HITTING

We believe in providing instruction and opportunities that will make our softball players the best hitters they can be. We are passionate about coaching hitting and try to spread that enthusiasm to our teams and players as an inspiration to achieve greatness. There is no shortcut to excellence - so we practice hard and have a great deal of fun along the way.

            

12 KEY POINTS TO BEING A SUCCESSFUL HITTER: 

POPULAR MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE SWING:

• HANDS OR KNOB TO THE BALL
• "SQUISH THE BUG"
• SWING LOW TO HIGH
• STRIDE AND LOAD
• START HIP ROTATION EARLY
• A LONG STRIDE EQUALS MORE POWER

Teaching the fundamentals necessary to overcome poor hitting techniques can be a frustrating experience for both coaches and players. Beware of these incorrect techniques!  The most important objectives of the fastpitch or baseball hitter are:

• Achieving maximum force at the point of contact
• Using live and independent hands
• Increasing the speed of the bat throughout the swing
• Hitting through a long zone - staying on the plane of the pitch as long as possible
• BALANCE, BALANCE BALANCE

Everything about the swing must be tailored to achieve these objectives. The only way to achieve success as a hitter is to practice sound fundamentals.  The fundamentals we teach have been taught to us by some of the greatest coaches and players in the world, either personally or through our own research and experience. 

THE "FALL BACK SWING" AND 5 REASONS IT DOESN'T WORK FOR FASTPITCH SOFTBALL

There's a new fad in fastpitch softball, I like to call it the "fall back swing".  The batter opens their hips and shoulders prior to contact, falling back as she swings, squishing the bug or pivoting on the back foot, twisting the back, collapsing the back leg, etc. 

The angle (plane) of your swing should match the plane of the incoming pitch as closely as possible in order to maximize your hit.  In baseball, the average height of the ball upon release by the pitcher is approximately 60" to 76" (dependent upon pitcher's height), delivering to a strike zone approximately 24" to 36" in height.  That is a 36" to 50" down plane (3 to 4 FEET!), which explains why this swing works so well in baseball. 

In softball, the average arc for a 40 to 60 mile an hour pitch is only 8" to 21" (INCHES!)!  Remember: your swing should match the plane of the incoming pitch as closely as possible in order to maximize your hit!

• The head will come out of the proper position and eye contact with the ball will be reduced or lost.
• The back shoulder will drop down, which creates an unlevel position for the shoulders in their approach to the ball and the barrel of the bat will fall below the hands.  IF contact is made it results in pop flys and easy ground outs.
• The hands will drop, creating a loop in the swing (loop = pop up).
• The back leg will collapse and eliminate any positive hip action in the swing and take away the majority of the batter's power.
• As a fastpitch softball player, this swing will greatly reduce your power and batting average.
  

JUST BRING IT!! 

THE MENTAL ASPECTS OF HITTING

This section was written by Rick Siekman who is a fellow softball maniac with a degree in psychology and a special interest in sports psychology. Siek has spent literally years searching for the competitive edge and would like to share sports psychology perspectives with all of us. So read it, apply what you like, keep what works, toss what doesn't, and pass what you learn along to a friend.  I've taken the liberty of editting this for the purpose of this website.

 INTRODUCTION - Stepping into THE ZONE

Yogi Berra was right...you can't think and hit at the same time. Which is not to say that thinking has no part in the art of hitting, whether it be hitting a baseball - Yogi's specialty - or hitting a softball, which is our particular area of concern.

But even though this Yogiism is considered an axiom among big league baseball players, surprisingly little attention is paid by amateurs to the psychological aspects of the game. Former Atlanta Brave Dale Murphy, in describing the contents of an excellent book entitled The Mental Game of Baseball, said, "The subject of this book is something that's always talked about among players - more so than physical mechanics." Yet when it comes to softball, the mental side of the sport is all but ignored. We spen hundreds - if not thousands - of dollars each year hoping the latest advancement in aluminum alloys or bat construction (witness the DeMarini double-wall, the TPS triple-wall, the Power Forged Rawlings...) will somehow turn us into more powerful hitters. We spend countless hours discussing which weight training techniques will enhance our bat speed, yet we forget the most important tool there is in hitting: the human mind. Concentration, confidence, focus, and relaxation...these are mental applications to what has previously been considered a purely physical endeavor - clobbering a softball. And while it's true that you can't beat size when it comes to hitting the ball deep, it is equally true that it's the mental edge that distinguishes great hitting among players at every level of play.

So what we hope to accomplish on this page is to bring a new understanding to this part of our game. While we accept the importance of physical training, of the need to spend those long, grueling hours inthe gym, of using the best equipment money can buy, we likewise believe that mental preparation is important, too.

Danny Williams, recently of the Steele's Hitmen, once described his pre-at-bat ritual: "I like to work myself into a psychotic frenzy." Why? Because he believes it makes him a better hitter! And in softball, as in every aspect of life, your belief in yourself is ultimately what will determine what you are...and what you might become.

