How to Get Your Child Not to Swing at Balls

Teaching your child to avoid swinging at balls helps him succeed at baseball. However, helping your child differentiate between balls and strikes is not something that can be done in an hour or two. It takes hard work and practice to help your child begin develop a good eye for determining whether an oncoming pitch is a ball or a strike. Your child benefits from practice as well as developing an understanding of the strike zone.

Things You'll Need

  • Baseball bat
  • Baseballs
  • Home plate
  • Baseball rulebook for your child's league
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Instructions

  1. How to Help Your Child Swing At Strikes Instead of Balls

    • 1

      Teach yourself where the strike zone is located. It will be difficult for you to teach your child to recognize the difference between a ball and a strike if you don't have a good understanding of the strike zone. Different leagues may designate the strike zone differently. This is also true for baseball versus softball. Pick up a copy of the rulebook for your child's league your child and read it thoroughly to provide her with correct information.

    • 2

      Teach your child where the strike zone is located. Using pictures or holding up a ball to your own body, have your child tell you whether a ball passing through a particular area is a ball or a strike. Do the same thing with your child: have your child stand at home plate, in the batter's box and hold up a ball at different heights. Have your child identify whether the ball is inside their strike zone. Repeat this until your child can consistently identify balls from strikes.

    • 3

      Pitch to your child. Start out pitching only balls to your child and instruct him not to swing at them. Be clear that your child understands that all of the pitches you throw will be balls. This allows your child to get a good sense of what a ball looks like. After you have thrown enough pitches to allow your child to get a good sense of what a ball looks like, switch and pitch all strikes to your child. Instruct your child not to swing at the strikes so that they can focus on absorbing what a strike looks like, rather than being distracted by trying to hit the ball.

    • 4

      Pitch a random series of strikes and balls to your child and tell her only to swing at the strikes. Pay close attention to your child's decisions. If she is routinely swinging at certain pitches outside the strike zone, have a talk about why she is swinging at those pitches. It may be that she has not yet mastered the concept of the strike zone. You can make this process more fun for her by making a game out of how many pitches and balls and strikes in a row she spots

    • 5

      Practice with your child as often as possible. Consistent practice helps your child develop his eye for the ball. Provide positive reinforcement when your child does well and helpful encouragement when he makes a mistake. This makes your child more eager to practice which will help him develop his skills.