Learning to Start with the Hips
Guest post by Ken Krause, Life in the Fastpitch Lane blog
These days you’ll get little debate regarding the importance of starting the swing with the hips (or core muscles) rather than the upper body. It’s at least one thing that is fairly universal among hitting instructors and those who are students of hitting.

Yet getting a player to swing hips-first – especially if she’s spent a few years swinging hands-first – can be more difficult than saying “Here, do this” or “Watch this video of how you should be swinging.”

It’s not that the student doesn’t get it. But after several years of working through one sequence it can be darned difficult to implement a new one.

I have that issue with a student right now. A high school girl, she came to me because she was hitting a lot of weak ground balls and pop-ups despite being a pretty good athlete and being fairly strong. It didn’t take long (even with the naked eye) to see she was working her swing in reverse, starting with the hands, then the shoulders, and finally moving the hips more as a follow-through.

We’ve been working on changing it, but she struggled at first. We have worked through a couple of drills, however, that seem to be helping her. If you have a hitter in a similar situation, especially an older one, here are some things to try.

Hip turn, no swing off the tee. You might also call it half a swing. Start from the normal stance, and go through the usual load/pre-motion. The hitter lands on her toe, then drops the heel and starts turning the hips. But instead of swinging she just freezes in position.
Hip turn, then swing. The hitter starts by doing everything she did above. After she’s frozen in position and the coach checks to see the hips have started turning, he/she calls swing and the hitter completes the swing. You’re not looking to correct any other flaws at this point; you’re just making sure that the hips are turning first. Once she can do this on command, have her check herself for hip turn, and when it’s confirmed she swings on her own. Gradually have her shorten up the time between turn and swing until it’s all one correctly sequenced motion.
Hip turn, no swing front toss. Getting the hips to turn first on the tee isn’t too difficult. But it can all break down again once you have a moving ball. To address this, front toss or pitch to the hitter and have her go through load, positive move to toe touch, heel drop and hip turn. But again, she doesn’t swing. (That is particularly important if you’re close to the hitter and there’s no safety screen.) Focus on making sure the hips are starting on time – not that she waits until the ball crosses the plate to start it.
Hip turn, chop swing front toss. Similar to the above, only she adds the beginning of a swing to it. Why the chop swing? Because with a full swing she can easily revert to what she was doing because it’s familiar from before. The chop or half swing is different, so it helps overcome that muscle memory built on thousands of full swings.
None of this is a panacea, but it can help. Remember that the key thing you’re doing is trying to replace one locked-in pattern with another. Because it’s not that she doesn’t know to swing hips-first. It’s that she’s having trouble actually doing it.

Also, don’t be surprised if she gets it, then reverts back. It happens. But keep emphasizing the right sequence of movements, and if she’s willing to change she will – especially when she feels the power a properly-sequenced swing can deliver.

There are girls who have funky swings that work for them, and if they are hitting the hell out of the ball, many coaches wont touch their swing. There may come a time (level of pitching) though when that will fail them, so that is not very wise. Sometimes you have to take a step backwards in order to go 2 steps forward. Lots of coaches dont want to take that step backwards with a player they need for the current season.

In my experience, many at a high level of play teach hitting basically the same style. Its basically a rotational swing, but with a bit more forward momentum than Epsteins "pure" rotational swing that leaves you leaning badly backwards. They focus on 1) small timing step 2) keep hands high, top of zone 3) create separation, get hips around 4) keep hands inside 5) stay connected, dont extend before contact 6) palm up/palm down at contact 7) follow thru and finish over shoulder.

I think an exception is slappers, they are so conditioned to dragging the bat thru the zone that they may have a lot of bat drag when asked to swing away. Which is seldom for many.

But , some schools teach really different hitting styles that work well for them too, Hawaii and ULL come to mind. Theres more than one way to skin a cat, and to hit a ball. No one can argue with the # of HRs that Hawaii hit either.

No doubt hitting has changed over the years. The game has changed due to technology from the days of wood bats, etc. It used to be more of a pitching duel where you worked hard to just put the ball in play, get on with speed, play smart and squeeze a run in and win 1-0. That was accomplished with linear hitting that kept the bat in the ball path longest. Now with the bats and balls of today and pitching distance, long ball is clearly dominating high level play. The swings have changed with this.

5 Tips for More Hits

Make a Better Read - Know the situation and pick up as many cues about the pitcher as you can before you step into the box. Does she have more speed than movement? What pitch is her bread and butter? Does she work more up and down or in and out or all of the above? Is she throwing the first pitch over the plate or trying to get hitters to chase?

Have a Routine - Watch the best hitters in the world and you'll see that they approach the box and get into the box the same way every time (much like how a basketball player goes through the same routine before shooting a free throw shot). Without a routine, which starts from the time you done taking your signal and lasts until the time you're ready to start your swing, you're lost. Giving yourself a routine will help put you in the right frame of mind for maximum hitting success. Without it, your mind will be more likely to wander to random, unnecessary and unhelpful thoughts and can make you uncomfortable. The last thing you want to be in the box is uncomfortable!

