If you check an online website that sells toys or just peek down the toy aisles at a large box store, you are likely to be overwhelmed with the number of options available out there. Even looking for something for a six year old girl specifically, your choices are going to be plentiful. This is why we have come up with a list of our top three toy picks for girls age six years old.

Top Three Toys for 6 Year Old Girls

There are a lot of great toys out there this year, but we have narrowed down the list to three that any six year old girl will have fun with and play for many months after Christmas passes. This is always a good sign for any toy.

1. FIJIT Friends Willa Interactive Toy – This is a great electronic toy that will make any six year old girl happy this Christmas. Poking the soft FIJIT causes it to react in different ways. There’s no telling what the FIJIT is going to do next, which is why six year olds really like it so much. The price is a bit steep, but if you consider the hours and hours of fun your child will have, it’s not too expensive. Still, it’s a good idea to shop around a little so that you can make sure you get the best price. It’s available in a variety of different colors, so you can get one for any type of girl – even one who likes the color yellow!
2. LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet – This is new from LeapFrog, but they have a great history of providing wonderful electronic learning toys for children of all ages. This is designed for boys and girls age 4 to 9, so a six year old girl will still be able to get a couple years use out of it. The good news is that it grows with your child so at age seven or eight, the activities and games are still a lot of fun. With a large five inch touchscreen and a lot of extras, this is one of the best electronic learning toys ever released which is why it makes our exclusive top three list.
3. Monster High Lagoona Blue’s Hydration Station – For younger girls who love Monster High, this is a great hit this year. The cool thing is that this doubles as a night light as well. The set includes the hydration station (night ligh), a Lagoona blue doll with special eye mask along with her pet Neptuna as well as various accessories. It’s a little expensive, but it’s put together well and does double as a nightlight. For six year old girls who are big Monster High fans, it’s sure to be a hit this year.

There are many other great toys for girls in this age group, but if you’re in a rush and want to get something the little girl is going to love, these three toys are a good place to start. Depending on how much money you want to spend, these may be a little expensive, but when it comes to Christmas time and the holidays, it’s all about going overboard when giving to others.

Google says cute is “attractive in a pretty or endearing way”, and when the word is used in reference to a girl, it gets all confusing. All guys are different and it is a known fact that men pretty much suck at expressing themselves. They want to say something and they might say something else. It is for this fact that girls often find it hard to understand men. There are hundreds of ways to define a woman; the poets, lyricists and authors are best at the task. Unfortunately, all men are not authors or poets.

The adjective “cute” is based on both looks as well as how the girl behaves. Look is pretty easy to explain in the context and most of us already know what I mean. Behavior is also very important here; guys particularly find a girl cute when she acts like a kid, or when she makes funny faces, or when she dances like no one is watching her. Some guys even find it cute when a girl tucks her hair back behind her ears while talking. To tell you the truth, guys have different conception of calling a girl cute. For example, in western part of the world, it is often that men find cute a synonym of informally sexually attractive. For instance when your girl wears your shirt, the oversized shirt hanging on her body looks super sexy. Or, when a girl raps along the gangsta hip-hop lyrics and smirks at her man.

Whereas if one goes east towards the land of rising sun, the definition of cute changes, if not drastically but definitely at some level. In Japan for example where people often say “Kawai” meaning cute in Japanese to almost anything from a girl to dress or to even a pen, they usually say it based on the look. When people in the East call a girl cute, their judgment is primarily based on looks. Not saying that behavior doesn’t play any role here, but it is something that comes later. What dominates is how cute is she looking. When your man calls you cute, or your guy friend from the college calls you a cutesy, what they have meant could be anything.

People often ask a question: is it possible that a girl can be both cute as well as hot. Many feel that a girl can be anything that she likes; she can be cute, she can be hot, she can be smart and intellect, all at the same time. However, it is also interesting to note that some men have different conception of whether a girl is cute or hot. For them a cute girl is different from a hot girl. They believe a girl can be one but not both. They’ll always call Megan Fox, Sofía Vergara hot but not cute and Amanda Seyfried, Selena Gomez cute but not hot. Their concept of hot and cute is entirely different. Though Megan Fox can do cutesy stuff, but it is her hotness that dominates most of the time. To be honest, the definition of “cute” is still blurred, or you can say that it’s something that’s general. Guys call girls cute in different events. Cute or hot guys love them all. So what you girls gotta do is take the complement and be what you like, be yourself.

