acsguitar wrote:Waiting on the ball in softball is the key. I play baseball and softball and I have a harder time somtimes in softball due to waiting
This is true. Waiting is key. I have played with a lot of great baseball hitter who struggled because of that. You might want to try a 6-12' league before going to an unlimited league. I pitch in an unlimited league.
Tavish wrote:Softball is becoming a major joke unless you play in HR-limited league. A top of the line ASA legal bat can still let an average hitter slap the ball out of 330 ft parks (which is usually the upper end of softball fields). Even worse is to play in unregulated tourneys. Everyone and their grandmas are hitting 400 ft pop-flys with an Ultra II.
The Ultra II was banned years ago. At least here it was. Do you play in a 6-12' league??
RugbyD wrote:I like to try and get as much power out of an opposite-field swing as I do out of a pull swing b/c people will always play the shift, especially in the first AB. To do this, I don't get in a hitting stance until i know where the ball if going to land and just reposition myself to take a regular cut facing towards the other field somewhat. Works great for deep strikes.
timing it still the key though. the best advice is wait wait wait wait wait.
I do the same thing. I bat right, but it's so easy to move that right foot back and go opposite field.
I play in a limited HR league too. I can't imagine playing in an unlimited league. I think that would kind of take the fun out of it. I'm a speedy leadoff guy. I don't hit many HRs.
Tavish wrote:Softball is becoming a major joke unless you play in HR-limited league. A top of the line ASA legal bat can still let an average hitter slap the ball out of 330 ft parks (which is usually the upper end of softball fields). Even worse is to play in unregulated tourneys. Everyone and their grandmas are hitting 400 ft pop-flys with an Ultra II.
The Ultra II was banned years ago. At least here it was.
The Ultra II was banned really fast in USSSA events and it was the next year they banned it in ASA. But you can still find unregulated (ie Outlaw) tourneys and leagues where anything goes. I've played in a few of those and probably never will again. There is a very good reason bats like those are illegal.
Do you play in a 6-12' league??
Mostly I do, at least its supposed to be. The City League here in Topeka is supposed to be run under ASA rules (the 6-12) but they go much more by batter height - twice batter height (which usually isn't all that different anyways).
Tavish wrote:Softball is becoming a major joke unless you play in HR-limited league. A top of the line ASA legal bat can still let an average hitter slap the ball out of 330 ft parks (which is usually the upper end of softball fields). Even worse is to play in unregulated tourneys. Everyone and their grandmas are hitting 400 ft pop-flys with an Ultra II.
The Ultra II was banned years ago. At least here it was.
The Ultra II was banned really fast in USSSA events and it was the next year they banned it in ASA. But you can still find unregulated (ie Outlaw) tourneys and leagues where anything goes. I've played in a few of those and probably never will again. There is a very good reason bats like those are illegal.
Do you play in a 6-12' league??
Mostly I do, at least its supposed to be. The City League here in Topeka is supposed to be run under ASA rules (the 6-12) but they go much more by batter height - twice batter height (which usually isn't all that different anyways).
I would never pitch in a 6-12' league let alone 1 that allows the Ultra II to be used. Way too dangerous.
Just realized I just ranted and didn't respond to the actual question.
There really isn't too much difference between a softball and baseball swing. Its much more of a mental thing. Alot of people will either be over-anxious when they see the ball floating in looking as big as a beach ball and end up being so far out in front they pull every pitch way foul or chop it into the dirt, or they will slow their bat speed down to match the speed the ball is coming in which will lead to a ton of pop-flys.
Just get some time in at the batting cages and work on hitting the sweet spot of the bat every time while keeping your bat-speed up. Once you get that down you can worry about directional hitting by changing when you start your swing.
Tavish wrote:Just realized I just ranted and didn't respond to the actual question.
There really isn't too much difference between a softball and baseball swing. Its much more of a mental thing. Alot of people will either be over-anxious when they see the ball floating in looking as big as a beach ball and end up being so far out in front they pull every pitch way foul or chop it into the dirt, or they will slow their bat speed down to match the speed the ball is coming in which will lead to a ton of pop-flys.
Just get some time in at the batting cages and work on hitting the sweet spot of the bat every time while keeping your bat-speed up. Once you get that down you can worry about directional hitting by changing when you start your swing.
I agree. There is a big difference between 6-12' and unlimited arch, though. It is a lot easier to hit a flat pitch (obviously). Hitting a pitch from the clouds requires more skill. Some people are just great hitters no matter what but most have to work at hitting a high pitch.
Last edited by Lofunzo on Wed May 24, 2006 7:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Tavish wrote:Softball is becoming a major joke unless you play in HR-limited league. A top of the line ASA legal bat can still let an average hitter slap the ball out of 330 ft parks (which is usually the upper end of softball fields). Even worse is to play in unregulated tourneys. Everyone and their grandmas are hitting 400 ft pop-flys with an Ultra II.
The Ultra II was banned years ago. At least here it was.
The Ultra II was banned really fast in USSSA events and it was the next year they banned it in ASA. But you can still find unregulated (ie Outlaw) tourneys and leagues where anything goes. I've played in a few of those and probably never will again. There is a very good reason bats like those are illegal.
Do you play in a 6-12' league??
Mostly I do, at least its supposed to be. The City League here in Topeka is supposed to be run under ASA rules (the 6-12) but they go much more by batter height - twice batter height (which usually isn't all that different anyways).
I would never pitch in a 6-12' league let alone 1 that allows the Ultra II to be used. Way too dangerous.
I remember the first year the bat hit the scene big time. The biggest part of the catcher's job was to yell out to everyone whether or not the guy was swinging a U-2. It was ridiculous to watch the entire team shift back 15' just to feel safer. I would guess that even now with tighter regulations on the bats that about half of the pitchers in our league wear some type of catcher/hockey gear. Shinguards and masks are fairly regular.
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