Ball, Ball, BALL - The whole point of swinging the bat is to hit the BALL. Focusing or thinking about anything else while you swing or prepare to swing is only a distraction. Clear your mind of every thought possible when hitting.

Stay Smooth (stroke don't "hit") - You see it all the time…hitters trying so hard to hit the ball hard. You can just see their shoulders, arms, and hands tense up. Often times they're so wound up they pull their head out of a position from which they can actually see the ball. Stay smooth. Stay within yourself.

Let it Happen - You probably already know that the more you try to hit that home run, the less likely you are to hit it. You hear coaches say it all the time, "Stop swinging for the fence. Make solid contact." Much of hitting is mental. You body performs best when you relax and "just do" instead of think. Let your body do what you've been training it to do. If you've put in the time and effort in practice to improve your swing…if you've gone through that routine we talked about earlier and prepared yourself to clear your mind and focus your well, focus…you don't need to try. Just hit the ball.

If you haven't practiced your swing much and/or if you didn't read the pitch coming in right, there's not a whole lot you can do in the split second you have to make up for that so don't waste time, focus, or energy worrying about it. Hitting usually doesn't work well when you're trying to get big hits or hoping you'll hit laser shots to the perfect spot on the field. It's works best when you're comfortable and confident (remember this when trying to choose a bat!) and, as mental game expert Dr. Tom Hanson says…playing freely (without worry, anxiety, or other mental interference).

Softball Hitting Techniques - Key Concepts of Successful Hitting


The key to being an effective teacher and coach is to develop a simplified, comprehensible approach to instruction. When working on batting skills, my goal is to develop hitters who understand the key concepts in hitting. What follows is a summary of those concepts, starting with the mechanics of the swing: stance, stride, swing, position at contact, and follow-through. I teach what I call LINEAR hitting versus ROTATIONAL hitting to create more power through the ball. The following describes a linear hitting motion, with a “short to, long through” approach.

Stance

The stance may vary from player to player, but there are some characteristics of the stance that have general applications. The feet should be about six inches (15 centimeters) wider than shoulder-width apart. A stance that is too wide will inhibit weight transfer and hip rotation. One that is too narrow may produce a long stride, causing too much head movement and poor ball tracking. The knees should be slightly flexed, with the upper torso bent slightly forward (toward the plate) at the waist. The head is turned toward the pitcher with both eyes level, and the chin is near the front shoulder at the start of the swing.

There are 3 types of stances: OPEN, CLOSED, and SQUARE. In the open stance, the hitter is turned 30 to 60 degrees on the balls of her feet toward the pitcher so that her front foot is about two or three inches (five to seven centimeters) farther from home plate than the back foot. The weight is distributed evenly on both feet. In this stance, the hips are more open to allow for a shorter swing. The disadvantage of the open stance is that it limits plate coverage on the outside third of the plate.

In the closed stance, the player’s front foot is moved about two or three inches closer to home than the back pivot foot. The hips are closed, restricting hip rotation. In this stance, the right-hander can drive the ball to right field. The disadvantage of the closed stance is that it prevents the batter from reaching pitches on the inside of the plate.



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The square stance is the most workable because it gives the hitter the best plate coverage without any disadvantages. No matter what the stance, successful hitters stride to a square position to get maximum coverage.

Complete plate coverage is an important aspect to consider when choosing where to stand in the batter’s box. The depth in the batter’s box depends on the nature of the hitter and the type of pitcher throwing. The farther back the hitter is in the batter’s box, the more time she will have to read the pitch. In most situations, I’ll have my players stand in the back of the box. Against average pitchers, they have the option of moving up in the box. This will decrease the reaction time for those hitters having trouble waiting on the ball.

A players grip on the bat is equally important. The hands should be set near the back shoulder and should be no more than three to six inches (7 to 15 centimeters) from the body. The lead shoulder is pointing at the pitcher or is slightly closed in the stance. To find a proper grip that ensures maximum power at contact, the player should let her hands hang freely in front of her with palms facing each other. She should grip the bat and pull the bat up to starting position without allowing her fingers to move again. The bat should be held in the finger’s of the hands with the grip placed at an angle in the top hand from the base of the pinky to the middle of the index finger. The second knuckles of each hand are aligned when gripping the bat.

When the hitter is in her stance, her focus is soft with her eyes relaxed and looking at the pitcher. As the pitcher’s hands come apart, the batter should change the focus to the pitcher’s release point (a hard focus). We all know what it feels like to stare with a hard glare at something. That is a hard focus.