Kissing a Parsi Girl can Lead to Exciting Possibilities

Zoroaster Religion

The Zoroaster religion is perhaps the oldest religion in the world as it predates both Islam and Christianity by many centuries. It even predates Buddhism and is perhaps on a par with Hinduism. The religion has age-old practices and rituals and the believers worship the sacred fire that burns in all Parsi temples. The Parsi religion, however, is fairly rigid but has yet spawned liberalism among its followers. Thus Parsi women are greatly free and emancipated and it will not be an understatement that they are the peers of the western women in an eastern environment.

Parsi Women are Free

One of the ancient beliefs of Parses is the equality of women with men. Parsis give a great degree of freedom to their women in the choice of spouses and friends. Though, the priests may frown yet the Parsi girls will easily be friendly with men outside the Parsi fold. This we have a situation where the Parsi woman is generally more gregarious and outgoing than other Indian women. So in case a man from another religion or faith wishes to date and love a Parsi woman he will have to raise his mental level to that of the Parsi girl. Kissing is one aspect that represents affection between a man and a woman. Eastern manuals lay great stress on the kiss. Though Hindu or Muslim woman will never kiss in public, this is not so with modern Parsi girls. Also, bear in mind that Parsi girls are generally very fair and extremely beautiful.

Kissing a Parsi Girl

Thus a man wanting to show his affection to a Parsi woman will have to play by the rules of the game. It is imperative that he builds up trust and confidence with the Parsi woman. It will not be a bad idea to be aware of the essence of Parsi religious thought and its scriptures. Once a Parsi woman is aware, that she is loved by a man though he may be outside the fold of the Parsi religion, she will open out to him. In that case when you do meet her see to it that you are presentable and well dressed.

While taking her out for a dinner or a movie hold her hand gently and press it to convey your love for her.

When you are alone with her, look her in the eye. Talk a lot and make good conversation. Remember that in case a Parsi girl likes you, she will not be averse to being kissed. But do not rush to do anything. Start by kissing her fingertips and then the inside of her palm. Continue soft kisses and move on to her cheeks, chin, and neck. Kiss her eyelids softly and whisper sweet words to her. Once the woman closes her eyes you can lightly brush her lips with your lips and then follow up with a chaste kiss lip to lip. It is more than likely that by now you will be able to get her to open her mouth and then you may interlock your tongue with her.

Last Word

Thus kissing a Parsi girl is an art by itself. It can be an elevating experience, in case you have some belief in yourself. This could be the start of an exciting foray into the world of bliss with your Parsi partner as a lot many Parsi girls are marrying outside their religion. You could land yourself an extremely beautiful wife.

Playing kissing games is an exciting way that girls and guys can learn to kiss. Learning how to kiss is both nerve-wracking and exciting at the same time. You want to know that you are doing it right, and you want your first kisses to be enjoyable for both you and your kissing partner. Playing kissing games allows you to learn how to make out while having a blast with your friends.

There are so many kissing games available for teens to play. The rules are generally pretty simple and easy to follow. The most popular games may require items such as a stopwatch, a bottle, or a simple sheet of paper. The majority of kissing games require an equal amount of boys and girls, but this is not always necessary.

Most teens will experience their first kiss while playing kissing games. In fact, when most teens learn that they will be attending a party where kissing games will be played, they often get both very nervous and very excited. It is important to understand that the desire to kiss someone is a natural desire. It is a normal part of adolescence, and there is nothing to be scared of. Every living person has experienced their first kiss at some point in their lives. Playing kissing games is a great way to have your first kissing experiences with friends.

When girls and teens think of kissing games, they generally think of games that have been popular for decades. One of the most popular games is Spin the Bottle. Other games that have become popular through the years are 60 Seconds in Heaven and Eyes Wide Open. In this technological age, however, teens now have the ability to play kissing games that they find online. There are wide arrays of games that are available on the net that young girls and teens can play for free.

Girl games that are available online have become increasingly popular among girls and teens. This is the new craze in online gaming, and many girls and teens are having a blast. Online games allow young people to experience what it is like to kiss without actually engaging in the act. Most kids will eventually experience the real thing, or probably already have experienced the feeling of a real kiss. However, the online game world has made these games so much fun that even adolescents with experience in kissing are logging on to play girl games on the net.

The object of most of these online games is to kiss without being caught. The majority of teens shy away from kissing in public, especially if it is a new experience for them. Many young folks would be horrified if their parents caught them kissing. While you are playing these online games, you will likely experience those same feeling. This is one major reason why kiss games are great for younger teens. It gives them the ability to experience what it would be like to actually kiss someone without the risk of getting caught, and without having to engage in the act until they are truly ready.

