How many types of slap hits are there?

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obbay

Banned
Aug 21, 2008
2,199
0
Boston, MA
I heard DD's coach the other day answering a girl's question about "what is slap hitting". In his response he only described one type which is the pound it into the ground so hard it bounces high and hangs in the air long enough for you to get to first.

I remember recently on this board someone had mentioned something about a dozen or more types of slaps. could you go over these as I'd like to know and let the coach know the next time he gets on his soapbox with incorrect/incomplete info.

Offhand, the ones that come to mind are the slap mentioned above, slapping for power, slapping to give the batter a head start on an infield hit, but that's all I'm coming up with off the top of my pointed little head.
 
May 12, 2008
2,214
0
Slap to the 5-6 hole. Bounce it. Drop it short. Drag it down the line. Power slap. Flare it over F5. Show bunt, pull back and slap. Show bunt, pull back to slap then bunt. Pick on a slower F5 or F3 with bunt or soft slap placement. Some of these are running and some are not. And so on. There is no wrong way if it works for you. Be sure she learns to either hit away or power slap all from the left side.
 
Mar 11, 2009
431
0
ttt

Types of Slap Hits:

•Soft Slap
o Hit ball to SS or 2B when the infield is playing deep.
o Choke up on the bat; hit the ball deep in the zone. You want
the bat parallel to the target.
o Tap at the ball, act like it is an egg and you don’t want to break it.
•Hard Slap
o Hit a line drive to the outfield when the infield is playing up close.
o Keep your hands back and hit the ball out front
o Follow thru
•Chop Slap
o Hit the ball straight down to imaginary “X” right in front of the plate
o Hit the ball deep in the zone, pound it into the ground(so ball
bounces as high as possible allowing batter to beat out throw)
o Keep you hands where you started
•Drag Bunt
o Hit ball with the end of the bat
o Arms bent at contact
o Drag down 1st base line


Key Points
•Stance
o Start middle back of box. Feet should be shoulder width apart on
the balls of your feet.
o Use same stance and grip as when you swing away with feet on
line to the pitcher
•Footwork
o Two steps
 1st step is right foot back to center line( this is a line on ground
centered between feet)
 2nd step is left foot toward home plate(hips, feet, shoulders
towards SS) foot lands right at the same time bat contacts the
ball
•Hands
o Start with same grip as when you swing away
o Choke up on bat during 1st step in footwork to gain better bat
control
o Keep hands inside of the ball
•Timing
o Start late to hit ball deep in the zone and drive it the other way
o Hit to SS to give yourself the best chance to beat out the throw
o Make contact when left foot hits the ground, hitting the ball off of
the left hip.

Slapping Drills
•Glove Drills
o Glove on left hand catching a pitched ball
 Catch ball when left foot lands, work on footwork and timing.
Keep hips and hands closed
•Tennis Ball Drill
o Rhythm drill to work on hand eye coordination and timing.
o Bounce tennis ball to batter as they take 1st step.
o Catch ball off of left foot.
o Complete run thru when you catch ball
•Fence Drill
o Keep hands inside the ball and work on footwork
o Touch end of bat to fence and knob to your belly button to
establish distance from fence to start.
o Make a parallel line to the fence in the dirt where toes are(travel
line)
o Keep hands in, when swinging don’t hit the fence, choke up on bat
during 1st step.
•Tee Drill
o Make sure tee is straight
o Left toe should be pointing toward tee at contact
o Right foot back at contact, hit inside part of ball, not a big swing,
focus on changing the direction of the ball then full speed run thru
after contact.
 
Mar 2, 2009
311
16
Suffolk, VA
good stuff Tmolina.... I teach ONE Step..... start at middle of the box so we aren't keying off bunt/hit or slap... same place in the box for all three. On SLAP, we bring our BACK Foot across, toes pointed toward pitcher, so the hips are aligned that we can reach outside pitch and still make good contact on inside pitch and back foot crossing lands approx half-way ON the linie at the top of the box.. lets our slappers be closer toward 1B as possible, why not get another foot advantage? Hands come across with back foot and taps ball lightly (no longer teach follow through) toward SS ONLY as a ball hit to middle to 2B side of field is closer to the out, UNLESS we are looking to move a runner(s) (2nd or 2nd & 3rd), so that depends on the situation.
 
