Hitting Drills For Fastpitch Softball Players
By guest author: Shanna Stevens
Hitting drills can be done by softball players effectively without having to waste time waiting around for busy coaches. Its is also important what type of bats are being used by the athlete's. Aluminum versus Composite.
Aluminum fastpitch bats and composite fastpitch bats have their pros and cons. Because fastpitch softball requires great bat speed and reaction time selecting the proper bat can mean the difference between striking out, laying down a bunt, getting a base hit or even hitting a home run.
Composite bats offer more advantages than aluminum bats these days, but cost more and lack durability. Composite bats also require attention and care to prevent damage.
Composite Bat Speed: Composite bats are easier to swing and can be more accurately controlled.
Aluminum Bat Speed: Aluminum bats are generally heavier than composite bats and less evenly balanced.
Composite Performance: Composite bats peak in performance once they have been properly broken in. A broken-in composite bat will outperform most aluminum bats.
Aluminum Performance: Aluminum bats maintain a steady performance throughout the life of the bat.
Composite Durability: Composite bats are fragile and batters must be conscious of weather conditions and proper use.
Aluminum Durability: Aluminum bats are very durable and require little attention.
Composite Cost: Composite bats vary greatly in cost, depending on materials used.
Aluminum Cost: Aluminum bats are less expensive than composite bats and do not require as much technology to produce.
With a type of bat in mind, now you can start gather hitting drills for your players. Some aspects of hitting to focus on could include Building The Swing, Visual Preparation and Game Adjustments. There are many types of drills to focus on the simple mechanics of hitting. Some use a hitting Tee, some will use wiffle balls and even the Soft Toss Drill where a ball is tossed in front of the hitter in line with the big toe allowing the hitter to focus on their technique instead of reading a pitch coming straight at them.
If you're looking to improve your bat speed or looking to increase your bat strength make sure you choose a bat that best fits your personal preference. Take some time to choose your bat. Take the time to select your hitting drills and get yourself set up for the drills that are focusing on the specific mechanics you are looking to improve and get to work! May all your swings come true. Have a great year!!
Highly effective hitting. How do you get the most out of your drills so your not wasting anyone's time. What ques do you use, what equipment do you use and what drills do you use. These are common questions coaches across the world ask themselves everyday. If your players don't hit the ball they don't score, if they don't score, they can't put point's on the board. If you're not putting points of the board your not going to win ball games. Hitting has to be done effectively with confidence.
http://www.shopsoftballutah.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shanna_Stevens
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Showing posts with label softball tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label softball tips. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Baseball & Softball Coaches Equipment - Magnetic Lineup Board Review
Baseball & Softball Coaches Equipment - Magnetic Lineup Board Review
By guest auther: Jim Moyer
If you don't have an easy to read line-up posted in the dugout you are hurting yourself, your players, and subsequently your team by allowing yourself and the team to be distracted from the game. Let's face it, it's information that you want to have ready access to, and you want your players to have ready access to as well. So why are you keeping this vital information on a scratch piece of paper or on a carbon copy that is barely legible?
The best magnetic lineup board is about 8.5" x 14" and consists of a position diagram of the softball field on the top, positions for a batting order on the bottom, and a hook so it can be easily hung in the dugout for everyone to see. You simply place magnets with the player's names in the position on the diagram that they will be playing. If you will be subbing in to a position you can go ahead and put the sub's magnetic above or below the starter's magnet. The same is true with the batting order. If you know you will be subbing in for a hitter just put the sub's magnet next to the starter's magnet.
The real beauty to a magnetic lineup board is before the game has started when you are putting together your game strategy. After making your initial batting order it's very easy to adjust for who's hot and who's not, or if you need a bunter in the second or third position, and if you change the batting order will that change who you want to play on defense and where you can make those changes. You can also see the effect your substitutions will have on positions and the batting order. What you used to have to envision in your mind you can now see on the board, both offensively and defensively and for the entirety of the game not just the start of the game. It let's you create your game strategy prior to the game. It's called HAVING A PLAN.
Hey Coach, Listen Up
The decisions you make in determining your lineup WILL AFFECT the outcome of the game. Once the game has started there's not much opportunity to correct a poor batting order. Sometimes it's easy to put together a line up. Other times, we've spent 10 or 15 minutes maneuvering players around on our magnetic lineup board to assess the strengths and weaknesses and determining what we needed for the upcoming game. I can't imagine going through this exercise with paper and pen.
Whether your fastpitch softball team, or baseball team, is a beginning team or a highly skilled tournament team, putting your players in the right positions, building the best batting order, and having a plan for your substitutions, will decide the outcome of many fastpitch softball games. A magnetic lineup board costs about $20.00. Twenty dollars is a cheap investment to KNOW that you have given your team their best opportunity to win. Hey, it's worth the twenty bucks just not to have to answer the question "who do I bat after" 500 times during the season.
There are two magnetic lineup boards on the market. The Easton brand and the Coacher brand. They both cost about $20.00, HOWEVER, the Coacher board is the clear winner. The Easton board does not have a field diagram which prevents you from visualizing the starting defense and, just as important, the defense after substitutions have been made. The Coacher board does have the field diagram.
In conclusion, I would grade the Easton board a C because it is better than using a piece of paper. The Coacher board gets an A+ as it is the complete package and the superior product. For the same investment, you have the choice of the Mercedes or the Pinto.
Having coached over 500 youth fastpitch softball games, Coach Jim decided to put his insight online to allow parent/coaches to draw on his unique experience. At http://www.mysoftballcoach.com/coaching-fastpitch-softball-successfully.html he has compiled a comprehensive list of softball game strategies, softball drills, softball tips, and techniques that are sure to help any coach become successful.
