The Fastpitch Softball Training Equipment Blog is your online source to softball hitting, softball pitching and softball fielding training equipment. Site features softball coaching and softball training drills, softball tips, softball articles and fast pitch softball training product reviews.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Conditioning Workouts for Fastpitch Softball

By Guest Author Bruce Smith

Sport specific conditioning or game speed practicing are not new concepts, but often overlooked is the unique fitness training needs of fastpitch position players. Softball athletes execute short explosive movements followed by time at rest, but each position has different amounts of rest time. Softball pitchers and catchers operate at a different frequency than either infielders or outfielders. This rest interval difference needs to be taken into consideration by their strength and conditioning program. Many athletes now have specifically tailored fitness programs. Taking this into consideration, here are three examples of a tailored fitness program.

The Power Hitters:
The power hitter's greatest asset is their ability to generate bat speed through the hitting zone. Power hitter's can hit for high average and/or home runs. Defensively, power players will typically play as the catcher, corner infielder, or right field. For this group, the fitness program emphasizes the lower and upper body and core strength development. Conditioning workouts put added emphasis on incorporating medicine ball plyometrics for trunk torque and power development and improving speed-endurance for under 40 yard conditioning.

The Speed Players:
The speed player is defined by her ability to accelerate quickly and maintain a high maximum running velocity. Offensively this group includes your slappers, single hitters and base stealers. Defensively, this group is usually your middle infielders and outfielders. Even though speed player's training emphasizes speed and agility, they can also be some of the strongest players on the team. Speed player's typical strengthening routine focuses on full body exercises like lunges and squats, with less of an emphasis on upper body strength. Agility is enhanced through cone drills, ladder drills, and short shuttles. Finally, the speed endurance targets acceleration and running distances of less than 40 yards through resistance sprints and form running.

The Pitchers:
Arguable, the pitcher is the most influential player that effects the game's outcome. Not only do they need to be pitch explosively, but they also must have the endurance to pitch multiple games per week with, potentially, long innings. Their lower body and core must be exceptionally strong and powerful while maintaining wide range of motion and flexibility. Like speed players, pitchers conditioning training focuses are full body workouts with a slightly greater emphasis on lower body strength. Pitchers also need to do extra grip strengthening work and as hip flexors and adductors to improve lower body mobility.

Final Training Considerations:
Off-season and in-season fitness training sessions have dramatically different emphasis. In the off-season, a strong emphasis is placed on muscle building and injury prevention. Conversely, in-season training is for injury prevention and maintenance.

While the majority of each groups training is essentially the same, the number of sets and repetitions differ depending of the areas of emphasis. All groups include full body strength training, injury prevention exercises, and strength endurance training. Over the course of a week, the athletes cover all the strength and conditioning development areas, but with varying amounts of time based on their emphasis.

Article Tags: Conditioning Workouts, Full Body, Lower Body

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Learn more about softball conditioning fastpitch from Softball at Youth-Athlete



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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Clicker: How to Improve Arm Whip



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Monday, June 28, 2010

Friday, June 25, 2010

Beginners Guide to Softball Savings and Discounts

Beginners Guide to Softball Savings and Discounts
By Guest Author Kenneth Alber

DeMarini, Easton, Miken, Mizuno, Nike, Nokona, Rawlings, Wilson, and Worth are just some of the name brands that set the bar on softball equipment and apparel. These manufacturers invest in research and development to turn out quality products endorsed by safety regulators like ASA and USSSA, but they do not come cheap. Increasing your softball savings means you have to be resourceful and creative.

Do not settle for the bargain bin when you can time your shopping just when premium items like a genuine American leather Nokona mitt or Nike pinstripe jersey and shorts are on sale for a limited time. Superstores and warehouses offer hot deals on softball savings featuring a rotating inventory of important sale items including bats, balls, cleats, gloves, batting gloves, batting helmets, catchers gear, equipment bags, pitching machines, protective gear, training gear and accessories.

Retailers can easily afford to offer bulk pricing discounts since softball is a team sport. They will be happy to customize softball uniforms, like with a professional, college, amateur, high school and youth softball team logo. The same goes for apparel like headwear, shirt, pants, socks, sports bra, undershirt, warmups and sweats as well as bulk-bought fun socks or Coleman water coolers.

