Softball Hitting - Batting Practice is Much More Than Swing Training

Today, I was talking to the coach of a 14U team who is struggling at the plate.

They haven't been hitting well this year at all.

After asking him several questions, it became pretty clear what the problem might be.

You see - according to him, they work a lot on hitting.

I told him that they work a lot on hitting fundamentals but no so much on hitting.

He was puzzled and confused.

You see, hitting is a lot more than a sweet swing.

Hitting is…

1) Reading cues and tracking the ball well
2) Making decisions (pitch selection)
3) Ajusting to various locations and moving pitches
4) Hitting according to the situation
5) The approach to the plate and the mental part of hitting

You see, if you only work on the swing, you are missing a bit part of the equation.

You have to integrate all of those other elements into  your training in order to develop high-level hitting.

Having a "sweet swing" is a good start but you also have to see the ball, recognize what pitch it is and where it is going, decide if you will swing or not, make adjustments, and more.

Make your hitting training much more than just "swing" training.

Hitting is the most important part of the game with pitching. You've got to work on it!

Who loves ya?

Marc
"Your Softball Peak Performance Coach"

What about you? What are your thoughts on this subject?