Slap Defense
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Good advice. It depends on the slapper.
- Apr 17, 2012
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There is no right or wrong answer to this question, because it depends on your team's talent levels at each position. That is why you see different defense's from different teams.
Step 1 is to identify your team's strengths and weaknesses position by position, step 2 is determine the same for the slapper. JAD has good advice about how to play different types of slappers. Short gamers you play a bunt type defense, harder hitters you play pretty normal. If they are a good 4 technique slapper, bunt, soft slap, hard slap, stand and swing.....well good luck.
We run 3 different bunt defense's, 35 - corners in, 15 - 3rd in, pitcher has 1st base side, and 45 - 3rd in, 2nd in on 1st base side, and 1st behind bag. For short game slapper's we usually go 35 with middle fielders in the base path. For a slapper that can swing away or hard slap it's 35 with middle a couple steps behind the base path. Of course there are sitiuations where that can change, such as a base runner on, I would run 15 most likely. But if my less mobile 1st basewoman is playing we run more 15 and 45. Also if I am running 15 bunt defense I will only pitch away, very difficult to bunt to 1st on an outside pitch.
You should also learn why a slapper is trying to do each technique.
Good luck, it is fun to play against.
Step 1 is to identify your team's strengths and weaknesses position by position, step 2 is determine the same for the slapper. JAD has good advice about how to play different types of slappers. Short gamers you play a bunt type defense, harder hitters you play pretty normal. If they are a good 4 technique slapper, bunt, soft slap, hard slap, stand and swing.....well good luck.
We run 3 different bunt defense's, 35 - corners in, 15 - 3rd in, pitcher has 1st base side, and 45 - 3rd in, 2nd in on 1st base side, and 1st behind bag. For short game slapper's we usually go 35 with middle fielders in the base path. For a slapper that can swing away or hard slap it's 35 with middle a couple steps behind the base path. Of course there are sitiuations where that can change, such as a base runner on, I would run 15 most likely. But if my less mobile 1st basewoman is playing we run more 15 and 45. Also if I am running 15 bunt defense I will only pitch away, very difficult to bunt to 1st on an outside pitch.
You should also learn why a slapper is trying to do each technique.
Good luck, it is fun to play against.
I agree that ideally, tailoring your defense to the individual slapper's skills and your defensive players' skills is best but that isn't always possible.
An experienced full menu slapper will consistently destroy any type of extremely shallow or extremely deep or shifted defense. Placing all defenders in about 3 steps provides a balanced approach which at least forces the slapper to execute a good play to reach base.
Obviously, great pitching is the best answer...otherwise the defense has to defend every grain of dirt and every blade of grass which adds up to a significant advantage for the experienced full menu slapper.
An experienced full menu slapper will consistently destroy any type of extremely shallow or extremely deep or shifted defense. Placing all defenders in about 3 steps provides a balanced approach which at least forces the slapper to execute a good play to reach base.
Obviously, great pitching is the best answer...otherwise the defense has to defend every grain of dirt and every blade of grass which adds up to a significant advantage for the experienced full menu slapper.
- Jan 24, 2011
- 1,156
- 0
Rule number 1 Make dang sure she is a slapper and not just a lefty who happens to be leading off. I can't tell you the number of times teams shifted for my dd last year, only to have her hit it to the fence. Nothing turns a double into an inside the park home run faster then a slapper defense for a non slapper.
There were a couple of teams who did it a second time in the same game, thank you twice.
There were a couple of teams who did it a second time in the same game, thank you twice.
Been there. Maybe it was the same team we played, only DD was batting 2nd with runner on. She hit it over the CF head first 2 at bats. 3rd time up, coach finally told them to stay back and she laid a sweet bunt down the 3rd base line for a hit. It was great fun. DD does slap, but only about 30% of the time, because most defenses play her as a slapper.
