Disclaimer.....
In my previous post about Fastpitch Softball titled: Softball- Instruction you can use, I showed you how to turn that old broom you have sitting around the house into one of the best hand and eye coordination tools you could use for your softball players hitting development, not to mention save you money! If you didn't read that article please do so before moving on. If you have read that article then you've probably done a little research and you can confirm that these very similar products are being sold for as much as $50.
Now, please, let's be clear, I'm not telling you not to purchase these products, by all means do if you feel so compelled, I'm just showing you a way to make a similar product that will do the same job and save you some money, money you could use for a couple of cold, frosty, (you fill in drink of choice here) after a hot day out at the softball yard.. we're talking Slurpee's here kids...
Okay, now that the disclaimer is out of the way let's get on with the topic.
How do I use this broom handle bat.... Position One
Well, now that you've sawed the handle off your broom sweeping up the garage is out of the question, and if you're anything like me that's the good news. What you're going to do now is set your softball or baseball hitter up in their stance, their are a lot of opinions on stance etc.. so I'm not going to get to deep into that for now, I'll save it for future posts dedicated to the swing, just make sure they are comfortable, see photo to the right.
You are going to place yourself at a 45 degree angle opposite their front hip while on your knee or sitting on a bucket. Hold your arm out in front of you, when you drop your arm to toss the ball let your softball hitter know that is the indicator for them to stride (not big!) Then you simply toss the ball towards their front hip and have them swing. It may take awhile for a young softball or baseball hitter to get the feel for this and that's OK. What you don't want is for them to be swinging under the ball and popping it up, again I'll post more on the stance and swing later, right now try to have them make contact with the top half of the ball and we'll be well on our way.
This is the basic, most fundamental position of the four softball hitting positions for this drill. If your Softball or baseball player is just picking up the game stay here for a while until their making good line drive contact on a consistent basis before moving to the next position. This will instill the confidence needed to keep the drills fun, and please, keep these drills fun because after all softball is a game.
How do I use this broom handle bat... Position Two
You are going to place yourself at a 45 degree angle behind their front hip while on your knee or sitting on a bucket. Here your softball hitter won't be able to see your arm because you don't want them looking back over their shoulder so you'll have to give them a verbale indicator for them to stride (again not a big stride!) Then you simply toss the ball past their front hip and have them swing. Clearly this drill is more difficult and teaches them to make contact going to the opposite field. Please do not use this drill for the very young Softball player because it could frustrate them and that is just no fun. This is a good drill for the kids that are established and have a better concept of what you're trying to accomplish. Again, even for them It may take awhile and that's OK. Remember what you don't want is for them to be swinging under the ball and popping it up, have them make contact with the top half of the ball and we'll be well on our way.
How do I use this broom handle bat... Position Three
You are going to place yourself directly behind your Fastpitch Softball hitter while on your knee or sitting on a bucket. Again from this position your softball hitter won't be able to see your arm because you don't want them looking back over their shoulder so you'll have to give them a verbale indicator for them to stride (again not a big stride!) Then you simply toss the ball in front of them out towards where the pitcher would be standing, it's important that you toss it flat and about waist high. They will then pick up the ball out in front of the plate and make their swing, with the goal of hitting it right up the middle. Yes, this drill is difficult and should only be used as your fastpich softball player progresses.
Remember what you don't want is for them to be swinging under the ball and popping it up, have them make contact with the top half of the ball and we'll be well on our way.
How do I use this broom handle bat... Position Four
You are going to place yourself directly across from your Fastpitch Softball hitters stance while standing on a bucket or chair. Again from this position your softball hitter won't be able to see your arm because you don't want them looking up so you'll have to give them a verbal indicator for them to stride (again not a big stride!) Then you simply drop the ball into the hitting zone. They will then try to pick up the ball as it drops into the zone and make their swing, with the goal again of hitting the ball right up the middle. Yes, this drill is also difficult and should only be used as your fastpitch softball player progresses.
Remember what you don't want is for them to be swinging under the ball and popping it up, have them make contact with the top half of the ball and we'll be well on our way.
That's enough for now....
This is enough to get you started. These drills are excellent for the beginner or the most advanced softball player and will definitely improve their hand/eye coordination.
I like to use 3 different sizes of balls in this drill, the golf ball, the baseball and the softball. For the beginners I would start with the baseball as they advance move to the golf ball size and then step up to the baseball and finally the softball from each position. Watch how they rip the large ball at the end of the session, then watch how they rip the softball in their next game. Now don't you agree that is the perfect use of that old broom?
