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Softball Hitting – Guide to Batting Successfully

Thursday, November 25th, 2010

There is more to softball hitting than just natural ability. With the right training and equipment, any player can develop the skills she needs to bat successfully. Use these tips as a guide through the different factors affecting players’ batting, and learn how each player can become a top hitter.

Proper Positioning

No matter what the age level of a softball team, it is always important to go over proper positioning when approaching the plate. Players who are reminded of optional hitting technique will be more successful at the plate and be less likely to become injured.

Grip – Hitters should hold the bat with the base of their fingers, not their palms. Keep the knuckles almost in line with each other. Players should remember to drop their pinky finger below the knob on the bat. This will provide them with more leverage and increase their bat speed.
Stance – Start with weight on the back foot, and then shift the balance of weight to the front foot during the swing. This will generate more power behind the swing. Start with the bat making contact with the right shoulder (if batting right-handed). The swing should end with the bat on the left shoulder. This stance and follow-through will allow for proper batting mechanics and keep the head low throughout the swing.
Swing – Use both hands to lead the swing, so that the bat is the last thing through the strike zone. Contact should be made with the ball slightly in front of the body, because this is where the most speed is generated. Aim for the bottom half of the ball so that it will be carried further by the hit.

Train the Muscles – And the Eyes

The stronger the batters’ arms are, the more powerful the hit. These training exercises will increase arm strength for a faster and more effective swing:

The Hammer – For this training exercise, the player holds out the bat in a vertical position with the arm extended. The batter then lowers the bat in a hammering motion, working the muscles in the forearms and wrists. The player can adjust her choke on the bat if it is too heavy or light, and should alternate hands (and then use both hands) for 10-20 repetitions.
Windshield Wiper – For this training exercise, the player again holds the bat in a vertical position with the arms extended. This time, the hitter moves the bat from left to right, like a windshield wiper, instead of up and down, like a hammer. This exercise strengthens wrists and improves torque. Again, alternate hands for 10-20 repetitions.

Players should train their eyes by first watching the pitcher as a whole. Then, as she starts the pitch, shift the focus to her arm and hand. Finally, zero in on the ball. This shift from a wide to narrow focus will improve ability to judge pitches.

Click on the link below for a FREE softball hitting video:

http://www.softball-spot.com/vid/

Becky Wittenburg is a kids softball coach, and the owner and publisher of Softball-Spot.com Visit her site today for more than 513 free articles covering softball hitting drills, pitching drills, baserunning drills, and defensive drills.

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Softball Hitting Techniques

Friday, November 19th, 2010

Hitting is one of the most important skills you have to learn in playing softball. It is not easy to train for this skill, but it will surely keep you in your team and on the game. In hitting, your choice of the bat you will use is very important. Some choose bats that are too big or too heavy for them. As a result, they are having a hard time using it. Having a big bat will definitely hinder you from giving the ball a good, high speed shot.

There are techniques you have to learn to keep yourself running and playing for your team.

Your stance. Different players make use of different stance. There is no absolute stance to follow anyway. When you stand, make sure that you are in a comfortable stance. Bend your knees at ease. Your feet should carry the weight of your body. Do not keep your feet too far or too near each other. Their distance should be more than your shoulders breadth. Keeping this distance will ensure a good stance. But then you have the prerogative to adapt your own comfortable stance.

Your grip. When you grip the bat, make sure it is not too loose or too tight. You should hold it comfortably without being lax. For right-handed players, they place their left hand at the bottom part of the bat; and their right hand right exactly above the left. Your left hand balances the balances and your right supports it. Correct positioning of your hands will help you hold the bat properly and have more power to swing it.

Your stride. Proper timing is very important in taking your step when softball hitting. Striding ahead of time or behind time means a lot. Keeping focus on the movement of the ball facilitates proper timing. When the pitcher starts to throw the ball, you should evaluate your stance and stride accurately. To develop a good stride, proper discipline and coordination is necessary during your training.