Kissing is a wonderful and fun experience. Learning how to kiss takes practice. Once you learn how to do it right, kissing your partner can be fun and very romantic. The online world has made kissing even more fun. It gives teens that are shy and reserved the opportunity to have fun kissing while waiting on that special person to share their first real kiss with.

Tonight is my first night out with a mom’s group. As a single mom, I haven’t done much since having my baby. I don’t really know what to expect. I know I shouldn’t have any expectations, but it’s hard not to when you are going into an unfamiliar situation. I don’t know any of the ladies that will be there, and just like anyone else, I’m a bit nervous.

When we go to an event where we don’t know anyone or know only a couple of people, we are nervous. You want people to like you. And yes, I want people to like me too. There’s no guarantee they will. The only thing I can do is just to be myself, and they either like me or they don’t.

I put on my lip gloss and check myself in the rear view mirror. I change out of my mommy shoes, my black bow flats, and into silver sequin heels. It’s been so long since I’ve worn heels, I hope I don’t fall flat on my face as soon as I get out of my car. I open the door, and as I stand on my three inch heels, I feel like Bambi, my legs a bit wobbly with the first time in heels since having a baby.

I enter the Hibachi restaurant, surprisingly on time, and two ladies are sitting on the couch inside. I ask if they are with the mom’s group. It’s hard for me to believe I’m the third person to arrive. I’m never one of the first to arrive. Wow, miracles do happen!

I introduce myself and sit next to them. Other moms slowly arrive, and we are taken back to our seats. Since it’s Hibachi, the table is shaped in a “U” shape. So initially mini groups of two or three people are instinctively formed. I talk with a few ladies next to me, and find myself quickly revealing that I’m a single mom.

When I first had my son, I never thought I would volunteer being a single mom so fast. With society’s stigma associated with it, I thought I would hold that information in a little bit more. But as the months passed, I’ve realized I’m not embarrassed about being a single mom. I’m not ashamed that I chose having and keeping my baby over the other options. So if someone wants to judge me for being a single mom, that’s about them, not me. Now, if being a single mom comes up, I don’t shy away from expressing it.

As the night progresses and conversations continue, I relax and feel more comfortable. I’m able to be more “me”… inquisitive, expressive, and open. I begin to enjoy myself and the time more. What’s the point in going and being away from my son, if I’m not going to enjoy it?

Dinner concludes and we part ways. As I get settled in my car, I take a quick moment to reflect on the night. It is great to talk with other moms with young kids. I’m able to identify with them, their thoughts, feelings, and emotions. It’s wonderful to know there are others out there like me, who just had their first baby, didn’t have all the answers, or are just downright clueless. It’s amazing to hear different stories, be able to share yours, and to just say, “I get it.”

I love meeting new people. But more importantly, I love connecting with people and knowing we are bonded if by nothing else than the love for our kids. Now if I could find a group of single moms like this, I’d really feel like I belong. I might just have to form one myself. Wow, what a difference that will make in the lives of single moms… to be included, supported, and connected with other single moms. Now, that’s exciting stuff!

If you have been playing summer basketball, either with an AAU team, summer league or just in the neighborhood gym, what are you basketball plans once school starts? What are you doing now to make sure you are on the radar or still on the radar as far as college basketball recruiting? Do women’s college basketball coaches know about you and your skills?

Did you know that college coaches come out and watch players play before the school season even starts? Did you know that college coaches are probably using this time to see what high school games and events they will attend during the regular season?

Those are a lot of questions that need to be answered. However here is a tip that can help you. Attend a fall NCAA-Certified evaluation event.

An NCAA-Certified event is a basketball tournament or camp that college coaches attend to see girls play basketball. The NCAA has to approve the event in order for it to be considered certified. The event is either team based or individual based. Team based is for teams to register and compete. Individual based is for players to come on there own and be evaluated through drills and placed on teams to compete.

In the fall, right before the regular school season begins NCAA-Certified events can be held during a specific weekend. And believe me college coaches will be there. These events are held all over so I’m sure one will be in your area, if not regionally.

If you are serious about making college coaches aware of you and your basketball abilities and skills, attend a fall NCAA-certified event.

Many people tend to associate ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) with boys, and I've even read on a number of occasions that ADHD in girls is actually very rare. However, this is not entirely true. While studies certainly do suggest that boys are more likely to be born with ADHD than girls, one still needs to acknowledge the fact that countless girls are being diagnosed with the disorder every year, and like boys, the number of new cases is increasing year on year.

