As a base coach I make sure ball isn't coming at me first, then I find the fielder and move the opposite direction as them. Over throws from one fielder to another are more difficult to manage, especially if you are watching the runner silde/dive into your base. I try to avoid as best as...
Funny, we setup everyone in the very back of the box so we have more time to see the ball, and lay off of the bad ones.
Many strategies can work, it is all what you practice and prepare for.
Batting .425 with lots of extra bases means you should keep doing whatever she has been doing.
I coach 14U TB, and MS ball this year. For TB, all of our players are looking at playing softball in HS, and most are looking at playing in college. At 13, 14 and 15 I realize that could definitely change as the years go by.
My practice schedule for MS is Mon-Friday 2 hour practices. We...
For most of my infielders, in both high school and travel, they use Akadema ABH 99 11.5" gloves. We get them from the Akadema rep for $20 to $25 bucks each, so we usually buy 5 or 10 each time. They are a little prone to string breakage, but only after tons of use. Most of our infielders are...
There is no right or wrong answer to this question, because it depends on your team's talent levels at each position. That is why you see different defense's from different teams.
Step 1 is to identify your team's strengths and weaknesses position by position, step 2 is determine the same for...
I used to coach youth football, and we ran no huddle with 3 panel wrist coaches, using a color and number combination. Colors were across the top, and numbers were down the left side. I would call 1 color and a 3 number combo, 532 let's say, only 1 number is live. So if the first number is...
As previously mentioned, there are many options. Right handed or left handed thrower? Where is the ball hit, in relation to where the fielder started? How fast did the fielder gain possession of the ball? In which direction was the fielder moving when they gained possesion of the ball? In...
My daughter is a slapper first and foremost, so power isn't an essential tool for her. At 11 we bought a 32" -12, which she used for the last 2 years. I just bought a Synge 33" -11.5 as a backup plan, she has been using it with no noticeable changes slapping or swinging away. Power and...
I want to think that travel ball is a step up from rec ball, not always the case, but IMO travel should be a step up. That being said, you need to get better at coaching; teaching techniques for every position, strategies, practice planning, batting, base running, pitching. You need to be...
If anyone is fielding a grounder, inside of their body, and not taking the ball out of the glove until their chest or head, they are entirely too slow. For a true grounder that rolls into the glove directly from the ground, I want the ball out of their glove by the time their hands are belly...
As a TB coach I know that some of the girls at my tryouts won't be joining my team, for whatever reason. That's why I evaluate everyone at my tryout, including the returning players. This year the best girl at my tryout had absolutely no intention of leaving her team. That didn't bother me at...
It doesn't matter whether you start out swinging, or slapping, from the left side first. Just stay committed and put in the work and she can be successful. It will take some game at bats before she will be consistent either way. Just stay the course.
My daughter also switched to lefty at age...
My organization uses our winter workouts almost exclusively for technique; throwing, fielding, pitching, catching, and batting.
I think the most important thing to do when you are working on technique is to slow the player down. When they move at 80% or higher speeds trying to change a...
There are couple of other threads on this forum with some good information.
http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-hitting-technical/5554-slapping-resources.html
http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-hitting-practical/7257-slap-hitting-tips.html
If you can find the Tennessee Slap Attack...