Your swing. When you prepare yourself to hit the ball, you should swing not just your hand but also your shoulder, arms, hips and trunk. These movements create body coordination and help you to give more power to your hit. Again, proper timing is necessary to produce a good swing. You should not swing your arms too early; this might cause lesser power hit. Perfect timing brings your all your energy together to give a hit full of speed and power.

Every softball player has his own ability to develop these techniques. Just remember to keep yourself on focus and train with discipline.

Marc Dagenais is a softball peak performance coach that helps softball players and coaches improves their game by sharing with them the tips and strategies used by the world’s best softball players and coaches to achieve extraordinary performances. Visit his site and sign-up to get his FREE softball hitting tips!

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Softball Batting Tips

Friday, November 19th, 2010

Softball hitting is a very important area of softball, if not the most important. Teams rely on good hitters to score runs for them and lead them a victory. Without good softball hitters who are able to produce runs, a team has to rely too much on it’s pitching and defense. Therefore, it’s vital that softball players know what makes a hitter so great and follow her habits. The following are some very good softball hitting tips that a batter should keep in mind next time she’s at the plate, because these habits usually produce great results.

Tip 1 – Spend twice as much time on your hitting as you do on your defense. Hitting is a tough skill to learn, refine and master. It takes a lot of time to become a highly skilled hitter and ultimately, team selections are often made based on who can contribute offensively.

Tip 2 – Use a light, short bat. Most hitters think that a bigger bat gives them more power. This would only be true if that hitter could swing that heavier bat at the same speed as a lighter one. Force equals mass times acceleration, so go for more acceleration; added mass is too difficult to move correctly. The key is to use a bat that you can get through the strike zone both quickly and with the proper technique.

Tip 3 – 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.

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Softball Cheers

Friday, November 19th, 2010

Several hundreds of softball cheers are available online that can raise the spirits of softball players. The word “cheer” means to give encouragement to someone. It can also mean showing approval or wishing good luck by shouting, and cheerfulness is the quality of being happy and dispelling gloom.

Some nice examples of softball cheers are:

“Potato chips, potato chips, munch, munch, munch. We think (opponent’s team name) is a mighty fine bunch!”

“Two, four, six, eight, who do we appreciate? (Opponent’s team name)”

“You gotta want it, to win it, and we want it more!”

“Two pence, four pence, six pence, a dollar. All for the (team name), stand up and holler!”

“When you’re up, you’re up, when you’re down, you’re down, when you’re up against our team, you’re upside down!”

“(Teammate’s name twice), she’s our star, she can hit it mighty far, put a bat in her hands, she can hit it to Japan!”

“Swing that bat and bust that ball honey, honey, swing that bat bust that ball babe, babe, swing that bat and bust that ball round those bases yehaw, honey oh babe oh my!”

“Five, four, three, two, we’re number one, can’t be number two, we’re gonna beat the whoopsies outta you! Don’t feel sad, don’t feel blue, we’ll let you be number two!”

“You seen it, now hit it, go, go and get it, you seen it, now hit it, come on (name), get wit it!”

“(Player name), you’re the one (repeat), hit that ball and run, run, run, around the bases you shall go, first, second, third and home”

“You the one, you the one, you the one, you the one, say what, say what, say what, you the one, you the one, you the one, you the one, the one, the only one!”

“R-I-P-I-T, rip it for me baby, rip it (clap 4 times), (repeat).”

These softball cheers are from the “Rancho Trabuco Girls Softball Association (RTGSA)” website, but several others also have a nice collection of softball cheers. These above mentioned cheers and many others could truly be an excellent source of enjoyment, and encouragement.

Softball provides detailed information on Softballs, Fastpitch Softball, Softball Equipment, History Of Softball and more. Softball is affiliated with Reviews on Softball Bats [http://www.e-SoftballBats.com].

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Softball

Friday, November 19th, 2010

America has always been one of the most innovative and inventive nations of the world when it comes to sports. Softball is one of the finest innovations in the history of American sports. Softball is another close relative of baseball, but with slight and significant alterations.