What Is Causing The Increase In New Cases Of ADHD?

In short, nobody really knows what is causing this. Some argue that it's largely due to modern screening methods, but as is often the case, this is debatable. A lot of experts also believe that an increasingly toxic environment could be to blame, or even diet.

Male vs. Female ADHD

It is no secret that more boys are diagnosed with ADHD than girls. However, many mental health experts are quick to point out that the disorder is more noticeable in boys than it is in girls, and because of this, they feel that there are probably millions of girls with the disorder who have never been screened.

Generally speaking, boys who have ADHD tend to exhibit disruptive behavior, and particularly if they have full blown ADHD – Inattentiveness; Hyperactivity and Impulsivity. In contrast, ADHD in girls often manifests itself in the form of anxiety; depression; low self esteem, and excessive talking. None of these symptoms are disruptive, so the girl with ADHD isn't likely to attract too much attention from teachers and etc.

The typical ADHD boy will not only be inattentive in class, but he will also constantly be fidgeting; moving from one desk to another; speaking out of turn; pushing in at the front of queues and etc. The typical ADHD girl on the other hand is more likely to sit quietly at her desk, daydreaming and / or speaking to friends when she should be paying attention to the teacher.

In short, male ADHD symptoms are frequently mistaken for bad behavior and / or a lack of discipline, while female ADHD symptoms are often mistaken for emotional problems.

When To Test For ADHD?

Another thing which makes it more difficult to spot ADHD in females, is the fact that girls are typically programmed to please. In other words, a girl will try harder to be in her teacher's good books compared to the typical ADHD boy. Experts believe that this is why many girls are only diagnosed with the condition once they reach middle school or high school.

If your daughter starts to experience bouts of depression and / or anxiety, you should seriously consider taking her for a professional assessment. Depression is often the first ADHD symptom to surface. Another tell-tale sign of ADHD would be if your daughter's school grades suddenly start deteriorating. Lastly but not least, you should also take any available opportunity to discuss your daughter's behavior with her teachers since they spend a great deal of time with your child.

Do you want to break the ice with the girl? when it comes to approaching women almost every tip you’ll find is simply a way to break the ice. From the sleaziest cheap pickup line to the most elegant introduction it is all about getting a girl to start talking to you. If you’re looking for tips on breaking the ice with a girl why not consider one that is both basic and incredibly effective: the direct approach with women.

Breaking the Ice with Girls

Breaking the ice with women is all about getting the conversation flowing. Some people even utilize cheesy pickup lines to get the conversation started. Believe it or not a line like, “Are you Jamaican? Because you’re Jamaican me crazy” can sometimes work.

The fact is about 70% of the time the woman will know if she wants talk to you before you open your mouth. Sometimes the things you can say to be dumb and you can still succeed. Sometimes you can come out with the most incredible and witty banter, and she just won’t have it. Successful breaking of the ice is all about getting that remaining 30% going.

When will you want to break the ice with girls

Introductions are the single best way to break the ice with girls. But does not always feasible. When you get introduced to someone is like a person’s or developing for your basic character and abilities.

But most women you meet will not get a chance to be introduced to. Chances are the girls you meet and wish to talk to will been situations like this:

• She is with her friends
• She is standing near or around a dance floor
• She is in line at a bank, store, restaurant etc
• She is in a bar or club
• She is at a party

So how do you break the ice with these girls

People can come up with lots of different ways to break the ice with a girl. from those cheesy pickup lines. To asking them for the time. To asking a woman questions. To pretending you think you know her from somewhere. The list goes on and on.

all of these methods to approach women will work sometimes. All of these methods to approach women will fail sometimes. Basically belt, and it comes to approaching women there only to real types of approaches. The indirect approach. In the direct approach.

The Indirect Approach:uses subterfuge. You’re going to say one thing while you mean another. Is all about using transparent excuses to try to get the girl talking. For some women this does work better. Other women will be angered because you will think they will fall for overly slick techniques.

The Direct Approach: is straightforward. At its core is very basic. You go up to the girl you want to break the ice with and start talking to her. From the beginning you’re letting her know what you want. remember for many girls they’ve already decided whether they will talk to you are not. Sometimes playing games is just wasting time and inviting trouble.

Why not try using the Direct Approach with Women

Approaching women directly, as a means to break the ice with a girl is a powerful technique if done correctly. And it is quite simple.

