Softball Drills
By Mike Huber
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.
Coach Huber's hitter training program for softball players and coaches shows you which drills are best, how to do those drills, how to hit for power without extra strength or effort and how to build confidence. You can read more about it at http://aboutsoftball.net or find loads of great articles on softball tips and drills at http://hubiemagicblog.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Huber
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7320306
Showing posts with label coaching fast pitch softball hitters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coaching fast pitch softball hitters. Show all posts
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Fastpitch Softball Hitting Lesson - Shoulder Rotation
Fastpitch Softball Hitting Lesson - Shoulder Rotation
www.BattingCagesDirect.com
BATTING CAGE NETS without FRAMES
Message to Baseball and Softball Parents
Recommended Blogs & Knols
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Step-By-Step Softball Hitting Procedure
Step-By-Step Softball Hitting Procedure
By Marc Dagenais
Having trouble hitting the ball with striking result? Have you been practicing for it for several weeks, yet you always failed to deliver a satisfying performance? Are you now in great desperation to learn the technique of softball hitting? If so, then you may find the following step-by-step procedure very useful. This actually helps me a lot, too.
· Begin with a good standing posture. This is essential in softball hitting. This means that you have to maintain a comfortable stance. Your weight should be balanced on the balls of your feet. Keep your knees a little flexed, with a slight curve at the waist.
· Have a grip on the bat with your front elbow down and relaxed. Your grip must not too loose or too tight, but hold the bat just right. Make sure that your back elbow is at a 45-degree angle, pointed towards the ground.
· Then with your middle knuckles of one hand aligned with your middle knuckles of the other hand, take hold of the bat at a 45- to 90-degree angle.
· Always let your hands at the top of the strike zone, and close to your back armpit. Also remember that the bat should be between the catcher and your back shoulder.
· Also important to keep your head straight, then cast your full attention to the pitcher in anticipation for the ball to be released. You may want to focus your eyes on the side of the pitcher's leg. This will help you maintain a good concentration.
· When the pitcher goes into the windup, immediately shift the weight onto your back.
· Then with your front foot, take a stride forward on the release of the pitch, making sure not to bring any weight forward on the stride. This is what we call a soft step.
· Immediately after, begin turning around your back foot so that your back heel is facing the catcher, and move your weight forward to the middle of your body.
· Then lastly commence your hand, with the knob of the bat going in the direction of the pitcher's feet.
· You should be careful not to drop the barrel of the bat underneath your hands at the launch of the swing.
· Strike the ball and drive it. This should follow through by way of your hands swinging to your opposite shoulder.
Alright, there you have it. All you have to do is be familiarized with every step provided. At the same time, help yourself with perseverance and determination. Actually, there is actually no undisclosed topics you need to know when it comes to softball hitting.
For you become a good softball player you dreamt of, all you need to do is carry out, practice, and practice. Yes, keep on practicing and improving your skills. As a well-worn adage goes, "Practice makes perfect." Take that as your softball hitting key to success.
Reading magazines or articles regarding the proper technique of softball hitting can also help. Also try to solicit some advices from people who have enough knowledge and experience about softball hitting. Their true to life experience is worth knowing.
Marc Dagenais is a Softball Peak Performance Coach that helps softball players turn their athletic talent into extraordinary performances and help coaches get more out of their players, turn their struggling team around or get an edge over their opponents. Visit us to sign-up to get our FREE softball pitching tips!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marc_Dagenais
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Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine Demo Video
Check out the Hurricane Hitting Machine: Derek Jeter Series:
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Thursday, August 5, 2010
Fastpitch Softball: Hitting Off a Tee
Hitting Off a Tee
Posted on YouTube by ontariofastpitch
A series of videos produced by Louisville Slugger featuring USA national team player Jessica Mendoza's fastpitch softball tips.
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Friday, July 9, 2010
5 Simple Hitting Drills That Will Raise Your Average Overnight!
5 Simple Fastpitch Softball Hitting Drills That Will Raise Your Average Overnight!
By Guest Author Janet K Hansen
The best hitters in the game use a variety of hitting drills to improve hand-eye coordination, bat speed, and power. These drills will have you or your players hitting the ball more consistently and with more power, with the ability to place shots more effectively. The result will be higher average and better run production in just a week or two of practice.
1. Ball on a Cone or Tee: Hand-eye coordination is the key to all good hitting, in any game and at every level. Improving your ability to match what your eyes are seeing with the trajectory of your swing creates the kind of contact that produces more line drives, and with time, more power. Hitting legend Ted Williams used to practice by using a cue stick to hit bottle caps. That's not a bad idea, but these drills will serve the purpose, too.
