Quality of college softball vs. other sports
- Thread starter CoogansBluff
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- Feb 15, 2016
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I think for many travel and club teama the emphasis is definitely on hitting and hitting for power. I have been involved with tryouts for several different travel organizations and hitting is definitely emphasized over defense, speed, athletic ability, etc... This then translates to the available pool of recruits being better Hitters than anything else. I do think that the top tier D1 teams have athletes at every position but you don't have to go very far down the ladder do water that top talent down.
It is that what we are going to call that now.
As you might see from my handle, I am a swim coach so I can say there is strategy in swimming for the individual swimmer in any particular event. Sometimes your opponent is the clock and sometimes in a dual meet it might be a swimmer from the other team. You might vary your pace or your plan depending on the competition and what their strengths and tendencies are.
DD has played softball for 5 years now - all rec ball until just joining a 12U B travel team this winter and Jr Hi ball now too. So I am rather new to a higher level of SB. I will say that I have watched a lot of WCWS the past two years, and I am amazed at the plays that are made. I have often told friends and coworkers that NCAA SB is easily the best women's sport. It's exciting, the action is fast, and the game is so intricate, it's captivating. The key here is you have to have some amount of SB knowledge, and BB doesn't count. When you realize that F5 sets up 50' or less from the plate on a bare dirt infield, it just leaves absolutely no room for error. I think that's where the game looks sloppy. F4 can drop a routine grounder in BB and it's still an out. I've seen F4 field a routine grounder in SB and make a decent play and still not get the batter at 1.
I do think that a lot of people concentrate on offense and it definitely is important, but not everyone does. The travel team DD tried out for had her in for a 2 hour fielding practice. She's a pitcher and she threw some after that. Coach wound up offering her a spot without even seeing her swing a bat. That made me pretty happy because one thing I've seen is that like almost every sport, those who do not execute fundamentals rarely win. SB is no different. I liked the fact that defense and pitching were important enough to offer a spot.
I'm getting OT here a little bit, but bottom line, I think D1 college SB is a pretty well played, exciting game.
DD has played softball for 5 years now - all rec ball until just joining a 12U B travel team this winter and Jr Hi ball now too. So I am rather new to a higher level of SB. I will say that I have watched a lot of WCWS the past two years, and I am amazed at the plays that are made. I have often told friends and coworkers that NCAA SB is easily the best women's sport. It's exciting, the action is fast, and the game is so intricate, it's captivating. The key here is you have to have some amount of SB knowledge, and BB doesn't count. When you realize that F5 sets up 50' or less from the plate on a bare dirt infield, it just leaves absolutely no room for error. I think that's where the game looks sloppy. F4 can drop a routine grounder in BB and it's still an out. I've seen F4 field a routine grounder in SB and make a decent play and still not get the batter at 1.
I do think that a lot of people concentrate on offense and it definitely is important, but not everyone does. The travel team DD tried out for had her in for a 2 hour fielding practice. She's a pitcher and she threw some after that. Coach wound up offering her a spot without even seeing her swing a bat. That made me pretty happy because one thing I've seen is that like almost every sport, those who do not execute fundamentals rarely win. SB is no different. I liked the fact that defense and pitching were important enough to offer a spot.
I'm getting OT here a little bit, but bottom line, I think D1 college SB is a pretty well played, exciting game.
- Jan 3, 2014
- 336
- 18
it was consistent at least.
Thanks to whomever pointed out Bobby Knight's love of college softball.
Bob Knight: Softball Fan - ESPN Video
Bob Knight: Softball Fan - ESPN Video
After spending some time watching a few games this weekend on a variety of networks, I'd like to recant a little bit.
I did see some very nice plays this weekend, but I did see a few plays that looked pretty sketchy. I don't know the teams well enough to know their lineups, strengths, etc., but mostly they were outfield plays that may have been cases where the fielder makes the lineup more for her bat than her glove. So I see where OP's friend may have been coming from.
That said, the plays made by some of the F5s were sweet. Those girls are cool as cucumbers down there not knowing whether they are going to be fielding a laser beam right at their noggin from 35' or have to barehand a bunt on the run and gun it down to first.
I still think it's best played female collegiate sport.
I did see some very nice plays this weekend, but I did see a few plays that looked pretty sketchy. I don't know the teams well enough to know their lineups, strengths, etc., but mostly they were outfield plays that may have been cases where the fielder makes the lineup more for her bat than her glove. So I see where OP's friend may have been coming from.
That said, the plays made by some of the F5s were sweet. Those girls are cool as cucumbers down there not knowing whether they are going to be fielding a laser beam right at their noggin from 35' or have to barehand a bunt on the run and gun it down to first.
I still think it's best played female collegiate sport.
My opinion of college softball is that the offensive game and the pitching are great. But many teams look like Michael Jackson in the field. They are all wearing one glove for no distinguishable reason. Defense is a secondary idea for many players. If you can jack the ball out of the park you can play regardless of your defensive liability.
After watching the NCAA women's basketball final 4 on Saturday evening, I have to say that softball is leaps and bounds ahead in terms of execution of the game plan. That had to be the most painful thing I have watched in recent memory. Shoot/miss/defensive rebound/shoot/miss/defensive rebound.... It was absolutely horrible. Very little driving to the basket for 2 points and when they did, they missed. 3-pt shot after 3-pt shot. The game has changed since I last watched. Time to get rid of the 3-pt shot and have them learn the basics again.
Maybe they should shoot into a peach basket too.
UConn shot 53% from 3 point range. Syracuse while not near that shot well above 33% which is the equivalent of shooting 50% from 2.
Its how the game is played now, google a player named Stephon Curry. I'm sure you have heard of him and his team.
