Slow Pitch Softball Swing Mechanics - Part IV : Hands

Firing the hands at the ball is the release point for all the energy and batspeed we've stored through the first 3 steps of the swing. There are a few very simple mechanics that, when perfromed properly, will square the ball with the bat with maximum power and batspeed. The hands movement begins with the shoulders, the "trigger" from Rotation. The movement continues through the elbows and ends with a powerful snap of both wrists at the point of contact.

The Hands step breaks down into two mechanics - "Long To, Short Through". "Long To" is the transfer of energy from the lower half into the arms coupled with pulling the knob of the bat into the hitting zone. "Short To" is the quick, powerful snap of the wrists at the point of contact, transferring maximum power and batspeed to the ball.

Having a "long" swing is a baseball metaphor for "slow". That's the exact idea for the "Long To" slow pitch softball mechanic, because pitch timing dictates a longer swing in our sport. After hip rotation is complete, pull the front shoulder "trigger" by moving the front shoulder to the ball. The first motion of the hands is to bring the knob of the bat directly towards the ball, pulling the bat to the hitting zone. Move the elbows to the ball to complete this pulling action. This is a deliberate step, and also where all the energy transfer from the lower body happens, so be "Long" here. Keep the wrists back and cocked until the last instant...

The second motion, "Short To" is to snap the wrists at contact. Think of "throwing your hands at the ball" and literally fire both hands through the ball for maximum batspeed. This is the time to be "Short" or quick to the ball. Timing is crucial, because you want to transfer as much power and batspeed as possible.

Bob Woldyk, Hall of Fame slow-pitch softball player and coach (formerly of the Long Haul Bombers and Team Miken) has an excellent series of brief video instruction about the slow pitch softball swing. Here is his coaching advice on the Hands step : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Lt0c7P1H6w

Play Hard!

Coach Brian

Slow Pitch Softball Swing Mechanics - Part III : Rotation

Rotation begins the process of transferring all the strength and energy from our lower half ("the pyramid") to the softball. When complete, rotation also squares your hips to the softball which prepares the bat to do the same. The rotation step involves the feet, knees, hips, mid-section, and shoulders. Elbows, wrists, and hands stay back and on-plane.

Immediately after the Stride is complete and we've achieved a 50/50 weight distribution, the rotation movement begins. Because rotation has so many moving parts, it is a challenge to perform and repeat the mechanic. So let's take this complex movement and break it down into two simple steps:

1. Squash the Bug
You've undoubtedly heard this beauty since you played t-ball, because it works. Upon completion of stride, you should be carrying weight evenly across the front foot and on the ball of the back foot. Rotate counterclockwise on your back foot while collapsing the the back knee towards home plate. At the completion of this step, you should still be in 50/50 weight distribution with your back foot and knee pointed directly at the pitcher.

2. Slam the Door
Hip rotation is a major power source in slow pitch softball, the one place you can generate some serious bat speed if you perform this step properly. Once the back knee is collapsed, rotate the hips and shoulders counterclockwise until your upper body faces the pitcher. Think of a string tied to your navel pulling you to center field. There is a tendency to drop the back shoulder in this step, in response to the high slow pitch arc. Practice keeping your hips and shoulders on the swing plane and parallel to the ground - rotating both as a single unit or "door". Also make sure that you aren't "leaking" to your pull-side. A common mistake in the Stride step is to step to the pull-side instead of staying on-plane ("stepping in the bucket"). When this occurs, the hips and shoulders will open early or "fly out". The correct position keeps your hands (and your power) inside the ball with your head, shoulders, and hips square to the pitcher. Rudy Jaramillo, Batting Coach for the Texas Rangers describes hip rotation as "slamming the door" while "staying inside the door jamb". Visualize your hips as the door and the rotation as the "slamming" action.

It is important to keep the elbows, wrists, and hands relaxed during Rotation. Once the lower half begins rotation, you'll feel your hands naturally move away from the body. Encourage this separation as you practice. You'll also want to make sure to keep your hands on a level swing plane. There is an inclination to drop the hands during rotation - usually preceded by dropping the back shoulder. Discourage this movement by keeping the knob of the bat pointed directly at the ball. At the end of rotation, you've loaded all the power we stored in the lower half and the power generated by rotating the hips. The spring is torqued, and the front shoulder is the release mechanism. Keep those hands back and relaxed as we prepare to trip the spring in the Hands step.

Until next time, Play Hard!

Coach Brian

Slow Pitch Softball Swing Mechanics - Part II : Stride

Because stride is the first movement in the swing, it's critical that the stride is performed properly. Stride is an often misunderstood and misapplied mechanic, especially in slow pitch softball. The ball comes to the hitter so slowly that it prompts many players to stride early and take a giant step towards the pitch. This results in an unbalanced lower-half and robs the hitter of both power and bat control. Learning the proper stride mechanic, especially when coupled with a good stance, ensures that your lower half stays balanced, solid and strong.

