Question on softball

[TABinMO]

I see some batttrs take a running start when swinging at a pitch. Analogizing that to a golf swing, it seems to be really bad technique since that additional movement makes it less likely to hit the ball. Why would a coach allow/teach that method?

 

[beavergopher]

Tell that to Happy Gilmore.

 

[dlw4gophers]

I am not the expert, but will give it a shot. They are called slap hitters are are usually left handed. They try to hit the ball into the ground and use their speed to reach first. Jensen for the Gophers usually does this and is hitting about 415. The good one have very good bat control and can place the ball to a location that will help them reach base. Other than Linda, I enjoy watching Jensen bat more than any other Gopher.

 

[Hrothgar]

I see some batttrs take a running start when swinging at a pitch. Analogizing that to a golf swing, it seems to be really bad technique since that additional movement makes it less likely to hit the ball. Why would a coach allow/teach that method?

Dlw4gophers is right, though I, too, am not an expert by any means. Slap hitting is done by exceptionally speedy left-handed hitters who don't/can't hit for power; it often puts extreme pressure on infield defenses, since the lefthanded hitter is almost out of the batter's box when she hits the ball and the left-hander's batter's box is closer to first than the righthander's batter's box to begin with. Slap hitting can work well against left-handed pitchers, who have to spin differently to throw to first. The Texas left-handed pitcher made some very good fielding plays against Jensen and, I think, Partain. The problem with slap hitting is that sometimes the hitter leaves the batter's box before she manages to hit the ball, and is declared out by the umpire. Kayla Wenner of the Gophers (grad 2016) was a kind of rarity in that she was left-handed, very swift afoot, and hit with power. Once in a while she would slap hit with power, which sometimes seemed counter-productive to me, but she was not your normal slap hitter.

 

[Panthadad2]

Compared to baseball, the shorter base paths in softball greatly increase the odds of getting to first in time with a slap hit from the left side. Plus, softball batters boxes are 1 foot longer which make that style more realistic to accomplish. Ichiru Suzuki is the only baseball player I can think of that had the combination of speed, footwork and bat control to pull it off.

 

[Ski U Mah Gopher]

I am not the expert, but will give it a shot. They are called slap hitters are are usually left handed. They try to hit the ball into the ground and use their speed to reach first. Jensen for the Gophers usually does this and is hitting about 415. The good one have very good bat control and can place the ball to a location that will help them reach base. Other than Linda, I enjoy watching Jensen bat more than any other Gopher.

The best way to approach a slapper, pitching-wise, is up in the zone. They like a ball they can drive into the ground.

 

[jbux]

The problem with slap hitting is that sometimes the hitter leaves the batter's box before she manages to hit the ball, and is declared out by the umpire.

One small correction to this. The player can leave the box without hitting the ball, similar to baseball if the batter steps out mid pitch. The slapper is called out if she makes contact with the ball with any part of her foot outside the batter's box.
The beauty behind slap hitting is the ability of the batter to have a running start at contact. Home to first in softball is only 60 feet from the back edge of the plate. A good slap hitter will already be 30-40 feet down the line when the fielder gets the ball. The advantage is shifted to the batter. Unlike baseball where the fielders can double and triple pump and still throw someone out, softball fielders only have a split second to catch and release the ball.
A really, really good slapper will have the ability to not only put the ball into the ground and run, but to also pop the ball over fielder's heads. Third base and short stops generally play up more to deal with the speed. LSU had a great slapper a few years back who could consistently land the ball a few feet into the left field grass. Getting her out was near impossible.

 

[Livingat45north]

Question about Softball -- #2:

Is there any discussion in the softball world about reducing the impact of having one great pitcher on a team carry you through tournaments?

Option A: Limit the number of innings a pitcher can pitch in a given 3-day stretch. In a weekend series of baseball, you'll need at least 4 pitchers, and probably 5. It seems like in software you can have 1 pitcher play multiple games, the pitch count isn't nearly as high nor limiting.

Option B: Move the pitcher back a few feet. This would improve the odds for the hitters, making the game a bit more offense oriented.

 

[dlw4gophers]

The mound was moved back 3 feet a few years ago. Doubt they would change it again anytime soon.

 

[Holy Man]

Question about Softball -- #2:

Is there any discussion in the softball world about reducing the impact of having one great pitcher on a team carry you through tournaments?

Option A: Limit the number of innings a pitcher can pitch in a given 3-day stretch. In a weekend series of baseball, you'll need at least 4 pitchers, and probably 5. It seems like in software you can have 1 pitcher play multiple games, the pitch count isn't nearly as high nor limiting.

Option B: Move the pitcher back a few feet. This would improve the odds for the hitters, making the game a bit more offense oriented.

I've been told the inning limits in baseball are for health/mechanics reasons for the pitcher. The overhand motion is not natural and overuse is dangerous to the arm. The underhand motion in softball is a natural motion and the arm/shoulder injury risk from overuse little to none. That's what the parents of softball pitchers have told me.

 

[ComoGopher]

Question about Softball -- #2:

Is there any discussion in the softball world about reducing the impact of having one great pitcher on a team carry you through tournaments?

Option A: Limit the number of innings a pitcher can pitch in a given 3-day stretch. In a weekend series of baseball, you'll need at least 4 pitchers, and probably 5. It seems like in software you can have 1 pitcher play multiple games, the pitch count isn't nearly as high nor limiting.

Option B: Move the pitcher back a few feet. This would improve the odds for the hitters, making the game a bit more offense oriented.

They won't do it. A fast-pitch pitcher is the single most important player in team sports. The dominant teams these days are usually the ones with 2-3 really good pitchers. Not many teams get by using one pitcher.

 

[Hrothgar]

They won't do it. A fast-pitch pitcher is the single most important player in team sports. The dominant teams these days are usually the ones with 2-3 really good pitchers. Not many teams get by using one pitcher.

Yes. Pitching shortage was a Gopher problem during Groenewegen's sophomore & junior years. They had no strong pitching to back her up and suffered some bad losses against weaker teams when going to other pitchers. Sara G. admitted once in an interview that the pressure of pitching nearly every game wore on her. Fiser helped out a lot in 2017. Hopefully Smith and Lowary will be strong in 2018 to go along with Fiser.