HITTING
Teaching good fundamentals is crucial to players developing confidence & performing in games. This page gives high level overview of key hitting steps + instructional drill videos for you to learn / consider using in your practices
There is no shortage of hitting teachers, coaches, and gurus online but for what it's worth, I think the following 5 core steps is a (relatively) easy to understand approach for 8-12U hitters. When teaching these, use the words in caps to walk players through what you are aiming to coach.
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"READY" -> Good strong setup at the plate
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"LOAD" -> Getting & staying coiled in back hip
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"STEP" -> Get to your separation w/ hands back
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"KNEE" -> Explosive rotation behind the ball starting with back knee rotating in
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"BALL" -> Finish rotating (hips, torso), then hands stay inside to contact, then move out & through
More details explaining each step are in section below.
For a really good high level overview of how to hit a softball, watch the video on the right from MegRem Softball
PHILOSOPHY & APPROACH
1. "READY" - Good Strong Setup at Plate
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Front foot lined up with the front of home plate
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Player positioned back from home plate so they can lean forward a bit & touch the bat to the other side of home plate
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Feed a bit wider than hips distance with 50/50 weight balance between feet
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Nice athletic position with bend in knees
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Bat held so that the knob of the bat is facing the catcher's feet
2. "LOAD" - Getting & Staying Coiled in Back Hip
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You need to coil into your rear hip to get & stay connected to the ground. Do not sway back, instead think about sitting back into your rear hip.
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Get coiled early. You should be coiled as the pitcher starts her motion. Do not wait to start your coil until she’s pitching to you.
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Engage the ground and keep that connection through your swing
3. "STEP" - Get to Your Separation w/ hands back
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You essentially want to move in three dimensions at the same time: 1) sit back into rear hip coil, 2) front leg moves forward while you stay back, and 3) back stretches rearwards
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Front toe is “dipped into the water” - you do not want to put toe down with weight shifting forward
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Stretch to separation / extension. You should be stretched in 3 axes before you start your rotation.
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Good example drill: Hover Drill: 1) Hover front foot just off ground for 2-3s, coil into hip, and get to stretched separation w/ toe down, then PAUSE & HOLD to check yourself, then 2) Repeat but carry through to full swing
4. "KNEE" - Explosive Rotation Behind The Ball
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Stay BEHIND the ball when you rotate
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Back knee moves in, then hips open, then torso comes around. Do not rotate with your arms!
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Keep your mind focused on rotating around your backside / back leg, not your front side / front leg!
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Minimal sway: do not sway back or forward
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Good hitters' bat stays back as their low body starts to rotate forward.
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Rotating puts your front foot down, NOT the other way around!
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Good example drill: PVC on Shoulders - Rotating Around Back Side (no tee) - Mix in slow & fast reps. Then hit.
5. "BALL" - Finish Rotating (hips, torso), then Hands Inside to Contact, then Out & Through
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We want to keep our hands as inside as possible into contact - “keep the house”
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At contact, we extend through the ball, out towards the IF
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Want to avoid rolling our hands over at contact. You do this by keeping hands inside & extending at contact. If already extended at contact, rolling over often happens
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Swing OUT from body, not around the body
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Good example drill: Two Tee Inside Hands Drill or using Rope Bat / small single hand bat
HITTING FORM - VISUALS
HITTING VIDEOS TO CONSIDER
Fantastic swing from Megan Beemer of Michigan
Teaches players how to rotate around their back side
Teaches players to hold coil in their rear hip until moving to separation / low body rotation
Good drill for a group where players hit off tee listening to each in-sequence command from coach
Helpful if players drop their hands!
Coach led drill guiding separation, then swing
Drill focused on the feel of keeping hands inside and good bat path to the ball
Great swing example from Reese Atwood of UT
Shows how to think swinging step by step, at a slow pace
Drill focuses on how quickly player can hit the ball once told to. Can be done in groups together
Drill focuses on keeping your upper body "closed" with hands back until your lower body starts to rotate
Video demonstrating how to bunt
Non-hitting drill to focus on top hand coming in and through ball