Just go up to the girl. Tap her on the shoulder. Touch her elbow. Look her in the eyes as you approach. Say “hi” or “hello”. whatever it takes to get her attention. Then deliver one of your best direct lines.

What line will work? that depends upon you. Try different mindset with different women. The only thing to remember here is that short and sweet wins the race. Your line should have punch but not be overly wordy. you’re looking to get out a confident opener. It almost doesn’t matter what you say. Important part is that you get talking and he seemed to be confidence and sure of yourself. This attitude is more important than anything why comes to breaking the ice with a girl.

The benefits of using the direct approach in breaking the ice with girls

A benefit of using the direct approach with women is confidence. Women love confident man. They’re attracted to confident man. When you try some overly slick line sometimes all you’re doing is showing that you lack confidence in yourself. On many women this can have the opposite effect. It just proves to them how little you believe in yourself. By using this direct approach in breaking the ice with the girl you are showing heard that you are somebody worthy of respect because of your self-confidence and assurance.

Should Girls be Playing Youth Football?

This may be a bit of a controversial subject for some but in the society we live in the answer should be a resounding no!

Do some girls have the size and aggressiveness to play youth football? Absolutely, I see sisters of my players that would make excellent football players, but I’m not sure it would be the best for the girl or the boys on our youth football team.

Today’s society seems to want to devalue women, rap music with its demeaning depiction of women as throw aways and worthy of abuse, TV and movies that depict women as abuse worthy sex objects and the same with the print media and the mainstreaming of pornography.

In inner-city Omaha nearly 70% of our players have no man in the home. If you think I’m exaggerating, we have had games with 2 people in the stands and both were females, not enough for a chain crew. This was not a one time deal, we have had many games where we did not have 3 males to run the chains. Many of our players have no model of behavior in the house to “copy” of how to properly treat a woman. The kids often see first hand women being physically and mentally abused and of course they hear it in the music they listen to, on TV and in print. I’ve been coaching youth football for 15 years and the “dadless” house problem is getting worse every year. Tom Osborne in his book “Faith in the Game” claims this problem is increasing and is responsible for the majority of crime and problems with young males.

If we let girls play tackle football with boys, we teach the boys that harsh physical contact with females is acceptable behavior. In fact as coaches we would have to encourage and reward this physical contact. Our players would get in the habit and be used to being physical with females, the act would desensitize everyone involved in the activity of physical force being applied to females by males. The female in the meantime is learning that harsh physical contact with males is acceptable, it is now a habit. Now while having females on your team may help the short term progress of some of our football teams I’m not sure we are helping either the boy or the girl in their long term development as productive members of our society.

Girls are as good as and even better at boys at many activities, this is not about the girls having the ability to play. This is about breaking the abusive cycle many single parent families or even two parent families are in today. In my mind, coaching youth football is much more than teaching kids how to run good football plays and how to block and tackle. It is about teaching valuable life lessons the youth football player can take with him for use in his entire lifetime. My dad taught me how to treat women with reverence and respect and I was rewarded for that behavior with a wonderful wife and very satisfying family life. Dad not only told me, he showed me, even when him and mom had disagreements, they never got loud or physical. He modeled the proper behavior every day, many of our kids NEVER see that proper behavior being modeled for them. As a boy, we were threatened that hitting a girl or even pushing one was “mortal sin” material that could never happen. If it did happen, I would be dealt with by my father in the most extreme severe way, in addition it was also deemed cowardly.

In 2001 we had an 8 year old football player of one of our Omaha teams strike a girl in the face with his fist over some type of disagreement in the playground area of our field. Of course we spoke to the boy and let him know he should never strike a woman and dismissed him from our program with the promise he could come back the next year if we saw significant improvement in his attitude and actions. We felt he needed the program and contact with strong male role models. The player had to attend every practice and the games and watch, not play. We persuaded the parents of the struck girl not to press formal charges. Beleive it or not the striking players “grandpa” argued the kids case and said the girl “pushed him first”. That made me ill, the poor kid has no dad in the house and a “grandpa” that thinks it’s OK to hit girls in the face that push you first. No wonder his daughter had no man in the house. I wanted to smack grandpa in the face but thought that would not be the right message for the boy to see either. We really worked this kid, but I have feel there is a very high probability this player will be a woman user/abuser when he gets older and will have a very unsatisfying family life. While the grandson did come back, grandpa was not invited to coach again for us.

I’m never going to allow females to play in my youth football program. I don’t want our football players life lessons and memories to include when our stud linebacker knocked the stuffings out of a girl running back who had snot bubbles and tears streaming down her face.