Stride or Trigger

As the pitcher is moving towards the release, the hitter is beginning to initiate some preparatory movement--either a stride or a trigger. The stride or trigger establishes timing and helps achieve a strong and powerful position to start the swing. During the stride, the batter takes a small step toward the pitcher. If she does not use the step, she should be soft, closed (45 to 90 degrees in relationship to the plate), soon enough in relation to the pitch, and only a few inches. During the stride, it is comfortable for some to initiate a small movement of the hands in a C pattern. As the pitch approaches, a coiling action begins. The front side (shoulder, hip, and knee) slightly turns in, and the back knee also turns inward. During this coiling action, the front shoulder should be lower than the back shoulder. The hands should always remain inside the back shoulder.

Swing

The swing begins from the bottom up. The back knee will begin to move in as the hitter shifts her weight toward the ball with the legs and hips; the hands and shoulders stay back. As the ball approaches the plate, the hitter pushes off the back foot to start the linear movement. During the movement of the legs and hips, it is vital that the head and eyes remain level and still. The hands begin to move toward the pitcher, not toward the plate, to stay inside the ball. The hitter needs to keep the bat above forearm level (a line passing from the elbow through the hand), and the front arm maintains a 90-degree angle. The shoulder-elbow-wrist motion unlocks similar to a Frisbee throw. As the bat head moves closer to contact, the top hand begins to rotate so that at contact the palm is nearly facing up. The back leg continues to drive into a now firm (not locked) front leg, and the back foot begins to turn toward the pitcher. This method of approaching the ball helps ensure that the hands stay inside the ball to allow for a more powerful contact position.

Stress to the hitter to drive the front shoulder to the ball. If the front-shoulder pulls away from the ball, one or more of the following problems will happen:

1.The head will come out of the proper position, and eye contact with the ball will be reduced.

2.The back shoulder will drop down, which creates an unlevel position for the shoulders in their approach to the ball.

3.The hands will drop, creating a loop in the swing.

4.The back leg will collapse and eliminate any positive hip action in the swing.

5.The coverage of the outside part of the plate will be reduced.

The front arm starts the hands toward the ball while the back arm finishes. The batter should allow the front shoulder to track the ball from the pitcher’s hand to the contact zone. As the bat is approaching the ball, the arms remain bent. If the arms are extended too early in the swing, the swing arc will be too long, and the hitter will sacrifice ball speed and powe

Softball Hitting Tip - How to Reduce Pop-Ups


Softball Hitting Tip: Cut Back on Pop-Ups by Getting the Right Bat Angle

Nothing is more frustrating to a coach than getting a couple of runners on base with no one out only to have the next two hitters pop up into an infield fly rule. Even a weak ground ball back to the pitcher holds the promise that something might happen.

A bad throw, a third baseman pulling her foot off the base early, maybe the ball going into the sun as it’s thrown gives you a chance to advance the runners. But a pop-up? Everybody freeze and we’ll try it again. Do it twice and your inning is all but over.

So if you could teach your hitters to hit fewer pop-ups, it sure seems like a worthy investment of time. Well, you can. It all has to do with the bat angle.

Essentially, hitters need to keep their hands above the ball so the head of the bat is tilted downward instead of straight out. The following figures show why.



The first illustration (left) shows a bat that is sticking straight out, more or less. This is what happens, by the way, when you take your hands to the ball. You bring them level with the ball and the bat will have to level out to the ground as well.

That’s not so bad if you hit the ball dead center. But if you’re a little low, as in this illustration, you’ll hit the bottom half of the ball and it will pop up – especially if you really went low and had to come back up.

Now look at the second illustration (right), with the bat angled due to the hands being above the ball. Not only are you getting more surface on which to hit the ball, there’s no real way to hit the bottom half of the ball. Because of the bat angle, if you’re off-center you’re more likely to either pull the ball or deflect it toward the opposite field.

It’s simple – and difficult at the same time. It’s really tempting to take your hands down to hit a pitch, especially a waist-high pitch. But don’t let it happen. Keep those hands above the ball and you’ll cut back on the pop-ups.

In the last few years, much has changed in the way fastpitch softball players are taught to hit. The entire technique is much closer to the way Major League Baseball players hit – in fact, the general wisdom is that it should be the same swing.
One of the elements that includes is a weight shift, from balanced to back to forward. The backward movement is a slight push back to overcome inertia, then the forward weight shift takes the center of gravity ahead of the point where it started. (In the old days, for those too young to remember, hitters would stride out onto the front foot as though they were stepping on thin ice, and then keep the weight back.)
All well and good, and I heartily agree with that method. However, for some hitters, shifting the weight forward ends up getting their weight out ahead of the front foot, essentially lunging forward. They take the idea of weight shift a little too literally. Usually they wind up with the front leg bent and soft, rather than straight or firm.
If you have a hitter doing that, try telling her to land on the inside part of her front foot. Usually when they’re wind up soft, they’re letting the weight continue forward until it’s on the outside of the front foot.
At toe touch, the weight comes down on the inside of the front foot, and the weight shifts into the front foot instead of over it. That will help the front knee firm up when the heel drops, and will give the hitter a solid foundation around which to rotate. Having that solid foundation is critical to delivering maximum power during the hit.
Remember, shift the weight into the front leg, not over.