Mar 2, 2009
311
16
Suffolk, VA
ah - ONE more thing... Right-Handed slap.. as I often get a player to argue with me that right-handed batters don't slap...... Fake Bunt-Slap (NOT Fake Bunt - HIT, although that is my FAVORITE - showing bunt till pitcher's motion has hand starting decent, then square back and hit away. (Drawers Corners in and middles tend to cheat at least ONE STEP or more, key is hands are at knob of bat - HITTING AWAY!)

anyway, RH Fake Bunt-Slap, again pulls corners in, middles cheat and batter pulls BOTTOM hand up to a high-choke position and POKES at the ball to an open hole....... coordination on HITTING the ball is easier also, as she is choked up and only poking, vice taking a full swing..........
 

Hank

Banned
Jun 30, 2016
33
0
Types of Slap Hits:

•Soft Slap
o Hit ball to SS or 2B when the infield is playing deep.
o Choke up on the bat; hit the ball deep in the zone. You want
the bat parallel to the target.
o Tap at the ball, act like it is an egg and you don’t want to break it.
•Hard Slap
o Hit a line drive to the outfield when the infield is playing up close.
o Keep your hands back and hit the ball out front
o Follow thru
•Chop Slap
o Hit the ball straight down to imaginary “X” right in front of the plate
o Hit the ball deep in the zone, pound it into the ground(so ball
bounces as high as possible allowing batter to beat out throw)
o Keep you hands where you started
•Drag Bunt
o Hit ball with the end of the bat
o Arms bent at contact
o Drag down 1st base line


Key Points
•Stance
o Start middle back of box. Feet should be shoulder width apart on
the balls of your feet.
o Use same stance and grip as when you swing away with feet on
line to the pitcher
•Footwork
o Two steps
 1st step is right foot back to center line( this is a line on ground
centered between feet)
 2nd step is left foot toward home plate(hips, feet, shoulders
towards SS) foot lands right at the same time bat contacts the
ball
•Hands
o Start with same grip as when you swing away
o Choke up on bat during 1st step in footwork to gain better bat
control
o Keep hands inside of the ball
•Timing
o Start late to hit ball deep in the zone and drive it the other way
o Hit to SS to give yourself the best chance to beat out the throw
o Make contact when left foot hits the ground, hitting the ball off of
the left hip.

Slapping Drills
•Glove Drills
o Glove on left hand catching a pitched ball
 Catch ball when left foot lands, work on footwork and timing.
Keep hips and hands closed
•Tennis Ball Drill
o Rhythm drill to work on hand eye coordination and timing.
o Bounce tennis ball to batter as they take 1st step.
o Catch ball off of left foot.
o Complete run thru when you catch ball
•Fence Drill
o Keep hands inside the ball and work on footwork
o Touch end of bat to fence and knob to your belly button to
establish distance from fence to start.
o Make a parallel line to the fence in the dirt where toes are(travel
line)
o Keep hands in, when swinging don’t hit the fence, choke up on bat
during 1st step.
•Tee Drill
o Make sure tee is straight
o Left toe should be pointing toward tee at contact
o Right foot back at contact, hit inside part of ball, not a big swing,
focus on changing the direction of the ball then full speed run thru
after contact.
.Nice......
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
jimginas;10030back foot crossing lands approx half-way ON the linie at the top of the box.. lets our slappers be closer toward 1B as possible said:
Just to be clear the slappers first step out of the box should be toward the pitcher (and not first base):
 
Jun 11, 2013
2,619
113
For good ones it's almost infinite

for bad ones it's
Ground out to 3rd
ground out to SS
ground out to 2nd
ground out /bunt to P
 

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