Determining a slap hitter

[VE_05]

My daughter is 11. Just moved up to 12u this year. She has always played for me so I'm find a new to the other side of the fence thing. Lol so she tried out for a team got an offer and we took it. Here is my question. She has batted right handed forever. Really good on base percentage and a good hitter. Not a power hitter but will get on base. She had the best batting average for our team last year. The team she is on now, the head coach says during tryout that she is a good hitter and has she ever batted left handed. I said not during a game but goofing around in practice some. He says he wants to make her a slapper from the left side.

So my question/concern is this, what would make someone who is a good hitter switch things up and try slapping? My concern is we work this winter on her slapping and then she not do well, get her confidence down and switch her back to right and it hurt her all around. Thoughts??

 

[b lesh]

Foot speed is #1 if not sub 3.0 home to first no real advantage slapping but hitting from the left side can be a advantage. My dd became a slapper last year as a 2nd year 16u I wish we did it at 12u.

 

[VE_05]

3.0 at 12u??? Is that possible. Lol

 

[Sweetpea]

I'm sure a lot of people will disagree with me but in my opinion (As the father of a right handed player that turned around and is currently slapping in college) any right handed hitter that isn't an absolute power hitting stud should consider switching to the left side. Even if they don't slap there are so many advantages to hitting from the left side. If you are going to make her a slapper then you have to go all in. Learning to slap and do it well IS A 2 YEAR PROCESS and you can't waiver. If she has above average speed, great bat control and has no potential to be a power hitter then turn her around. Any good slapping instructor will teach her to hit from the left side while also teaching her to slap so even if she hits 14u ball and doesn't run well enough to slap she will be better off as a contact hitter from the left side then she would be as a contact hitter from the right side. Remember this as she gets closer to college recruiting age. Single and doubles hitting right handed hitters are a dime a dozen. In order to get recruited you have to have one exceptional trait to get noticed. Being a decent right hand hitter is not an exceptional trait.

 

[FastBat]

...any right handed hitter that isn't an absolute power hitting stud should consider switching to the left side...

I agree and even of they are power hitters, if they are young enough, switch them. If they are power hitters at 10 years old it's probably because they are just physically bigger, not due to great form.

This year I had my 4 year old bat lefty, and I'm not sure if she is a true righty or lefty, but it doesn't matter she will always bat left.

 

[Rdsherman5]

Good thoughts about slapping by Sweetpea.

 

[MD 20/20]

I have turned a bunch of girls to the left side and these are my thoughts. IF, and I do mean if you decide to make this switch, you need to look at it as investment. It is hard enough to hit, before asking to switch hands, eyesight, oh, and moving while doing all of this. This may not pay off next summer, but it will be better in the long run. Do not let her go back to being right-handed, no matter how bad things are going. If she can always "switch back" it will be too easy to give up and revert back to what is comfortable. My thoughts on your daughters past performance is just that. It's in the past. Your coach (assuming he knows what he is looking at) sees something in your daughter that would lend itself to being a nice Lefthanded batter. Discuss what this will mean for her and her future (short and long term) On a side note, If I could, I would have every batter in my lineup be a lefty slapper if I could, NO DOUBT!!!

 

[VE_05]

With that being said, in everyone's opinions, who is a good slapping coach in central to southern ohio. We had being going to jack Jenkins at workhouse for hitting lesseons but not sure on slapping.

 

[coachjwb]

In my opinion, the player needs to be in about the 90% percentile (at a minimum the 80%) of her age group for speed, and needs to learn how to slap from someone (either an instructor or videos) who really knows how to do it. I've seen so many with poor technique that may work when most of time when they're 10-14, but will not work at higher age levels. As others have said, it is a long process, which is all the more reason not to do it unless you truly have the speed (and commitment) to make it successful.

 

[Louuuuu]

Don't forget that she is already a good hitter from the right side. And speedy, apparently. That's a plus already.

There are a lot of coaches who think they have to have a slapper. I say you have to have a good number of players who can get on base. Period.

Sometimes, you have to say "If it ain't broke...".

 

[VE_05]

Louuuuu, that's is myself concern... if it ain't broke don't fix it... if it was that easy to make a slap hitter everyone would do it. Lol

 

[Louuuuu]

... not to mention that sometimes hitters want to make the outfielders earn their keep. Over the years, I've heard more than one slapper complain that they never get to swing away. (Putting a new twist on the old Glavine/Maddux commercial "Chicks dig the long ball".)

 

[Sweetpea]

I understand the "if it ain't broke" logic but if she is a high average righty with limited power and the goal is to play collegiate softball then it probably is broken. If the goal is to have a nice high school career then stay on the right side. Her high school coach will love her but she will most likely be done after that. Also, the slapping game today is an all around game. Every good slapper can bunt, soft slap, power slap and swing away if they need to. Girls are power slapping home runs at the D1 and D2 level. Lastly, Cassie Cunningham at Ohio Weslyan is as good as it gets as a slapping coach.

 

[wow]

Being able to Slap from the left side is one part of the equation. You have to know what you are doing with the ball. Most teams with slappers are just looking to make contact and beat something out at 12U and younger. In order to be an effective slapper you need to be able to hit gaps, POUND the ball into the ground, and hit bloopers over 3rd and SS heads. Getting the ball to the ground quickly and taking a bounce, out of the reach of the fielder, is a unfieldable ball. I agree with turning lefty is a 2 year project. Also agree to get left sub 10U. There is so much muscle memory and footwork, which needs to be built, I am just not sure everyone can do it at will, at the older ages.

Also think there is some confusion between slapping and hitting from the left.

 

[Long Baller]

Definitely some interesting replies to this subject...As a dad with a natural lefty, natural righty, and a DD I switched over to lefty, here is my opinion.

I feel that everyone should attempt swinging from the left side at an early age. You can tell pretty quickly if they have the ability to develop it or not. If they have a beautifully right handed swing, but look like they couldn't even swat at flies left handed, then there is your answer. I think that too many people put stereotypes on girls that power hitters hit from the right side, and if you aren't a threat to hit yard every at bat then you need to go to the left side. A double in the gap is the same whether the batter came out of the left box or the right box.

If your DD is truly a "good hitter and good OB%", still give it a shot but don't let her regress because people say she has to be on the left side. Most kids can not physically swing from their non-natural side, so don't fall victim of thinking you can just switch her over and life will be good. If she can not HIT as good from the left side, then don't do it. Hitters still need to be able to drive the ball when the situation call for it. Bunting, hitting, and slapping all complement each other.

Lastly, if you think she has it in her, then go all in with it. Do not keep switching back and forth. Additionally, be prepared to spend twice as much time with hitting lessons as before.

 

[Hilliarddad3]

All great comments and having had three slappers that were all righties, they were never going to hit with any power from the right side as they were all skinny nothing's like their old man....they all were good contact hitters and learned the triple threat of batting from the left side. Yes their average goes in the tank that first year, but after that it paid off for all three.... Three things make it successful one- good hand eye contact, two-speed, three-Commit to that side and don't flip flop!! Ever!! A kid with good speed that can drop a sneaky bunt dead in the dirt, push one past an infield gap, or just get a two bounce ball will be on base more than not. But it takes practice on their part to get good at it, but worth it even though there's no real heroics, once they learn they have a job to do and buy into it, it is a blast.....