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During the season, you'll experience ups and downs at
the plate. It's just the nature of our sport.

Here are a few specific things to keep in mind when
you step in the batter's box:

1) Go from soft to hard focus. Before a pitch, watch
the whole pitcher and don't focus on a specific area
(soft focus) and as the pitcher prepares to deliver,
zero in to the point of release (hard focus) and try
to pick up the rotation of the ball.

2) Learn to hit according to the location of the ball.
If the ball is outside, go with it and drive in the
opposite field. If it is down the middle, drive it
right back at the pitcher. Finally, if the ball is
inside, turn on it and drive it into your field.

3) Focus on hitting line drives. Line drives will get
you a base hit 84% of the time vs. 42% for ground balls
and 24% for fly balls.

4) Train your eyes. Improve your tracking ability by
watching pitches from the hitter's perspective when
pitchers are working on their different pitches.

5) Be aggressive but selective. Assume that every pitch
is your pitch. The key is to be ready to capitalize on
any pitcher's mistake but yet to be able to hold on if
the pitch is not right.

1) Select the heaviest bat you can swing without losing bat speed
or developing faulty mechanics. This will give you maximum power

2) Stay loose at the plate. Tensed muscles are slow muscles and
to be successful at the plate, you need to be quick. Relaxed muscles
fire more quickly.

3) Make each swing count. You shouldn't be swinging just for the sake
of swinging. Each swing should have a specific goal whether it is to
work on a technical element, drive the ball in a specific location,
or adjust to a specific pitch.

4) Don't focus on your batting average but on your on-base percentage.
This is a much better indication of your overall performance at the
plate. Reaching a base on an error or a walk is a good as getting a hit.

5) Don't change your swing right before the season or during the season.
A new swing takes too much time to learn. You can make minor adjustments
but no big chances. The best time to change your swing is right after
the season.

Kathy Veroni is one of the most successful coaches in NCAA softball history, with more than 875 wins to her credit at Western Illinois University. Including her time as head coach of a women’s premier fastpitch team, she won more than 1,250 games in her fastpitch coaching career. In 34 seasons at WIU, Veroni built a balanced program that enjoyed academic and athletic success while providing players with an excellent experience as collegiate athletes. She served as president of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and has been inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame, the Illinois State University Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Illinois Amateur Softball Association Hall of Fame.

Coach Kathy Veroni

Key Concepts of Hitting
The key to being an effective teacher and coach is to develop a simplified, comprehensible approach to instruction. When working on batting skills, my goal is to develop hitters who understand the key concepts in hitting. What follows is a summary of those concepts, starting with the mechanics of the swing: stance, stride, swing, position at contact, and follow-through. I teach what I call linear hitting versus rotational hitting to create more power through the ball. The following describes a linear hitting motion, with a “short to, long through” approach.

Stance

The stance may vary from player to player, but there are some characteristics of the stance that have general applications. The feet should be about six inches (15 centimeters) wider than shoulder-width apart. A stance that is too wide will inhibit weight transfer and hip rotation. One that is too narrow may produce a long stride, causing too much head movement and poor ball tracking. The knees should be slightly flexed, with the upper torso bent slightly forward (toward the plate) at the waist. The head is turned toward the pitcher with both eyes level, and the chin is near the front shoulder at the start of the swing.

There are three types of stances: open, closed, and square. In the open stance, the hitter is turned 30 to 60 degrees on the balls of her feet toward the pitcher so that her front foot is about two or three inches (five to seven centimeters) farther from home plate than the back foot. The weight is distributed evenly on both feet. In this stance, the hips are more open to allow for a shorter swing. The disadvantage of the open stance is that it limits plate coverage on the outside third of the plate.

In the closed stance, the player’s front foot is moved about two or three inches closer to home than the back pivot foot. The hips are closed, restricting hip rotation. In this stance, the right-hander can drive the ball to right field. The disadvantage of the closed stance is that it prevents the batter from reaching pitches on the inside of the plate.

The square stance is the most workable because it gives the hitter the best plate coverage without any disadvantages. No matter what the stance, successful hitters stride to a square position to get maximum coverage.

Complete plate coverage is an important aspect to consider when choosing where to stand in the batter’s box. The depth in the batter’s box depends on the nature of the hitter and the type of pitcher throwing. The farther back the hitter is in the batter’s box, the more time she will have to read the pitch. In most situations, I’ll have my players stand in the back of the box. Against average pitchers, they have the option of moving up in the box. This will decrease the reaction time for those hitters having trouble waiting on the ball.

