I was reading a profile today. 16U slapper contact to contact 2.67. The team she plays on has a slapping camp at a local college and in all the years we have attended only one kid has broken 2.80 and that is in a 20 yard dash, not contact to contact. So I trust times posted about as much as the speeds I see posted on pitchers. If you think these times are not realistic read the mini profiles when you attend a college camp. Few if any are accurate.
Slapping! Advantages vs Disadvantages
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SBFamily, you don't think 2.67 is possible? That is what Natasha Whatley does. She isn't there for her digits and milliseconds, she is there because of her all-around game. I am not saying it is accurate, but I do believe it is possible, and I have seen it.
Steve yes it is possible, but I know some of those players and the players that are posting these times are not Natasha Whalety, Laura Berg, or any team USA player. DD has actually worked with some of them as a slapper. That is why you see the mini profiles then you see the times they actually run at various camps and they are not even close to those times. Same as Pitching speeds. In 4 years of attending slapping camps at many colleges and college showcases, only one girl has broken the 2.80 barrier at least in this area. That was at WSU camp with coach Larabee was clocking them and she hit a 2.74. Just look at all the nfca camp times posted around the country, few below 3.00 and that is not contact to contact , but a 20 yard dash.
Well, basically I can agree, but it is possible. And there are some who do it. As I mentioned before, in the 1993 Nationals I clocked only one girl below 2.8 also. It was the New Hampshire girl. She posted times in the 2.7 range. With a stop watch, the .000 is irrelevant. I have clocked two girls faster than this. Both were track stars and one held the State record in the 50 and 100. I have never seen the NFCA coaches clock the girls, though I am a member.
Steve at this NFCA camp they used the new beam method to get away from the stop watch. At the Queen of Diamonds they use multi college coaches timing and then they compare times. This was a discussion I had with some college coaches this weekend at a showcase event. We were chuckling at all the kids that had 2.6 from home to first on profiles.
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http://www.discussfastpitch.com/coaching-softball/3786-how-fast-first-base.html
Here's a link to a prior thread about home-first times. See the table in Post #7 - it gives a break down of Olympic sprinters' times at 10 meter intervals
Here's a link to a prior thread about home-first times. See the table in Post #7 - it gives a break down of Olympic sprinters' times at 10 meter intervals
- Jun 16, 2010
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The convention for measuring times often is to start on the first step, so it may start with the girl already 3 ft closer than some think. You also arent running 60 ft, but more like 58.75 because 60' is the backside of the base. So, the distance measured may be more like 55-56 ' in reality, from an already moving start (first step) , not a dead standstill. You also reach the bag first with an extended foot, not breaking tape with a body. Good coaches dont need a stopwatch, they can see the difference. A more consistent indicator is home-home time. When you get 11.5 or less, you have a speedster, 12-12.5 is about avg.
If a girl is a speedster, she needs to stay lean and fit. She can lose around 0.1 sec on H-1B for every 5 lbs extra bodyweight she carries. Prove it to them by timing them with and without extra weight on. One of my pet peeves is seeing girls trying to play in sweatpant and sweatshirts when the temp is down below 50. They dont realize how slow it makes them, why not just give the game away. Forget kneepads and sliders, thats just weight that slows you down too, esp on lower legs. Horrible idea, just another benefit of lightweight pants.
There is a reason that recievers in football today will even play without pads in their pants, it actually slows them down.
If a girl is a speedster, she needs to stay lean and fit. She can lose around 0.1 sec on H-1B for every 5 lbs extra bodyweight she carries. Prove it to them by timing them with and without extra weight on. One of my pet peeves is seeing girls trying to play in sweatpant and sweatshirts when the temp is down below 50. They dont realize how slow it makes them, why not just give the game away. Forget kneepads and sliders, thats just weight that slows you down too, esp on lower legs. Horrible idea, just another benefit of lightweight pants.
There is a reason that recievers in football today will even play without pads in their pants, it actually slows them down.
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