Visit http://www.mysoftballcoach.com/softball-equipment.html for numerous reviews on softball equipment, softball bats, pitching machines and other essential coaching tools, to make your team a Winning team. Before you make any softball equipment purchases be sure to read Jim's review to make sure you don't buy the wrong equipment.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Moyer
===========================
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SoftballrUs.com/FastpitchSoftballSupply.com is the ultimate online fastpitch softball online store. SoftballrUs.com has Batting Trainers,Pitching Training, Training Bats,Defensive Training Equipment,Coaching DVDs & Books, Softball Pitching Machines, Softball Complete Net & Frame Batting Cage Packages, Batting Cage Nets, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, and BatAction Hitting Machines, and much, much more. Visit Softballrus.com now!
By guest auther: Jim Moyer
If you don't have an easy to read line-up posted in the dugout you are hurting yourself, your players, and subsequently your team by allowing yourself and the team to be distracted from the game. Let's face it, it's information that you want to have ready access to, and you want your players to have ready access to as well. So why are you keeping this vital information on a scratch piece of paper or on a carbon copy that is barely legible?
The best magnetic lineup board is about 8.5" x 14" and consists of a position diagram of the softball field on the top, positions for a batting order on the bottom, and a hook so it can be easily hung in the dugout for everyone to see. You simply place magnets with the player's names in the position on the diagram that they will be playing. If you will be subbing in to a position you can go ahead and put the sub's magnetic above or below the starter's magnet. The same is true with the batting order. If you know you will be subbing in for a hitter just put the sub's magnet next to the starter's magnet.
The real beauty to a magnetic lineup board is before the game has started when you are putting together your game strategy. After making your initial batting order it's very easy to adjust for who's hot and who's not, or if you need a bunter in the second or third position, and if you change the batting order will that change who you want to play on defense and where you can make those changes. You can also see the effect your substitutions will have on positions and the batting order. What you used to have to envision in your mind you can now see on the board, both offensively and defensively and for the entirety of the game not just the start of the game. It let's you create your game strategy prior to the game. It's called HAVING A PLAN.
Hey Coach, Listen Up
The decisions you make in determining your lineup WILL AFFECT the outcome of the game. Once the game has started there's not much opportunity to correct a poor batting order. Sometimes it's easy to put together a line up. Other times, we've spent 10 or 15 minutes maneuvering players around on our magnetic lineup board to assess the strengths and weaknesses and determining what we needed for the upcoming game. I can't imagine going through this exercise with paper and pen.
Whether your fastpitch softball team, or baseball team, is a beginning team or a highly skilled tournament team, putting your players in the right positions, building the best batting order, and having a plan for your substitutions, will decide the outcome of many fastpitch softball games. A magnetic lineup board costs about $20.00. Twenty dollars is a cheap investment to KNOW that you have given your team their best opportunity to win. Hey, it's worth the twenty bucks just not to have to answer the question "who do I bat after" 500 times during the season.
There are two magnetic lineup boards on the market. The Easton brand and the Coacher brand. They both cost about $20.00, HOWEVER, the Coacher board is the clear winner. The Easton board does not have a field diagram which prevents you from visualizing the starting defense and, just as important, the defense after substitutions have been made. The Coacher board does have the field diagram.
In conclusion, I would grade the Easton board a C because it is better than using a piece of paper. The Coacher board gets an A+ as it is the complete package and the superior product. For the same investment, you have the choice of the Mercedes or the Pinto.
Having coached over 500 youth fastpitch softball games, Coach Jim decided to put his insight online to allow parent/coaches to draw on his unique experience. At http://www.mysoftballcoach.com/coaching-fastpitch-softball-successfully.html he has compiled a comprehensive list of softball game strategies, softball drills, softball tips, and techniques that are sure to help any coach become successful.
Visit http://www.mysoftballcoach.com/softball-equipment.html for numerous reviews on softball equipment, softball bats, pitching machines and other essential coaching tools, to make your team a Winning team. Before you make any softball equipment purchases be sure to read Jim's review to make sure you don't buy the wrong equipment.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Moyer
===========================
Thanks to our sponsors:

SoftballrUs.com/FastpitchSoftballSupply.com is the ultimate online fastpitch softball online store. SoftballrUs.com has Batting Trainers,Pitching Training, Training Bats,Defensive Training Equipment,Coaching DVDs & Books, Softball Pitching Machines, Softball Complete Net & Frame Batting Cage Packages, Batting Cage Nets, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, and BatAction Hitting Machines, and much, much more. Visit Softballrus.com now!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Advanced Fast Pitch Softball Hitting Drills with Crissy Rapp
Advanced Fast Pitch Softball Hitting Drills with Crissy Rapp
Uploaded by ClubHouseGas On http://ClubHouseGAS.com , noted college player and coach, Chrissy Rapp teaches Casey Bass advance techniques of hitting for fast pitch softball. Also check-out http://YouthSportTravel.com
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Friday, August 19, 2011
Fastpitch Hitting - Swing Like "the Best in the World"
Fastpitch Hitting - Swing Like "the Best in the World"
By guest author: Joe M White
Many people who follow fastpitch softball consider Jessica Mendoza to be the best all-around player, and best overall hitter in the world over the past several years.
Mendoza can do it all at the plate. She is a great bunter, a very effective slap hitter, and hits away for a very high batting average and with terrific power. In fact, baseball fans can compare Mendoza side-by-side with most any major league baseball hall-of-famer, and see that they swing the way she does.
Although Mendoza isn't the first fastpitch player to adopt a Rotational swing, she does it at least as well as anyone who's ever played. More and more fastpitch players are turning to her method of hitting. Increasingly, Division 1 college coaches are converting their players to Rotational hitting (for example, Mike Candera, Head Coach at the University of Arizona, whose teams have won 6 College World Series National Championships, is teaching a peculiar variation of Rotational hitting).
While softball players can continue to have success using the Linear method of hitting, there are reasons for the shift to Rotational.
A Very Short History
Many in the fastpitch community are under the impression that Rotational is relatively new, and that Linear hitting has always been the norm. Actually, Rotational hitting was introduced to Major League Baseball by Shoeless Joe Jackson in the early 20th century, and after Babe Ruth copied Jackson's method, it became the swing of about 95% of Major Leaguers until the introduction of synthetic turf on many Major League fields from the 1960's to the 1990's.