However, some people will bite the hand that feeds it. In our rural program we have had no female football sign ups. In Omaha we have had a few moms try and sign their daughters up for football. After the initial disappointment wore off and the mom was told why we think it makes sense in the long run for females not to play, the moms were very supportive. I can think of just one case where mom didn’t “get it” and pulled her son out of the program because we would not allow her daughter to be pummeled by boys on our team. I can still see her today, a single mom with 3 kids that needed the program who refused to listen to reason. This mom had two missing front teeth, probably caused by the same cycle we were trying to help break.

Today we have tackle football and even wrestling between boys and girls, whats next boxing? or how about ultimate fighting? Where do we draw the line? If gilrs are as good as boys in football, why not boxing? Why not wrestiling? Why not Ultimatre Fighting?

There are some that don’t care about the long term implications for both parties, they just have a selfish desire to see their children excel, no matter the cost. I cringe at what’s in store for that poor girl.

Let’s draw the line at tackle football.

For more free Youth Football Plays or free Youth Football Coaching tips please stop by Dave’s web site:

Youth Football

Attention all girls softball coaches and hitters. This will explain why performing softball drills with pitching machines hinder more than help. Due to pitching machines, most girls softball  hitters never really reach their greatest hitting potential!

Girls softball teams use pitching machines because it is very difficult to throw strikes from a live hand in batting practice. A pitching machine is the tool most used in softball drills for helping hitters practice their swing mechanics. The reality is that the machine alters a players swing and timing more than it helps.

It is commonly known to most, if not all, baseball hitters and coaches, to stay away from pitching machines. Pitching machines do not have the same action that a live hand does when the ball is delivered in either sport. The spitting action that a pitching machine depicts when the ball flies out of it, is deceptive to the hitter. This deception adversely affects the hitter’s timing and, ultimately, the hitters’ swing.

Although baseball players and coaches know this intuitively, the message has not been made clear to women’s fast pitch softball and girls softball. Women and girls softball relies on these machines far too much.  Most girls softball coaches have not figured out the proper way to use the pitching machines for softball drills or how to help players improve their confidence when using a pitching machine.

Softball drills for hitters should always be performed at a slower speed and the human pitcher or pitching  machine should be a good 3 to 5 paces in front of the pitching rubber. This is the only way to improve the confidence of the hitter. The hitter should have every opportunity to know what it feels like to connect with the ball efficiently; this type of set up will give the hitter that opportunity.

Unfortunately, in girls softball, the pitching machine is placed to close to the pitching rubber and the coaches set the speed of the pitch near the speed of what the hitter would see in a game. This does not help the hitter for 2 reasons:

1. The machine “spits” the ball harder when the machine is turned up and causes even more deception. Most hitters have to change the mechanics of their normal swing just to be able to contact the pitch. Because of this, hitters tend to throw their hands at the ball and do not have the time to adjust to the timing of the machine. This can only lead to improper use of their body and hips, not to mention, the hitter is practicing incorrect swing mechanics that will not be used during a game. Over time, continued use of pitching machines in softball drills will train a hitter’s muscles to consistently swing the wrong way, even during games. This results in decreased levels of performance as well as confidence.

2. The hitters confidence goes down because most hitters swing and miss or just foul off the majority of the pitches when a machine is improperly placed and the speeds are increased. If you are a believer in achievement through visualization, then you should agree that a hitter who gets continuous images in their head of swinging and missing or bad hits, will not get better, but worse.

The key is to pitch batting practice out of a live hand if at all possible. Just pitching under hand close up with the L-screen at a slow pace will greatly improve the confidence and skills of the hitter. If you have no choice but to use a pitching machine for softball hitting drills, please adhere to the following proper use guidelines.

Proper Use Guidelines for Pitching Machine Drills

When using a pitching machine for softball drills, set the machine between 30-40 mph depending on the age of the player. Place the machine 3-5 strides ahead of the pitching rubber. This will simulate the right pace that a hitter needs to see and feel in order to get her rhythm, timing, and swing down.

Proper use of pitching machines will also improve a hitters confidence and enable the coach to instruct much more efficiently. There is no reason why female softball hitters cannot be just as consistent as male baseball hitters. From a training perspective, this is the reason why baseball players experience more success with batting average and slugging percentage than softball players do. Most baseball players practice off live arms and if a tosser is not available, the player, more often than not, knows how to use pitching machines properly.

Girls softball needs the machines because it is hard to throw strikes from a live hand in batting practice. Use them properly and hitting will improve dramatically.