Anti-Slap Hitting Coach.....

doublenickel said:

A good slapper not only puts pressure on a defense but also can drive up the pitch count on a pitcher. I think slapping should be treated as bunting and if you foul a third strike slap it should be an out.

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I totally agree.

One thing we found out about slapping is it pays to go over the infield to see how hard it is. Our slappers batting average almost doubles on a hard surface vs a litter box. Soft infields limit the slappers ability to bounce the ball very High.at that point you are either power slapping over third or drag bunting making it allot easier to set up the D for the slapper. But all in all love having slappers. great weapon's.also sets the tone of what kind of threat you pose as a team.

doublenickel said:

A good slapper not only puts pressure on a defense but also can drive up the pitch count on a pitcher. I think slapping should be treated as bunting and if you foul a third strike slap it should be an out.

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I totally disagree. A slap isn't a bunt and shouldn't be treated that way. A slap is a hit. Never seen a bunt go deep in the OF or for a home run.

Would you also want a walking RHB to be out if they fouled the third strike?

A effective hitter that can slap is a major threat and tough out. No wonder a lot of coaches don't like slapping!

IMO, to be an effective slapper, you have to be able to drag, soft slap, and power slap. If not they become a one dimensional hitter that can be defended. Again, IMO the real way to go is to be able to do all three phases of slapping and also effectively hit away too.

I have only coached at the rec. level but my daughter is playing her first year of 10U ASA travel ball, so my experience is limited. I have found, however, that the girls on our team trying slapping don't seem to be having much success. Most of them can't hit well yet with their feet firmly planted let alone trying to hit while they are running. It seems much easier to me to hit a line drive than slap. Running while the ball is coming at you (and often breaking) seems tough. I thought the D1 game was moving away from slapping and more toward a power game, but I can't remember where I heard that. Nonetheless, I like the idea of challenging the conventional wisdom. If a girl can consistently hit the ball while running toward 1st, that is a pretty effective strategy to get on base, but I have some doubts that there are that many players (at least at the lower levels) that can do it.

Eugene Stryke said:

I have only coached at the rec. level but my daughter is playing her first year of 10U ASA travel ball, so my experience is limited. I have found, however, that the girls on our team trying slapping don't seem to be having much success. Most of them can't hit well yet with their feet firmly planted let alone trying to hit while they are running. It seems much easier to me to hit a line drive than slap. Running while the ball is coming at you (and often breaking) seems tough. I thought the D1 game was moving away from slapping and more toward a power game, but I can't remember where I heard that. Nonetheless, I like the idea of challenging the conventional wisdom. If a girl can consistently hit the ball while running toward 1st, that is a pretty effective strategy to get on base, but I have some doubts that there are that many players (at least at the lower levels) that can do it.

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Wait until you see some of those same girls at 12U or 14U and the 16U. At least some of them are going to get really, really good at it. Of course, it takes a lot of practice to become an effective slapper. You are witnessing the early stages where it seems nonsensical.

If I'm coaching I want my number one hitter to get on base a lot. I don't care how they do it. If they are a good slapper or if they just get up and hammer the ball, I really don't care. I see so many teams that just fire up a slapper number 1 and all I can think of is we start the game with 1 out. I think some coaches just fall in love with the fact that you can hit a chopper to SS and beat it out versus some other kids who just gets base hits. Once you get on first it doesn't matter how you got there.

canyonjoe said:

If I'm coaching I want my number one hitter to get on base a lot. I don't care how they do it. If they are a good slapper or if they just get up and hammer the ball, I really don't care. I see so many teams that just fire up a slapper number 1 and all I can think of is we start the game with 1 out. I think some coaches just fall in love with the fact that you can hit a chopper to SS and beat it out versus some other kids who just gets base hits. Once you get on first it doesn't matter how you got there.

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At one point we were considering changing my oldest daughter over to the left side and, maybe, make her a slapper. She has good but not great speed and her future with it was limited. What knocked all ideas of converting to the left side is that this year she's batting around .500 with an OBP close to .700 and has some pop in her bat. She is the lead off hitter and, more than likely, is a better lead off hitter than most slappers.

We have no thoughts of converting my youngest daughter who bats left handed into a slapper. She has about the same BA as her older sister with a similar OBP but has even more pop in her bat.

I think that one must strongly consider whether trying to convert a girl into a slapper is a good idea or not. It's not for everyone.

One point most of you are missing. Slappers are normally very fast. Softball is not baseball, so it does make a difference who gets on first base. If my dd got on first.
1. She was going to steal
2. The batter that was up could expect not to see a change up and could set on a fast ball.
So slappers with speed change everything. Slapping is not easy, but to be good at it plan on a ton of practice and learn to hit, bunt, drag bunt, slap. Good D1 teams have slappers. You really don't start seeing good slappers till you play elite travel teams and they start at 14U. DD started at 12u and you could count on one had the number you faced in a tourney, with most only able to bunt and slap.

Im the dad of a slapper, so I will readily admit im biased on the slap. The slap is an awesome skill to have. Sadly, very few are skilled at it. DD just turned 14, so we are 1st yr 14u...we started slapping LAST season full time, and began the conversion from rt around Aug of '11. Anyone with experience in slapping will tell you it will be a yr BEFORE things begin to fully come together.Last season was painful to watch at times, but we had good coaches who understood the process. Most believe that being on the left side and moving thru the box to hit a pitched ball is slapping...wrong! That is not nearly enough. In my opinion, slappers have to be your smartest/most disciplined hitters. Speed is great, but not nearly enough..especially as you get older. They have to do more. They need to be able to survey the defense, pay attention to runners, and find a pitch they can hit to a location that they want. If they decide that the hole they want happens to be in rt field, then they need to find that pitch that they can grab, or be good enough foul off (from another post) until they get a pitch that works. It takes time, discipline, and a lot of work in practice to get to that point.
I believe slapping at a young age is a waste of time for the most part. I think 2nd yr 12u is about right. There are just too many mental things going on...I just dont believe that a 10 yr old has the ability to recogonize pitch location and do what they need to with it..other than bunt. Im sure they are out there, but im thinking if they do that at 10u..no need to convert to a slapper..least not yet. As far as colleges getting away from slappers...personally, I dont see it happening. What we are seeing is colleges getting away from full time slappers. These days, if you slap..you need to be able to bring the big stick too. I do not believe you need to be able to hit over the fence...but you need power to at least be close. This is what the young slappers need to learn...bunt, soft slap, power slap, hit away, and do so picking your locations...just like every other good hitter. Its not a trick or a gimmick. ..you get out what you put in. Oh, and you will have to work twice as hard as any hitter on the team because you need to perfect both slap and swing away. Only working 1x per week for 30 min will not get you even close..just the usual groundout to 2nd..