However, softball is basically a team sport where, like baseball, the ball is thrown by a player to another player on the opposing team. The player who is throwing the ball is better known as the pitcher. The player to whom the ball is thrown is known as the batter, who holds the bat (the round smooth stick like thing made of wood). The game gets its name after the ball with which it is played – the softball. Just like the game of baseball, where the score depends on the player who holds the bat and hits the ball, the game of softball also depends on the batter. Nonetheless, scoring is accomplished through hitting the softball and by running and touching a series of four markers on the ground, called bases.

It is very worthwhile to throw light on certain differences between baseball and softball:

A. the first and foremost point one might put forward is the difference between the balls; baseball is played with a hardball and the game of softball is played with a relatively softer ball.

B. the ball is always thrown or pitched to the batter in an underarm fashion. It is released when the hand is below the hip and no further from the body than the elbow. But in baseball games, the ball is pitched over arm or sidearm.

C. usually the playing field for softball is much smaller in comparison to baseball.

D. the game of softball is much shorter than baseball. Baseball is played for nine innings (the number of times the whole team gets the opportunity to bat), but in softball a game is only seven innings long.

Softball provides detailed information on Softballs, Fastpitch Softball, Softball Equipment, History Of Softball and more. Softball is affiliated with Miken Softball Bats [http://www.e-SoftballBats.com].

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Kids Softball Drills – Fun Drills for Beginning Players

Saturday, November 6th, 2010

Start with the Basics

These kids softball drills teach the basics — hitting, running, throwing, and catching — in fun, simple ways that beginners will understand and enjoy!

Don’t Miss

This hitting drill emphasizes making contact with the ball and correct placement of the bat once the batter has hit the ball. You will need a tee, a ball, a bat, gloves for each player, and a hula hoop.

Divide the team into two sides. Fielders will play as usual. Batters take turns hitting from the tee, focusing on making solid contact with the ball. Once they have hit the ball, they must toss their bat into the hula hoop on the ground next to home base before they can run to first. If the player misses the ball or knocks the tee over, it’s a strike. After three strikes, the player is out. The player is also out if they don’t place their bat in the hula hoop before running to first.

Red Light/Green Light

This kids softball helps beginners get used to running with a glove and ball in their hands. Each player will need a glove with a ball in it. Have the players form a line facing the coach, who is about 60 to 90 feet away.

The drill begins when the coach turns away from the players and yells “green light.” The kids run toward him/her as fast as they can, making sure to hold on to their balls. Periodically the coach will yell “red light” and spin around. If the coach sees any of the players moving after he/she has called “red light,” those players are out. The first player to get close and tag the coach out wins.

Hit the Coach

This is a fun beginning softball drill to teach throwing accuracy. The kids form a line facing the coach, each one holding a small foam ball or other type of soft ball.

When the coach says to begin, the kids all try to hit him/her with their balls while the coach tries to avoid getting hit. The kids can run to retrieve their balls after they have thrown them, but they must throw from the starting line. Once the coach has been hit three times, the kids get to make him/her do something silly, like a dance or animal noise.

Look Up

This softball drill for kids teaches beginning players to catch fly balls in the outfield. When first learning softball, many kids are afraid of looking up to catch the ball. This drill will ease them into feeling comfortable catching from below.

This drill requires small foam balls and as many tall people (coaches, assistants, or parents) as possible to stand next to the kids and drop the balls over their heads. The kids look up with their hands raised and try to catch the balls. At first they should use both hands and no glove to get used to catching with both hands. Eventually they can move on to using gloves.

And if you’d like to see more free softball drills and coaching tips, go here to watch a free video:

http://www.softball-spot.com/vid/

Becky Wittenburg is a kids softball coach, and the owner and publisher of Softball-Spot.com, the web’s #1 resource for kids softball drills, tips, and practice ideas for youth and high school coaches.

