Is Slapping going to be a thing of the past?

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Mar 26, 2019
82
18
Central Ohio
My DD switched to slap hitting almost one year ago and it has been the best decision we ever made. She went from being the lowest batting average last season to starting this season with the highest batting average. She hasn't even figured out how to place the ball yet. Many people are saying with the college rule change, slapping will become past tense. What are your thoughts on this? As long as a slapper is also working on swinging away, I would think it would be easy to stop at any point in the future, but it is sad to think of it coming to an end. I love watching slappers create chaos.
 
May 30, 2013
1,442
83
Binghamton, NY
a true triple-threat slapper with legit speed will always be an effective roster spot,
because home-to-1B is 60'...

That said, the "fad" of slap-hitting seems to be declining.
5 years ago, it seemed every DAD was turning their kid to the left-side to experiment with slap hitting.
But in reality, once you get to elite travel or NCAA, you need the criteria in my opening remarks to be valuable.
I see a LOT of "slappers" that can drag bunt or (weakly) punch a ball over the infield, but not many that can produce a "high infield bounce" with any consistency, like you see in D1 - which when done correctly is 100% un-defensible. (Georgia roster of a few years ago comes to mind especially....) and not many at all that can play small AND jack them over the fence.

The rule changes of late do inhibit this hitting technique, but don't totally preclude it.
 
Last edited:
Mar 26, 2019
82
18
Central Ohio
a true triple-threat slapper with legit speed will always be an effective roster spot,
because home-to-1B is 60'...

That said, the "fad" of slap-hitting seems to be declining.
5 years ago, it seemed every DAD was turning their kid to the left-side to experiment with slap hitting.
But in reality, once you get to elite travel or NCAA, you need the criteria in my opening remarks to be valuable.
I see a LOT of "slappers" that can drag bunt or (weakly) punch a ball over the infield, but not many that can produce a "high infield bounce" with any consistency, like you see in D1 - which when done correctly is 100% un-defensible. Georgia roster of a few years ago comes to mind especially.... and not many at all that can play small and/or jack them over the fence.

The rule changes of late do inhibit this hitting technique, but don't totally preclude it.
Thanks for your thoughts. If slapping does become a thing of the past, at least getting switched over to the left side would be a huge positive to come out of it. Wish we had done that years ago. I have yet to see the infield bounce in a slapper yet either. I follow Natacha Watley and know she was really good at doing that. It takes a real talent to do that!
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
I think it'll stick around. But sure seems to have been a fad recently (at least in the lower age brackets). I see so many in 10U and 12U going to it -- mostly because their DDs are small and quick.

But as these young girls being taught slapping because they're not strong yet grow and get strong, I could see some abandoning it.

Working on your swing takes a lotta, lotta time. Dropping slapping and working on the full swing may win out for some. Gotta say I'm glad my DD isn't doing it. One less thing for us to work on. :p
 
Apr 26, 2015
704
43
My DD is a slapper. She is 1st yr 16s - Sophomore in HS. She can drag bunt, lay a regular bunt, soft slap, hard slap and hit away pretty effectively. She has not put one over the fence yet (she has hit the fence but not gone over) - but she can place the ball where she wants pretty regularly. She is really good at reading the defense. She loves to bait them in and then hit away over the OF. Or hit away on her first at bat and then drop a little bunt next at bat. She is fast - not elite fast, but definitely faster than every other girl on her TB or HS team. She has not perfected her chop slap yet - but she is getting better and better at it. She had the highest avg and obp on both her TB team and her HS team this year. Like the OP I love watching a hard hit ball cause chaos!

I certainly hope slapping doesn't go by the wayside...

It does drive me crazy when people think they will turn their kids into slappers because their kid can't hit and they think it is "easier". It takes time and a lot of work to become an effective slapper. There are so many moving parts...
 
Mar 26, 2019
82
18
Central Ohio
My DD is a slapper. She is 1st yr 16s - Sophomore in HS. She can drag bunt, lay a regular bunt, soft slap, hard slap and hit away pretty effectively. She has not put one over the fence yet (she has hit the fence but not gone over) - but she can place the ball where she wants pretty regularly. She is really good at reading the defense. She loves to bait them in and then hit away over the OF. Or hit away on her first at bat and then drop a little bunt next at bat. She is fast - not elite fast, but definitely faster than every other girl on her TB or HS team. She has not perfected her chop slap yet - but she is getting better and better at it. She had the highest avg and obp on both her TB team and her HS team this year. Like the OP I love watching a hard hit ball cause chaos!

I certainly hope slapping doesn't go by the wayside...

It does drive me crazy when people think they will turn their kids into slappers because their kid can't hit and they think it is "easier". It takes time and a lot of work to become an effective slapper. There are so many moving parts...
That is awesome that your daughter has become a true triple threat! That is our goal. This has definitely been the hardest and most time consuming thing my DD has had to do with softball. Like you said, there are many moving parts. It definitely isn't easy.

My DD is first year 14U. She has a stronger swing away swing on the left side than she did on the right. She isn't at the elite level speed quite yet either. She is just under 3 seconds from H to 1B without any agility training. I think she will stay on the smaller side, so I'm hoping her speed stays with her as she gets older.
 

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