Switch-hitting

[Cowdogz]

Anybody have experience training a switch-hitter? Got a kid who wants to try, a natural lefty but seems pretty competent from the right side, too. Besides twice as much batting practice, what do we need to be doing or thinking about?

 

[625ender]

You're lucky that she is a natural lefty, which is rare. Natural lefties typically don't bother hitting from the right side, because most will hit from the left side 70%+ of the time any way. Why bother?? Personally I think that lefties are far better off honing their craft instead of doubling up on BP in search of parity.

Right handed batter normally want to swap boxes to get the percentage in their favor.

 

[DiamondDad316]

My DD was a RHB when she was younger but then converted her over to LHB. She has speed and power so both slaps and hits from the left. During the transition she kept working the right side hitting as well in case she was in a slump. Couple years have gone by and she still does all the hitting drills on both right and left, predominately hits from left side but her coach puts her on the right.

 

[do-over]

Anybody have experience training a switch-hitter?

No, because it's not done in softball for intents and purposes.

A "natural lefty" hitting right handed? WOW

 

[quincy]

She can mess around batting righty but there is no way I would change a lefty to a switch hitter. She is really just showing off which is OK. Maybe get her against better pitching.

 

[RetiredCoach]

Before we knew that my DD was ambidextrous, for no good reason, I guess, we trained her to be a right handed hitter. When we learned of her ability, we started having her hit from the left side from time to time. Then over a couple of years of going back and forth she settled on the left side of the plate. IMHO if you have a left handed hitter there is absolutely no good reason to have it back from the right side. Like mentioned in this thread about 70% of pitchers pitch right handed. With 60 foot baselines batting from the left side is even a bigger advantage than it is in the MLB. The right/left disparity is less in fastpitch softball than it is in baseball. And that time could be used to working on other skills as well as just being a better left handed batter.

 

[vdubya]

Besides twice as much batting practice, what do we need to be doing or thinking about?

Your inclination about twice as much batting practice is a great idea, but do it all from the left.