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Kids Softball Drills – Fun Drills for Beginning Players

Saturday, November 6th, 2010

Start with the Basics

These kids softball drills teach the basics — hitting, running, throwing, and catching — in fun, simple ways that beginners will understand and enjoy!

Don’t Miss

Red Light/Green Light

Hit the Coach

This is a fun beginning softball drill to teach throwing accuracy. The kids form a line facing the coach, each one holding a small foam ball or other type of soft ball.

Look Up

And if you’d like to see more free softball drills and coaching tips, go here to watch a free video:

http://www.softball-spot.com/vid/

Article Source:

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Becky_Wittenburg

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Softball Drills – Fun and Challenging Hitting Drills

Sunday, October 31st, 2010

Practice can become dull and boring if the same softball drills are used every time. In order to keep athletes fresh in their skills, incorporate new drills as often as possible. These fun and challenging hitting drills will provide players a new perspective on hitting and force them out of a practice rut!

Pepper Game

This softball hitting drill emphasizes control over the bat and makes the hitter work on a short, quick swing.

Position three to five fielders about 25 feet from the batter, making sure they are spread safely apart.
Have the batter hit the ball with a short, downward stroke toward one of the fielders.
The fielder fields the ground ball and quickly pitches the ball back to the batter, who uses the same quick downward stroke to hit back to one of the fielders.
Right handed batters should hit inside pitches to the fielder on her left, middle pitches to the players in the center, and outside pitches to the fielder on her right.
To make the drill more challenging, have two balls going at once to really keep the batter focused.

Colored Softball Toss

This softball drill requires the hitter to really concentrate on the pitch and focus on keeping her weight back.

For this drill, the coach, or whoever is acting as pitcher, needs several balls of different colors.
The pitcher will toss two pitches simultaneously, making sure the balls are at different heights.
While releasing the toss, the pitcher will call out which ball the player should hit, forcing her concentration on just one ball.
For variations on this drill, the coach can sometimes incorporate fake tosses or vary the speeds of the balls. If colored balls are not available, the pitcher could call out “high” or “low” instead.
This hitting drill will help players adjust their swing for high or low pitches, particularly when they may have been expecting the opposite.

Hit the Bounce

This drill forces the hitter to focus on the timing of her swing, both the trigger – when she should initiate the swing – and the point at which she should make contact with the ball.

Have the pitcher stand to the front and side of the hitter, about ten feet away.
The pitcher tosses a tennis ball to the hitter, making sure the ball bounces once before reaching the strike zone.
The hitter should watch the pitch and use the bounce as a trigger for the swing.
Once she has started her swing, the hitter needs to time it so that she hits the ball at the top of the bounce.
This drill might take a lot of practice to master, both from the person tossing the tennis ball and the hitter, but once they understand the basics it can really help with timing the swing.

And if you’d like to see more free softball drills and coaching tips, go here to watch a free video:

http://www.softball-spot.com/vid/

Becky Wittenburg is a kids softball coach, and the owner and publisher of Softball-Spot.com, the web’s #1 resource for softball drills, tips, and practice ideas for youth and high school coaches.

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A Guide to Choose the Best Softball Pitching Machine

Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

All professional and amateur softball players always want to practice their game to improve their skills. Looking for a partner to play the game could be a difficult thing, but one can consider using a softball pitching machine that can throw the balls.

A pitching machine is even considered as a must for all softball players since it offers help to an individual player. The balls pitched by the machine can really improve one’s hitting skills. During practice, a pitcher will not feel tired because the machine pitches the softballs repeatedly to a batter in the same location.

The popularity of softball pitching machines makes them widely used all over the world. Manufacturers create various types of the machine, allowing anyone to choose one that fulfills their needs. If you also want to get one, of course you must have knowledge about different types of the machies machines sold on markets.n

Budget is a crucial you should consider when you are going to purchase the machine. If you are a beginner and want to use it for yourself, you can get low-end manual types that may cost as little as $200. On the other hand, if you want to purchase the machine for your professional team, spending about $2000 for high-end models will be a good idea. In this case, you should have a talk with your team’s sponsor and ask for some additional funds.

