Just a Reminder: 'Bama v Georgia tonight at 8pm on ESPN

[petricca413]

I taped the Georgia game today and captured this BOMB hit by Alex Hugo. These are NOT your typical softball hitting mechanics....I love it! Enjoy...

Alex Hugo - YouTube

 

[redhotcoach]

 

[YOCOACH]

Also, aren't you more susceptible to the off speed if you are pre-coiled and static?

Why? Let me give you a hypothetical situation and ask several questions in return to play devils advocate. Hypothetical situation: Batter's HC wants all of their batters loading just before or on the release. One of his batters is up and the pitcher has a wonderfully slow change-up. If the batter is loading just before or on the release and recognizes the pitch as a slow change up, is she not coiled, weight back, heel up and static for at least a split second? Who has the advantage; the batter who starts this way normally and has practiced hitting/timing various pitches( in this case the change-up) from this starting point or the batter who doesn't?

 

[coachbob]

Why? Let me give you a hypothetical situation and ask several questions in return to play devils advocate. Hypothetical situation: Batter's HC wants all of their batters loading just before or on the release. One of his batters is up and the pitcher has a wonderfully slow change-up. If the batter is loading just before or on the release and recognizes the pitch as a slow change up, is she not coiled, weight back, heel up and static for at least a split second? Who has the advantage; the batter who starts this way normally and has practiced hitting/timing various pitches( in this case the change-up) from this starting point or the batter who doesn't?

I'll be honest, and say that I'm not sure who has the advantage from a contact-only perspective. I see some girls precoiled who are very successful. My kid used to use this type of prep-step with better success than she is having right now. Your point about practicing all locations and speeds from that position makes sense, but it might make sense to make the long term investment for some kids. Maybe at very high levels, the change-up is just too much to bail out on unless you are using a continuous coil. I just got assigned to coach a tournament team for the summer, and would like to precoil some of the girls, at least on strike two.

 

[petricca413]

In addition to htting her 22nd home run yesterday for Georgia, which is tied for the highest total in D1 softball, she is also hitting .360. I don't think she is having troubel hitting too many different types of pitches. Also, I tell my hitters the best way to hit a change-up is NOT to swing at it. It's a sucker pitch. Only with two strikes should a hitter offer at a change up.

 

[YOCOACH]

In addition to htting her 22nd home run yesterday for Georgia, which is tied for the highest total in D1 softball, she is also hitting .360. I don't think she is having troubel hitting too many different types of pitches. Also, I tell my hitters the best way to hit a change-up is NOT to swing at it. It's a sucker pitch. Only with two strikes should a hitter offer at a change up.

I agree with you on all your points. But the point I was trying to make is that being pre-loaded does not necessarily mean that those batters that do hit from that position are more susceptible to off-speed pitches. My DD used to swing that way and many hitting coaches in this area still teach that style with good success. DD is still a no stride hitter but we have modified her swing to more emulate Pujol's swing. I would be interested to see some statistics that either prove or disprove this assertion since I see little difference (from my experiences) in being able to hit the off-speed pitches from a pre-loaded stance.