North Georgia Nitro
PREMIER FASTPITCH SOFTBALL ORGANIZATION
EXPLOSIVE UNDER PRESSURE,
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED!
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED!
12 KEY POINTS TO BEING A SUCCESSFUL HITTER:
(THERE ARE A LOT MORE!!)
1. DEVELOP A PRE-STANCE ROUTINE THAT PREPARES YOU TO HIT MENTALLY
2. SOLID GRIP; "KNOCKING KNUCKLES" ARE LINED UP ON THE BAT GRIP
3. FEET ARE SHOULDER LENGTH APART, KNEES ARE SLIGHTLY BENT
4. PRIOR TO NEGATIVE MOVEMENT, STAY IN MOTION WHILE IN YOUR STANCE
5. POSITIVE LINEAR MOVEMENT TOWARDS THE PITCHER BEGINNING WITH TOE TOUCH INTO HEEL PLANT
6. ARMS WILL BE INDEPENDENT FROM THE CORE AND LOWER BODY
7. THE BARREL OF THE BAT MUST REMAIN ABOVE THE HANDS
8. BACK WRIST, ELBOW, AND HIP WILL BE ALIGNED PRIOR TO CONTACT, HIPS ARE SQUARE TO THE PLATE - THIS IS CALLED CONNECTION
9. BACK TOE WILL BE POINTING TO THE GROUND DURING FOLLOW THROUGH
10. THE HEAD MUST REMAIN MOTIONLESS THROUGHOUT THE SWING
11. ALWAYS SWING HIGH TO LOW - NEVER LOW TO HIGH
12. ....AND NEVER TAKE A CALLED THIRD STRIKE!
THE "FALL BACK SWING" AND 5 REASONS IT DOESN'T WORK FOR FASTPITCH SOFTBALL
There's a new fad in fastpitch softball, I like to call it the "fall back swing". The batter opens their hips and shoulders prior to contact, falling back as she swings, squishing the bug or pivoting on the back foot, twisting the back, collapsing the back leg, etc.
The angle (plane) of your swing should match the plane of the incoming pitch as closely as possible in order to maximize your hit. In baseball, the average height of the ball upon release by the pitcher is approximately 60" to 76" (dependent upon pitcher's height), delivering to a strike zone approximately 24" to 36" in height. That is a 36" to 50" down plane (3 to 4 FEET!), which explains why this swing works so well in baseball.
In softball, the average arc for a 40 to 60 mile an hour pitch is only 8" to 21" (INCHES!)! Remember: your swing should match the plane of the incoming pitch as closely as possible in order to maximize your hit!
One of the most important body parts for a proper fastpitch swing is the front shoulder. If the front shoulder pulls away from the ball too soon, the following problems are likely to occur:
The head will come out of the proper position and eye contact with the ball will be reduced or lost.
The back shoulder will drop down, which creates an unlevel position for the shoulders in their approach to the ball and the barrel of the bat will fall below the hands. IF contact is made it results in pop flys and easy ground outs.
The hands will drop, creating a loop in the swing (loop = pop up).
The back leg will collapse and eliminate any positive hip action in the swing and take away the majority of the batter's power.
As a fastpitch softball player, this swing will greatly reduce your power and batting average.
(THERE ARE A LOT MORE!!)
1. DEVELOP A PRE-STANCE ROUTINE THAT PREPARES YOU TO HIT MENTALLY
2. SOLID GRIP; "KNOCKING KNUCKLES" ARE LINED UP ON THE BAT GRIP
3. FEET ARE SHOULDER LENGTH APART, KNEES ARE SLIGHTLY BENT
4. PRIOR TO NEGATIVE MOVEMENT, STAY IN MOTION WHILE IN YOUR STANCE
5. POSITIVE LINEAR MOVEMENT TOWARDS THE PITCHER BEGINNING WITH TOE TOUCH INTO HEEL PLANT
6. ARMS WILL BE INDEPENDENT FROM THE CORE AND LOWER BODY
7. THE BARREL OF THE BAT MUST REMAIN ABOVE THE HANDS
8. BACK WRIST, ELBOW, AND HIP WILL BE ALIGNED PRIOR TO CONTACT, HIPS ARE SQUARE TO THE PLATE - THIS IS CALLED CONNECTION
9. BACK TOE WILL BE POINTING TO THE GROUND DURING FOLLOW THROUGH
10. THE HEAD MUST REMAIN MOTIONLESS THROUGHOUT THE SWING
11. ALWAYS SWING HIGH TO LOW - NEVER LOW TO HIGH
12. ....AND NEVER TAKE A CALLED THIRD STRIKE!
THE "FALL BACK SWING" AND 5 REASONS IT DOESN'T WORK FOR FASTPITCH SOFTBALL
There's a new fad in fastpitch softball, I like to call it the "fall back swing". The batter opens their hips and shoulders prior to contact, falling back as she swings, squishing the bug or pivoting on the back foot, twisting the back, collapsing the back leg, etc.
The angle (plane) of your swing should match the plane of the incoming pitch as closely as possible in order to maximize your hit. In baseball, the average height of the ball upon release by the pitcher is approximately 60" to 76" (dependent upon pitcher's height), delivering to a strike zone approximately 24" to 36" in height. That is a 36" to 50" down plane (3 to 4 FEET!), which explains why this swing works so well in baseball.
In softball, the average arc for a 40 to 60 mile an hour pitch is only 8" to 21" (INCHES!)! Remember: your swing should match the plane of the incoming pitch as closely as possible in order to maximize your hit!
One of the most important body parts for a proper fastpitch swing is the front shoulder. If the front shoulder pulls away from the ball too soon, the following problems are likely to occur:
The head will come out of the proper position and eye contact with the ball will be reduced or lost.
The back shoulder will drop down, which creates an unlevel position for the shoulders in their approach to the ball and the barrel of the bat will fall below the hands. IF contact is made it results in pop flys and easy ground outs.
The hands will drop, creating a loop in the swing (loop = pop up).
The back leg will collapse and eliminate any positive hip action in the swing and take away the majority of the batter's power.
As a fastpitch softball player, this swing will greatly reduce your power and batting average.