Stride is a LINEAR movement towards the pitcher coupled with a weight transfer from the back foot to the front foot. Justin Stone, Chicago White Sox hitting instructor, explains and demonstrates proper baseball stride in this excellent video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G64piLqP3oA

The application of Justin's techniques are different in slow pitch softball because of the massive difference in pitch speed. In baseball, the stride is a quick weight transfer to facilitate a quick bat through the hitting zone. In slow pitch softball, the time spent in the stride is much longer, and we have to load and transfer weight more deliberately as we wait for the pitch to arc into the zone. As you begin your stride, load weight into the back foot and lift the front foot off the ground. Setting the front foot is the trigger for rotation, so you'll have to hold that front foot in the air until you are prepared to start your swing. Some players use a leg kick or some other movement as a timing mechanism, feel free to do the same. Use that extra time to load the back foot and move the hands backwards to prepare for rotation.

Here's a drill you can use to practice proper stride. To execute this drill, all you need is some space and two cones or something to mark foot placement. Now get in an athletic position, just like Justin's video teaches. Hold that position, and mark the outside of both feed with the cones. You've basically created a "border" for your feet. Now get in your stance, practicing the walk-up and game routine as I described in the blog post. Get yourself set, and practice just the Stance and Stride steps of the swing. Step all the way out of the box and repeat, starting the with the same walk-up. The goal of this drill is to memorize the process of beginning each at-bat physically and mentally. I'd suggest 5 sets of 10 repetitions.

Another great drill is Justin's Stride and Separate : http://elitebaseballtraining.blogspot.com/2008/12/stride-and-seperate-drill.html

At the completion of a good stride, you'll be balanced, strong, and in perfect hitting position to execute the rotational portion of the swing. We'll dissect rotation in the next post.

Play Hard!
Coach Brian

Slow Pitch Softball Swing Mechanics - Part I : Stance

Your stance is the "ready" position that sets the table for the entire swing. Every player has his/her own stance - open, closed, up or back in the box, feet close together or wide, etc. The most important coaching point about stance is not about exactly how you stand in the box. Rather, we're looking to achieve two goals with our stance: sharpen the mental focus and build a solid and balanced base with the lower half.

The Mental Edge - Taking Control of Your At-Bat
When you walk from the on-deck circle to take your stance in the box, the first task is to take control of the at-bat. Before you set a foot in the batter's box, make sure you are 100% focused. Remove any distractions from your mind then picture yourself executing a perfect swing. Now reach out with the bat in your forward hand until you can touch the outside corner of the plate, then set the back foot in the box. The pitcher cannot pitch until you have both feet set in the batter's box, so by only placing the back foot you have taken control of the at-bat. Keep that control - this is YOUR at-bat.

Building a Pyramid - The Foundation of Your Swing
Now set your front foot so that you are square to home plate and both feet are just outside the hips (slightly wider than shoulder-width). Once your stance is set, your entire body should be perfectly balanced. Think about your lower body as a pyramid with your feet forming the base and the abdominals at the top. Hold weight in your back foot - about a 60/40 distribution. You want to be strong and solid in the lower body while maitaining a calm and relaxed upper body. Rest the bat on your shoulder, relaxing the shoulders, arms, hands, and fingers. Once you come set in the box, raise your hands about 3-4 inches behind your ear while keeping the arms and elbows relaxed. Turn your head to the pitcher and focus BOTH eyes on the ball. Slightly rest your chin on your shoulder - this is a great key and reminder to keep the front shoulder from flying out during the swing.

Now you are ready to receive the pitch. Keep the weight on the back foot, the lower half solid, upper half relaxed, both eyes AND the mind focused on the ball.

Here's a great video by Eric Herrera demonstrating a solid stance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh2BwTFZTWk. It's baseball focused, but the fundamentals and mechanics also work for slow pitch softball.

Stay tuned for my next post when I'll teach you proper Stride.

Play Hard!
Coach Brian

Breaking Down the Slow Pitch Softball Swing

The mechanics of a good slow pitch softball swing are very similar to the mechanics of a baseball swing. They key difference is timing - quick and short in baseball, long and loaded in slow pitch softball. In this post, I'll describe the fundamentals of Stance, Stride, Rotation, Hands, and Follow-Through in whole - as you would execute them during an at-bat. We'll address each fundamental in detail in future posts.

