Hitting and Hitters Discussion slapping and left handed hitting

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As I have mentioned in some previous posts, I coach in WV, where I see very little slapping. Is this a trend, or is just because many schools in my area are just behind. (Last year was the first year for our school.)

I have been told that it takes a lot more time to develop slappers than it does regular hitters. Is this true? If this is the case, is it worth starting to teach at the high school level?

I want to get much more involved with our summer feeder program and want to know if I should emphasize this, and if so, at what age?

Also, should I encourage righty girls at a young age to try hitting from the left side- regular hitting style as opposed to slapping?

I realize slapping should be only for the really fast girls.

In general then, if I could get my say in the youth program, what would you recommend that I suggest for hitting? I certainly don't want to step on any toes.

Thanks

 

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I'm sure you will get many different responses. I have a very fast dd. At 12U we taught here to slap, but she was a switch hitter. ?Still had the second best batting average on the team. ?Now she will only bat left handed this year. Go to some of the college web sites and look how many girls throw right bat left. Or watch the USA team play. Slapping is a weapon the same as bunting. Every girl should know how to bunt those with speed should know how to slap. If you get a chance go to one of the coaches clinics that have a good hitting instructor that ?can teach slapping. Dave Paetkau is all over Ohio this winter. Try to go to one of his clinics. Most colleges teach slapping, so you many find one in your area. Here Wright State in Dayton is one of the best. ?

 

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My daughter started slapping and switch hitting last year around this time. She will be 16 in a couple of weeks. It was hard at first, but now she prefers to hit left instead of right. I don't think any time is too early to start. Slapping is like every other skill, you don't learn it overnight and you constantly need to practice to improve. If your daughter is fast, I highly recommend learning to slap

 

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My dd started learning at 11 and did very well with it. I feel it taught her to focus more closely on the ball so when she went back to the right she also really hit with power as well. Getting the footwork and timing are the most difficult.

 

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Evil Dad,

Same thing happened with my DD. She started 10U when she was a fast 8 year old. She slapped exclusively that season. I don't think she hit once from the right side. She actually hit pretty well that year as a full time slapper. I think she ended up a .300+ hitter as an 8 year old slapper. I remember I had parents ask me if it bothered me that all she did was slap. I trusted the caoch and told them that she is learning a valuable skill. The next year, it was 50-50. Last year as a 3rd year 10U player she just mashed the ball from the right side. She batted 3rd so she didn't get to slap much at all. This year maybe she'll get to turn around some as an 11U player. I don't want her to lose that skill. I think MLB and the love of the long ball has worked its way into the mindset of fastpitch a little bit. The bunt for a hit is a lost art in baseball.

 

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Witz,
The younger the better and the biggest mistake is those who have the ladies go back to righty with two strikes. If you are going to commit to slap, commit. The average will go down over 100 points that first year, but in the end, it's the best weapon unless your players are power hitters.

They will struggle that first year, but stick to it.....

I agree with Wave in that there are many kids who can't get a bunt down these days...

 

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The ability to slap and play the many facets of the short game is what seperates the the good and better teams. IMHO

 

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new place in ashland Ky will host Arizona's top assit coach who teaches slapping for a clinic in nov. name of the place is championship sports and the owner post on here to let everyone know when the clinic is. MD

 

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new place in ashland Ky will host Arizona's top assit coach who teaches slapping for a clinic in nov. ? ?name of the place is championship sports and the owner post on here to let everyone know when the clinic is. ? MD

Larry Ray is coming to Ky? That would be awesome.

 

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I learned to slap last year and its fun. I can't wait to only bat as a left handed batter this year. I like getting on first and stealing second and third, so my dad told me he would rather have me bat left and steal then to hit for power, as good things happendwhen you force the other team to throw the ball around.

 

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[quote author=ManitouDan link=1193619146/0#7 date=1193690901]new place in ashland Ky will host Arizona's top assit coach who teaches slapping for a clinic in nov. ? ?name of the place is championship sports and the owner post on here to let everyone know when the clinic is. ? MD

Larry Ray is coming to Ky? That would be awesome.

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Yes Larry Ray --Nov 17th At Championship Fastpitch, New facility in Ashland KY. See website at championshipfastpitch.com I'll be there with my 12u lefty daughter. MD

 

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Hilliarddad3 is right on the money. If a player is going to learn to slap from the left, she also needs to learn to swing away from the left. Switching back to the right side is not effective. This lets everyone know before you even get in the box what you will be doing with that at bat.

 

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Agree that the younger one learns, the better ... and also agree that ideally the slapper should learn to hit away left handed as well. With that being said, I still think there is a place for some girls to learn slapping later if they have great speed but are perhaps "too old" to learn how to hit away or at least to be comfortable with it. I attended one of Larry Ray's presentations in the past and would highly recommend it. While he keeps it simple, there is much more to slapping than just hitting the ball left handed and running like crazy!

 

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I won't be able to make that clinic, but I am probably going to buy his second video.

Have any of you turned right-handed hitters to the left side strictly for regular hitting?

 

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No, but I'm not sure what the purpose would be. Baseball , switch hitting gives you and edge, but not in softball. That is why bunting and slapping are weapons.

 

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Rebecca Gamby formerly of Elgin HS and now at Upper Sandusky, is right handed and made the switch to the left side to hit, and boy can she launch them!! ?She led the Central District in Homeruns this past year. ?Not sure how long ago she switched to the left side. ?Played for the Ohio Bandits 18U this past summer, maybe someone from there would know. ?I heard she moved to the left side knowing that she would get more looks from colleges.

 

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Does she also bunt and slap? That is what I was told to do wtih my 13U this year. To train her to hit with power from the left, besides bunting and slapping. You are right the colleges are looking at kids that throw right bat left. Looking at the kids in at the Divn 1 schools many are listed as throw right bat left. My dd hit with power as a right handed batter last year, but 50% of the time she batted left At the 12U level she was almost always safe. Now to keep them honest , the hitting instructor we work with wants her to hit with power from the left and it will be very hard to play defense against her.

 

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I have his Video and I got it directly from him by E-mailing him lol. Great Guy, the Godfather of slap hitting, I would make the drive from Toledo, BUT, its the 17th, MICHIGAN ?v osu.

 

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Does she also bunt ?and ?slap? ? ??

I have never seen her do it, but I'm sure she can. Not much this girl can't do.

 

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On the USA national team 6 girls throw right and bat left. On the national junior team they have the exact numbers. I haven't checked all of their bios, but I thought with 6 on each team that at least one or two of them wouldn't slap. Of course I have no idea about most of them.

I just think that batting left gets you two extra steps closer to first, and maybe just taking some swings less than full speed could allow a girl to beat out a few of those- like slapping without the running start, assuming that they couldn't develop as a slapper.