Those early synthetic turf fields were nearly as hard as concrete. Major League batting coaches quickly realized that ground balls hit on it moved so fast, that many balls that were routine ground outs on natural fields were hits on 'turf. Many that would have been outfield singles bounced so hard they became doubles or even triples. So many began to teach Linear hitting to their weaker hitters. And in many cases it worked.
(Most of the Big Leaguers who hit over.300 in those years, and nearly all the RBI and Home Run leaders, continued to be Rotational hitters. As synthetic turf disappeared from the Major Leagues, so did Linear hitting. There are very few nowadays, and although many still use Linear terms to describe their swing, they actually use Rotational swings.)
The increasing use of Linear hitting in MLB coincided with the introduction of lightweight aluminum and composite bats. These bats were not only much lighter than wood -- and so could be swung much faster -- they also had more "pop." The ball came off the bat harder and faster, so grounders hit with metal or composite bats got past infielders more often than with the old wood bats.
While MLB rejected Non-wood bats, they were quickly adopted by youth baseball leagues, middle and high schools, and the NCAA. Along with the bats, coaches at all these levels began to teach Linear hitting. Boys and young men who might have struggled with heavy wood bats became good or even above average hitters by using aluminum/composite bats and Linear hitting.
During all this, fastpitch softball experienced a rebirth as a game for women and girls. Fastpitch softball was originally played with wood bats, and Rotational hitting was the dominant method for both women and men playing the game. In fact, relatively few women played fastpitch until the 1970's.
As young ladies took up the game, they used aluminum and composite bats, for the same reason their male counterparts were. Most of their coaches were men -- dads -- who were enthusiastically embracing the cutting-edge Linear hitting movement. So most ladies learned Linear hitting, which tends to create more grounders as we'll see.
Linear Versus Rotational
So what's the difference between Linear and Rotational hitting? Andy Collins has a pretty good definition of Linear hitting: "Linear hitting is a hitting style that has been used for many years in fast pitch softball and by many little league coaches, some high school, college, and even minor league baseball coaches who still prefer this method of hitting instruction.
"It is used to achieve solid contact hitting, producing... sharply hit ground balls which are designed to shoot through the drawn-in infielders on the hard dirt surfaces of softball (and astroturf surfaces in baseball). It is especially useful in slap hitting (fast runners who hit it on the ground and beat it out to first base).
"Baseball players who use this style, do so especially when they use the ultra light aluminum bats and... if they play on artificial surfaces."
A Linear hitter will normally hit ground balls. Most Linear coaches teach "hit the top half of the ball," and "swing down," which naturally produces grounders. They also teach "lead with the hands" or "take the knob (or hands) to the ball," and to set up with most of your weight on the back foot and then shift your weight to the front foot as you swing. All of these work together to lengthen the swing (producing slower bat speed and therefore less power) and cause a lot of ground balls.
Since softball infields are clay (a hard surface), and the bases are relatively close together -- and so the infielders are close to the batter and have less time to react to the ball to field it -- if you hit a ground ball hard enough, you will get on base. So Linear hitters can be very successful.
Linear hitting works really well when playing against younger or less accomplished fielders and pitchers. But as the defense gets better, whether it's because the ladies at the level you've been at are more mature physically and more experienced fielding balls, or if it's because you're moving up from the Silver division to the Gold, fewer and fewer ground balls get through for hits.
And as the pitching gets faster, Linear hitters often struggle to get the bat around quickly enough, hitting more and more weak grounders to the opposite side. If you get a chance to watch Division 1 college softball games, you'll really see this happening. The lightweight bats allowed in softball go a long way in addressing the problem of slow batspeed. However, when you get to the very top level of competition at a given age, Linear hitters often struggle.
Also, if you are doing a correct Linear swing and happen to hit the middle or lower half of the ball, you will create backspin on the ball - which will usually result in a pop up or a very slow grounder. Slap hitting, a variation of Linear, can help overcome these problems. An accomplished Slapper can place the ball very accurately, and so, "hit 'em where they ain't," as baseball legend Wee Willie Keeler said 120 years ago (Willie was a Linear hitter, like all ballplayers of his time).
Rotational hitting emphasizes even weight balance, leading with the hips, using the legs, hips and torso muscles to produce a short, compact swing, and hitting the center of the ball. These combine to create more bat speed than Linear hitting can, and because the intention is to hit the middle of the ball, it produces many more line drives. No one swings perfectly every single time, so of course, there will be ground balls and pop ups, just as with Linear, but overall, there is more power, and many more balls hit in the air to the outfield. And, because the swing is faster, ground balls are normally hit harder than with Linear -- and so are more likely to get past the infielders for hits.
Perhaps the biggest problem with Rotational hitting is that many people who have very little understanding of it try, with the best of intentions, to teach it. They often combine bits of Linear with a partial understanding of Rotational, with horrible results. Some have grasped portions of the Rotational, and teach what they know. Their results are very uneven. Some hitters do fairly well with this partial swing, most do no better than with Linear, and some don't have any success.
Mike Epstein, former MLB baseball player, and the person credited with coining the phrase "Rotational Hitting," ask the question, "Do we coach what we REALLY see?" Very few coaches take the time to do the frame-by-frame video analysis of great softball and baseball hitters to see all of the components of a productive Rotational swing. (Epstein's hitting course is one of the better ones available. Thousands of players have benefitted from his instruction.)
What a Rotational Swing Looks Like
The photos at batting.wordpress.com in the Nov. 5 post, "The Best Hitter on the Planet?" show how the key components of Jessica Mendoza's swing work together to make her such a great hitter. A true Rotational hitter. You may see that it's very different from what most local coaches teach, even those who call their style of hitting "Rotational." (In her 5-minute video lessons on YouTube, even Mendoza teaches something very different from the way she actually hits! It seems to me that her using Linear hitting phrases -- "shift your weight," and "take your hands to the ball" -- can be confusing to most players, because Mendoza doesn't do these things in a Linear way at all, as you can see in the photos.)
