Hitting slower pitching

I took my son to a local batting cage and he'd flip between fast and slow speed cages which helped him learn to quickly and make better adjustments to staying back on a slower pitcher. 

I think you're the first to reference the 2018 graduating class . My 2027 is in t-ball now.

My son went from travel to freshman and has adjusted to take advantage of the generally weaker pitching. I do worry he'll have trouble hitting faster pitching now. You're kind of lucky he has exposure to both. In time the school pitching will catch up.

Glad to be one of the first 2018's.  Time flies by quick as everyone knows.  Just a quick clarification, he does not stride (so his head does not drop), but picks up the foot, and puts it back down in the same spot, for timing and initiating.  He has has always been taught to be quick with that and get the foot back down.  Thinking if we exaggerate that against the slower pitchers, it will improve his timing.  Still not "striding", just lifting the leg higher to slow him down.  Still asking for other good options.  Thanks again!  

I would definitely not change his stride for the slower pitching.  That could alter his swing or cause confusion, resulting in his not getting his foot down in time.  

This type of pitching resulted in removing my 2017 from local ball as of last year.  What I do, that has seemed to help, is to soft toss from the side and slightly in front; alternating normal tosses with tosses with some arc.  The arc tosses cause him to have to wait for the ball longer.  Just make sure he does not change his load while waiting for the arc tosses.

Why not go to the front of the batter's box. The batter's box is your classroom.

Above all else do not stand in the same hole used by the previous batters.

You will swing "uphill"!

Bob

My son (2016) has had trouble adjusting to slower pitching in HS. He has worked hard to make his adjustments, let the ball get deeper, etc. But in his words "can't wait until Legion ball this summer and some 18 and 19 YO pitchers". 

You have to hit what they pitch. 

My son's (2017) sometimes batting instructor said the key is to wait on the ball and explode through it. Same swing mechanics, just have to let it travel. Of course, this can often be much harder to do than say.

I wouldn't change his swing.  It's a matter of timing.  As the previous poster mentioned, he's got to wait on the ball - let it travel into the zone - then explode through it.

"Short to it, long through it!"

The cages my son goes to (2016) can deliver baseballs, fast pitch softball, and slow pitch softball. Every couple of weeks he'll go through slow pitch softballs, then 50mph baseballs, then slow-pitch softballs, then 70mph baseballs.  After 4-5 months of this he's improving his explosion through the ball and his ability to wait.  It's not easy

What type of pitching machine?

Bob

I'll assume you're asking me.  My son goes to a commercial facility and each cage is served by two machines, one baseball, one softball.  You drop your coin, select baseball or softball and then speed.  20 balls later you do it again

Does the get stuck and create overstriding? Iron mike are the best.

The chair drill is the proven cage drill.

Bob

I don't understand the inability to hit slower pitching. Change ups are slower pitching. Curves are slower pitching. Batting practice is slower pitching. Hitting slower pitching is just a matter of weight back, hands back and concentration. A kid who has trouble with slow pitching is going to struggle with quality off speed pitching.

I've seen this also especially at your sons age group, be patient and don't mess with your sons swing if he is hitting the faster pitching, as he matures he will be able to adjust to the slower pitching.

There are many things you can do to get quicker (lighter bat, back in the box, choke up, foot down sooner, etc.) but the only thing you can do to wait is wait.  I tell my players that your load has to match the pitcher because he isn't going to match you.  your load for randy Johnson should be shorter and compact, your load for a slower pitcher should be slower and longer/bigger.  tell him to think "slow feet/fast hands" and hit it up the middle

Did some research, and came up with what Billy Chappel suggested (just to clarify, it was not a getting faster problem, but more of a slowing down problem)  "Matching the pitcher", and "slow foot/quick hands".  Foot hits, hands fire, is what needs to happen, and has always been taught.  Did not really change anything in his swing, but just a different way to think of timing.  I guess it has always been with coaching younger kids, especially, that it is a matter of saying things in a way that makes sense to each individual kid, so that it clicks.  For my 2018, it was that thought process that helped.  Match the slowness or quickness of your opponent.  He did very well last night, with that simple timing thought, and by matching the pitcher with his foot work.  Thanks for everyone's feedback.  It just isn't as simple as telling kids to "stay back", "let it get deep", "wait on it", etc.  Mine needed the simple thought process discussed above.  Back to up the middle and the other way with power returned last night in our "local ball" game.  He now knows that if pulls one way foul, down first (lefty swing), his timing is not good with his foot down.  Happy kid last night.  That is what counts the most.  

Thanks again!  

Ohio Dad,

What part of Ohio are you in? I’m originally from Youngstown.

A 15-20 MPH drop is typical? That’s more than the difference between LL Majors and HSV, and for sure more than HS to the ML.

Be that as it may, I’m just guessing here, but if he really can’t handle slow pitching, he’s gonna have some serious problems when he get to a level where the pitchers have pretty decent off-speed stuff. The word will quickly get around, and that’ll be what he sees for a steady diet.

Just my opinion here, but I’d reconsider having him making major adjustments like what you’re talking about with the leg kick.

Good luck.

We typically play in travel tournaments in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo, etc.  We are from Northeast Ohio, not far from Ytown.  And yes, we see up to 70 mph in our 13U travel games, and have a lefty on our team that throws 70 mph, with a curve and change.  I was shocked at how slow the pitchers throw locally.  It was 45 mph the other day.  The off speed and curves are faster in travel, then the fastballs are in local ball.  I am no longer concerned, as we seemed to have fixed the problem with some pretty simple things that won't affect his swing.  He did well last night.  That is what is so great about the internet.  You can find answers to almost anything.  You can watch the MLB guys and see that at least some (if not all) alter their timing with their front foot movement patterns depending on who and how hard the pitcher is throwing that day.   Thanks again everybody.  I will see how it goes over the next few weeks, and report back, for future reference, and if others may be having similar issues.  

Ohio Dad,

I guess when you said “typically”, I got the impression that almost all the pitchers you see in travel ball are 70+ with almost all the pitchers in your rec league less than 55, and that’s just not what I find to be the case here. There always seems to be a fair number of the better pitchers in rec and travel ball, so it isn’t like ALL the pitchers in rec have no velocity and ALL the pitchers in travel are throwing BBs.

Glad he got it fixed.