Hitting and Hitters Discussion Quality slappers a coaches dream and how to develop it

[CARDS]

Every team is looking for that leadoff hitter that owns the field.
I was blessed over the years to have 4 of these type of ladies (one shown below that came to the team and instantly improved our run production) with travel and HS ball and another 8 or so that helped their teams with a move to the left side.

Many parents see videos like the one below and say "I want my DD to be able to do that". There are some that don't understand the value of the left side and want little Suzie to learn POWER from their natural side.

While some ladies may get to the upper/advanced level of skill slapping or hitting "most do not" no matter who the instructor is or how much they practice. That is not a bad thing, improvements can be made and should always be strived for since each player is unique and develops at different levels of play. The slapping skills from basic to intermediate to advanced can help teams and IMO is easier to teach and learn as long as the lady starts with speed than POWER.

In 2017 I took over a HS team that was moving into a competitive softball league in 2019.
There were only a handful of ladies that had the skills to play at the level they were about to see so I turned around 6 ladies to the left side 4 Varsity 2 JV. I did this not in hopes for them to be like what you see below but to allow them an opportunity to use their speed to get on base bunting and slapping and improve their BA from .100s to mid. 200s while having productive ABs.
With the exception of one lady that ended up with one of the best OBA, BA, in the city her senior year as a LaRosa's athlete of the year nominee and D1 all star player most players progressed to a serviceable level and found success at the varsity level of play.
The key for the coach is player and parent "buy in" to the process. The player/family must be willing to put in the work watching video, practicing techniques by using a lot of Tee work mixed in with soft toss and "cage work".
Over the years I have seen many hitters, slappers etc. that look perfect in tee drills or soft toss but lacked success in the games (as discussed on many threads). When you dig into performance issues a lot of the time you find very little cage or live pitching work to execute the drills and improve bat handling and ball placement.

Target drills as well as changing the types and size of balls can improve focus and give some immediate feedback of growth and bat handling.

Slapping coaches share your thoughts, drills and success stories.

 

[Sandy34]

Every team is looking for that leadoff hitter that owns the field.
I was blessed over the years to have 4 of these type of ladies (one shown below that came to the team and instantly improved our run production) with travel and HS ball and another 8 or so that helped their teams with a move to the left side.

Many parents see videos like the one below and say "I want my DD to be able to do that". There are some that don't understand the value of the left side and want little Suzie to learn POWER from their natural side.

While some ladies may get to the upper/advanced level of skill slapping or hitting "most do not" no matter who the instructor is or how much they practice. That is not a bad thing, improvements can be made and should always be strived for since each player is unique and develops at different levels of play. The slapping skills from basic to intermediate to advanced can help teams and IMO is easier to teach and learn as long as the lady starts with speed than POWER.

In 2017 I took over a HS team that was moving into a competitive softball league in 2019.
There were only a handful of ladies that had the skills to play at the level they were about to see so I turned around 6 ladies to the left side 4 Varsity 2 JV. I did this not in hopes for them to be like what you see below but to allow them an opportunity to use their speed to get on base bunting and slapping and improve their BA from .100s to mid. 200s while having productive ABs.
With the exception of one lady that ended up with one of the best OBA, BA, in the city her senior year as a LaRosa's athlete of the year nominee and D1 all star player most players progressed to a serviceable level and found success at the varsity level of play.
The key for the coach is player and parent "buy in" to the process. The player/family must be willing to put in the work watching video, practicing techniques by using a lot of Tee work mixed in with soft toss and "cage work".
Over the years I have seen many hitters, slappers etc. that look perfect in tee drills or soft toss but lacked success in the games (as discussed on many threads). When you dig into performance issues a lot of the time you find very little cage or live pitching work to execute the drills and improve bat handling and ball placement.
Developing quality slappers requires more than just speed and agility; it’s about understanding what the team needs and adjusting strategy accordingly. One thing that’s often overlooked is how important it is to analyze a player's movements and make necessary tweaks. I found that UX consulting principles can be surprisingly helpful when assessing player behavior, as they focus on usability, adaptability, and optimization. If you're interested, read more here and this article on UX consulting strategies offers great insights into refining processes. It's not a direct sports guide, but understanding user (or player) experience can drastically change how you develop techniques, especially for those aspiring to be great slappers.
Target drills as well as changing the types and size of balls can improve focus and give some immediate feedback of growth and bat handling.

Slapping coaches share your thoughts, drills and success stories.

It`s interesting.

 

[Dr.Lester]

Absolutely! Finding that perfect leadoff hitter can really change the game. It's all about speed and skill, and I totally agree that the left side can offer a unique advantage. I’ve seen how a good slapper can not only get on base but also boost the team’s morale.It's interesting how much the approach to training can vary from player to player. I love the idea of using different drills to focus on bat handling and ball placement—definitely key for game performance! I’m curious, what specific drills have you found most effective for slappers in practice? Looking forward to hearing more success stories!