Thanks to healthy competition, free shipping is not merely offered for team orders anymore but also individual purchases, say, for a minimum amount. In some sports stores, free shipping is standard. Shops will often present their catalog by price range so you know which items to concentrate your softball savings on and when you can splurge occasionally.

Kenneth Alber provides many tips to get the best from Softball Savings. Visit his Youth Baseball Cleats site for more information.

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Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Fastpitch Softball Coaching Tips and Drills

Softball Coaching Drills
By Guest Author: Becky Wittenburg
This softball coaching drill is explained as a defensive exercise but the skills that are being used will help to improve the players all-around. The Bubble Drill will help to ensure that your team is a step ahead of the other team. The Bubble Drill teaches the skills that a team needs to make it all the way.

Drills for Girls Softball
By Guest Author: Becky Wittenburg
If you're searching for the best infield drills for girls softball, then look no further. This article details two excellent combination drills that aim to improve your infielders' throwing accuracy and pivot skills in both regular play and double play situations.

Free Softball Drills
By Guest Author: Becky Wittenburg
Softball drills are what ultimately trains a team to win. It's very important that the various drills are adequate in teaching skills for different parts of the game. As the coach, it's your job to decide which drills will give the team the best practice. Here are some free softball drills that you can use.

Teaching Softball Drills To Win
By Guest Author: Becky Wittenburg
Teaching softball drills can be extremely challenging for new softball coaches. Here are a few strategies you can use when teaching softball drills to your team.


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Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Fastpitch Hitting - Swing Like "the Best in the World"

Fastpitch Hitting - Swing Like "the Best in the World"
By Guest Author: Joe M White

Many people who follow fastpitch softball consider Jessica Mendoza to be the best all-around player, and best overall hitter in the world over the past several years.

Mendoza can do it all at the plate. She is a great bunter, a very effective slap hitter, and hits away for a very high batting average and with terrific power. In fact, baseball fans can compare Mendoza side-by-side with most any major league baseball hall-of-famer, and see that they swing the way she does.

Although Mendoza isn't the first fastpitch player to adopt a Rotational swing, she does it at least as well as anyone who's ever played. More and more fastpitch players are turning to her method of hitting. Increasingly, Division 1 college coaches are converting their players to Rotational hitting (for example, Mike Candera, Head Coach at the University of Arizona, whose teams have won 6 College World Series National Championships, is teaching a peculiar variation of Rotational hitting).

While softball players can continue to have success using the Linear method of hitting, there are reasons for the shift to Rotational.

A Very Short History

Many in the fastpitch community are under the impression that Rotational is relatively new, and that Linear hitting has always been the norm. Actually, Rotational hitting was introduced to Major League Baseball by Shoeless Joe Jackson in the early 20th century, and after Babe Ruth copied Jackson's method, it became the swing of about 95% of Major Leaguers until the introduction of synthetic turf on many Major League fields from the 1960's to the 1990's.

Those early synthetic turf fields were nearly as hard as concrete. Major League batting coaches quickly realized that ground balls hit on it moved so fast, that many balls that were routine ground outs on natural fields were hits on 'turf. Many that would have been outfield singles bounced so hard they became doubles or even triples. So many began to teach Linear hitting to their weaker hitters. And in many cases it worked.

(Most of the Big Leaguers who hit over.300 in those years, and nearly all the RBI and Home Run leaders, continued to be Rotational hitters. As synthetic turf disappeared from the Major Leagues, so did Linear hitting. There are very few nowadays, and although many still use Linear terms to describe their swing, they actually use Rotational swings.)

The increasing use of Linear hitting in MLB coincided with the introduction of lightweight aluminum and composite bats. These bats were not only much lighter than wood -- and so could be swung much faster -- they also had more "pop." The ball came off the bat harder and faster, so grounders hit with metal or composite bats got past infielders more often than with the old wood bats.

While MLB rejected Non-wood bats, they were quickly adopted by youth baseball leagues, middle and high schools, and the NCAA. Along with the bats, coaches at all these levels began to teach Linear hitting. Boys and young men who might have struggled with heavy wood bats became good or even above average hitters by using aluminum/composite bats and Linear hitting.

During all this, fastpitch softball experienced a rebirth as a game for women and girls. Fastpitch softball was originally played with wood bats, and Rotational hitting was the dominant method for both women and men playing the game. In fact, relatively few women played fastpitch until the 1970's.