A player’s grip on a bat is equally important. The hands should be set near the back shoulder and should be no more than three to six inches (7 to 15 centimeters) from the body. The lead shoulder is pointing at the pitcher or is slightly closed in the stance. To find a proper grip that ensures maximum power at contact, the player should let her hands hang freely in front of her with palms facing each other. She should grip the bat and pull the bat up to starting position without allowing her fingers to move again. The bat should be held in the fingers of the hands with the grip placed at an angle in the top hand from the base of the pinky to the middle of the index finger. The second knuckles of each hand are aligned when gripping the bat.

When the hitter is in her stance, her focus is soft with her eyes relaxed and looking at the pitcher. As the pitcher’s hands come apart, the batter should change the focus to the pitcher’s release point (a hard focus). We all know what it feels like to stare with a hard glare at something. That is a hard focus.

Stride or Trigger

As the pitcher is moving toward the release, the hitter is beginning to initiate some preparatory movement—either a stride or a trigger. The stride or trigger establishes timing and helps achieve a strong and powerful position to start the swing. During the stride, the batter takes a small step toward the pitcher. If she does not use the step, she should use a movement that helps get the swing going. The stride should be soft, closed (45 to 90 degrees in relationship to the plate), soon enough in relation to the pitch, and only a few inches. During the stride, it is comfortable for some to initiate a small movement of the hands in a C pattern. As the pitch approaches, a coiling action begins. The front side (shoulder, hip, and knee) slightly turns in, and the back knee also turns inward. During this coiling action, the front shoulder should be lower than the back shoulder. The hands should always remain inside the back shoulder.

Swing

The swing begins from the bottom up. The back knee will begin to move in as the hitter shifts her weight toward the ball with the legs and hips; the hands and shoulders stay back. As the ball approaches the plate, the hitter pushes off the back foot to start the linear movement. During the movement of the legs and hips, it is vital that the head and eyes remain level and still. The hands begin to move toward the pitcher, not toward the plate, to stay inside of the ball. The hitter needs to keep the bat above forearm level (a line passing from the elbow through the hand), and the front arm maintains a 90-degree angle. The shoulder-elbow-wrist motion unlocks similar to a Frisbee throw. As the bat head moves closer to contact, the top hand begins to rotate so that at contact the palm is nearly facing up. The back leg continues to drive into a now firm (not locked) front leg, and the back foot begins to turn toward the pitcher. This method of approaching the ball helps ensure that the hands stay inside the ball to allow for a more powerful contact position.

Stress to the hitter to drive the front shoulder to the ball. If the front shoulder pulls away from the ball, one or more of the following problems will happen:


• The head will come out of the proper position, and eye contact with the ball will be reduced.

• The back shoulder will drop down, which creates an unlevel position for the shoulders in their approach to the ball.

• The hands will drop, creating a loop in the swing.

• The back leg will collapse and eliminate any positive hip action in the swing.

• The coverage of the outside part of the plate will be reduced.


The front arm starts the hands toward the ball while the back arm finishes. The batter should allow the front shoulder to track the ball from the pitcher’s hand to the contact zone. As the bat is approaching the ball, the arms remain bent. If the arms are extended too early in the swing, the swing arc will be too long, and the hitter will sacrifice bat speed and power.

Deciding the Bat Length

How long should it be? That’s a good question. It is that has to be answered individually, but two key factors involved in deciding length are control and plate coverage. Which of these is most important? You are right if your answer is control. What good is plate coverage if your bat is to long that you can’t control it? You may reach the ball, but you can’t do anything with it.
Hopefully, you’ll be able to get both control and plate coverage, but some young players with very short arms may have to make a choice. If so, sacrifice plate coverage. It’s better to be able to hit some pitches well than to have only the possibility of hitting any pitch poorly. By the way, when I talk about plate coverage, I’m talking about during the swing, not during the stance.
Well then, just what length is right? There are charts out by various manufacturers that may help a little. They make recommendations based on age, height and weight, but really, at best, they are just guides to a starting point in selecting a bat. The charts do not consider such factors as strength, comfort, fatigue, personal feeling, or any number of other factors that should be used.
The best way is through use of the bat. Try it and see how it works. If looking at bats in a store, get the clerk to give you the opportunity to swing it in a safe place. Test-drive it, just like a car. Find out how it feels. Put something that resembles a plate on the floor and seen if you have good plate coverage during the swing. Can you control it? That is not the same as being able to swing it.
Please be careful in your selection. Avoid the trap of using a 30” or 34” bat just because everybody your age or the best hitters on your team use that length. Use what works for you. One of the best major league baseball hitters in the past 25 years, Tony Gwynn, uses a bat that is 1-2 inches shorter than almost every other hitter in the big leagues. He also has led the league in hitting a number of times. He has the coverage, and wisdom, to make that very important decision of bat selection a personal choice. You should do the same.