Mendoza keeps her hands back and high as she begins her swing. As she takes a very small step, her entire body moves slightly toward the pitcher (the "weight shift"), but her weight is balanced equally on both feet. Her hips begin to rotate as she brings her back hand down slightly. Her front foot pivots. Keeping her elbows close to her body, the hip rotation brings her bat around at very high speed. Her wrists remain in the same position as at the beginning of the swing.
Her back shoulder moves lower (how much lower depends on the pitch -- if it had been high in the strike zone, the back shoulder would have lowered less, but still would have "dipped"). At contact, both elbows are in an "L" position, head directly on the ball. At the moment of contact, the front knee is straight, the back knee in almost an "L" position. The bat extends straight from her lead arm, looking as if it is part of her arm.
The elbows remain in the "L" until well into her follow-through. Her back hand remains on the bat until the swing is 98% finished.
That's how the best fastpitch hitter in the game does it. And the ball is on a powerful line drive trajectory. If you can get a look at Crystl Busto, the most powerful fastpitch hitter who every played, you'll see that her swing is the same. If you can find video of Stacey Nuveman from 2004-2007, you'll see the same swing. If you look at the Texas A&M team, nearly everyone has the same swing as Jessica Mendoza.
Is One Better Than the Other?
In the fastpitch softball community, the discussion over the two styles is often very heated, and passions frequently run high. Often people are so emotional about their chosen method that they cannot see that both have a place. But look at the 2006-2009 USA National Softball teams. The ladies who made up the team were deemed to be the best players in the US at the time. Both methods of hitting were represented on the team, and they won 3 World Championships and a Silver Medal in the Olympics. Clearly there is room for both Linear and Rotational hitting.
What to Look for in a Coach
In general, everyone who teaches Linear hitting teaches the same principles and the same swing. While each coach will have their own way of teaching it, there is a great uniformity in Linear instruction. A player will get the same advice and tweaking of her swing, but perhaps with different words used from coach to coach.
Unfortunately, while Rotational hitting is fairly simple and straightforward, many coaches haven't really learned the components of the swing. Simply latching onto key words and phrases, they teach what sounds like Rotational hitting to them and the player. Of course, this doesn't produce a sound swing, and causes many to abandon and reject Rotational hitting. Those who have learned Mike Epstein's system can teach a pretty effective swing. Jack Mankin has taught many coaches how to teach the swing used by Mendoza and nearly every Major League Baseball Hall of Fame member.
Even worse than those who teach Rotational hitting without understanding it, are those who try to combine the two methods. This simply doesn't work, except for a very few extremely gifted athletes whose hand-eye coordination is so superior they can overcome this disastrous combination swing. Avoid this swing at all costs!
Use the photos at batting.wordpress.com and the description above of Mendoza's swing to guide you in finding a Rotational hitting coach. These are the fundamental elements of the swing, and each is crucial. Ask the coach to describe the components they teach. If it sounds very different, move on to someone else. If it sounds similar, ask more questions. Be sure they are teaching what you see in these photos. This particular swing is about as perfect a Rotational swing as humanly possible.
In the End, It's a Choice You Have to Make
As we said, there is a place for both Linear and Rotational hitting in fastpitch softball. However, as they move up in skill levels, Linear hitters will find it increasingly difficult to achieve the greatest possible success at the plate.
The best hitter in fastpitch, Jessica Mendoza, is a Rotational hitter. So are Crystl Busto, Stacey Nuveman, and many of the best players in the US. More and more top Division 1 college softball coaches are adopting Rotational hitting for their teams.
The method has been around for nearly a hundred years and is proven to be very effective. If you're serious about taking your game as far as you can, if you dream of playing college softball or even playing for your national team (and why NOT dream that?), you should look into Rotational hitting. But try to be sure you find a coach who really understands this simple method and knows how to teach it.
Whatever you choose, keep practicing, especially in the off-season, keep working hard at getting better, but also take some breaks from the game! Don't get burned out on the game you love!!
©2009 Joseph M. White
Now in his 17th season as a youth softball and baseball coach; also a hitting coach and fastpitch pitching coach. His long experience studying all aspects of the game, and teaching hundreds of boys and girls how to play, and play better, gives him unique insights and enables him to effectively convey game skills to players, coaches, and parents.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_M_White
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By guest author: Joe M White
Many people who follow fastpitch softball consider Jessica Mendoza to be the best all-around player, and best overall hitter in the world over the past several years.
Mendoza can do it all at the plate. She is a great bunter, a very effective slap hitter, and hits away for a very high batting average and with terrific power. In fact, baseball fans can compare Mendoza side-by-side with most any major league baseball hall-of-famer, and see that they swing the way she does.
Although Mendoza isn't the first fastpitch player to adopt a Rotational swing, she does it at least as well as anyone who's ever played. More and more fastpitch players are turning to her method of hitting. Increasingly, Division 1 college coaches are converting their players to Rotational hitting (for example, Mike Candera, Head Coach at the University of Arizona, whose teams have won 6 College World Series National Championships, is teaching a peculiar variation of Rotational hitting).
While softball players can continue to have success using the Linear method of hitting, there are reasons for the shift to Rotational.
A Very Short History
Many in the fastpitch community are under the impression that Rotational is relatively new, and that Linear hitting has always been the norm. Actually, Rotational hitting was introduced to Major League Baseball by Shoeless Joe Jackson in the early 20th century, and after Babe Ruth copied Jackson's method, it became the swing of about 95% of Major Leaguers until the introduction of synthetic turf on many Major League fields from the 1960's to the 1990's.
Those early synthetic turf fields were nearly as hard as concrete. Major League batting coaches quickly realized that ground balls hit on it moved so fast, that many balls that were routine ground outs on natural fields were hits on 'turf. Many that would have been outfield singles bounced so hard they became doubles or even triples. So many began to teach Linear hitting to their weaker hitters. And in many cases it worked.
