The intentional duck snort - Tons of softball drills, softball tips, and advice on softball hitting, softball pitching, coaching softball, softball training, and more.

kenkrause · 07-15-2008, 03:31 AM

This is an idea I've been toying with for some time now. How many games have you seen where the deciding hit was not a big blast or a sharp ground ball but what's often called a duck snort, Texas leaguer or blooper -- one of those weak, annoying hits that falls just out of reach of the infielders? Too often, probably, especially if you've been on the receiving end of it.

So I'm wondering: Why don't we teach hitters to hit duck snorts intentionally? If you see the outfield is playing deep and the infield is playing at normal depth, a ball lofted weakly just out of reach of the infielders ought to put you on base every time.

Slappers are taught to do this. If the infield plays in and the outfield doesn't, good slappers will try to lift the ball to the edge of the skin. Why not regular hitters?

I saw this up close over the weekend. We were in a semi-final game on a field with about a 200 foot fence. We drove a half dozen or more balls to or close to the warning track, but the outfield was playing back. If we had the bat control to just stick the bat out and drop it short into the outfield, perhaps we'd have gotten a few more runners on base and forced the outfield to come in, thereby opening things up deep.

Consider it a modified bunt. Only instead of dropping it short in the infield you're trying to drop it short in the outfield.

I haven't seen it done much if it all. But it sure seems like it would make sense. Don't you think?

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straightleg · 08-03-2008, 12:05 AM

Small ball

3-4 of those hits will change the way the defense is playing

Straightleg

SBFAMILY · 08-04-2008, 03:53 PM

You see many of the elite West teams do this. In the Midwest they are still trying to figure out how to teach slapping! I have a dd that has been taught at 14 to read what the defense gives her. Bunt,Slap, Drag, or I call this the punch slap right over the head of the infielder playing in. It's all about getting on base and then using the speed to play havoc with the defense to score runs. Coaches just don't teach or understand the short game in the Midwest. It's all about power and they wonder why they can't beat the elite West coast teams. 14U Nationals in Texas this year had some very good teams with slappers that dominated the rest of the teams. They won playing the short game.

bgecoach · 08-06-2008, 02:18 AM

i actually saw a lot of duck snorts hit off of our change-ups this summer. a lot of teams were really good adjusting to popping those DSs out there after they had their weight too far forward to get any power. want to talk about deflating... you've just put two strikes on a power hitter, she's bit on the change-up big time but she gets her bat on it and just pops it out there

the key to being a good short game team is SPEED-SPEED-SPEED... we got burned pretty good by a really nice team the last game this summer. we played this team about three weeks ago and i started my #2 pitcher and they just teed off on her. well it took them four innings to figure out they couldn't do this to our #1 pitcher so they went to the short game. they bunted probably 3 out of four batters and their speed just killed us. we just couldn't cover the bunts and make the throws in time. my regular 1st baseman tore her knee up and was out and my 3rd just doesn't have the feilding mechanics to handle the kind of quickness this team had. it was really nice to watch, horrible to play against, but nice to watch.

kenkrause · 08-06-2008, 04:14 AM

Yeah, the unintentional ones really kill you. It's one thing to be beaten by more skilled players. It's another to have less skilled players just plain get lucky.

Speed is definitely an asset when you have it. Unfortunately, my team doesn't, and it doesn't have size either. Most of our players are under 5' 6", and I don't think any of them are close to 3.0 speed. Maybe 3.2 tops. Definitely makes things a challenge. If you're not hitting, the bunt only works if you can get up the line quickly. Or the other team isn't that good at fielding it.

07-15-2008, 03:31 AM	#1 (permalink)
kenkrause Super Moderator Join Date: May 2008 Location: Mundelein, IL Posts: 221	The intentional duck snort This is an idea I've been toying with for some time now. How many games have you seen where the deciding hit was not a big blast or a sharp ground ball but what's often called a duck snort, Texas leaguer or blooper -- one of those weak, annoying hits that falls just out of reach of the infielders? Too often, probably, especially if you've been on the receiving end of it. So I'm wondering: Why don't we teach hitters to hit duck snorts intentionally? If you see the outfield is playing deep and the infield is playing at normal depth, a ball lofted weakly just out of reach of the infielders ought to put you on base every time. Slappers are taught to do this. If the infield plays in and the outfield doesn't, good slappers will try to lift the ball to the edge of the skin. Why not regular hitters? I saw this up close over the weekend. We were in a semi-final game on a field with about a 200 foot fence. We drove a half dozen or more balls to or close to the warning track, but the outfield was playing back. If we had the bat control to just stick the bat out and drop it short into the outfield, perhaps we'd have gotten a few more runners on base and forced the outfield to come in, thereby opening things up deep. Consider it a modified bunt. Only instead of dropping it short in the infield you're trying to drop it short in the outfield. I haven't seen it done much if it all. But it sure seems like it would make sense. Don't you think? More... __________________ Mundelein Thunder 18U Danes Fastpitch Contributing editor, Softball Magazine Life in the Fastpitch Lane

08-03-2008, 12:05 AM	#2 (permalink)
straightleg Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 53	Small ball 3-4 of those hits will change the way the defense is playing Straightleg __________________ If you do what you always did, you get what you always got.

08-06-2008, 04:14 AM	#5 (permalink)
kenkrause Super Moderator Join Date: May 2008 Location: Mundelein, IL Posts: 221	Yeah, the unintentional ones really kill you. It's one thing to be beaten by more skilled players. It's another to have less skilled players just plain get lucky. Speed is definitely an asset when you have it. Unfortunately, my team doesn't, and it doesn't have size either. Most of our players are under 5' 6", and I don't think any of them are close to 3.0 speed. Maybe 3.2 tops. Definitely makes things a challenge. If you're not hitting, the bunt only works if you can get up the line quickly. Or the other team isn't that good at fielding it. __________________ Mundelein Thunder 18U Danes Fastpitch Contributing editor, Softball Magazine Life in the Fastpitch Lane

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08-04-2008, 03:53 PM	#3 (permalink)
SBFAMILY Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Lexington,Ohio Posts: 29	You see many of the elite West teams do this. In the Midwest they are still trying to figure out how to teach slapping! I have a dd that has been taught at 14 to read what the defense gives her. Bunt,Slap, Drag, or I call this the punch slap right over the head of the infielder playing in. It's all about getting on base and then using the speed to play havoc with the defense to score runs. Coaches just don't teach or understand the short game in the Midwest. It's all about power and they wonder why they can't beat the elite West coast teams. 14U Nationals in Texas this year had some very good teams with slappers that dominated the rest of the teams. They won playing the short game.

08-06-2008, 02:18 AM	#4 (permalink)
bgecoach 1st base coach Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: in the dugout Posts: 65	i actually saw a lot of duck snorts hit off of our change-ups this summer. a lot of teams were really good adjusting to popping those DSs out there after they had their weight too far forward to get any power. want to talk about deflating... you've just put two strikes on a power hitter, she's bit on the change-up big time but she gets her bat on it and just pops it out there the key to being a good short game team is SPEED-SPEED-SPEED... we got burned pretty good by a really nice team the last game this summer. we played this team about three weeks ago and i started my #2 pitcher and they just teed off on her. well it took them four innings to figure out they couldn't do this to our #1 pitcher so they went to the short game. they bunted probably 3 out of four batters and their speed just killed us. we just couldn't cover the bunts and make the throws in time. my regular 1st baseman tore her knee up and was out and my 3rd just doesn't have the feilding mechanics to handle the kind of quickness this team had. it was really nice to watch, horrible to play against, but nice to watch.