Bunting Mechanics


The bunt is one of the most important plays in softball. Without a bunting game the team cannot put pressure on the defense; keep the defense honest; avoid a double play; aid the running game or add variety to the offensive strategy.

There are five basic bunts that should be mastered if you're going to have a good bunting team. To be a complete ballplayer, the player should master each. The bunts to be discussed are sacrifice, push, drag (right and left) and slap

The following are some fundamental principles that are the same for most bunts:

1. Square stance - bring back foot up even with front foot, face square at pitcher
2. Pivot in place - pivot feet and turn upper body to face pitcher
3. Bend the knees, weight on balls of feet
Bring bat out in front of plate; hold bat at top of strike zone with arms slightly bent
4. Bunt only strikes (exception: squeeze, bunt and run)
5. Let ball come to you, bunt top half of ball.
Never move bat upward, only move body and bat downward to meet the ball
6. Bat acts as cushion: you actually "catch" the ball with the bat
7. See the ball on the ground, don't move too quickly or run into the ball
8. Be relaxed, be patient


Sacrifice Bunt
To advance baserunner
Come around early enough to get in position: no need to disguise
Distribute weight slightly inside to cover the plate better
Stay in front of box to keep balls from bouncing on plate
Catch the ball before it breaks
Bunt ball down into the ground
Keep elbows pointing down
Use one hand near handle of bat, slide top hand up near trademark
Top hand held with thumb on top, fingers curled underneath
Bottom hand directs location of bunt
Point shoulders in direction you want ball to go

Push Bunt
Used for base hit when first and third are close
Don't commit until pitcher releases the ball
Push ball between pitcher, and first and third baseman
Stiffen elbows to bunt ball harder
Use pivot in place

Drag Bunt - RH
Surprise bunt for base hit
Sometimes called "sneaky bunt"
Don't commit until pitcher releases the ball
Pivot quickly into bunt stance
Contact made with weight on front foot, back foot moving toward first

Drag Bunt - LH
Surprise bunt for base hit
Called California Slap
Position deep in batters box
Don't commit until pitcher releases the ball
Crossover step with back foot
Keep the bat head BACK
Maintain chin to shoulder contact
If front shoulder turns toward first base, ball will be hit foul
Extend arms to V on contact
"Chop" ball down
Keep the head down

Slap Bunt
Fake bunt, followed by quick hit into open area
Pivot around before pitcher releases ball
Show normal bunt FIRST
Bring bottom hand up to top hand
Bring bat back to rear shoulder (touch and hold) NO FURTHER
Snap the bat out - short compact swing - arm extension
Point shoulders downward where you want the ball to go

Prepare yourself properly for a game.
For a hitter to get ready before a game, they must first loosen up by stretching the arms, legs, and body. To be a successful hitter, there are a series of drills to follow so you are loose for the first pitch. These drills help a hitter put their fundamental swing together:
1) Practice with dry cuts or practice swings (No ball.)
100-300 swings a day, 3-7 days a week for practice.
Work on good fundamental swings with good balance EVERY SWING.
2) Hit off a hitting tee: This adds the element of hitting a ball without the ball moving.
100-300 swings a day, 3-7 days a week for practice. (10-25 swings before a game.)
Work on good fundamental swings (to all fields) with good balance EVERY SWING.
Hit the ball on-the-line drive every time, where it is pitched (inside, middle, outside.)
3) Soft toss drill: A coach/person tosses a ball from the side of a hitter into the hitting zone. This adds the element of a slow moving ball.
100-300 swings a day, 3-7 days a week for practice (10-25 swings before a game.)
Work on good fundamental swings (to all fields) with good balance EVERY SWING.
Hit the ball on-the-line drive every time, where it is pitched (inside, middle, outside). Great drill before a game!
4) Short toss drill: A coach/person (behind a net) throws a ball from half way between the pitcher's mound and the home plate. This now simulates a pitch being thrown as if in a game.
100-300 swings a day, 3-7 days a week.
Work on good fundamental swings (to all fields) with good balance EVERY SWING.
Hit the ball on-the-line drive every time, where it is pitched (inside, middle, outside).
5) Batting practice: This is the last drill used to properly warm up a hitter after learning how to hit or to warm them up before a game. It is extremely difficult to just take batting practice to learn how to hit, let alone to just take it before a game. Take your time and warm yourself up properly. I guarantee if you follow these simple steps, you will be a more consistent hitter and you will be ready to hit when game time comes.
50-100 swings a day, 3-7 days a week. (10-25 swings before a game.)
Hit the ball on-the-line drive every time, where it is pitched (inside, middle, outside).


Remember:
• Do not swing too much!
• Quality is better than quantity.
• Swing 6-12 times per repetition
• Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect!

