- May 17, 2012
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It should be the first resort for all hitters in my opinion. So few can do all three phases well though.
If I were starting an 8u team full of orphans they would all learn to slap (bunt/slap/hit from the left side) first.
Coach wants 2nd yr 14u player to convert to slapping
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It should be the first resort for all hitters in my opinion. So few can do all three phases well though.
If I were starting an 8u team full of orphans they would all learn to slap (bunt/slap/hit from the left side) first.
DD's team has an unbelievable top end slapper on her team. She has finesse and power. These are two consecutive at bats from our last games..
1- 3rd base is deep. Lefty pitcher. Recipe for a 3rd base line drag bunt. Easy peasy successful bunt on 1st pitch.
2- 3rd base plays up, outfield in big time covering the flare (bloop to shallow outfield). She hits a gap line drive to the fence. Artistry
Slapping is not a last option. It is a lot of work but there is a niche there for someone with finesse and power.
1- 3rd base is deep. Lefty pitcher. Recipe for a 3rd base line drag bunt. Easy peasy successful bunt on 1st pitch.
2- 3rd base plays up, outfield in big time covering the flare (bloop to shallow outfield). She hits a gap line drive to the fence. Artistry
Slapping is not a last option. It is a lot of work but there is a niche there for someone with finesse and power.
- Apr 11, 2016
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My daughter is a lefty and has learned to slap at an early age. She is tiny but fast. She can also hit a ball well. Every time she moves up an age group, her slapping wouldn't work b/c either the pitcher is too slow or my kid hit the ball too soon. This is happening to her now as they just moved up to 14U. Her hits would get too close to the pitcher or to SS.
Slapping is not easy. She works on it during half of her batting lessons. Thankfully we found a great batting coach who was a div 1 slapper. You can't just tell a kid to switch and to slap. It involves moving her feet, waiting for the pitch, and hitting the ball later and in a certain way. Timing is everything. True, as a slapper, DD can wear out a pitcher as she fouls the ball a lot and usually ends up with walks. (You have to hit the ball late so it goes between the foul line and the 3rd basement to be successful.) You can only slap against a fast pitcher, though, so that helps her when once in a while she faces a fast pitcher (a 2nd yr 14U). Slow pitchers are difficult to slap (except for drag-bunt.)
There is a kid on her team who throws left but bat right. She is perhaps only 1" taller than DD. She can't hit for the life of her. Now, she's a good candidate for slapping b/c she can be fast. But her dad wouldn't pay for batting lessons.
Slapping is not easy. She works on it during half of her batting lessons. Thankfully we found a great batting coach who was a div 1 slapper. You can't just tell a kid to switch and to slap. It involves moving her feet, waiting for the pitch, and hitting the ball later and in a certain way. Timing is everything. True, as a slapper, DD can wear out a pitcher as she fouls the ball a lot and usually ends up with walks. (You have to hit the ball late so it goes between the foul line and the 3rd basement to be successful.) You can only slap against a fast pitcher, though, so that helps her when once in a while she faces a fast pitcher (a 2nd yr 14U). Slow pitchers are difficult to slap (except for drag-bunt.)
There is a kid on her team who throws left but bat right. She is perhaps only 1" taller than DD. She can't hit for the life of her. Now, she's a good candidate for slapping b/c she can be fast. But her dad wouldn't pay for batting lessons.
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- Dec 13, 2019
- 7,270
- 113
This lefty slapping topic really should be more like...
*Mixing in small ball from the left side including swinging. *Not just slap!
(only slapping offers little)
Bunt
Sneak
Drag
Sacrafice
Push
Slap
Swing
imo reasoning to switch to lefty side needs to do more than one thing like slap.
Start with bunting. Should show quickly if she can and grow from there.
*Bunt WITH Slap/Swing options are part of the deception that helps it work.
Do NOT abandon hitting from the right side.
That is a viable skill she already has!
*Mixing in small ball from the left side including swinging. *Not just slap!
(only slapping offers little)
Bunt
Sneak
Drag
Sacrafice
Push
Slap
Swing
imo reasoning to switch to lefty side needs to do more than one thing like slap.
Start with bunting. Should show quickly if she can and grow from there.
*Bunt WITH Slap/Swing options are part of the deception that helps it work.
Do NOT abandon hitting from the right side.
That is a viable skill she already has!
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If she is hitting well I wouldn't mess with it. Slapping is great for certain type of girls... mainly fast players that are not power hitters. I recently recommend it to a girl on our team and she is doing great with it. She is a 2nd year 12U player that weighs about 65# and is fast as lightning.
- Feb 27, 2019
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Well, I thought since last weekend was our last tournament I'd give an update to the progress. Coach said she has adapted well and she reports she primarily slaps in practice.
Her batting average has plummeted to .224 since I first asked the question here and this last tournament she got sat offensively after her first at bat strikeout. She stayed in defensively and her batting replacements went 0-8 in her place. I'm a little pissed here. She is still batting about 90% right handed in games but from what she is telling me, she has batted right about 5% of practice.
Her batting average has plummeted to .224 since I first asked the question here and this last tournament she got sat offensively after her first at bat strikeout. She stayed in defensively and her batting replacements went 0-8 in her place. I'm a little pissed here. She is still batting about 90% right handed in games but from what she is telling me, she has batted right about 5% of practice.
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- Feb 3, 2016
- 502
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My DD was in a similar situation and chose to train left in addition to right. Hard to have a kid go from 3rd best hitter to 8th for an entire year (Fall, Spring and Summer). It was a rough year.
Slapping is part of her arsenal but now she's back on top hitting from the right again.
3 years later she's still training left but she rarely slaps. Situational now like a pitcher throwing under 50.
IMO If you have a great, fast, and technically sound swing and a contact hitter I say go left.
Like others have commented if you"re a power hitter it's hard to give that up to be a slapper.
People keep telling my DD that she needs to chose a side. She hasn't yet.
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What defines a power hitter? Ive never really known what to call my kiddo. High level team 2nd yr 14u. My kiddo bats right and is very fast but I wouldn't say elite fast, next tier down i would say. She hit 375, slugged 675, with 17 singles, 11 doubles, 5 triples, 2 otf homeruns and 1 in the park hr. Some has said over the years she should go left but we have never switched her. She rarely strikes out but also rarely walks. 24/25 for stolen bases.
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Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
- Feb 3, 2016
- 502
- 43
Might be easier to talk about what isn't a power hitter..
Liners, grounders, flairs, not routinely hitting it to the fence. Little to no HR"s but making contact and putting it in play. Pete Rose vs. Mike Trout.
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- May 27, 2013
- 2,385
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We had a true power-hitter on our team who went D1 this year. BA = .469 and SLG = 1.076 with 22 HR and 20 doubles, 76 RBI - in one travel season - 18U Gold level. She was a beast!! She would either put it out, put it off the fence, or hit a towering pop up. She was that kid you probably see once every 10 years or so in my area.
* RAD - she was also a phenomenal catcher!