What we are striving for is to make the mind-body connection - the absolute key to functioning in the optimum performance zone - as easy and as accessible as possible. Practice these techniques and refine them as you would a new hitting stroke, and you will find your peak hitting experiences the rule rather than the exception.

PREPARATION - Bringing It With You to the Game

Anyone who has followed softball guru Ray DeMarini is familiar with his mantra, "You gotta practice." Not just hitting, but every aspect of hitting. Practice going to right, practice hitting up the middle, practice pulling the ball. Practice hitting line drives, practice hitting period. What is frequently left unsaid, however, is the mental preparation necessary for hitting. What frame of mind are you in when you step into the box? What kind of day did you have? How do you feel about being here tonight, or for the entire weekend? These are all distractions from your purpose of the moment, which is hitting. And as a good friend - and fine ballplayer - once said, "If you don't bring it with you when you come, you aren't gonna find it when you get there." Physically, mentally, or spiritually. If you aren't prepared beforehand, you aren't suddenly going to find yourself ready to participate once the game begins.

The key to playing in the zone is to play in the moment, to ignore the distractions, to focus so intently on what you are doing, that nothing else in the world exists. Baseball players often describe hitting streaks as times when the ball looks as big as a watermelon as it wafts slowly to the plate. Time slows perceptibly, the ball appears larger than normal. And the reason is simple. Their focus is so fine, so pinpoint, that the object of their attention seems literally to grow. They immerse themselves in the object - the baseball - so much that they cease to hear the clamoring crowd, to onsider defensive alignment, to be aware, even, of exactly what the pitcher is trying to do. Because it doesn't matter. All that matters is seeing the ball.

Similarly in softball, we all have these moments, standing on deck, or out in the field waiting for our next at-bat, when we know without question that when we step into the box something good will come of it. We'll get the big base hit - or, physical attributes allowing, the home run - and there is nothing the pitcher or the defense can do about it. And frankly, it doesn't necessarily require that we get the perfect pitch. Whatever junk she throws at us, we'll hit. In fact, we are going to crush the ball. Because we are absolutely focused on what we are doing.

And that focus can be practiced. When swinging in batting cages, assess the quality of what you are doing. Are you simply throwing tokens into the machine and working up a sweat? Or do you have a purpose in mind? No, you CAN'T think and hit at the same time. And thinking about hitting is not the same as focusing on hitting. Neither is concentrating on concentrating. You have to focus on the ball, or better yet, at a point on the ball. All consideration of swing mechanics, of weather conditions, of physical discomfort must be left outside the cage, or outside the batter's box.

One practice technique that is particularly effective is to waste a round when it's your turn to take some cuts. Slip the token into the slot, take your stance, and watch the pitches go by. Do not swing the bat. Practice seeing the ball from its point of release to its location in the strike zone. Judge the quality of your concentration. Did you, in fact, see the ball all the way to the backstop, or did your eyes or your mind wander? If you can't follow the ball in practice, how do you expect to do it in a game?

Likewise, in game situations, feel free to take a pitch, even if it's a strike, even if it's perfect. Use that pitch as you would a practice swing on-deck. Let your eyes see the pitch from the pitcher's release point, from his particular delivery. You've got three strikes to play with, why not use them wisely? The pitcher still has to throw two more strikes to get you out.

Preparing yourself to hit requires much more than loosening the muscles; be fully prepared each time you set yourself to hit. As the old saying goes: See the ball, Hit the ball. It's no more complicated than that.

The next logical question is when do you work on your softball swing mechanics, if not in the batting cages? The answer is simple: whenever you can...wherever you are.

In The Mental Game of Baseball (South Bend, IN: Diamond Communications, Inc.), Reggie Jackson shares a similar approach: When I want to turn it on, I have a routine I go through...I imagine myself putting the "sweet spot" in the hitting area just as the ball is getting there. I see a line drive going to center field...When I visualize, I feel my approach and the contact...I "see it" the way I am going to see it.

What they are describing, of course, is mental rehearsal, or visualization, which applies not only to the moments immediately preceding game performance, but anytime you have a quiet moment. It is a powerful practice technique, particularly useful in those long winter months when the season shuts down because the weather is too cold, the fields frozen or wet.

Harvey Dorfman and Karl Kuehl, authors of The Mental Game of Baseball, have this to say: Visualization programs the nervous system, muscles, and fibers of the body. The clearer the image - the more detail - the greater the effect on the body. Imagination can trigger nerve and muscle response.

In essence, the mind cannot distinguish between practice that is "real" - i.e., physical - and practice that is not. The same muscle memory is created whether you take your cuts in the batting cages, or whether you take them in your mind.

