think about it. A machine has a little light that comes on when it's about to release the pitch. No arm motion (except for an Iron Mike - which is overhand anyway) to give a sense of timing. After three or four balls off a machine, they are trying to time the release from a light! Less than ideal IMO. The only practice they're getting is visually tracking the ball to the hitting zone, but their swing timing is all screwed up when it comes game time.

As coaches, why not practice a windmill motion? Use golf whiffles, and move in close enough to simulate age appropriate pitch speed. Work on a REALLY GOOD change up from this distance, and challenge your girls to hit "your killer change" straight back at you! Whoever can hit your sunglasses off your change-up wins a milk shake.

Strive to practice as you play. Simulate everything as closely as possible to a game situation. I always used the expression "You'll play like you practice, whether you like it or not".

 

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I have used OH throws for years (decades). It just doesn't matter.

It is certainly no worse than setting up a net 15 feet from the batter and tossing something slow in there.

A little OH pitching is not going to ruin a girl's batting.

We all learned to hit that way, anyway.

If you can pitch, I am certain that the coach will welcome your help.

Through the years, I have relaxed a bit on harping about things that I am not willing to put on the shirt and coach. That is now my 1st thought. Do I want to coach the team? No. SO, I smile and encourage those that are trying.

 

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Thanks for all the opinions. I appreciate it. I don't want to be one of those parents that complains or questions the coaches tactics, but since I had never seen this before I was concerned. So everyone's insight really helps put things in prospective. From what I am gathering, I should just remind my daughter to stick with her mechanics and ball focus and not sway from either aspect and just let the coach do his thing, and respect his ways, and just keep doing what we do with her for hitting at home like we always have. We are happy with his coaching, but hey we all see things we don't like or understand sometimes. So thank goodness for the OFC. It is great to be able to throw a question out there and get opinions from so many people. Thanks OFCers!!!!

 

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Newtson- I DO pitch underhand windmill to my girls, always have.

 

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You must be able to pick the ball up from the hip, for girls. Throwing overhand is going to give you nightmare at bats. Fastpitch is a faster more aggressive game than baseball. Its about timing and that timing is different underhand. Will it screw your daughter up? Probably. As a coach myself catching the ball from the hip is what we focus on. The hitting on my team has improved because of it. Even if your coach can't pitch underhand fast is no problem. If your running a pitching machine then you must do the arm motion then deliver the ball through the machine. Or just have you pitchers pitch to them. Klump is right!!

 

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As the saying goes, if you don't like the way something is being done - have a solution, or you are just a complainer (and I'm NOT saying you are, ripit). Volunteer your services to toss whiffles at warm up. It's a great workout, and besides, smart coaches are looking for volunteers to do things correctly to help the girls.

Remember, the results you see at the older ages are equal to the quality of work put in learning skills at younger ages. Try throwing whiffles underhand to a group of baseball boys sometime and see how well THEY hit in a game! No offense intended, but there IS a BIG difference, and it WILL become obvious against higher level pitching.

 

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Since there seems to be a split opinion on this topic. A good one by the way. I decided I would ask the local expert. After getting the look and a "why do you want to know" delivered with all the angst a teenager can muster this was her answer. It's nice if you have someone who can pitch underhand and throw strikes for practice but I don't have a problem tracking the ball in off overhand pitching or pitching machines. You also don't need to wind it up when you drop it in the machine just show it to me first.Oh and duck.

 

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Best hitter on my dd's 14u team goes to hitting lessons 3-5 times a week faithfully never misses for 2 straight years and all hitting coach does is sit on bucket 15 feet in front of her and tosses overhand to her. Took her from being very avg hitter to very good hitter. Actually some of the best hitters in Trumball county work with him.

Couple years ago one of our older teams only worked off men's baseball pitching machine they pounded the ball and won 7 tournaments.

So I would say it just don't matter

 

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Best hitter on my dd's 14u team goes to hitting lessons 3-5 times a week faithfully never misses for 2 straight years and all hitting coach does is sit on bucket 15 feet in front of her and tosses overhand to her. Took her from being very avg hitter to very good hitter. Actually some of the best hitters in Trumball county work with him.

