Bucketmom
Psycho for softball!
What is the actual purpose of slap hitting? Is it worth the time to try and learn/teach it?
Slap hitting?
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SB bases are a shorter distance then in baseball, a fast runner can easily beat out a slow ground ball. Slapping is the art of placing the ball in the field of play and running like the wind to 1st base. Defenses are smart so starting pulling in and adjusting so the hitter started looping it over their heads or hitting a hard ball thru a hole the defense provides if they shift around.
In my opinion a fast lefty should be the only one slapping. It is an art from and takes a while for the player to learn.
In my opinion a fast lefty should be the only one slapping. It is an art from and takes a while for the player to learn.
The only reason I know a little bit about it is that I think DD is a fast lefty, otherwise I would just learn the very basicis and send the fast lefty to a slapping instructor. If your DD is not a fast lefty you are better working on skills that will help all the players.
Bucketmom
Psycho for softball!
Thanks. One less thing to learn. DD is a heavy hitting righty..
The main purpose is that slappers get on base more often...all other things being equal...the more speed, the more advantage.
Speedy players who stick with slapping will likely improve their BA and OBP by about 100 points in the long run. It does take commitment since slappers need to practice drag bunt, soft slap, hard slap and full swing...each of which has its own unique mechanics. I know dozens of players that went from decent players to really good players...All Conference, All State, scholarship..by switching to LH with slap skills when they didn't seem to be on that path before slapping.
Speedy players who stick with slapping will likely improve their BA and OBP by about 100 points in the long run. It does take commitment since slappers need to practice drag bunt, soft slap, hard slap and full swing...each of which has its own unique mechanics. I know dozens of players that went from decent players to really good players...All Conference, All State, scholarship..by switching to LH with slap skills when they didn't seem to be on that path before slapping.
Slap hitting is a certain technique that is taught to fast left handed hitters to get to first base faster. I played Men's Major Fastpitch for Aurora Home Savings & the Decatur Pride & I learned how to do it from the best Men slappers in the world. But it's not easy and now being a hitting instructor I see a lot of girl's doing it wrong. People who have never done it and are trying to teach it & are messing the girls up. I have turn down students and teams because they wanted to take a girl who have hit all their life from the right side and now that she is in high school want to make her into a slapper from the left side. I refuse to mess with her confidence. I had twin girls who I taught how to hit, drag bunt & slap. We started at 5. Slapping is a waste of time if they don't know how to drag bunt because drag bunting goes hand and hand with slapping.
Bobby B
Bobby B
I agree that it should ideally be a naturally left handed kid with great speed, however the best slapper on my team is a right hander with speed. But her right handed mechanics are horrible due to years of slow pitch. So I converted her to a short game player on the left and she took to it like a fish in water.
If your dd is a right handed power hitter, I'd leave it alone.
If your dd is a right handed power hitter, I'd leave it alone.
My DD is right handed and 6 yrs old. She is very athletic but small and pretty fast to be as young as she is. She's playing up with her older sister in 8U. Out of 10 girls she's probably 4th or 5th in speed ( again she's 6). We went to a softball camp and the college coach kinda encouraged parents to teach slapping. I know nothing about the right and wrong of slapping. What are your thoughts of do you think its something we need to try? She's a good right hand hitter, but just figured if this is something we need to add, nows the time.
Thanks
Chad
Thanks
Chad
It never hurts to add to your game. As a batter, in the box its good for vision/ball tracking skills to see the ball from another perspective.
Watch college softball on TV or go to a good fastpitch tourney and you will get your answer. Mine got a good college offer based on slapping. If they are good they will lead the team in SB, Run scored, ROE's and on base %. Mine can hit for power along with the other weapons of a fast slapper so she is second in RBI's and BA. Speed creates havoc and confusion. Plus if she is on base, the pitcher is less likely to throw your power hitter a change up, because of speed on base.