(Most of the Big Leaguers who hit over.300 in those years, and nearly all the RBI and Home Run leaders, continued to be Rotational hitters. As synthetic turf disappeared from the Major Leagues, so did Linear hitting. There are very few nowadays, and although many still use Linear terms to describe their swing, they actually use Rotational swings.)
The increasing use of Linear hitting in MLB coincided with the introduction of lightweight aluminum and composite bats. These bats were not only much lighter than wood -- and so could be swung much faster -- they also had more "pop." The ball came off the bat harder and faster, so grounders hit with metal or composite bats got past infielders more often than with the old wood bats.
While MLB rejected Non-wood bats, they were quickly adopted by youth baseball leagues, middle and high schools, and the NCAA. Along with the bats, coaches at all these levels began to teach Linear hitting. Boys and young men who might have struggled with heavy wood bats became good or even above average hitters by using aluminum/composite bats and Linear hitting.
During all this, fastpitch softball experienced a rebirth as a game for women and girls. Fastpitch softball was originally played with wood bats, and Rotational hitting was the dominant method for both women and men playing the game. In fact, relatively few women played fastpitch until the 1970's.
As young ladies took up the game, they used aluminum and composite bats, for the same reason their male counterparts were. Most of their coaches were men -- dads -- who were enthusiastically embracing the cutting-edge Linear hitting movement. So most ladies learned Linear hitting, which tends to create more grounders as we'll see.
Linear Versus Rotational
So what's the difference between Linear and Rotational hitting? Andy Collins has a pretty good definition of Linear hitting: "Linear hitting is a hitting style that has been used for many years in fast pitch softball and by many little league coaches, some high school, college, and even minor league baseball coaches who still prefer this method of hitting instruction.
"It is used to achieve solid contact hitting, producing... sharply hit ground balls which are designed to shoot through the drawn-in infielders on the hard dirt surfaces of softball (and astroturf surfaces in baseball). It is especially useful in slap hitting (fast runners who hit it on the ground and beat it out to first base).
"Baseball players who use this style, do so especially when they use the ultra light aluminum bats and... if they play on artificial surfaces."
A Linear hitter will normally hit ground balls. Most Linear coaches teach "hit the top half of the ball," and "swing down," which naturally produces grounders. They also teach "lead with the hands" or "take the knob (or hands) to the ball," and to set up with most of your weight on the back foot and then shift your weight to the front foot as you swing. All of these work together to lengthen the swing (producing slower bat speed and therefore less power) and cause a lot of ground balls.
Since softball infields are clay (a hard surface), and the bases are relatively close together -- and so the infielders are close to the batter and have less time to react to the ball to field it -- if you hit a ground ball hard enough, you will get on base. So Linear hitters can be very successful.
Linear hitting works really well when playing against younger or less accomplished fielders and pitchers. But as the defense gets better, whether it's because the ladies at the level you've been at are more mature physically and more experienced fielding balls, or if it's because you're moving up from the Silver division to the Gold, fewer and fewer ground balls get through for hits.
And as the pitching gets faster, Linear hitters often struggle to get the bat around quickly enough, hitting more and more weak grounders to the opposite side. If you get a chance to watch Division 1 college softball games, you'll really see this happening. The lightweight bats allowed in softball go a long way in addressing the problem of slow batspeed. However, when you get to the very top level of competition at a given age, Linear hitters often struggle.
Also, if you are doing a correct Linear swing and happen to hit the middle or lower half of the ball, you will create backspin on the ball - which will usually result in a pop up or a very slow grounder. Slap hitting, a variation of Linear, can help overcome these problems. An accomplished Slapper can place the ball very accurately, and so, "hit 'em where they ain't," as baseball legend Wee Willie Keeler said 120 years ago (Willie was a Linear hitter, like all ballplayers of his time).
Rotational hitting emphasizes even weight balance, leading with the hips, using the legs, hips and torso muscles to produce a short, compact swing, and hitting the center of the ball. These combine to create more bat speed than Linear hitting can, and because the intention is to hit the middle of the ball, it produces many more line drives. No one swings perfectly every single time, so of course, there will be ground balls and pop ups, just as with Linear, but overall, there is more power, and many more balls hit in the air to the outfield. And, because the swing is faster, ground balls are normally hit harder than with Linear -- and so are more likely to get past the infielders for hits.
Perhaps the biggest problem with Rotational hitting is that many people who have very little understanding of it try, with the best of intentions, to teach it. They often combine bits of Linear with a partial understanding of Rotational, with horrible results. Some have grasped portions of the Rotational, and teach what they know. Their results are very uneven. Some hitters do fairly well with this partial swing, most do no better than with Linear, and some don't have any success.
Mike Epstein, former MLB baseball player, and the person credited with coining the phrase "Rotational Hitting," ask the question, "Do we coach what we REALLY see?" Very few coaches take the time to do the frame-by-frame video analysis of great softball and baseball hitters to see all of the components of a productive Rotational swing. (Epstein's hitting course is one of the better ones available. Thousands of players have benefitted from his instruction.)
What a Rotational Swing Looks Like
The photos at batting.wordpress.com in the Nov. 5 post, "The Best Hitter on the Planet?" show how the key components of Jessica Mendoza's swing work together to make her such a great hitter. A true Rotational hitter. You may see that it's very different from what most local coaches teach, even those who call their style of hitting "Rotational." (In her 5-minute video lessons on YouTube, even Mendoza teaches something very different from the way she actually hits! It seems to me that her using Linear hitting phrases -- "shift your weight," and "take your hands to the ball" -- can be confusing to most players, because Mendoza doesn't do these things in a Linear way at all, as you can see in the photos.)
Mendoza keeps her hands back and high as she begins her swing. As she takes a very small step, her entire body moves slightly toward the pitcher (the "weight shift"), but her weight is balanced equally on both feet. Her hips begin to rotate as she brings her back hand down slightly. Her front foot pivots. Keeping her elbows close to her body, the hip rotation brings her bat around at very high speed. Her wrists remain in the same position as at the beginning of the swing.