I hope you've found this to be helpful.
Until next time remember Softball is for everyone... Fastpitch Softball is for athletes!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Fastpitch Softball
Are you looking for a Fastpitch Softball site with original content? You've come to the right place. What you'll find here are tips and lessons from someone with success in the game of Softball , not a site about the history of the Softball, and how it was created in Chicago etc. I'm confident the tips you'll receive here will be useful for any player at any level!
Like you I've visited just about every forum on the web that discusses Softball. I first started doing this to see if I could find any articles about old teammates or competitors that I grew to respect over 15 seasons of competition, and it became clear to me, real quick, that most of the folks on these sites/blogs were Mom's and Dad's trying to find the best information for their daughter who had just taken up the game, or parents who felt the lessons they were paying good money for just weren't working out. Now, by no stretch of any one's imagination am I going to tell you that the information that I provide will be your end all of end alls, and I do suggest that you compare my theories and tips with the 100's of sites that provide information about the game of Fastpitch Softball. But as I said earlier, I'm confident that after you compare you'll find this site to be a useful tool and the information within can be applied to softball players of all levels.
Future posts will cover:
How to save money by making your own training devises
What are the first things a new Softball player should work on
Making Softball fun
Drag bunting
Slap hitting
Recognizing the pitch
Infield and outfield play
Timing your lead off
and drills, drills, drills that are fun and productive
Oh, by the way I did run across a few articles from ol' playing days and a few of those names are now very deservedly in the ASA and ISC Hall Of Fame. Here's to your success...
Until next time remember, Softball is for everyone.. Fastpitch Softball is for athletes!
Like you I've visited just about every forum on the web that discusses Softball. I first started doing this to see if I could find any articles about old teammates or competitors that I grew to respect over 15 seasons of competition, and it became clear to me, real quick, that most of the folks on these sites/blogs were Mom's and Dad's trying to find the best information for their daughter who had just taken up the game, or parents who felt the lessons they were paying good money for just weren't working out. Now, by no stretch of any one's imagination am I going to tell you that the information that I provide will be your end all of end alls, and I do suggest that you compare my theories and tips with the 100's of sites that provide information about the game of Fastpitch Softball. But as I said earlier, I'm confident that after you compare you'll find this site to be a useful tool and the information within can be applied to softball players of all levels.
Future posts will cover:
How to save money by making your own training devises
What are the first things a new Softball player should work on
Making Softball fun
Drag bunting
Slap hitting
Recognizing the pitch
Infield and outfield play
Timing your lead off
and drills, drills, drills that are fun and productive
Oh, by the way I did run across a few articles from ol' playing days and a few of those names are now very deservedly in the ASA and ISC Hall Of Fame. Here's to your success...
Until next time remember, Softball is for everyone.. Fastpitch Softball is for athletes!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Fastpitch Softball - Improve your Hitting Training Tools
fastpitch softball
Mom's and Dad's as you know by now this sport can really take a toll on your pocketbook for bats, gloves, cleats and ummm training tools. You don't have to look very hard to find the next best widget that is almost guaranteed to help your daughter improve her skills to the point where every College Scout will be offering her full ride scholarships.
In this blog I'm going to explain how you can save money and create one of the best Fastpitch Softball hitting tools from something I know that you have laying around your house. This in my opinion is one of the best Hand-Eye coordination tools you can use to improve your Fastpitch Softball players swing, and Hand-Eye coordination. If you've read my previous blog about Hitting Instruction this tool will also help that Baseball player you have in the household as well.
What is this item I'm speaking off.... a broom! That's right a broom, you see there are numerous Hitting Tools being sold at Sporting Good stores this very day made of hard plastic or fiberglass with foam grips about the same diameter as that very broom you have in your home. These items are being marketed as the training tool that will improve your daughters Fastpitch Softball swing. Now, trust me they will, but for $25 to $40 dollars they will also take a big swing at your pocket book.
Here is all you have to do, find that old broom you have laying around, you know the one with the bristles so worn it doesn't do the job any way, measure 34 inches down from the top of the handle and saw it off! Now go and get some white athletic tape and wrap the handle to give your Fastpitch Softball player a grip ( if you want to get real fancy you can use more tape at the bottom and make a knob just like on a bat) then start your tape again about 2 inches from the top of the bat and wrap down towards the handle about 8 to 10 inches to indicate where the sweet spot is. This is important because as you do soft toss with your Fastpitch Softball player you'll want them to be making contact here, and there you have it, a fantastic Hitting Tool that may cost you $5 bucks in replacing your old broom.