Sequencing the Hitting Process

By Ken Eriksen, Head Coach, University of South Florida

The statement, "The hardest thing to do in athletics is to hit a ball while it is moving toward you with significant speed," is overused to emphasize what we hitters consider to be a natural act. However, in the true essence of this statement, "The hardest thing to do in fastpitch softball is to consistently move the ball with authority," It is hard enough to hit the fastpitch softball when it is moving up, down, in, out, and sometimes around the zone, but to hit for average and power takes so much dedication. For all hitters who are working towards that ultimate goal, I subscribe to the mental philosophy that has been passed on from good hitting coaches, the "5 Ps":

Patience
Perseverance
Practice
Practice
Practice
Most hitters have a tendency to fall into the death-trap of wanting instant success. Success may be experience at the early stages of the learning process. However, success should be sacrifices (in the sense of productivity) early for the understanding of the mechanics and mentality of hitting. The patience part needs to be empathized through the learning process. Perseverance will get the hitter through the rough times. The hitter and the coach must constantly keep a positive focus on the hitter and the coach must constantly keep a positive focus on the "task at hand." Whatever has happened on the last swing should only be a learning experience; productively measuring does not, and should not, come into play during the learning process. Once the hitter and the coach have established their goals and objectives, then the last three Ps become the hitter's sole responsibility. We have a tendency to find out how potentially successful the hitter can be if she/he sticks to the last three Ps.

The fastpitch softball swing is very similar to the baseball swing in respect to the downward angle of the swing. This angle (around 35 degrees) will promote more ground balls and line drives which is, hopefully, what all good hitters want to accomplish. When we understand this simple theory we can now go on and find other similarities between the two swings (baseball and fastpitch).

"Hitting is done with the hands; the rest of the body puts everything into an optimal position to let the hands throw the bat-head at the ball."

Pretty simple statement. But doesn't this throw out all the theories about turning your hips into the pitch, striding into the pitch, and staying back on the back foot for power? Answer: yes and no.

New research (The Miami Herald, page 3D, Thursday, May 23, 1991; and Discover, June 1991) shows that a ball player does not have to grip the bat very tightly in order to gain power. "The only reason you hold on to the bat," University of Pennsylvania physicist Howard Brady says, "is to keep from killing the pitcher."

To reach his conclusion, Brady taped a small vibration sensor to a bat handle. He compared the vibration patterns generated by a ball striking a bat using hand-held grips, clamping the bat in a vise, and suspending the bat on a string.

The hand-held bats, whether gripped loosely or tightly, vibrated pretty much like the bat handing freely in air. Only clamping a bat in a vise made a difference. But no human grip can come close to holding a bat this tight.

Brady says, from a power point, a batter can loosen up a little. Even if the hitter lets go of the bat completely at the moment of impact, the speed and trajectory of the ball would be the same as if it were struck by a bat held as tightly as possible.

Let us venture further into the hand-hitting theory. First, there are six areas that we need to discuss: 1. Bat selection, 2. Grip, 3. Stance, 4. Bat position, 5. Trigger, 6. The "Swing."

1. Bat selection. Physics tells is that bat-head speed results in initial power. What one individual can generate in bat-head speed varies in comparison to another individual. The goal is to transfer the potential power, through bat-head speed, upon contact with the ball. In fastpitch softball the power game was a rarity in the past. Now, instead of games being won and lost in the pitchers' circle, games are won and lost by one team being able to move the ball more consistently than the other team. However, late swings are all too prevalent; uncontrolled swings even more so.

"A lighter bat equals a quick bat-head which in turn equals (power) more hand hit balls."

I was not all that surprised to find that at the ASA Men's Major National Tournaments and the ISC World Championships in (1991, 1992, and 1993) the percentage of bats being used weighed between 26 ounces and 30 ounces. In baseball (comparative age group) the range of bats goes from 32 ounces to 36 ounces. Obviously, the quickness of the game dictates lighter bats for quick bat-heads. With the Major Men's pitchers hurling a rise and a drop ball at you from 46 feet away at 80 + mph, one must consider the quickest way to get the bat-head to the ball. A lighter bat is the first step.

Teaching at fastpitch camps throughout the country I am constantly dismayed by young women who swing 28-34 ounce bats because they feel the weight will "drive the ball." If that was the case, why do baseball players hollow out their bats for quicker bat head speed? You cannot "cork" an aluminum bat, it is already hollow and light.

2. The grip. Allowing the bat head to release through the hitting zone is so important. Grips that restrict this action need to be realigned. The emphasis should be on knuckle alignment. The bat should lay in the finger grooves that are bent by the second knuckles from the finger tips and when the grip is closed there should be room in the thumb area. To make sure that the grip is proper, hold the bat in the lead hand with just the fingers (not in the palm) and not with the thumb. Open and close the hand into grip position while maintaining the finger hold on the bat. Now put both hands on the bat with this finger hold. The knuckles should line up pretty close to each other with the lead wrist being more in the closed position and the back wrist being more in the open position. This grip will allow the hitter to freely throw the bat-head to where the ball is for maximum extension (on contact) to all fields.

