Just in case you needed help choosing the perfect gift for the softball fans in your life, or needed help figuring out what cool softball gifts to put on your wish list, we've come up with a free Holiday Gift Guide full of cool softball stuff just for you.
Inside you find…
softball stocking stuffer ideas
softball pitching gift ideas
softball hitting gift ideas
softball catching gift ideas
softball throwing gift ideas
plus gift ideas softball fans can use in daily life!
I'm sure you know people who still believe in "hands to the ball" hitting cue. I, for one, think that's a terrible cue that will cause more problems than it cures, especially because I don't think it will cure anything.
Regardless of the specifics, however, this issue does get me thinking because at one time I DID use that very same cue, and put my hitters through some of the drills that encouraged it (such as soft tossing balls and hitting them with the knob, which I picked up at a coaching clinic).
What I was thinking, though, was thank goodness none of the hitters I worked with, either on my team or on the side, have to give back any of their hits now that I have better information.
That's the funny thing about a forum like ours. We can expend lots of time, passion and electrons arguing various positions on how to execute differen skills. At times it can sound like one of the taboo topics (politics, religion), especially when True Believers clash or those with a particular agenda try to bring everyone else around to their point of view.
After having Crystl Bustos in Hawaii and getting to see her work with young softball players, I thought she'd be a good person to ask about softball hitting and hitting instruction. Crystl graciously took some time to answer 10 softball hitting instruction questions for us!
1. What's your favorite thing about working with young hitters?
My favorite thing about working with young hitters is to watch them grow and get better
2. What are some of the common myths or misconceptions hitters come to you with? (things they've been told by other coaches that isn't really helpful)
Squish the bug. That this is softball not baseball so the swing is way different. That they can't hit homeruns.
3. What is the hardest part of teaching hitters to improve their swing?
Getting them to practice at home!
4. When a hitter comes to you and has multiple areas of her swing to work on, how do you know where to start?
I start from the ground up and age sometimes plays a role.
5. What are some of the most common problems you see in hitters that come to you for help?
They don't know why they should do what we are telling them to do.
While the winter weather isn't too bad yet, we're reaching that point in the year where those of us in the North have to think about moving indoors. As you probably know, that creates an entirely new dilemma for practicing.
During the warmer months (and the months where it isn't dark by 5:00 PM), you can pretty much wander out to any available ballfield and get some practice time in. Heck, it doesn't even have to be a ballfield. Just about any old patch of grass or dirt will do in a pinch.
But once outdoors is taken out of the picture, things get a lot tougher. Sure, you can rent cage time, but that can get expensive if you're serious about it. You can try to find an open gym, but their managers often are unhappy about a hard ball being hit, thrown or pitched in the general vicinity of others playing basketball, volleyball or other sports.
Moving indoors also takes more schedule coordination. Not only do coach/parent and player/daughter have to be available at the same time, that time has to coincide with the times a cage or gym are available.
In this episode of Fastpitch TV Jenny Dalton shares some useful hitting tips on contact point, releasing the barrel, where to hit, and more. Plus see some hitting drills you can use to improve your hitting.
1. Team chemistry - I truly believe this was a big part of our success. The veterans immediately accepted the rookies and new players from day 1. This was one of the closest teams that I have ever coached. A ton of lifelong friendships were made this summer.
2. Management - Our owner Bill Sokolis and GM Aaron Moore did a fantastic job of putting together a team full of great players and most importantly great people. Not a ton of big names but players who certainly are earning the right to be known in the future.
3. City of Rosemont/Mayor Brad Stephens/Rosemont Stadium - The 2011 season began a new era for the Chicago Bandits and most importantly a very positive move to a new location, 27 Jennie Finch Way, Rosemont, IL. Mayor Stephens and Owner Bill Sokolis moved the team to Rosemont and the city built us a 6 million dollar stadium. It could be the best stadium ever built for fastpitch softball. So when the players and I walk out on the field it is truly a honor to wear the Bandits logo.
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This week's deal features my Breakthrough Speed and Agility System for Softball which was created for those who are serious about taking their game to the next level by improving their speed, agility, and quickness.
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explode out of the batter’s box
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and get more of those “oh-so-close” balls on defense!
The other day I had a hitting lesson with a girl named Erin, a girl I converted to a slapper last year and who is now playing at the 16U level. As we were working on various techniques she can do to take advantage of what the defense gives her, she told me something that just warmed my old heart.
She told me after the last tournament she went to her coach and asked her if it would be ok for her to make some decisions on her own regarding what to do with the next pitch, based on what she saw with the defense. Apparently the coach had been calling a lot of bunts — Erin is the leadoff hitter — despite the fact that the defense was playing her in close.
To me, that's a great thing on two levels. First, she approached it the right way. Rather than just ignoring the coach or giving up, she went to her with an idea. Second, she knew enough and was confident enough in her own abilities to want the choice of what to do.
The other day I heard about another player who broke her leg sliding into a base. From the description she probably caught her cleats in the ground so her foot stopped while her body kept going.
While any sport contains some level of risk, I sometimes think the risks of sliding aren't being properly addressed — which means either players aren't being taught the proper techniques — or they're not able to apply those techniques in a game situation.
Some of the latter may be fear. They're afraid it's going to hurt when they slide, so they approach it cautiously. That's the wrong way to go.
Sliding works best when you go all-out. Throwing your body forward with enthusiasm builds up the momentum to let your body glide across the infield; slowing up or getting cautious will tend to make you flop down, increasing the possibility of a strawberry or bruise.
