Is Slapping going to be a thing of the past?

[uncdrew]

The game is definitely shifting to being more of a power game, but there will always be room for good slappers. Albeit, not too much room. Maybe one per team. You just give up too much if you have a bunch of slappers in your lineup. I've seen it first hand. My DD's TB team had FIVE of them. At a certain point it really limits your ability to have big innings because it decreases your margin for error when all you do it get singles

So yes there will be room for slappers, but only for the best of the best of them. The rest will be turned out to pasture.

Yeah, we played a team once where it seemed like they were all slappers. Granted we're 10U. We beat them easily as they all grounded out.

 

[texasheat]

I'm a stats guy and DD is a pitcher. She's good but not SEC good... Anyway over the last 2 years she has faced 34 slappers (34 bats total). She has given up 2 hits on those 34 at bats. Now about half are at school so these are not top tier players but 21 have been against top tier teams in tournaments in Colorado, Florida etc. She has zero fear of slappers. Maybe we don't run into that many but bunts are more successful against her and her team.

That's another aspect. When I call pitches, I love seeing slappers come up. there are sooooo many pitches that they just can't handle like a regular butter can.

 

[denise_anngolf]

The game is definitely shifting to being more of a power game, but there will always be room for good slappers. Albeit, not too much room. Maybe one per team. You just give up too much if you have a bunch of slappers in your lineup. I've seen it first hand. My DD's TB team had FIVE of them. At a certain point it really limits your ability to have big innings because it decreases your margin for error when all you do it get singles

So yes there will be room for slappers, but only for the best of the best of them. The rest will be turned out to pasture.

We are definitely working on swinging away also. It depends on the team and how skilled the slappers are. We came across a Hotshots team in Kansas City at Nationals that had 7 left handed batters, 6 of them were slappers. They were an amazing team. The coach told us that only one of the 7 was a natural lefty The rest had been converted. They were fun to watch, except when we played them LOL.

 

[mmeece]

GOOD slappers who can do more than one thing will never be obsolete. Too many of the girls who become "slappers" never grow into anything more than left side weak ground balls and bunts. With elite speed even that can be very effective, but at average or even above average speed good teams can defend it easily. But, when you can hit it hard through or over the infield AND threaten with short game it's tough to defend.

 

[denise_anngolf]

I'm a stats guy and DD is a pitcher. She's good but not SEC good... Anyway over the last 2 years she has faced 34 slappers (34 bats total). She has given up 2 hits on those 34 at bats. Now about half are at school so these are not top tier players but 21 have been against top tier teams in tournaments in Colorado, Florida etc. She has zero fear of slappers. Maybe we don't run into that many but bunts are more successful against her and her team.

This is true. My DD strikes out a lot (highest number on the team), but even with the strikeouts, she has the highest batting average this season so far. Not a fan of the strikeouts, but she has been doing it for not quite a year.

 

[BT3100]

That's another aspect. When I call pitches, I love seeing slappers come up. there are sooooo many pitches that they just can't handle like a regular butter can.

DD is a riseball and flip change type pitcher. Rise on the hands and a flip on outside corner, slappers cant adjust.

 

[texasheat]

DD is a riseball and flip change type pitcher. Rise on the hands and a flip on outside corner, slappers cant adjust.

Exactly. You know what else kills them? Change ups. They get to the front of the box, run out of room, and the ball STILL isn't there yet. They get that look of "Uh oh, what do I do now". Ha ha ha ha.

anything outside is tough on them since they can't step out of the box anymore. (if the umps enforce it)

 

[canyonjoe]

IMHO great slappers are just great hitters who slap. Unless you have truly elite speed the effectiveness of just hitting ground balls decreases quickly as you get older. Unless they change the bats in softball to be more in line with what baseball did I think the slapper will turn into more of an Ichiro type of hitter. They slash the ball all over the field and have the ability to turn on an inside pitch with power when presented.

 

[mmeece]

anything outside is tough on them since they can't step out of the box anymore. (if the umps enforce it)

That's weird. That should be what a good slapper is looking to hit.

 

[uncdrew]

That's another aspect. When I call pitches, I love seeing slappers come up. there are sooooo many pitches that they just can't handle like a regular butter can.

Fine point.

We faced some novice slappers one game and I had a really good 10U pitcher on the mound. The low and outside fastball and the outside change-up were almost too easy to call.