Is DD's slapping talent where it needs to be?

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Mar 26, 2019
82
18
Central Ohio
I was never a fan of slap hitting, but the more people would ask us about it for our DD, the more I was intrigued by it. She has a laser time of 2.974 on a 20 yd dash with ODM. DD was all about giving it a try, so she started slapping lessons at the end of November. She had never hit from the left side prior to transitioning. She has about 9 hours of professional instruction since November. She had her first "outdoor"" friendlies as a slapper this past weekend against some good competition. She is second year 12U and this is her first year playing on an A level travel team.. This was also her first time in the lead-off position on this team (she was near the bottom of the batting order up until this point). The results from the weekend are:

Game 1 vs. Indiana Gators -ROE on a bunt, soft slap bounced right into 3rd baseman's glove - out, Struck out swinging
Game 2 vs. Beverly Bandits- Struck out swinging, Bunt-single, Pop out to 2nd
Game 3 vs. Ohio Outlaws- Got out on a bunt, sacrifice bunt, ROE on a ground ball
Game 4 vs. Wizards Elite- ROE on a ground ball, ground out powerful hard slap to pitcher, Struck out swinging

I loved her aggressiveness at the plate. She still has a lot of work to do, but I feel like she played much better this past weekend and is looking more confident. Every time she got on base, she scored. I want to think that these are good results considering she hasn't been slapping very long, but I'm not sure. She literally has almost a zero batting average, but she is a great base runner. There are a lot of people on this forum with a lot of softball knowledge, so I was hoping to get some feedback. Thanks.
 
May 22, 2015
410
28
Illinois
I would say what you are seeing is to be expected. The speed aspect of slapping might not show up on batting average but it puts pressure on the D and forces them to make a perfect play. That is some pretty good competition to start slapping against.

When DD showed interest in slapping we had her just switch to lefty full time and swing away for the first 3 or 4 months. After that she started slapping and had some instruction from a college slapper. Initially she took a drop off in production from a statistical stand point, but things improved after about a year. My DD did spend a lot of time practicing slapping & doing t work....about a 100 reps a couple times a week. Just like anything if you want to be good at something you got to practice. My DD's problem was that they had her slapping so much she forgot how to hit normal.
 
Jun 11, 2012
741
63
DD is a triple threat. She can slap, bunt and hit for power and she’s dangerous on the bases because she’s fast and aggressive. But it took years to get to this point.
She’s a college freshman now and her current coach has her slapping more than she had previously but she’s been successful so it’s fine with her
 
Oct 23, 2013
50
8
Chicagoland
DD, who is 17U now, switched at 15U.

She was gonna focus on slapping, but she mostly hit away for the first few years.
This helped her reach her goal of becoming a triple threat.

It's nice to be able to switch between hitting away and slapping, especially if one isn't working :). She loves messing with the defense!

Future college coach said being able to do both will help her get in the line-up.

If your able being a triple threat is worth it. It takes time because mechanics are so different between them, so it's like you have twice the work!
 
Jun 11, 2012
741
63
Just wanted to add that as long as her OBP is high she’s doing ok. The rest will come with time.
Just last night I heard an infielder tell the outfield to move back when DD came up to bat. First time I’ve ever heard that.
Usually it’s slap defense because of her size. She had bounced one off of the outfield fence earlier so they though she’d do it again. Instead she dropped it behind the third baseman since the left fielder was so far back.
It was really frustrating when she was learning but it’s a lot of fun to watch now.
 
Mar 26, 2019
82
18
Central Ohio
Just wanted to add that as long as her OBP is high she’s doing ok. The rest will come with time.
Just last night I heard an infielder tell the outfield to move back when DD came up to bat. First time I’ve ever heard that.
Usually it’s slap defense because of her size. She had bounced one off of the outfield fence earlier so they though she’d do it again. Instead she dropped it behind the third baseman since the left fielder was so far back.
It was really frustrating when she was learning but it’s a lot of fun to watch now.

Your example is the part I look forward to the most. Right now, she is just focusing on hitting it at all. My hopes are she will be just like your DD and be able to place the ball where the defense is lacking! Being a triple threat is her goal. She actually has a more powerful swing left handed than she did when she was right handed, but she drops her shoulder a lot, so hasn't had any success in a game yet. Her OBP over the weekend wasn't good, but will hopefully get better with more games. Live pitching is going to be the key to helping her. We have 11 tournaments the remainder of the season, so time will tell. Thank you for your feedback and encourgement!
 

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