3. Stance. When building a house we always start with a strong foundation, and in most athletic movements that foundation is pertinent. Balance is the key for maximizing the ability of the hitter to focus the swing towards the ball. To gain optimum balance through the hitting stance the feet should start out no closer than outside the shoulders. Ideally your feet should be slightly wider than outside your shoulders, if not more. The front foot is slightly closed towards the pitcher to maximize potential power from "natural" hip movement. Hips and front shoulder should be aligned with the front foot, slightly closed. The weight should be balanced in the middle of the stance with the emphasis on driving against a firm front side. If the hitter were to lift the front foot, the weight should drive forward with the balance remaining firm. It makes it easier to think about an imaginary pole that goes through the top of your head straight into the ground. The weight should rotate around the "pole" and end up on a balanced follow-through after the swing. The big question here is , "Why have your weight so far forward? Don't you generate bat head speed and power by keeping your weight back and then exploding forward?"

While you may gain a certain "momentum" forward through the hitting zone, the hitter also gains body movement, head movement, and a loss of the all-important "balance." While this excess movement is occurring, not only is the head moving, but the hands have already started to move early, the hips may have opened early, and the hitter becomes very susceptible to the outside pitch and the change-up.

By minimizing body movement we can minimize the opportunities to fall into bad habits like dropping the hands, hitching, over-striding, and flying-the-hips.

With this in mind, the hitter can now use a hitting style without a stride , or the hitter may use a "pick it up and put-it-down" style of hitting. This "step" style allows the hitter to always "think-away and adjust-in" on pitches. All the time the emphasis is on a balanced swing and finish. When a hitter is balanced, with less movement, the potential to see the ball is greatest.

4. Bat position. Bat position has always been a personal thing. The phrase "whatever feels comfortable" has been used by many coaches. Some coaches have an understanding that if a player is relaxed and comfortable, their productivity level will be greater and in that general sense they are correct. Then there are the other coaches who use this phrase because they do not have an understanding of proper mechanics. So, what is proper bat position? Proper bat position is the closest we can get to the perfect "launch" position that hitting guru Charlie Lau espoused about in the late 1970s. This "launch" position is the area in which the hands are prior to the initiation of the swing. It has been proven by mathematical equation (with respect to decreasing ball speed on a pitch over distance) that the proper contact angle is between 32 degrees and 40 degrees from horizontal (Brady's article). Proper bat position needs to be started with this angle being ascertained while the head is between the neck and the back shoulder during the beginning phase of the swing.

5. Trigger. The trigger is considered to be the "movement" that gets the swing going. The trigger acts as the reverse physical force that gets the weight shift and momentum moving through the hitting zone towards the ball.

"For every action, there needs to be an opposite and equal reaction."

This axiomatic theory holds true during the trigger motion. So, what is the physical movement that starts the swing process? To minimize excessive movement of the upper body and the head, we will concentrate on the front leg being the trigger movement. As mentioned previously, if we have the proper balance in our stance (equal weight distribution, slightly forward), we can lift our front foot slightly and feel our weight shift forward by itself. Once again the trigger is the front leg and keep in mind that the foot needs to start moving to the opposite field side of second base. If using a no-step swing, the front leg is still the trigger by initiating weight shift back to react forward. Once the trigger is in full gear, the rest of the hitting sequence begins to fall into place (the physical reaction to where the contact zone will be).

6. The swing. The swing is the motion that happens where we hold the bat before the pitch to where we make contact. Contact is made at the maximum extension point of the swing. Everything that occurs after contact is considered to be follow-through. The swing will be most effective if it is efficient.

Efficiency of the swing will determine our effectiveness as a hitter. Efficiency of the swing will be realized by minimizing excessive movements throughout the body by utilizing what is called a "one-part swing." Two- and three-part swings are better known as "hitch" swings. You should be able to count the movements before the initial forward movement. In the one-part swing, the bat head is thrown at the ball right from where the bat is being held. Some hitting instructors will use the phrase, "staying on top of the hitting zone throughout the entire swing," to help young hitters understand. The hands must stay closest to the perfect launch position when a one-part swing is utilized. The logic behind minimizing our movement is to increase bat-head speed to the ball.

Effectiveness will be experienced by one of two ways: 1) productivity in respect to hard-hit balls; and 2) productivity in respect to batting averages. Both are consistent with each other. There are some cases (short-term) where batting averages will not reflect hard-hit productivity.

We can see why the last three Ps are so important. However, without the hitter's patience and perseverance nothing positive can be accomplished. Hitting is a process, it is not easy, it is a lot of work. The successes will come from the individual.