Is she going to be facing pitchers that are throwing 50mph?? If not, don't push it, or wait a few days to get up to speed. Also are you telling her she's at such & such a speed. That could be psyching her out.

If she does need to face these pitchers at these speeds then try staying at the fastest speed she does NOT step in the bucket until she asks you for a faster speed.

She probably IS telling you she's not scared to be tough. She's scared.

Don't reinforce the behavior you don't like by trying to "make" her overcome.

Work on getting her up to the speed slowly. Also, have some talks with her about what she is thinking about in the batters box. There is very little we have control over when we are at bat. We spend a lot of time thinking about what we don't want to happen. If she can become aware of her thoughts, especially the negative one first, and then work on adjusting them to what she really wants to think about, it's a great first step.

Good luck.

Coach Bill Mooney

Hi, I am a mom here on weplay and I played Div. I softball and coached college fastpitch for 4 years. Get her form done on slower speeds and build up her confidence slowly. Try this, I laid a bat right behind my players right foot sometimes to break this bad habit. Or lay a glove or something that won't make a young player hurt her ankle if she steps back on it.

Great advice here. Keep working on correct form/mechanics over and over and over and over again and slowly step up the challenge. Putting something behind her foot as Margaret suggested also gives her some immediate feedback. Has she ever been hit?

A lot of batting performance has to do with confidence. Work on building her confidence by working a speed/with drills she CAN do.

I've also seen girls just grow out of it in a year. Especially when they continue to hit in situations where they are successful and aren't "practicing" the incorrect action.

It's great that she can do well against the slower pitches. At 12U, is she in a league where you face pitchers that are throwing 50's?

Yes put a car tire in the front of the batters box and see if you can get her to practice hitting with her left or front foot inside that tire. tell her she has to keep it in that tire.

These are all great ideas! I have went as far as to lay on my stomach and grab her ankles while she is hitting, to break this habit. We would start slow, of course upperbody swinging and when we would go full speed she would use her hips and that would usually do the trick. Different solutions for different girls. Trial and error. Keep working she will come around!!

HI DAVE
THIS IS TOUGH SHE SAYS SHE IS NOT SCARED BUT SHE REALLY IS. I TOLD SOMEONE ELSE THIS AND I KNOW A COLLEGE COACH THAT DOES THIS.SO WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IS SHE IS STEPING BACK WITH HER BACK FOOT. YOU CAN DO THE SAME AS I SAID BEFORE . GET SOME SORTA TIRE A SMALL CAR OR 4 WHEELER OR SOMETHING PUT IT WHERE SHE PUTS HER BACK FOOT IN THE BOX AND TELL HER SHE HAS TO KEEP HER FOOT IN THAT TIRE WHEN SHE SWINGS. IT MAY TAKE A LITTLE WHILE BUT WHEN SHE GETS USE TO IT BEING THERE SHE WILL KEEP THAT FOOT IN THE BOX AND SHOW HER HOW TO TRANSFER HER WEIGHT FROM HER BACK FOOT TO HER FRONT WHILE SWINGING. THY THAT A WHILE.

What Dave said.