Her back shoulder moves lower (how much lower depends on the pitch -- if it had been high in the strike zone, the back shoulder would have lowered less, but still would have "dipped"). At contact, both elbows are in an "L" position, head directly on the ball. At the moment of contact, the front knee is straight, the back knee in almost an "L" position. The bat extends straight from her lead arm, looking as if it is part of her arm.
The elbows remain in the "L" until well into her follow-through. Her back hand remains on the bat until the swing is 98% finished.
That's how the best fastpitch hitter in the game does it. And the ball is on a powerful line drive trajectory. If you can get a look at Crystl Busto, the most powerful fastpitch hitter who every played, you'll see that her swing is the same. If you can find video of Stacey Nuveman from 2004-2007, you'll see the same swing. If you look at the Texas A&M team, nearly everyone has the same swing as Jessica Mendoza.
Is One Better Than the Other?
In the fastpitch softball community, the discussion over the two styles is often very heated, and passions frequently run high. Often people are so emotional about their chosen method that they cannot see that both have a place. But look at the 2006-2009 USA National Softball teams. The ladies who made up the team were deemed to be the best players in the US at the time. Both methods of hitting were represented on the team, and they won 3 World Championships and a Silver Medal in the Olympics. Clearly there is room for both Linear and Rotational hitting.
What to Look for in a Coach
In general, everyone who teaches Linear hitting teaches the same principles and the same swing. While each coach will have their own way of teaching it, there is a great uniformity in Linear instruction. A player will get the same advice and tweaking of her swing, but perhaps with different words used from coach to coach.
Unfortunately, while Rotational hitting is fairly simple and straightforward, many coaches haven't really learned the components of the swing. Simply latching onto key words and phrases, they teach what sounds like Rotational hitting to them and the player. Of course, this doesn't produce a sound swing, and causes many to abandon and reject Rotational hitting. Those who have learned Mike Epstein's system can teach a pretty effective swing. Jack Mankin has taught many coaches how to teach the swing used by Mendoza and nearly every Major League Baseball Hall of Fame member.
Even worse than those who teach Rotational hitting without understanding it, are those who try to combine the two methods. This simply doesn't work, except for a very few extremely gifted athletes whose hand-eye coordination is so superior they can overcome this disastrous combination swing. Avoid this swing at all costs!
Use the photos at batting.wordpress.com and the description above of Mendoza's swing to guide you in finding a Rotational hitting coach. These are the fundamental elements of the swing, and each is crucial. Ask the coach to describe the components they teach. If it sounds very different, move on to someone else. If it sounds similar, ask more questions. Be sure they are teaching what you see in these photos. This particular swing is about as perfect a Rotational swing as humanly possible.
In the End, It's a Choice You Have to Make
As we said, there is a place for both Linear and Rotational hitting in fastpitch softball. However, as they move up in skill levels, Linear hitters will find it increasingly difficult to achieve the greatest possible success at the plate.
The best hitter in fastpitch, Jessica Mendoza, is a Rotational hitter. So are Crystl Busto, Stacey Nuveman, and many of the best players in the US. More and more top Division 1 college softball coaches are adopting Rotational hitting for their teams.
The method has been around for nearly a hundred years and is proven to be very effective. If you're serious about taking your game as far as you can, if you dream of playing college softball or even playing for your national team (and why NOT dream that?), you should look into Rotational hitting. But try to be sure you find a coach who really understands this simple method and knows how to teach it.
Whatever you choose, keep practicing, especially in the off-season, keep working hard at getting better, but also take some breaks from the game! Don't get burned out on the game you love!!
©2009 Joseph M. White
Now in his 17th season as a youth softball and baseball coach; also a hitting coach and fastpitch pitching coach. His long experience studying all aspects of the game, and teaching hundreds of boys and girls how to play, and play better, gives him unique insights and enables him to effectively convey game skills to players, coaches, and parents.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_M_White
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Monday, July 18, 2011
Baseball or Fastpitch Softball Hitting Drill - Hands to the Ball
Baseball or Fastpitch Softball Hitting Drill - Hands to the Ball
By guest author: Jim Moyer
The dreaded Golf Swing is a common problem for Softball players. You know what I'm talking about, the player consistently misses below the ball by four or five inches. You have talked to them about taking their hands straight to the ball and about swinging level, yet time after time they are underneath the ball. You finally decide the girl is a complete moron and is unable to process the valuable information you are giving her or you determine that she must enjoy bringing you pain and misery.
Your Hitter is probably into the pain and misery he/she is causing you, but on the outside chance that's it's just a bad batting habit you should try this Hands to the Ball drill.
During your next batting practice, place your hitting tee directly behind home plate (touching the back corner of the plate) and pull the tee up to about mid-thigh. Now when the girl swings she must take her hands and bat over the tee without hitting the tee. Now break out the pitching machine and start throwing batting practice. If she drops her hands or the bat head she will hit the tee. Aaaahhhhh, success! Now she can process what you have been telling her for so long. It really won't take too many swings for her to correct the problem, however you may need to do this hitting drill at several batting practices.
This same procedure can be used in soft toss or in hitting from a tee. Just place a hitting tee behind the home plate so he/she can't drop her hands without hitting the back tee.
I have to admit, the first few swings are hysterical. The player thinks the coach is crazy for putting a tee behind her. In her mind you are NUTS thinking she is going to hit the tee. Then on that first pitch when she sends the tee tumbling forward the hitter will have a look of complete astonishment and disbelief. By the third or fourth swing a look of total disgust will have replaced the disbelief. By the sixth or seventh swing the player will finally own up to having poor hitting mechanics. Now, she is making real progress. Just like any 10 Step corrective plan, the first step is to admit there is a problem.
If you have a player with a great golf swing, it may take several sessions to re-train her muscles to swing correctly. Just stick with this drill. The player will absolutely hate hitting that tee and will be working very hard to correct the problem. In all of my years of coaching fastpitch softball and baseball, I have found this to be the single best drill for correcting the "golf swing" strikeouts.
