Switch Hitter ?

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Dec 12, 2012
1,668
0
On the bucket
Curiosity here.

I never see a switch hitter in fast pitch (not talking about a beginning slapper who switches back to the right side after strike 2 :) ). Why not? It seems like one more advantage for the hitter. What am I missing?

My DD switched to the left side a year ago since she has good wheels. She has learned to drag, slap, and hit from the left. She can still hit strong from the right too. Her HC teaches her to read the defense and work with what they are giving her defensively. Why not have the ability to switch to the right too if it benefits the situation? :confused:
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
At one of the coaching clinics one of the pro players switch hit, I do not recall her name. She said she only bated righty against Cat, everyone else she bated lefty.

IDK, there is just not enough hours in the day to work on both sides.
 
Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
Not enough people believe that the benefits are worth the time it takes to develop what is essentially two hitters - a righty and a lefty.

I'm sure there are certain players/athletes who can get very good at both. But if they're doing it to take advantage of what they see from the defense (which is unlike the benefits of doing it in baseball), then I'd think that defenses eventually would figure that out and adjust, at least at the higher levels like college that scout their opponents.

Most travel ball players that I see still need a lot of work on their dominant side. Someone who can hit .300 from either side is more impressive, but less valuable, than someone who can hit .350 from only one side. I'd rather invest in trying to hit .350.
 
Dec 12, 2012
1,668
0
On the bucket
Not enough people believe that the benefits are worth the time it takes to develop what is essentially two hitters - a righty and a lefty.

I'm sure there are certain players/athletes who can get very good at both. But if they're doing it to take advantage of what they see from the defense (which is unlike the benefits of doing it in baseball), then I'd think that defenses eventually would figure that out and adjust, at least at the higher levels like college that scout their opponents.

Most travel ball players that I see still need a lot of work on their dominant side. Someone who can hit .300 from either side is more impressive, but less valuable, than someone who can hit .350 from only one side. I'd rather invest in trying to hit .350.

Can you elaborate on this:
"But if they're doing it to take advantage of what they see from the defense (which is unlike the benefits of doing it in baseball)"
 
Aug 29, 2012
23
0
Personally I think it has alot to do with the pitching. In baseball players switch sides to combat the ball breaking away from them. In fastpitch, pitchers can throw the curve and screwball to break toward each side of the plate. IMO it takes away the advantage a hitter would have by switching sides.
 
Nov 26, 2010
4,784
113
Michigan
When the bases are only 60 feet apart and a lefty has a 6 foot advantage towards first base. That 10% advantage to first and 5% advantage to second is a bigger advantage then anything gained by batting righty. Thats why you never see a girl batting RH if she can bat left just as well.
 
Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
Can you elaborate on this:
"But if they're doing it to take advantage of what they see from the defense (which is unlike the benefits of doing it in baseball)"

Diamond Junkie's post explains part of what I was getting at.

In baseball, players switch-hit because it's generally easier for a left-handed hitter to deal with the arm angle and breaking balls of a righty (and vice-versa). The overhand throw also allows for sharper breaking pitches (curve balls), which typically bedevils a same-handed hitter more than opposite.

In fastpitch, the ball is coming from 6 o'clock whether it's a righty or lefty. If the righty-lefty thing were so important in softball, you'd see college teams switching pitchers to get a platoon advantage (righty vs. righty, or lefty vs. lefty). Every team would want to have to have a lefty killer on the pitching staff. But those righty/lefty advantages don't exist, or certainly not to the degree they do in baseball.
 
Jun 20, 2008
235
0
If you can hit for power from the left or if you hit just as well from the left there is no reason to bat from the right.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,481
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top