Slap Hitters

[FridayMainEvent]

Forrest is one of the most rounded teams I've seen all year. Not only do they have 3 or 4 power hitters in their lineup, they are also blessed with a couple of very good slappers. I wish Cascade spent more time trying to develop some of their speedy runners into slappers. How many teams are you aware of that carry a couple of slappers. I personally use slappers during the summer because I think it adds a lot of pressure to a defense and mixes things up alot. Give me some feedback on who you feel does the best job of teaching this in the middle Tennessee area?

[jtk]

St. Benedict is currently starting three slappers. Our summer team also has three slappers in the lineup. Mix them in with a couple of power hitters and you have the potential to score a lot of runs. If you cannot find a good slapper instructor in Middle I suggest buying a slapper tape. Jay Miller, John Tschida and Larry Ray have good instructional tapes. Larry Ray and John Tschida's tapes can be found on NFCA.Org and Jay Millers by e-mail.

[FridayMainEvent]

St. Benedict is currently starting three slappers. Our summer team also has three slappers in the lineup. Mix them in with a couple of power hitters and you have the potential to score a lot of runs. If you cannot find a good slapper instructor in Middle I suggest buying a slapper tape. Jay Miller, John Tschida and Larry Ray have good instructional tapes. Larry Ray and John Tschida's tapes can be found on NFCA.Org and Jay Millers by e-mail.

 

 

Hey jtk, sounds like we shop for some of the same stuff. Another video I personally like is from one of my favorite USA players, Natasha Watley. Here is a link to her website:

 

http://natashawatley.com/home.html

[jtk]

Watley is a bell cow, one of the best. Sarah Fekete and Caitlin Lowe are the two slappers that I had the pleasure to see play live. Two of the hardest outs in softball.

[shadow01]

Watley is a bell cow, one of the best. Sarah Fekete and Caitlin Lowe are the two slappers that I had the pleasure to see play live. Two of the hardest outs in softball.

 

My daughter has had the pleasure of being taught slapping by Sarah Fekete and it has made a world of difference in her game. Sarah is an excellent teacher and has the skills as well as the teaching ability to make any hitter into a great hitter. My daughter will be attending ETSU in the fall on a softball scholarship and we thank Sarah for being a big part of that.

[hits123]

Forrest is one of the most rounded teams I've seen all year. Not only do they have 3 or 4 power hitters in their lineup, they are also blessed with a couple of very good slappers. I wish Cascade spent more time trying to develop some of their speedy runners into slappers. How many teams are you aware of that carry a couple of slappers. I personally use slappers during the summer because I think it adds a lot of pressure to a defense and mixes things up alot. Give me some feedback on who you feel does the best job of teaching this in the middle Tennessee area?

 

I agree. With their speed, slappers put a lot of pressure on the defense and the pitcher.

If the defense does not field a ground ball cleanly, they are on base.

If the pitcher is too cautious, they draw a walk. Chiles from UT was very good.

My only problem with slappers is.....some make contact with the ball when their front foot

is out of the box, and I have yet to see one called out.

[FridayMainEvent]

I agree. With their speed, slappers put a lot of pressure on the defense and the pitcher.

If the defense does not field a ground ball cleanly, they are on base.

If the pitcher is too cautious, they draw a walk. Chiles from UT was very good.

My only problem with slappers is.....some make contact with the ball when their front foot

is out of the box, and I have yet to see one called out.

 

As long as contact is initiated within the box, the step out of the box is allowed. There is some understood levity on this rule if the foot lands on or immediately in front of the box.

[Lady DawgDad]

As long as contact is initiated within the box, the step out of the box is allowed. There is some understood levity on this rule if the foot lands on or immediately in front of the box.

 

If any part of the foot is in contact with the chalk you are in the box. That is the way I understand it. I haven't seen anyone called this year for being out of the box but really a slapper shouldn't be out unless they are fooled on a change-up. All a slapper should have is one crossover step or some step back with their front foot and then crossover before contact. I have seen several called for fouling a third strike and the ump calls them out saying they were bunting. The ones I saw I thought were bad calls but some were close calls. When a slapper is trying to hit soft to the left side sometimes they don't break their wrists which by partial definition is a bunt.

[hits123]

If any part of the foot is in contact with the chalk you are in the box. That is the way I understand it. I haven't seen anyone called this year for being out of the box but really a slapper shouldn't be out unless they are fooled on a change-up. All a slapper should have is one crossover step or some step back with their front foot and then crossover before contact. I have seen several called for fouling a third strike and the ump calls them out saying they were bunting. The ones I saw I thought were bad calls but some were close calls. When a slapper is trying to hit soft to the left side sometimes they don't break their wrists which by partial definition is a bunt.

 

The ones I was referring to as being out of the box, take their stance as far back in the box as possible.

They do not use the crossover step as you described, instead, they just start running toward the pitcher,

and punch at the pitch with their bat.

They can not touch most far outside pitches, or changeups away, because their front foot is out of the box,

and their body is already starting to move toward 1B.

Those using this technique, also have a hard time getting into the running lane down the 1B line.

[Lady DawgDad]

The ones I was referring to as being out of the box, take their stance as far back in the box as possible.

They do not use the crossover step as you described, instead, they just start running toward the pitcher,

and punch at the pitch with their bat.

They can not touch most far outside pitches, or changeups away, because their front foot is out of the box,

and their body is already starting to move toward 1B.

Those using this technique, also have a hard time getting into the running lane down the 1B line.

 

Sounds like you have the formula to get them out. Outside and offspeed away, I have seen girls try and slap like that but I have never seen it taught that way. If they are starting that far back they are probably starting on pitcher motion instead of when they see the ball. When they make contact they probably hit it up the middle or to the right side which is not really where you want it as a slapper. If the are out of the box like that I am surprised the ump doesn't call it because they have to be way out of the baseline headed toward first.

[jtk]

The good slappers go as far as the umpire will let them. Most people don't realize that Fekete actually stepped in front of the plate almost every time. It was never called.

[hits123]

Sounds like you have the formula to get them out. Outside and offspeed away, I have seen girls try and slap like that but I have never seen it taught that way. If they are starting that far back they are probably starting on pitcher motion instead of when they see the ball. When they make contact they probably hit it up the middle or to the right side which is not really where you want it as a slapper. If the are out of the box like that I am surprised the ump doesn't call it because they have to be way out of the baseline headed toward first.

 

 

The drawback to that formula, is if our pitcher tries to be too careful, and walks the slapper.

The ones I have observed slapping in this manner, merely stick the bat out to try and tip the

top half of the ball. After two strikes, they changed to a more conventional swing of a slapper,

to avoid being called out for bunting on 3rd strike.

 

Most teams have at least one slapper, however I did see one team that had 3.

 

The slappers I have the most concern for as an opponent, are the ones that can slap the

slow rollers to the left side, AND power slap. They are a lot tougher to defend.