1. Stance - In order to develop a swing that is fundamentally sound and repeatable, the batting stance must build the proper foundation for the swing. The correct stance should stabilize the entire body and enable perfect balance during the swing. I coach a wide, slightly open stance: feet just oustside shoulder width with the toes of the front foot aligned with the ankle of the back foot. Think of your lower half as a pyramid with the base at your feet and coming to a point at your navel. Starting in a wider stance gives you a more stable base. Opening the hips just a bit makes it easier to repeat the rotational part of the swing, AND it helps you get both eyes on the softball.
2. Stride - An often overlooked but critical component of the swing. Stride is the linear movement towards the pitcher - the step and weight transfer prior to rotation - followed by the separation of the hands from the body. I see many players struggle with proper stride - stepping too long, opening the hips during the stride, transferring too much or not enough weight to the front, etc. A perfect stride is a small step directly towards the pitcher and a transfer of weight from back foot to front foot until distributed evenly across both feet. After the stride, your pyramid should be at it's strongest. You should be in a perfect athletic position - balanced, knees slightly bent - and poised for rotation.
3. Rotation - Rotation begins the movement of the bat to the ball and is one core element of generating batspeed. During our Stance and Stride, we've "loaded" our body to whip the bat through the hitting zone. Think of it as torquing a spring around the top of our pyramid. The release of this energy flows from the feet to the bat by rotating the back foot ("squash the bug" or "heels to heaven"), collapsing the back knee, and rotating the hips square to the ball ("slamming the door") while keeping the front shoulder inside the ball ("staying inside the door jamb").
4. Hands - We've uncorked a massive amount of rotational force, but improper wrist/hand technique will drain all that power prior to bat contact. After hip rotation is complete, the first motion of the hands is to bring the knob of the bat directly towards the ball, essentially pulling the bat to the hitting zone. The second motion is to "throw the hands at the ball" keeping the wrists cocked until the last possible instant before breaking the wrists at contact for maximum batspeed.
5. Follow Through - OK we've done it. Squared the ball on the sweet spot and we've transferred the rotational force directly to the ball. When you make contact with the ball, you lose a ton of batspeed, and batspeed determines how hard the ball is hit. If you stop or slow your swing after contact, you will not transfer all the energy you've generated to the ball. Instead, swing through the ball and finish the swing until your back shoulder rests on your chin. You may even see the bat head in your peripheral vision.

Think of each element and how it applies to your swing and let me know what challenges you find. Stay tuned, as we'll break each of these steps down in detail over the next week.

Play Hard!

Coach Brian

Slow Pitch Softball Hitting Tip #1 - See the Ball

Anytime I talk to a coach or successful baseball/slow pitch softball player, I always ask for their best, simplest piece of advice on becoming a better hitter. Almost without exception, everyone I ask talks about the importance of seeing the ball. Seeing the ball with both eyes - watching it from the pitcher's hand through bat contact, is the most important and simplest mechanic to hitting. Teaching yourself to key both eyes on the softball will make you a better hitter instantly!

Here's a simple drill you can perform from a tee, in the cages, and especially during the game:

As soon as you get set and relaxed in the box, tell yourself "see the ball" and focus your eyes on the softball. Track the ball as the pitcher backs in the windup, and follow the ball's arc with both eyes. Try to focus on the writing or the seams - really hawk in on that ball. Watch THROUGH bat contact - keep the head down and eyes on the ball all the way through your swing. You'll be suprised how often we pull the eyes out or even close them during our swing!

Welcome to the Daily Slow Pitch Softball Coach!

Slow-pitch softball attracts a wide profile of players - all ages and widely varying degrees of baseball or softball skills and experience. Most players are challenged with the fundamental mechanics required excel in slow-pitch, regardless of previous experience. The game has changed greatly in the last few years, moving away from the homer-happy big boys and 100-99 games. Today's game is played with a softer ball and restricted bats, and the importance of power has declined accordingly. My approach is rooted deeply in baseball fundamentals, both individually and as a team. My teams play a complete, aggressive, athletic, "gamer" brand of softball rooted in relentless execution of fundamentals and superior teamwork.

If you are new to the game with little to no baseball/softball experience, this blog will teach you the basic fundamentals of hitting, throwing, catching, and game execution in an accessible and fun way. If you are a baseball veteran, I'll help you translate those skills and teaches the subtle differences in technique that slow-pitch requires. If you are building a team, we'll discuss proper team fundamentals and game execution strategies. In short, I'll teach you to be a the best athlete and slow pitch softball player that you can be AND I'll show you how to teach your team to WIN.

About Coach Brian McRae

I have been a competitive athlete my entire life and have more than 20 years of experience as a slow-pitch softball player and coach. I've played on B, C, and D league teams at Fort Worth Arc Park, Austin Pleasant Valley, and Austin Capital City, winning several league titles and tournaments. As a coach, my teams have won six league championships and numerous tournaments.

As I was putting my team and my coaching practice together, I went out looking for slow-pitch softball specific coaches or resources here in Austin, Texas. There were none. I widened my search to the entire US and I found a few, grainy videos on YouTube but no specific curriculum and NO live coaching! There is fantastic video instruction about baseball and fast-pitch softball all over the Internet, but nothing specific to slow-pitch. Until now...

I’ve partnered with The On-Deck Circle (http://www.cedarparkbattingcages.com/), a baseball coaching facility owned and operated by Jesse Garcia, former standout MLB player with the Braves and Orioles. I’ve developed a curriculum designed to teach the specific skills needed to be a good, fundamentally sound slow pitch softball player (http://www.cedarparkbattingcages.com/ODC/BrianMcRae). I teach small group clinics, multi-day camps, individual lessons, and team practices. I’m also partnering with an outdoor batting cage, local city leagues, and blasting social media channels to get the word out.

I'll post to this blog 2-3 times per week, with one tip or practice point you can use, RIGHT NOW, to improve your game. Also, feel free to comment or e-mail if you have any specific topics or questions!

Enjoy, play hard, and have fun!
Coach Brian