For portability or for an effort to save money, a manual machine is the right choice. Such type needs no electricity and relies on a hand pulled lever to fire the ball to the batter. It is capable of throwing any type of ball while offering ease for transportation because of its light weight and portability.

If you are planning to use the machine together with your kids, you can purchase a machine which comes with single motor and single wheel, especially if you kids are less than 14 years old. This kind of pitching machine can throw a straight fastball with the speed of 60 miles per hour. To operate the machine, you will need electricity since the machine is powered. During the game, using the machine in an area nearby power source or long extension cord is a good idea. To get this kind of pitching machine, you should prepare budget between $500 and $1000.

Finally, if you are going to purchase a softball pitching machine for schools or professional players, dual-motor, dual-wheel pitching machine is a perfect option. With two motors, the machine produces speeds up to 90 miles per hour, and the wheels will allow for a variety of pitches.

Need a suggestion? You can consider Iron Mike pitching machines to improve hitting skills, as the professionals do. www.softballpitchingmachines.org provides any information you need about various softball pitching machines available on markets today.

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An Introduction and Primer on the Softball Uniform Standards Today

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

Softball is a game which is gaining popularity around the world. It has some aspects which are similar to baseball. However, there are more differences than similarities. While playing softball players and teams have to keep in mind that their players are properly attired. Each team wears different uniforms.

Softball sport equipment includes a ball, a bat, gloves, uniforms and protective gear, including helmets for the offensive team and a helmet, shin guards, and chest protector for the defensive catcher. The shoes that are worn by softball players also form a part of their outfits. These uniforms have to meet the required standards and are not just apparel that can be picked out at any shop. Softball players have a number of retail outlets where they can pick up the uniforms for their softball games.

Players who wear helmets don’t need to use a cap, since they are complimentary to each other. Caps worn by a team must be alike. Just imagine a team where the players are wearing different colored caps and getting confused to whom they are passing the ball to! The same is true for the shirts and the pants. Team members must wear the colors of the team in order to be distinctly visible. Today, caps, visors and headbands are optional for female players.

Sliding shorts are also known as compression shorts for other sports like soccer, football etc. They are an important component of a softball player’s uniform. Their purpose is to protect the player who slides towards a base. These sliding shorts help protect the thighs. Another part of sliding equipment is so called “sliders”. “Sliders” are the shin guards which extend from the ankle all the way up to the knee and protect the player from injury as he/she slides towards the plate. Moreover, in all form of softball it is allowed to wear facial mask to protect a face from injuries.

At the back of uniforms are Arabic numbers from 1 to 99, therefore players names are optional.

On the other hand, players are prohibited from wearing jewelry as these could hurt players when they slide into one another. All players are obligatory to wear shoes. These shoes may have spikes, therefore all spikes must extend less than 0.75inch away from the sole. The spikes must be made in accordance to set specifications, since they could otherwise cause injury.

Softball uniforms are made by many manufacturers. However, Worth Sports Company offers quality sport equipment for softball and baseball players. They have great deals on bats, balls, fielders’ gloves, batting gloves, batting helmets, equipment bags, protective equipment and many accessories. They are official softball suppliers of the NCAA and NAIA softball championships. They provide official helmets and bats for National Pro Fastpitch; and above all, Worth is official bats and balls for USSSA. Moreover, fastpitch softball uniforms can be rather expensive. Worth offers quality at low cost. Their sublimated print doesn’t crack, peel or fade, and above all, it can last for years.

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Posts Tagged ‘ball’

Softball Hitting – Guide to Batting Successfully

Softball Hitting Techniques

Softball Batting Tips

Softball Cheers

Softball

Kids Softball Drills – Fun Drills for Beginning Players

Kids Softball Drills – Fun Drills for Beginning Players

Softball Drills – Fun and Challenging Hitting Drills

A Guide to Choose the Best Softball Pitching Machine

An Introduction and Primer on the Softball Uniform Standards Today

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