Drills for Increasing Bat Speed - Slappers

[wave_twister]

No kidding. Heres the twist, I first saw this clip years ago, posted by those that were well ahead of me knowledge wise, showing me core usage.


So this last fall I was in Arizona playing regionals, and I brought the team into a cage near the Arizona campus(Tucson)

I saw some Arizona players working with younger slappers and asked them if they work with a couple of mine, as I was busy with the rest.

I looked over and they were asking my slapper why she dropped her foot back(that would be me), and asked if she could try something else.
No drop step, just back leg through. Anxiety attack, we had a game in 3 hours, something NEW?

They struggled in the game , darn it.

But, with this clip I now SEE what they were trying to show my young slappers.

I still use the 3 step slap, but, I will sooner or later have someone try like the girl in the clip.

I would tend to agree about keeping the hands up, along with the barrel, but, it was a home run.

Okay, so after a few days I've read through pages and pages of threads but only found people arguing about sagittal planes and this and that against wrapping your body around your femur, lol. But...I do have a baseline sense of what's going on and how it feels in the rear end/lower back when comparing both turning around the leg and only turning around the spine.

I ran my DD through 90 degrees SnF and totally forgot about the 45 degrees. My DD is just turning 10 and it's tough for her to feel/control her body since she's been 3 step slapping for a year and a half. DD says she felt stronger and that the she felt like she was hitting harder though so it was a big boost for her as well for me.

I'm really, really debating on changing her over to a style depicted in the home run slap. My headcoach is just, well...pretty intense, lol. So if I change her steps then he'll give me the "oh well, you're on your own and if she f*!ks up, THAT'S ON YOU" speech. It's an odd thing though because the SnF just "feels" so much more powerful when you're all coiled compared to the "standard" slap with a drop step.

Again, thank you very much for your advice because I would be clueless about SnF. Just kinda different trying to translate it to slapping in particular.

 

[wave_twister]

You are right on with this notion of flexing both the back step leg and cross leg to help generate power. In addition, the idea of using core to coil the belly button back towards the plate at the start of the cross should be worked on. Also, the cue of "both feet on the ground" at launch helps timing to keep some weight on the right foot at launch. Weight will completely transfer during swing.

Really like the idea of using coiling so the belly button points towards the plate. I ALWAYS forget that certain cues/wording helps players understand much better than my banter of "rotate your shoulders so that they are parallel with the plate and pointing to the pitcher" kind of jargon only adults can sort of, kind of get.

 

[coachbob]

@mann - thank you for the gifs! That first one of the girl has an unorthodox slap steps but I bet she sure cranks that ball pretty good. The only thing about that gif is how she holds the bat on her shoulders and drops it on plane to the ball. My headcoach would have a fit because he favors the high hands near the ear. He says dropping the hands/bat before creates a loss in strength.

I'm going to have a lot of fun digging around here reading and learning about the stretch and fire, scrunch.

@Coach Marc - Thanks for the rec but I have a pretty good double set on slapping from Ehren Earleywine. Very good instructions and drills. I think the dvd you recommend is also a good place to start.

Earlywine talks about the step/marching slappers, pros and cons. Good set.

Mann, I really would like to know more about your SnF cues for slappers. Hope to see some clips so I can use some of it with my girls.

 

[mann]

Earlywine talks about the step/marching slappers, pros and cons. Good set.

Mann, I really would like to know more about your SnF cues for slappers. Hope to see some clips so I can use some of it with my girls.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvSDCcQHZso





Played in the rain again last night, sloppy games.


My slappers are gone today to a track meet, I hope to work with them again at my Monday practice.


I work a lot on the crossover leg, planting, sinking, for the power slap.
Good old SNF 45, is a must.

As a side note, with your input, I figured out how to get coiled a bit different than how I "coiled forward" before.

Falling into coil, sitting into coil, tall in the fall, In other words, not so much Forward, as down.

I can GET coiled, by this movement.

 

[#7sDad]

Here's my experience, you're mileage may vary. I had a very similar situation with my DD at 10U. To teach her to slap, I got this DVD. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006ZUDIW6/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 by
Linda Wells, former ASU coach. It gave me everything to get her going. I've since taken her to a number of slap clinics run by colleges and they've tweaked her slightly, but consistently the coaches like what she's doing and don't change much.
As a 10U, she used the drop 13 bustos. For a young, little slapper, bat control and quick bat were my biggest concerns to build success and confidence. She's now 2nd year 12U and using a drop 11. Still the littlest girl on the team, but has gained enough strength to power slap as well as hit straight away. The -11 still gives her the control to slap without taking away too much power wStihen swinging away. It's a ton of work, but being a triple threat to slap, bunt, hit is a lot of fun! Still a work in progress because the slaps have to be that much better as the fielding improves each year. Good luck!

 

[mann]

Okay, so after a few days I've read through pages and pages of threads but only found people arguing about sagittal planes and this and that against wrapping your body around your femur, lol. But...I do have a baseline sense of what's going on and how it feels in the rear end/lower back when comparing both turning around the leg and only turning around the spine.

I ran my DD through 90 degrees SnF and totally forgot about the 45 degrees. My DD is just turning 10 and it's tough for her to feel/control her body since she's been 3 step slapping for a year and a half. DD says she felt stronger and that the she felt like she was hitting harder though so it was a big boost for her as well for me.

I'm really, really debating on changing her over to a style depicted in the home run slap. My headcoach is just, well...pretty intense, lol. So if I change her steps then he'll give me the "oh well, you're on your own and if she f*!ks up, THAT'S ON YOU" speech. It's an odd thing though because the SnF just "feels" so much more powerful when you're all coiled compared to the "standard" slap with a drop step.

Again, thank you very much for your advice because I would be clueless about SnF. Just kinda different trying to translate it to slapping in particular.

Trying things is the way I seem to stumble through life. I forgot all about the 90 degree SnF, when I filmed this young slapper.

Both feet, 45 SnF, working OPPO. just getting her comfortable.

I should have also used the 90 degree with one leg, I will do it all over again with a better plan.

 

[chrispots]

Good stuff Mann...

I love your experimentation!

Now if I could just get a lefty hitter on my team!

CP

 

[mann]

Good stuff Mann...

I love your experimentation!

Now if I could just get a lefty hitter on my team!

CP

thank you chrispots. There seems to be this window of opportunity to turn the right righty girls into slappers about 11 or twelve years of age.
1st year is kind tough, their speed helps, stay optimistic with them, year two they can really shine with the knowledge they are special, and a coaches secret weapon, and all around offensive trouble maker.

Ive said orange real slow about 30 times, I cannot get it to sound anything like gullible.

 

[Eric F]

Ive said orange real slow about 30 times, I cannot get it to sound anything like gullible.

You're not saying it slow enough yet