As Dorfman and Kuehl point out, when visualizing your performance, it is important that the mental picture be as vivid and detailed as possible. Feel the dirt from the batter's box under your cleats, the breeze tossling your hair as it blows out to left; test the weight of the bat in your hands; smell the burgers grilling in the concession stand behind the backstop. Whatever sensation that you associate with where you play ball, incorporate it into your fantasy. Then "see" yourself performing to the utmost of your ability. Work on the mechanics that you know are your weaknesses. If you have trouble keeping your head down, in practice see the ball flatten as it impacts with the bat. If you tend to uppercut, visualize a perfect, straight-line path for your swing plane. And if your mental image goes awry, keep seeing it until you are perfect, until your image of your swing is dead-on with what you know to be right. Blister line drives all around the park, split the gaps between the outfielders, drive the ball through the box like you do on your best days in BP...rip it!

Then, and only then, will you be "programmed" to perform at your best.

Did you ever wonder why you can hit the ball so consistently well in practice, hitting missile after missile into the distance, but when you take those first few steps over to the batter's box in a game, you suddenly nervous and can't hit?

The answer lies not in the plane of your swing, nor in the alignment of your grip or stance, but rather the answer is tension. A lack of tension in practice, then a subtle, increasing tension at the beginning of and throughout the game. Tension tightens the shoulder and neck muscles, causes motion to become less fluid and subsequently less accurate. It causes vision to blur, focus to become less keen, concentration to wane. And though these effects go unnoticed, they are nevertheless both very real, and very detrimental to performance.

And it is tension - or rather our response to tension, for in truth tension is unavoidable - that makes all the difference. For some - indeed, clearly the majority - disciplined practice produces disciplined at-bats. In fact, it is essential that every ballplayer refines his physical stroke through some sort of practice. For others, however, untold hours on the practice field might yield nothing but the most inconsistent of results. Some thrive on game situations; some let the subtle influences of tensions throw them completely off their games. Learning to deal with tension - or rather, to minimize the effects of tension - is crucial.

Likewise, it is important to realize that no matter how often you take your cuts, no matter how easy it feels in the cages, no matter how fuzzy you feel when you launch your missiles in practice, it is not going to stay that way forever. Everyone who's played this game has had that feeling that suddenly he's found the secret to the universe, the feeling of "if I could bottle this stuff...".  It is unlikely that we'll ever achieve a consensus on the one key mental approach to hitting.

But this realization will not stop us from believing. And as long as we believe, for that one particular at-bat, for that one particular game, for that one brief, shining moment, we'll be able to relax and perform at our peak.

THE KEY TO CONSISTENCY

There are a number of effective techniques that we can employ that will go a long way toward solving this particular problem. But again, it is important to remember that nervous tension is normal. Moreover, this tension is both healthy and desirable. That realization in and of itself should be a big boost to your confidence. You’re not a coward because your hands sweat and your stomach churns right at crunch time. This is in fact part of the psycho-physiological "fight or flight" mechanism that we’ve all inherited from our ancestors.

But what to do when these symptoms get out of hand?

First, slow yourself down. The immediate tendency in a fight or flight situation is to hurry up and get it over with. That is the flight side of the equation, but what we’re interested in is fight. Take a few slow, deep breaths from your diaphragm, and feel the oxygen-enriched blood flowing through your system, washing the unwanted tension away.

Next, begin to move slowly and easily, as if you were totally relaxed. Tense muscles tend to move in a herky-jerky fashion. Deliberately force yourself to move in a more casual, relaxed manner. A few light stretches, slowly executed, concentrating on your larger muscle groups, might be helpful. A clear, focused mind will follow from a calm body. (The reverse is also true, which is another angle you might want to work with.) Assuming you’re on deck, swing your bat at about quarter speed. Again, the idea is to slow down. One or two full practice swings are okay, but we want our bodies thinking, "easy does it."

Notice at this point that our concentration is somewhere other than on the situation at hand. The number of possible scenarios that you will encounter in softball is small and manageable enough that how to deal with them should have become or will become second nature. Since the amount of time the mind is capable of focusing is limited to mere seconds, too much attention to the task at hand will rob you of this ability when you need it most. Also, by diverting your attention elsewhere, you are in essence making effective use of the flight mode, and forcing yourself to work with, rather than against, the forces of nature. Effective use of the flight response will give you all the fight you need.

Along these lines, many ballplayers find it helpful to fine tune their focus on some nearby object as they are settling into the batter’s box. A blade of grass, a candy wrapper, the bill of your helmet. Find a "trigger" that you can associate with the relaxation response every time up. Make it a ritual. Teach yourself to "let go" whenever you tap the bat on the plate. Squeeze your hands tightly on the bat, then feel them totally relax. Ray DeMarini says that relaxed hands will increase your bat speed five to ten miles an hour. By incorporating this technique into your pre-at-bat ritual you’ll get the additional benefit of a clear mind as well. And that is the ultimate goal: a quiet mind and a calm body that’s as ready to perform as it’s been trained.

Remember, finally, to be consistent. However you prepare yourself to hit, whatever ritual you adopt, get in the habit of doing it every time up. This will help keep you in your comfort zone, in a safe, familiar environment, where you’ll find minimal distraction...and maximum performance!