When do you slap hit

Now that I gave a little backround, back to the original question. Does slap hitting loose its effectiveness at older ages? Aug 20, 0. If I had to guess, I'd say about 35 or so With 60' bases, speed kills. Chris Delorit Member. Apr 24, 28 Green Bay, WI. Bob, Positively, no. Just like any other skill that you wish to get better at, you have to decide to make a commitment to practice it, and then apply it in games.

Actually, I think you answered your own concerns in your own first paragraph. Not that you'll be a better repair man than the Geek Patrol with only a helmet headlight, but you'll be more desirable at the corner comic book stand. Sparky Guy. Nov 29, 2, Click to expand Dec 12, 1, 0 On the bucket. Sparky Guy said:. It takes a good 2 years for a girl to become a serviceable slapper.

It takes another 2 years for a player to learn how and to become a really solid triple threat at the plate. Jun 5, 9, 63 Not here. May 8, 4, Proper mechanics require that the hitter choke up on the bat, cross her left back foot over her right front foot, and slap the ball away from the defense.

Carroll explained. They'll beat the ball into the ground and get a big hop, or they'll try to get the ball up the third-base line so it's a long throw. Or, if girls get proficient at it, they'll just try to hit a line drive somewhere. At the college level, most teams have one or two slappers at the top of the lineup and one at the bottom. But because slapping is difficult to learn, the trend is less widespread at the high school level.

Downingtown East coach Mike Morgan estimated that a little more than half the teams the Cougars have faced this season have featured at least one slapper in their lineup.

His team includes junior slapper Kristen Owens, a former pitcher who began toying with slapping after an injury-plagued freshman season. Brad Tittrington is an associate editor for Referee. He is a collegiate and USA Softball umpire. Note: This article is archival in nature. Rules, interpretations, mechanics, philosophies and other information may or may not be correct for the current year.

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Base umpires must know the difference between bunts, slaps and checked swings in order to rule on potential difficult batting situations like the one above. Photo Credit: Dale Garvey. Tips On Staying Present. This is a great thing to practice while in the on-deck circle before your next at-bat. Next you will want to remember, to stay athletic and always make sure your chest is facing the ball.

The biggest mistake that a slapper will make is when they pull their chest. It's very easy to do as you're trying to run towards first base. But when you run towards first base, if you go too soon, your chest pulls away from the plate. As a result, you're not going to be able to hit the outside pitch, which will result in popping up or pulling that ball towards first base.

And as a slapper your goal is to hit the ball in the five-six hole between SS and 3B. However, if you are able to stay in control of your upper body and keep your chest square to the incoming pitch it will allow your eyes to track the ball all the way to the plate. Make sure you break it down. Many people think that slapping is just running, tapping and going, but you really have to make sure you're exploding through that ball before you can actually run to first base.