LA LaFayete- Split Grip

[Hoover's Dad]

Just got finished watching Arizona State vs LA Lafayette in their first game of Super Regionals. ESPN announcers mentioned on several occasions that LAL coach teaches a split grip, they even zoomed in one time and showed the hands of one girl about 1.5" apart. They said some girls grip is alot more.

What is the purpose of phylosophy behind the split grip that LAL is using. Righties,Lefties and Slappers all used this grip.

 

[Tewks]

Check out their process between pitches.

 

[TNSoftballMom]

I asked Michael Lotief a few months ago about the split grip and here was his response:

"The split grip is really a drill - a feel thing related to barrel control; some take it into the game while others with better barrel control do not."

 

[dadof3girls]

I've been told by good hitting coaches it is like every thing else it creates trade offs. You GET great push with the top hand into the zone but you LOSE extension thought the zone. You hear "Short to the ball long through the ball" you get GREAT "short to" but difficulty with the "long through".

 

[TNSoftballMom]

One thing you will notice on all the "split-grip hitters" of ULL is they pretty much stop at contact.



Michael Lotief Hitting Style - YouTube

Split Grip - YouTube

Michael Lotief Hitting Style Description - YouTube

I will tell you this. You can't argue with ULL's stats. They are one of the top offensive teams in the country, in the top ten in every category, from slugging percentage to HRs.

 

[Ahote]

How about that strike zone? I wish my DD could get strikes a foot of the plate.

 

[Greenmonsters]

One thing you will notice on all the "split-grip hitters" of ULL is they pretty much stop at contact.



Michael Lotief Hitting Style - YouTube

Split Grip - YouTube

Michael Lotief Hitting Style Description - YouTube

I will tell you this. You can't argue with ULL's stats. They are one of the top offensive teams in the country, in the top ten in every category, from slugging percentage to HRs.

Because it requires decelerating before contact, stopping AT contact isn't really an accurate way to describe the style. IMO, punching through the ball or swinging with an abreviated follow through more accurately describe what they are actually doing. Semantics aside, you can't argue with their success! That said, it's not what I'd try to teach my DD.

 

[redhotcoach]

I had talked this before, but I listened to 2 sec coaches at a clinic last winter talk about it. They said they have a few batters they have split grip on 2 strikes. Better control to make contact. One said that they have found with the extra top hand leverage a few low power girls are otf balls in bp with the split grip. Like was previously said, unless you let go of the top hand, there is no follow through. You can push through the ball with the top hand just like you would doing the reverse top hand drill.

I saw a hs girl doing it last week, it really surprised me.

Another cajun thing I noticed that was interesting, all the girls that weren't split grippen were choked up several inches on the bat.

 

[JAD]

A split grip is essentially 'choking up' on the bat with only one hand. It increases the bat control and allows some hitters to increase their chances of putting a ball in play, but is done at the expense of power......

 

[redhotcoach]

A split grip is essentially 'choking up' on the bat with only one hand. It increases the bat control and allows some hitters to increase their chances of putting a ball in play, but is done at the expense of power......

If the ragin cajuns are hitting split grip at the expense of power, I'll trade for that anyday! Sarah Draheim's homer didn't have to go over the fence, it would have gone through it.