Ball on a cone: Put a traffic cone on the floor 3 feet out from a mat. Kneel, or have your players kneel, on the mat. Put balls on the cone and have the players focus on hitting a line drive. Hit 15 to 25 balls in each session, more if time allows - the more the better. The drill emphasizes contact using just the arms and upper body, which is essential to hitting the ball consistently.
T-Ball: Kids start in t-ball for a reason - they learn to make contact, plain and simple. Since solid contact is the key to all good things in hitting, contact drills never go out of style. Pro, college, and top amateur teams continue to use hitting tees to warm up and find the hitting touch, especially after layoffs. Start hitting practice with a round of tee drills to emphasize keeping an eye on the ball, with a bonus feature being an increase in confidence. When pitch speed is added, the improvement will be noticeable. When the game starts, sharper hitting will lead to more base runners and more RBI's. VARIATIONS: place the tee on the inside, middle, and outside parts of the plate to encourage hitters to go with the pitch, so they learn to drive balls to all fields. Most hitters try to pull everything, and this will help break that habit.
2. Wiffle Ball: This drill emphasizes bat speed and a compact, powerful swing. Using either a pitching machine or a live pitcher, stand 20 feet in front of the plate and use waffle balls for safety. Set the machine to about 40 mph, or gauge your pitch speed accordingly. Batters have to get the bat around in a hurry. The drill will expose swings that are too long - the kind of swings that keep pro players in the minors. On the positive side, it encourages increased bat speed to be able to get around on the pitches, and a shorter, more compact swing that is the foundation of power.
3. Wait and Explode: Many hitters develop the bad habit of starting their swing far too early. The results are all bad. For instance, the hitter will often stride into the pitch too early and then have to hold back the upper body waiting for the ball. Timing and hand-eye coordination is thrown off, plus if contact is made, it's only the upper body involved. The powerful motion of the legs is eliminated. Misses, weak grounders, and lazy fly balls are the result. Here's how this drill works. Have the batter stand in the box and coach them not to move at all until the ball leaves the pitcher's hand. Keep it up until the hitter learns to be patient, reserving their energy until they can complete the swing in one powerful motion. Hitters with good contact skills but poor power will start driving the ball much harder with this drill.
Another way to encourage a "wait and explode" approach is to use tennis balls and bounce balls up to the plate. The hitter must not move a muscle until the ball bounces, 6-8 feet in front of the plate. Patience is learned, and hand-eye coordination is also improved. A short, compact, energetic swing will result.
4. The Barrier Drill: This drill will teach good mechanics. Have the players stand one back length back from a barrier, such as a net or string, and take their cut. If they hit the barrier with the bat, they are taking too long a swing, unlocking their elbows before the shoulders are fully engaged. Point out what's happening and see if they can make the correction, which will produce a compact, powerful cut.
5. Reward or Run: There's nothing like the possibility of a little physical exercise to get players to concentrate. Using a pitching machine, or reliable batting practice pitcher, feed each batter 15 pitches. On strikes only (make swinging at a bad pitch an out, no matter if they hit it or not), count well-struck balls versus misses or weak hits. If the batter has 8 or more good cuts reward them in some way. If 8 or more bad swings happen, it's time to run! As the season continues, and the players improve, bump your better hitters up to 10 or 11 quality hits to avoid running. Tailor the drill to stretch each player to achieve their best.
Each of these drills is used by many professional, college, and top amateurs teams every year. Employ them on your team and start noticing immediate results in terms of contact and power. You'll enjoy better run production from the first time through the order!
Janet Hansen is a softball coach in NC and helps others understand how to choose the right softball bat for their needs, at her Softball Batting website, http://www.SoftballBatGuide.com. You can also learn batting tips and join in the discussion along the way!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janet_K_Hansen
==========================================================
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YouthBaseballDigest.com
LittleLeagueDigest.com
SoftballBloopers.com
FunnyBaseballVideo.com
BaseballBloopersandBlunders.com
By Guest Author Janet K Hansen
The best hitters in the game use a variety of hitting drills to improve hand-eye coordination, bat speed, and power. These drills will have you or your players hitting the ball more consistently and with more power, with the ability to place shots more effectively. The result will be higher average and better run production in just a week or two of practice.
1. Ball on a Cone or Tee: Hand-eye coordination is the key to all good hitting, in any game and at every level. Improving your ability to match what your eyes are seeing with the trajectory of your swing creates the kind of contact that produces more line drives, and with time, more power. Hitting legend Ted Williams used to practice by using a cue stick to hit bottle caps. That's not a bad idea, but these drills will serve the purpose, too.
