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

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