Pure barrels or cut!

[james27503]

I believe the cut swing is what gets way more balls out in softball vs the pure barrel.



Sierra is cutting these.

Gonna experiment myself, figure this mess out, then teach my DD. Last year Emma my DD hit her first homerun in 12U and she hit a ball like this. She didn't do it intentionally, but that is what happened. When she barrels the ball she hits a nice line drive but its carry is limited due to her age, size, and strength.

I used to watch this video and think WTF is Lauren talking about. She was talking about the swing we see Sierra making above.



So do any of you teach this specifically, and if so what do you do?

 

[Strike2]

Players like Romero and Chamberlain can hit line drive HRs. Heck, I'm pretty sure they can arm swing a HR.

I know what you're talking about. The contact point for DDs HRs is just under the ball. It creates some back spin which makes the ball elevate, and produces some towering HR balls. However, the danger in "teaching" that is that you're probably going to get a LOT more fly ball outs. In practice, I want line drive contact. I'll take doubles to the gap all day long. If she misses a bit high, we often get a hard grounder. If she's a bit under, it may go out. She's not trying to do that, and every kid I've seen "try" to hit that way struggles.

 

[james27503]

Look at how Romeros and this guys swing look very alike.



So I just went out and did this, really concentrating on top hand straight through and I was hitting very similar.

 

[Hawk_]

I have played slowpitch at a high level for 15+ yrs and always had better luck cutting the ball and getting backspin on the ball.

 

[625ender]

Hitting off a tee, slowpitch or front toss is easy stuff. Putting backspin on a ball is great. We would all love to do it, but it reality we get what we can in a real batters box

Also game swings are significantly different than exhibition swings

 

[soonerfan1966]

Look up 'Bob Woldyk' on YouTube has a DVD on there. Supposedly he is one of the best at cutting the ball

 

[lhowser]

It's hard to tell. Seems it works both ways. These are pure barrel and clearly that is what these pros intended.

 

[Strike2]

I have played slowpitch at a high level for 15+ yrs and always had better luck cutting the ball and getting backspin on the ball.

Not nearly as hard doing it in SP, off the T, or soft-toss. As a fielder, I found that the scariest hit is one coming hard with topspin. I've played with people who looked like they were swinging a tennis racket and, as a fielder, you had no idea what the ball was going to do after it bounced, especially on synthetic turf.

 

[james27503]

It's hard to tell. Seems it works both ways. These are pure barrel and clearly that is what these pros intended.

This looks like cutting the ball.

 

[BigSkyHi]

It's hard to tell. Seems it works both ways. These are pure barrel and clearly that is what these pros intended.

Amazing how consistently the top hand forearm is behind the ball and on plane with the ball.