To get the full benefits of this tool you'll need to purchase whiffle golf balls, whiffle baseballs and whiffle softballs, but there will be more on that in future blogs as I explain some of the drills I use with this Hitting Tool.
Until next time, here's hoping your Fastpitch Softball experience is a good one.
Mom's and Dad's as you know by now this sport can really take a toll on your pocketbook for bats, gloves, cleats and ummm training tools. You don't have to look very hard to find the next best widget that is almost guaranteed to help your daughter improve her skills to the point where every College Scout will be offering her full ride scholarships.
In this blog I'm going to explain how you can save money and create one of the best Fastpitch Softball hitting tools from something I know that you have laying around your house. This in my opinion is one of the best Hand-Eye coordination tools you can use to improve your Fastpitch Softball players swing, and Hand-Eye coordination. If you've read my previous blog about Hitting Instruction this tool will also help that Baseball player you have in the household as well.
What is this item I'm speaking off.... a broom! That's right a broom, you see there are numerous Hitting Tools being sold at Sporting Good stores this very day made of hard plastic or fiberglass with foam grips about the same diameter as that very broom you have in your home. These items are being marketed as the training tool that will improve your daughters Fastpitch Softball swing. Now, trust me they will, but for $25 to $40 dollars they will also take a big swing at your pocket book.
Here is all you have to do, find that old broom you have laying around, you know the one with the bristles so worn it doesn't do the job any way, measure 34 inches down from the top of the handle and saw it off! Now go and get some white athletic tape and wrap the handle to give your Fastpitch Softball player a grip ( if you want to get real fancy you can use more tape at the bottom and make a knob just like on a bat) then start your tape again about 2 inches from the top of the bat and wrap down towards the handle about 8 to 10 inches to indicate where the sweet spot is. This is important because as you do soft toss with your Fastpitch Softball player you'll want them to be making contact here, and there you have it, a fantastic Hitting Tool that may cost you $5 bucks in replacing your old broom.
To get the full benefits of this tool you'll need to purchase whiffle golf balls, whiffle baseballs and whiffle softballs, but there will be more on that in future blogs as I explain some of the drills I use with this Hitting Tool.
Until next time, here's hoping your Fastpitch Softball experience is a good one.
Fastpitch Softball hitting instruction
Fastpitch Softball Mom's and Dad's you're the best! You'll do almost anything to support your daughters growth in the game, and that is to be admired. Fastpitch Softball is a great sport! That said it may be a sport foreign to you, and in your desire to get your darling daughter the best Fastpitch Softball instruction possible you ask around and are often lead to the local baseball hitting coach. Unfortunately this isn't always the best decision for your dollar.
Having been scouted by a few professional baseball teams before playing at the A/Open-Major division of Fastpitch Softball for 15 seasons I can attest that their are some differences in the approach to hitting a Fastpitch Softball then hitting a baseball. Subtle as they may be they are there, and a real good example to support this point is when Jenny Finch or other elite caliber pitchers face Superstar Major League hitters in an exhibition and make them look silly. Yes, both games have a bat and ball, and yes they are pitched to a similar strike zone, but from here things change. This is why I would encourage you to shop around for a hitting instructor that has played Fastpitch Softball at a level where velocity and Fastpitch Softball movement are understood. Womens College Softball has produced a lot of talented players and if you're fortunate to have one of these instructors in or around your community your dollar and time would be much better spent here.
Until next time here's hoping your Fastpitch Softball experience is a good one.
Having been scouted by a few professional baseball teams before playing at the A/Open-Major division of Fastpitch Softball for 15 seasons I can attest that their are some differences in the approach to hitting a Fastpitch Softball then hitting a baseball. Subtle as they may be they are there, and a real good example to support this point is when Jenny Finch or other elite caliber pitchers face Superstar Major League hitters in an exhibition and make them look silly. Yes, both games have a bat and ball, and yes they are pitched to a similar strike zone, but from here things change. This is why I would encourage you to shop around for a hitting instructor that has played Fastpitch Softball at a level where velocity and Fastpitch Softball movement are understood. Womens College Softball has produced a lot of talented players and if you're fortunate to have one of these instructors in or around your community your dollar and time would be much better spent here.
Until next time here's hoping your Fastpitch Softball experience is a good one.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
How to improve your Fastpitch Softball game
Welcome to Fastpitch Softball. This site provides tips and techniques for beginning Fastpitch Softball players to the most advanced Fastpitch Softball player. If you have questions not covered in Fastpitch Softball please feel free to email your question to rustygate@sbcglobal.net
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