Should she continue to hit the tee, she may very well just enjoy watching you pull your hair out. :-) Then again, you may be ruining the next Tiger Woods. But this isn't a golf team, it's Baseball or Fastpitch Softball and you need hitters, not golfers.
Jim Moyer is the author of http://www.mysoftballcoach.com Having coached over 500 youth fastpitch softball games, Jim decided to put the information online to allow parent/coaches to draw on his unique experience. See http://www.mysoftballcoach.com/play-softball.html for more fastpitch softball tips, drills and essential coaching strategies.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Moyer
=====================
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By guest author: Jim Moyer
The dreaded Golf Swing is a common problem for Softball players. You know what I'm talking about, the player consistently misses below the ball by four or five inches. You have talked to them about taking their hands straight to the ball and about swinging level, yet time after time they are underneath the ball. You finally decide the girl is a complete moron and is unable to process the valuable information you are giving her or you determine that she must enjoy bringing you pain and misery.
Your Hitter is probably into the pain and misery he/she is causing you, but on the outside chance that's it's just a bad batting habit you should try this Hands to the Ball drill.
During your next batting practice, place your hitting tee directly behind home plate (touching the back corner of the plate) and pull the tee up to about mid-thigh. Now when the girl swings she must take her hands and bat over the tee without hitting the tee. Now break out the pitching machine and start throwing batting practice. If she drops her hands or the bat head she will hit the tee. Aaaahhhhh, success! Now she can process what you have been telling her for so long. It really won't take too many swings for her to correct the problem, however you may need to do this hitting drill at several batting practices.
This same procedure can be used in soft toss or in hitting from a tee. Just place a hitting tee behind the home plate so he/she can't drop her hands without hitting the back tee.
I have to admit, the first few swings are hysterical. The player thinks the coach is crazy for putting a tee behind her. In her mind you are NUTS thinking she is going to hit the tee. Then on that first pitch when she sends the tee tumbling forward the hitter will have a look of complete astonishment and disbelief. By the third or fourth swing a look of total disgust will have replaced the disbelief. By the sixth or seventh swing the player will finally own up to having poor hitting mechanics. Now, she is making real progress. Just like any 10 Step corrective plan, the first step is to admit there is a problem.
If you have a player with a great golf swing, it may take several sessions to re-train her muscles to swing correctly. Just stick with this drill. The player will absolutely hate hitting that tee and will be working very hard to correct the problem. In all of my years of coaching fastpitch softball and baseball, I have found this to be the single best drill for correcting the "golf swing" strikeouts.
Should she continue to hit the tee, she may very well just enjoy watching you pull your hair out. :-) Then again, you may be ruining the next Tiger Woods. But this isn't a golf team, it's Baseball or Fastpitch Softball and you need hitters, not golfers.
Jim Moyer is the author of http://www.mysoftballcoach.com Having coached over 500 youth fastpitch softball games, Jim decided to put the information online to allow parent/coaches to draw on his unique experience. See http://www.mysoftballcoach.com/play-softball.html for more fastpitch softball tips, drills and essential coaching strategies.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Moyer
=====================
Thanks to our sponsors:

SoftballrUs.com/FastpitchSoftballSupply.com is the ultimate online fastpitch softball online store. SoftballrUs.com has Batting Trainers,Pitching Training, Training Bats,Defensive Training Equipment,Coaching DVDs & Books, Softball Pitching Machines, Softball Complete Net & Frame Batting Cage Packages, Batting Cage Nets, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, and BatAction Hitting Machines, and much, much more. Visit Softballrus.com now!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Coach a Team, Not a Star

Coach a Team, Not a Star
By Stacie Mahoe
When you begin holding practices for a new season, it's tempting, as a coach, to identify and the strongest players and really work with them and move at their pace.
However, focusing in on just a handful of talented individuals sends a clear message to the rest of the team. It says that you care most about the win and the rest of them are largely immaterial to your plans. These kids end up arriving at practice everyday feeling like practice dummies set up just to support the all-stars of the team. Feeling like practice was not made for them - they just can't keep up.
Make practice easier on you and use a "cookie cutter" approach to each player. Or, do what's best for each person on your team and take the time to help them all progress as much as possible. Every player on the field needs to benefit from equal amounts of training from day one. Each player must feel like they personally benefit from every practice and bring something to the team that is valued by the coaching staff. No matter the skill level each player has a role. Each player can contribute. It's your job to bring that out of them.
If Hollywood has taught us anything about sports, in movies like 'Remember the Titans' and 'Friday Night Lights' it's that putting all of your eggs into one basket is bad strategy. Your success as a coach should rise and fall on your team, not on one or two superstars.
How can you avoid making this classic coaching mistake? Start with your words.
Sit down with your coaching staff ahead of time and lay out your expectations for the season. Let them know that you will identify strengths in each player but, as a staff, you will not verbally or otherwise classify players in a way that causes any one player to stand out above the rest or causes another player to stand out for lack of ability.
And, this is important: the "gag rule" applies on the field and off.
By presenting a united front and lifting up the value of the team as a whole, you send a message to players, parents, and spectators alike.
As a coach, you will provide positive feed back and do have to offer criticism when it's due. But hear the difference between these comments:
"You picked that up very well, good job!" or "Yes! You're the best player we've ever had!"
"That was a little slow; let's be a little quicker next time" or "What's the matter with you? Do you have molasses in your blood?"
The first examples are straight forward and to the point, giving credit where it's due and acknowledging a short fall when necessary. The second examples are inappropriate and extreme. You may feel that an exceptional player deserves a few extra strokes but if she is especially skilled, you can be sure that she knows it already. Players that struggle are equally aware of how they fall short. You don't need to embarrass them in front of an audience.