Ball on a cone: Put a traffic cone on the floor 3 feet out from a mat. Kneel, or have your players kneel, on the mat. Put balls on the cone and have the players focus on hitting a line drive. Hit 15 to 25 balls in each session, more if time allows - the more the better. The drill emphasizes contact using just the arms and upper body, which is essential to hitting the ball consistently.
T-Ball: Kids start in t-ball for a reason - they learn to make contact, plain and simple. Since solid contact is the key to all good things in hitting, contact drills never go out of style. Pro, college, and top amateur teams continue to use hitting tees to warm up and find the hitting touch, especially after layoffs. Start hitting practice with a round of tee drills to emphasize keeping an eye on the ball, with a bonus feature being an increase in confidence. When pitch speed is added, the improvement will be noticeable. When the game starts, sharper hitting will lead to more base runners and more RBI's. VARIATIONS: place the tee on the inside, middle, and outside parts of the plate to encourage hitters to go with the pitch, so they learn to drive balls to all fields. Most hitters try to pull everything, and this will help break that habit.
2. Wiffle Ball: This drill emphasizes bat speed and a compact, powerful swing. Using either a pitching machine or a live pitcher, stand 20 feet in front of the plate and use waffle balls for safety. Set the machine to about 40 mph, or gauge your pitch speed accordingly. Batters have to get the bat around in a hurry. The drill will expose swings that are too long - the kind of swings that keep pro players in the minors. On the positive side, it encourages increased bat speed to be able to get around on the pitches, and a shorter, more compact swing that is the foundation of power.
3. Wait and Explode: Many hitters develop the bad habit of starting their swing far too early. The results are all bad. For instance, the hitter will often stride into the pitch too early and then have to hold back the upper body waiting for the ball. Timing and hand-eye coordination is thrown off, plus if contact is made, it's only the upper body involved. The powerful motion of the legs is eliminated. Misses, weak grounders, and lazy fly balls are the result. Here's how this drill works. Have the batter stand in the box and coach them not to move at all until the ball leaves the pitcher's hand. Keep it up until the hitter learns to be patient, reserving their energy until they can complete the swing in one powerful motion. Hitters with good contact skills but poor power will start driving the ball much harder with this drill.
Another way to encourage a "wait and explode" approach is to use tennis balls and bounce balls up to the plate. The hitter must not move a muscle until the ball bounces, 6-8 feet in front of the plate. Patience is learned, and hand-eye coordination is also improved. A short, compact, energetic swing will result.
4. The Barrier Drill: This drill will teach good mechanics. Have the players stand one back length back from a barrier, such as a net or string, and take their cut. If they hit the barrier with the bat, they are taking too long a swing, unlocking their elbows before the shoulders are fully engaged. Point out what's happening and see if they can make the correction, which will produce a compact, powerful cut.
5. Reward or Run: There's nothing like the possibility of a little physical exercise to get players to concentrate. Using a pitching machine, or reliable batting practice pitcher, feed each batter 15 pitches. On strikes only (make swinging at a bad pitch an out, no matter if they hit it or not), count well-struck balls versus misses or weak hits. If the batter has 8 or more good cuts reward them in some way. If 8 or more bad swings happen, it's time to run! As the season continues, and the players improve, bump your better hitters up to 10 or 11 quality hits to avoid running. Tailor the drill to stretch each player to achieve their best.
Each of these drills is used by many professional, college, and top amateurs teams every year. Employ them on your team and start noticing immediate results in terms of contact and power. You'll enjoy better run production from the first time through the order!
Janet Hansen is a softball coach in NC and helps others understand how to choose the right softball bat for their needs, at her Softball Batting website, http://www.SoftballBatGuide.com. You can also learn batting tips and join in the discussion along the way!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janet_K_Hansen
==========================================================
Thanks to our sponsors:
BattingCagesDirect.com
SoftballVideosOnline.com
SoftballCoachingDigest.com
SoftballrUs.com
Suggested Links:
RottenSports.com
RottenCoaches.com
Blog4Coaches.com
WildSportsVideos.com
BaseballCoachingDigest.com
YouthBaseballDigest.com
LittleLeagueDigest.com
SoftballBloopers.com
FunnyBaseballVideo.com
BaseballBloopersandBlunders.com
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Fast Pitch Softball Hitting Drills with Crissy Rapp
On http://ClubHouseGAS.com, noted college player and coach talks about the basic drills for fast pitch softball hitting. Also check-out http://YouthSportTravel.com
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