Couple years ago one of our older teams only worked off men's baseball pitching machine they pounded the ball and won 7 tournaments.

So I would say ot just don't matter

I have done this myself and agree on a bucket or a chair it works.

Lets consider batting cages also....I do not want any of our girls hitting softballs in the cages I have seen in the Cincinnati area as they all appear to have a huge arc. We encourage using the boys/ hardball machines of which I see basically two types...Iron Mikes and wheeled machines. What I find interesting is you do not see the angle of the ball even from the Iron Mikes like you would from a pitcher coming off a mound or even an average 6 foot pitchers release point.

Now look at the height of the wheeled machines (baseball) such as an ATEC and it is higher than the Iron Mikes and then look at the wheeled machines in cages and where is the height of the machine? Now think about an average height pitcher of fast pitch softball and look at their release point and it may be about 23 to 27 inches depending on the pitcher have your pitcher hold a ball in their hand and measure the center of the ball at their release point). Then look at the Jugs machine and the last one I checked was 29 inches in the middle of the feeder tube and non adjustable as to height.

Bottom line as long as the pitch being thrown over hand is about bucket high or chair high when being thrown we are OK and the hitter is getting something from it. This is why we do the Barry Bonds drill when using pitching machines so we are always changing speeds, height and location as would any pitcher.

In my opinion....

 

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I pitch overhand to my daughter from one knee. Usually from there landing area 35 feet. Trying to pitch fast underhanded is not my specialty. Now overhand this old arm has a little heat left in it. Also hitting spots inside, outside, hi,low etc. Overhand works fine for us, it's better than no live hitting.

 

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Mike Candrea uses a protective net about 15-20' away from the batters and tosses overhand to them. He once said this was one of the best drills that he used for hitting. Just stay well behind the net. This drill was on one of his older hitting videos.

 

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Mike Candrea uses a protective net about 15-20' away from the batters and tosses overhand to them. He once said this was one of the best drills that he used for hitting. Just stay well behind the net. This drill was on one of his older hitting videos.

When ever doing over hand pitching or under hand just give them a motion that gives them timing and rhythm...for example if overhand in the T position have them load and step as we release....in the under hand load on the K position and step on the release. Keep in mind each athletes amount of athleticism and understanding of when to load and when to step. A parent trying to help can screw up a hitters sense of timing and rhythm very quickly while trying to help and without truly understand the hitters data base can be affected by what they are doing.

This becomes even more critical when using lite flight or pitching machines and the person feeding the machine is fumbling trying to get the ball in the feeder chute after the hitter has stepped and is still waiting on the ball to come out of the wheel. This is why we hold a ball in the left hand at the feeder chute and do an arm circle with a ball in the right hand and feed the ball into the chute when we are in the top of the K position.

 

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I sure hope parents and coaches read this last post. How to put balls in a machine. Plus when you soft toss it isn't how many balls you hit. Give them time to load. I move my hand down for them to load then toss. I see this all the time watching teams warm up.. Howard we used the whiphits to warm up in Toledo, had many walk up to me and ask what the heck it was. They have progressed to hitting soft toss with it and I'm sure that is why the hitting has really improved.

 

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I sure hope parents and coaches read this last post. How to put balls in a machine. Plus when you soft toss it isn't how many balls you hit. Give them time to load. I move my hand down for them to load then toss. I see this all the time watching teams warm up.. Howard we used the whiphits to warm up in Toledo, had many walk up to me and ask what the heck it was. They have progressed to hitting soft toss with it and I'm sure that is why the hitting has really improved.

When they have to focus on hitting the ball with the ball the hand path must be almost perfect to do it and just the fact they nick it will get them staying inside the path of the ball better in my opinion.

 

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It doesn't seem to make a lot of sense, but I everytime I throw overhand to my team we hit better. Just a few players don't do better, and I think it's because Dad says it just isn't right.

I know of another team who has a coach pitch overhand to them before every game if possible, and they really seem to hit well.