My 7 yo son got a nice net for xmas, so I've been doing more soft toss (from the side) with him vs actual front toss at a field. He really hits the ball well with soft toss, but it seems like he misses the ball more, or mis-times the ball more with front toss. Should I stop soft tossing him into the net? Or is it that I just need to get off my lazy butt and go to the park and pitch to him from the front more? Or is there a way to change how I do soft toss so it translates better to front toss hitting?
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Can soft toss cause problems?
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he misses the ball more, or mis-times the ball more with front toss
Can soft toss cause problems?Last edited by songtitle; 03-30-2012, 06:13 AM.efastball.com - hitting and pitching fact checker
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Originally posted by pthawaii View PostShould I stop soft tossing him into the net?
From what I've seen most, if not all, big leaguers do soft toss regularly.
Maybe try a progression from T to soft-toss to front toss to b.p. (in the same session, I mean).
I certainly wouldn't worry about messing anything up with soft toss. It isn't going to hurt your son.
For me and my kids, soft toss is a good tool for reinforcing certain aspects of hitting.
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Originally posted by d-mac View PostYou see angled front toss, and front toss, but not nearly as much side toss.
Is this what you mean by "side toss"?
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What I try to reinforce to my kids when we are doing soft-toss is:
1) It's a great opportunity to think about your swing and make sure the pieces are going in the correct progression;
2) Notice the location of the ball and where you can drive it (front hip = inside, belly button = down the middle, back hip = outside)
Soft-toss has been a good tool for me to work on the swing but you need to have a specific goal in mind when doing it. It should not, and can not, replace front toss and/or bp just like hitting off a tee can't replace them.
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I bought Cal Ripken Jr's DVD about a year before I read Ted Williams and Charlie Lau Jrs book on hitting.
I watched the DVD again last week and learned that Ripken's hitting instruction DVD was about his ego (watch how many times Ripken hits for the camera) and not about how to properly hit.
Ripken's DVD has now been filed in dumpster. It proves to me that not every great hitter is a great instructor (in fact few are in my opinion).
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Make sure you are not the problem.
I hold every ball up where the batter can see them, drop my hand down and then toss upwards. The batter loads when my hand goes down. This helps establish a rhythm the batter can get into. If you are tossing fast, flat tosses in without any visual cues, it may be very difficult for the batter to hit.
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Originally posted by BamaYankee View PostMake sure you are not the problem.
I hold every ball up where the batter can see them, drop my hand down and then toss upwards. The batter loads when my hand goes down. This helps establish a rhythm the batter can get into. .
I seldom see others tossing this way.Skip
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I'm not a fan of soft toss for young hitters. It's an unnatrual angle for the ball to come from. I prefer front toss. I did front toss with my son with whiffle golf balls. I put the bucket between my legs and protected my face with a glove. The few shots I took in the chest or shoulders weren't a big deal. If you have a screen you can front toss from behind the screen.
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Originally posted by tg643 View PostI'm not a fan of soft toss for young hitters. It's an unnatrual angle for the ball to come from. I prefer front toss. I did front toss with my son with whiffle golf balls. I put the bucket between my legs and protected my face with a glove. The few shots I took in the chest or shoulders weren't a big deal. If you have a screen you can front toss from behind the screen.
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Originally posted by pthawaii View PostMy 7 yo son got a nice net for xmas, so I've been doing more soft toss (from the side) with him vs actual front toss at a field. He really hits the ball well with soft toss, but it seems like he misses the ball more, or mis-times the ball more with front toss. Should I stop soft tossing him into the net? Or is it that I just need to get off my lazy butt and go to the park and pitch to him from the front more? Or is there a way to change how I do soft toss so it translates better to front toss hitting?
I prefer front toss because you can bring the ball in at a more realistic speed and angle.Obsessed with Pitching Mechanics.
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Originally posted by pthawaii View PostMy 7 yo son got a nice net for xmas, so I've been doing more soft toss (from the side) with him vs actual front toss at a field. He really hits the ball well with soft toss, but it seems like he misses the ball more, or mis-times the ball more with front toss. Should I stop soft tossing him into the net? Or is it that I just need to get off my lazy butt and go to the park and pitch to him from the front more? Or is there a way to change how I do soft toss so it translates better to front toss hitting?"He who dares to teach, must never cease to learn."
- John Cotton Dana (1856–1929) - Offered to many by L. Olson - Iowa (Teacher)
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