Fielding styles: Candrea vs. Kobata

[FastBat]

You need to find a good teacher of defense as you have found a good hitting teacher and pitching teacher.

This strikes a nerve, because I have heard others say, they don't understand why anyone would pay to have a defensive coach. Wow, that's just silly! How does defense just happen naturally, but hitting and pitching don't? I can see parents saying we just can't handle the time commitment or financial part. Or we are going with hitting lessons over fielding. But, I have seen what 18 months of Kobata lessons can achieve and it just seems right. It was a long haul at first, I didn't really see the foot work or finer details in games right away, but now I realize it was money well spent, it happens naturally in games. And defense wins games, Big D isn't just a saying to us! I'm not saying our dd is the best or even close, but I don't think she would be where she is today, without the training.

 

[mike_dyer]

Ya, $400 dollars for a 2 hour practice. (team rate) what a bargain! :/

Ssssssssshhhhhhhhh. None of them like hearing that they are throwing money away.

 

[ApogeeDemon]

Ssssssssshhhhhhhhh. None of them like hearing that they are throwing money away.

Form circle/I am going to have you chuck balls so fast at each other, you will not be able to field them. Then I will tell you that you Too Slow. Then I collect 400 dollars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFd8yoWSeM4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vhOY0I1b3g

 

[Dawgsdad]

I have borrowed the videos from a coach friend and needless to say, I am not as smart as I thought I was. After just watching the first one, I did the same drills we typically do and really wasn't sure what I was seeing or missing. I watched it again and at our next practice, WOW! I cant believe I didn't see it. Its my personal responsibility to make a difference this off season.

 

[Hitter]

I have his new 3 CD set. While watching with other coaches they broke it down to incorporate the techniques into their practices a little at a time and move on to the next drill.

Personally, I like his footwork because it relates to weight shift in hitting and understanding momentum. Because we work in a double car garage I do not use a rounded ball in case they step on it. So I cut a softball in half and put a McDonald's straw it so the can feel the foot strike the straw while keeping their distance when they hop over it.

Some of the things I have noticed is lack of balance in their preparation to do the drills. For example if the are right handed throwers they will step with their left foot and attempt to field the ball on the inside edge of the left foot. Look closely at the right foot as the left foot comes forward. Usually you will see the right foot heel turns in and prevents them from moving forward quickly. I equate it to a sprinter coming out of the starting blocks straight ahead. When they turn the heel they do not step as far or as quickly. I cut a 12 x 12 inch piece of bed liner and put it against the inside edge of their right foot and when they turn it they will feel it kick the rubber. After a few times they will get it and feel the difference.

In our opinion teaching them to throw first makes hitting easier to teach. I will stop them as they prepare to throw and ask them to look at their foot work and point out you can hit from this position or throw.

We also do not use each of the finger slots on the glove. We put the baby finger and ring finger in the baby finger slot and do not use the finger slot by the webbing as it gives them more control of opening and closing the glove.

We use grounders first using Howard's techniques, then over hand throwing and finally catching the ball with just the glove and throwing it to a specific target on the net with just the glove.

The area of emphasis is landing on a flexed soft knee at about 40 to 45 degrees which is not a natural movement for females in our opinion and that is another subject.

Howard

 

[Dawgsdad]

So hitter, you are basically in agreement with the majority of his drills and would recommend taking a team that's either average or believed to be above average step by step in his drill progression? We are 12u for understanding my point of view. I have incorporated mainly the quick catch and release into our practice while emphasizing fielding the ball on the left side of their body(for right handers). I am trying to catch up to the true fundamentals to allow our team to compete at the next level and it seems from what I see in his videos, that it makes sense on the surface. Am I missing something? A few of his drills seem to over simplify the true play during a given game. I am just looking to progress our team to be better than last year. Thanks.

 

[LADY_KNIGHTS]

Have been to see and workout with Kobata many times over the last 10-12 years he has been coming to Ohio...if you are looking to challenge your athletes and truly make them better defensively then you need to implement his drills into your workout or practice.

 

[Hitter]

Yes I would. For me over the years I have talked and worked with others to learn more. By sitting down with other coaches while watching the CD's and pausing it in areas where there may be disagreement or misunderstanding of the drill or drills.

Some of the teams provide the information one drill at a time instead of everything at once which may be the point of controversy. Everyone learns differently at different paces. Females are audio visual learners and breaking it down works better in my opinion. This is why we broke hitting down to a process. We explain style verses mechanics by asking what are the three most popular ways to cut their hair. Scissors, razor and battery or electric clippers and that is the mechanics to cut the hair. However how you wear it is your style. Learn the mechanics and adjust it to your style that makes you feel comfortable while completing the activity.

I do not teach the whole package however the floor is marked off in the direction of straight ahead, second base, third base and first base with targets on the net. We do grounders, over hand throw and the glove only shuttle throw. The spot they start from to the net is 12 feet and within 15 minute a half hour they are moving forward while throwing and get quicker. Usually the weight shift and landing on the ball of their feet is a welcome surprise and feeling it translates to their hitting. A point I have observed is that a right handed thrower that hits left even find more coordination in their mechanics also.

Allowing the girls to see the CD and being able to ask questions about the drills will help even more or as we say see it, feel it and fix it.

I do not see it as Coach Candrea verses Kobata as both are successful teachers with their own style in my opinion.

One more point....I remember reading an article about batting stats of MLB players and only 19.8 percent of the players hit over .300. Why are the numbers so low with elite athletic talent swinging the bats. There is variation in any process in my opinion.

Howard

 

[Pioneer01]

I watched the kobata vids and at first glance it seems to me that it is mostly for middle infield. All the drills are with slow moving balls, I don't feel that if hot shot came you would be able to get into some if the footwork that he is looking for. I will use some of the drills, but I still am much bigger fan of candrea style.

 

[FastBat]

I'm a huge "Kobata" style believer, for ALL 9 POSITIONS, on the softball field! A player could pretty much use any pivot, long pivot, hip pivot, etc. at any time, in literally any fielding position. The more Kobata style a player knows, the harder it would be to play her! Heck, to be honest, I'm teaching my 8 year old son, Kobata stuff too. IMHO you just can't go wrong, especially if you coach a 10/12u team, the little ones would benefit tremendously with longer throws and running through the ball, staying balanced, etc.

As stated earlier on this thread, Candrea is not really a "style", or he didn't really invent any specific "fielding style" perse. I started this thread, and feel slightly foolish for even suggesting it, but I'm learning too!

I believe, a studius coach/parent/player would do their own due diligence or educate themselves, before completely ruling out the Kobata style, unless they are the type to, "cut their nose off, to spit their face"! In other words, coaches/parents/players should be accepting of something new/different.

In softball, as in life, everything changes, evolves, gets better; why would I teach my dd something I learned 20-30 years ago, because it worked for me? Well, I simply wouldn't. I know "better" now, I'll do "better", Kobata is the "better" I can give my dd!