We all know about the 10% rule. It goes something like this:
10% of the kids cause 90% of the problems.
10% of the people hold 90% of the wealth.
10% of parents cause 90% of the problems.
10% of the workers do 90% of the work.
And so on…
How does this rule apply to softball?
We apply it in reverse:
We spend 90% of our time preparing to hit 10% of the pitchers!
Hitters all work very hard to develop the skills they need to hit the very best pitchers in the game. We work to increase bat speed, to become more efficient, to get on and stay on plane, launch angle and strike-zone recognition to name a few.
We do so because we all know to get to the top of the pyramid you need to be able to beat those great pitchers. You are not going to win a state championship, conference championship or national championship without having to beat a really good pitcher.
Is this a problem? Of course not, unless you allow your hitters to fall into the “I hate slow pitching” trap we have discussed in several other blogs.
Many hitters they feel that they are unable to work on hitting slow pitching while also working on hitting those fast pitchers. You already know I feel this is an excuse rather than a problem but we need to be aware that some players fall into this trap.
The really good, really fast pitchers are the minority but they are the standard for any hitter who aspires to a higher level. Great pitchers might be the exception, but you need to rule them if you want to win championships.
About the Author: Tory Acheson brings a wealth of knowledge to the Fastpitch Prep staff. He has coached at all levels of the game, including the last 25 years at the college level at the University of Wisconsin – Parkside, Tennessee Tech and Kennesaw State. He began his coaching career at the high school level spending 9 years Whitnall High School in Greenfield, Wis. and is now working as a professional softball instructor.
