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Amanda Freed: Hitting opposite field
There is a good reason why softball is such a difficult sport to play, every day presents a new set of variables. The weather, the pitchers, hitters, umpires, and the list goes on. We are always making adjustments, not only game by game, but pitch by pitch. It IS a game of discipline and you will not be a successful softball player if you are not disciplined enough to learn how to make adjustments.
As a pitcher, you are constantly analyzing situations and making adjustments in your mechanics to best attack each hitter. Hitters, you are constantly making adjustments to strike zones, pitches, situations, and counts. Each at-bat is a series of one-pitch battles between the pitcher and hitter, each trying to outsmart the other. The one who can make and execute adjustments the quickest will end up on top.
Professional/Olympic athlete and coach Amanda Freed
So, what's one adjustment we can make at the plate that will make us better all around hitters and make the pitcher's job more difficult? Do you ever recall your coach telling you to "think opposite field"? Purposely hitting the ball to the opposite field is probably the biggest act of discipline in the box, aside from the obvious swinging at strikes and watching balls. Learning to hit the ball to the right side if you're a right-handed hitter, or left side if you're a left-handed hitter, will also help with some difficult adjustments during your at-bat.
Studentsportsrivals.com
1) How do I adjust to this pitcher? She is so slow!!
2) What sort of adjustments should I make with two strikes?
In both situations, thinking about hitting the ball to the opposite field slows you down and it forces you to see the ball deeper into the zone. By "deeper in the zone" I mean letting the ball get closer to you. You cannot hit a solid ball to the opposite field if you make contact too far out front. You've got to be able to keep your barrel middle/inside of the ball in order to keep it up the middle and to the opposite field. If you try to contact too far out front your barrel will be approaching "follow through" and you'll pull around the ball.
If the pitcher is slower than you are used to seeing, the issue is generally trouble with timing. You cannot keep the same approach in the box with a girl who throws 52mph as you do with someone throwing 60mph. Odds are you will either crush the ball foul, or you'll be so far out in front that you'll do exactly what she wants you to do, hit little infield ground balls off the end of your bat.
Instead, 1) Adjust yourself up in the box if you have to. 2) Keep your bat on your shoulder a little longer when you first step in so you don't get over anxious and stiff in your stance, 3) Force yourself to see the ball deeper and hit it to the opposite field. If you do this and you accidentally fire too soon, you'll miss up the middle or to the pull side. If you are too late, you'll foul it off. This doesn't mean you need to slow your bat down, it means, wait… wait… wait… then fire. There is no shame in being late swinging off of a girl throwing 52mph, it just shows you are making an adjustment.
The same thinking can be applied to two-strike hitting. Many times hitting with two strikes can force you to become over-anxious. The mindset of, "I don't' want her to "blow" it by me or strike me out" will cause you to fire too soon making you vulnerable to the outside corner and change ups. By forcing yourself to see the ball deep you will be able to keep your front side in longer, covering the outside and change up, and then you just react to the inside. Trust your eyes and your quick hands. There are very few pitchers out there that can "blow it by you" but you have to believe that.
In short, I think we get too much positive feedback from turning hard on the ball. We see it travel a long way, usually foul, but it looks and feels good. As you get older, and the pitchers get more precise with their locations and you are going to have to learn to hit the ball where it's pitched. Turn on the inside, go with the outside. Your focus should always be to hit the ball up the middle and in the gaps. Use the entire area between the left fielder and the right fielder.
Remember, you cannot just go into the game and expect to execute right away, it starts in practice. During batting practice, work on hitting everything up the middle and to the opposite field, even if the pitch is inside. It's frustrating and difficult but it's showing discipline and it will make you better in the long run.
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