You'll be amazed at how changing how you speak about your team affects how the team responds to you, to your staff, and to each other. I know as a coach it feels so good to just rail into players when they play horribly. But I've personally played under both types of coaches. The type that let's you hear it every time you mess up and rarely gives you more than a lift of the head of you do what you're supposed to; and the type that doesn't yell, uses constructive criticism, and acknowledges good plays and a job well done. I never learned or grew more as a player than I did under that non-yelling coach. Remember, a player that feels respected and valued works harder than a practice dummy any day of the week.
by Stacie Mahoe
Owner of All About Fastpitch
Pick up Stacie’s Free "Special Report" on Coaching
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stacie_Mahoe
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Thursday, November 12, 2009
Quick and Effective Softball Hitting Tips
By Marc Dagenais
Whether you're a softball coach or player, you're probably aware that it takes a lot of time and dedication to be the best that you can ever be. Even the world's top coaches and players had to start from scratch like everyone else.
But we have to admit that there are also times when we simply can't spend too much time learning something. Take for example a situation wherein your best pitcher was injured, and therefore, your secondary pitcher should step up. You could spend an entire season refining her technique. But it would also help if you have a quick remedy to the situation under your sleeve.
That's why I came up with these quick yet effective softball hitting tips. I made this for coaches and players who need something quick and easy to implement to help step up their game.
1. Train with the Overload/Underload Training Protocol. Doing this training protocol helps increase your bat swing by 2-3 mph. To do this, you need 3 bats of different weights: 1 regular bat, 1 heavy bat, and 1 light bat. As a rule of thumb, the heavy and light bat should be around 15-20% more or less of the regular bat's weight.
First, you swing the heavy bat 10 times, then, the light bat 10 times. Finally, pick up the regular bat and try to replicate the bat speed you achieved with the light bat for another 10 swings. Perform this set 3 times.
To achieve maximum results, I recommend you do this training protocol 2-3 times per week for 6-8 weeks. You will, then, notice a 2-3 increase in your bat speed after that.
2. Swing with a regular bat on the deck. Contrary to popular belief, swinging with a heavy bat on the deck actually slows down your bat speed. That's why I recommend you swing with a regular bat, or a bat that's 2-3 oz. lighter than the regular one.
The reason for this is that, what you're after is to loosen your muscles before stepping on the plate, and not to strengthen your muscles. So again, swing with a regular bat when you're on the deck, not a heavy one.
3. Approach the plate with confidence. Nothing speaks louder on your lack of confidence than the way you approach the plate. If you're slouching and dragging your bat to the plate, then, you're telling the opposing team that you're an easy prey.
Therefore, I suggest that you approach the plate with an air of confidence. Stand upright and look the pitcher in the eye. Chances are, the pitcher will be more afraid of you than you are of her.
So if you're looking for quick and easy tips to improve your game or that of your players, I'm sure these three tips I shared with you will do just that.
But don't just depend on these softball hitting tips. I recommend that you also come up with a long term solution to your situation to put your game to an ever higher gear than you're playing now.
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

SoftballrUs.com/FastpitchSoftballSupply.com is the ultimate online fastpitch softball online store. SoftballrUs.com has Batting Trainers,Pitching Training, Training Bats,Defensive Training Equipment,Coaching DVDs & Books, Softball Pitching Machines, Softball Complete Net & Frame Batting Cage Packages, Batting Cage Nets, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, and BatAction Hitting Machines, and much, much more. Visit Softballrus.com now!
Whether you're a softball coach or player, you're probably aware that it takes a lot of time and dedication to be the best that you can ever be. Even the world's top coaches and players had to start from scratch like everyone else.
But we have to admit that there are also times when we simply can't spend too much time learning something. Take for example a situation wherein your best pitcher was injured, and therefore, your secondary pitcher should step up. You could spend an entire season refining her technique. But it would also help if you have a quick remedy to the situation under your sleeve.
That's why I came up with these quick yet effective softball hitting tips. I made this for coaches and players who need something quick and easy to implement to help step up their game.
1. Train with the Overload/Underload Training Protocol. Doing this training protocol helps increase your bat swing by 2-3 mph. To do this, you need 3 bats of different weights: 1 regular bat, 1 heavy bat, and 1 light bat. As a rule of thumb, the heavy and light bat should be around 15-20% more or less of the regular bat's weight.
First, you swing the heavy bat 10 times, then, the light bat 10 times. Finally, pick up the regular bat and try to replicate the bat speed you achieved with the light bat for another 10 swings. Perform this set 3 times.
To achieve maximum results, I recommend you do this training protocol 2-3 times per week for 6-8 weeks. You will, then, notice a 2-3 increase in your bat speed after that.
2. Swing with a regular bat on the deck. Contrary to popular belief, swinging with a heavy bat on the deck actually slows down your bat speed. That's why I recommend you swing with a regular bat, or a bat that's 2-3 oz. lighter than the regular one.
The reason for this is that, what you're after is to loosen your muscles before stepping on the plate, and not to strengthen your muscles. So again, swing with a regular bat when you're on the deck, not a heavy one.
3. Approach the plate with confidence. Nothing speaks louder on your lack of confidence than the way you approach the plate. If you're slouching and dragging your bat to the plate, then, you're telling the opposing team that you're an easy prey.
Therefore, I suggest that you approach the plate with an air of confidence. Stand upright and look the pitcher in the eye. Chances are, the pitcher will be more afraid of you than you are of her.
So if you're looking for quick and easy tips to improve your game or that of your players, I'm sure these three tips I shared with you will do just that.
But don't just depend on these softball hitting tips. I recommend that you also come up with a long term solution to your situation to put your game to an ever higher gear than you're playing now.
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

SoftballrUs.com/FastpitchSoftballSupply.com is the ultimate online fastpitch softball online store. SoftballrUs.com has Batting Trainers,Pitching Training, Training Bats,Defensive Training Equipment,Coaching DVDs & Books, Softball Pitching Machines, Softball Complete Net & Frame Batting Cage Packages, Batting Cage Nets, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, and BatAction Hitting Machines, and much, much more. Visit Softballrus.com now!
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