Softball Hitting - A Step-By-Step Approach

The game is tied, bottom of the sixth inning, runners on second and third and you team has two outs and are trailing by one run. As you make your way to the plate the only thought in your mind is the need to simply make good contact. But on the walk you realize that for the past three weeks all you have done is pop up to second base or hit slow ground balls to third. And now the thought of making good contact seems to only be a hope.

The art of hitting in softball is very different than hitting in hardball. Here you are no longer trying to determine what type of pitch is coming your way. You are no longer concerned about the miles per hour that the pitcher is throwing. And the last thought on your mind is what location the ball will be as it passes home plate. Now all you need to do is watch a rather large ball float through the air and make a slow drop towards the plate. Since the pace of the game is slower, the pace of an at bat is also slower.

Since pitch speed is no longer of importance then bat speed is vital. The best way to improve bat speed is to narrow the size of the front foot step to meet the ball. In softball it is important that you control this step. It should only be for a few inches and your front foot should never be picked up off of the field by any measurable distance. Controlling your hitting step will increase your bat speed and enable you to make better contact with the ball.

The one simple and true law of hitting a slow pitched softball is to make contact with the top half of the ball. Any ball that is hit on the bottom half will either be a pop up or a long fly. Both of these types of hits normally will result in another out. And of course this is the exact opposite of what is wanted and expected in slow pitch softball.

By concentrating on the top half of the ball you will be setting yourself up for success. If you miss the top half by just a fraction then you will be making contact with the equator of the ball and will thus hit a line drive. With good bat control you will then be able to hit the line drive to any field or opening that you choose.

Now then, by concentrating on the top half of the ball and making good, balanced contact, you will be able to place the ball to any field you desire. Now you will have the opportunity to drive in runs, turn singles into doubles, and maybe clear the bases with the all important home run. The secret is concentrating on the top half of the ball. Spend time in the batting cages to make this second nature and enjoy a rise in your batting average that will most certainly have more than one beer bought for you by your teammates after picking up the victory.

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The Exact Distinctions Between Softball and Baseball

Baseball and softball are approximately identical in many areas, but you'll notice a number of major differences regarding the two sports once you start to match. You must know the differences if you plan to train beginning-level softball if all of your experience has been in baseball - and the other way round.

This list will give you a view at several of the more glaring distinctions:

Pitching area - Youth baseball programs, particularly at the advanced levels, include a pitching mound how the pitcher throws from ( younger levels may demand hitters to hit off a tee or from a ball pitched from their coach). That isn't the way it is in softball - at any level. The pitcher delivers balls on level ground using the batter. Another major pitching difference is always that softball pitchers deliver the ball in an underhand motion; baseball pitchers can throw overhand or perhaps sidearm when they choose.

Distance from your pitcher's area by plate - The overall game of fast-pitch softball puts a greater focus on pitching, because of the pitcher throws from the distance much nearer to home plate in comparison with baseball. At the start stages of youth softball, pitchers typically deliver pitches about 35 feet from home plate. At the higher levels of play, pitchers throw balls from 40 feet.

Base paths - The base paths in softball are some feet shorter than those in baseball. When pitchers throw from 35 feet, the bases typically are 55 feet apart; when pitchers deliver balls from 40 feet, the bases are often 60 feet apart. The smaller base paths consequently create a smaller infield area, which has an effect on the defense of the infielders.

Field size - Outfield dimensions vary greatly. Perhaps the most common distance at home plate to the outfield fence in softball is 150 feet for the younger kids, while for the teens it reaches to 225 to 250 feet.

Scale of the ball - A regulations softball is significantly bigger than a regulation baseball. A softball measures between 11.88 and 12.13 inches in circumference and weighs between 6.25 and 7.00 ounces; a baseball measures between 9.00 and 9.25 inches in circumference and weighs between 5.00 and 5.25 ounces.

Sometimes, leagues for the youngest softball players use smaller and softer softballs, because a girl's hand from the outset variety of play isn't large enough to grip and throw a regulation softball.

Bats - With the youth level, bats used by baseball and softball are interchangeable. In the advanced amounts of play, players use softball-specific bats, that can come in a variety of different materials, for instance graphite, carbon, Kevlar, and liquid metal, to name a few. Many softball programs only allow specific kinds of bats to be used.

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