As young ladies took up the game, they used aluminum and composite bats, for the same reason their male counterparts were. Most of their coaches were men -- dads -- who were enthusiastically embracing the cutting-edge Linear hitting movement. So most ladies learned Linear hitting, which tends to create more grounders as we'll see.

Linear Versus Rotational

So what's the difference between Linear and Rotational hitting? Andy Collins has a pretty good definition of Linear hitting: "Linear hitting is a hitting style that has been used for many years in fast pitch softball and by many little league coaches, some high school, college, and even minor league baseball coaches who still prefer this method of hitting instruction.

"It is used to achieve solid contact hitting, producing... sharply hit ground balls which are designed to shoot through the drawn-in infielders on the hard dirt surfaces of softball (and astroturf surfaces in baseball). It is especially useful in slap hitting (fast runners who hit it on the ground and beat it out to first base).

"Baseball players who use this style, do so especially when they use the ultra light aluminum bats and... if they play on artificial surfaces."

A Linear hitter will normally hit ground balls. Most Linear coaches teach "hit the top half of the ball," and "swing down," which naturally produces grounders. They also teach "lead with the hands" or "take the knob (or hands) to the ball," and to set up with most of your weight on the back foot and then shift your weight to the front foot as you swing. All of these work together to lengthen the swing (producing slower bat speed and therefore less power) and cause a lot of ground balls.

Since softball infields are clay (a hard surface), and the bases are relatively close together -- and so the infielders are close to the batter and have less time to react to the ball to field it -- if you hit a ground ball hard enough, you will get on base. So Linear hitters can be very successful.

Linear hitting works really well when playing against younger or less accomplished fielders and pitchers. But as the defense gets better, whether it's because the ladies at the level you've been at are more mature physically and more experienced fielding balls, or if it's because you're moving up from the Silver division to the Gold, fewer and fewer ground balls get through for hits.

And as the pitching gets faster, Linear hitters often struggle to get the bat around quickly enough, hitting more and more weak grounders to the opposite side. If you get a chance to watch Division 1 college softball games, you'll really see this happening. The lightweight bats allowed in softball go a long way in addressing the problem of slow batspeed. However, when you get to the very top level of competition at a given age, Linear hitters often struggle.

Also, if you are doing a correct Linear swing and happen to hit the middle or lower half of the ball, you will create backspin on the ball - which will usually result in a pop up or a very slow grounder. Slap hitting, a variation of Linear, can help overcome these problems. An accomplished Slapper can place the ball very accurately, and so, "hit 'em where they ain't," as baseball legend Wee Willie Keeler said 120 years ago (Willie was a Linear hitter, like all ballplayers of his time).

Rotational hitting emphasizes even weight balance, leading with the hips, using the legs, hips and torso muscles to produce a short, compact swing, and hitting the center of the ball. These combine to create more bat speed than Linear hitting can, and because the intention is to hit the middle of the ball, it produces many more line drives. No one swings perfectly every single time, so of course, there will be ground balls and pop ups, just as with Linear, but overall, there is more power, and many more balls hit in the air to the outfield. And, because the swing is faster, ground balls are normally hit harder than with Linear -- and so are more likely to get past the infielders for hits.

Perhaps the biggest problem with Rotational hitting is that many people who have very little understanding of it try, with the best of intentions, to teach it. They often combine bits of Linear with a partial understanding of Rotational, with horrible results. Some have grasped portions of the Rotational, and teach what they know. Their results are very uneven. Some hitters do fairly well with this partial swing, most do no better than with Linear, and some don't have any success.

Mike Epstein, former MLB baseball player, and the person credited with coining the phrase "Rotational Hitting," ask the question, "Do we coach what we REALLY see?" Very few coaches take the time to do the frame-by-frame video analysis of great softball and baseball hitters to see all of the components of a productive Rotational swing. (Epstein's hitting course is one of the better ones available. Thousands of players have benefitted from his instruction.)

What a Rotational Swing Looks Like

The photos at batting.wordpress.com in the Nov. 5 post, "The Best Hitter on the Planet?" show how the key components of Jessica Mendoza's swing work together to make her such a great hitter. A true Rotational hitter. You may see that it's very different from what most local coaches teach, even those who call their style of hitting "Rotational." (In her 5-minute video lessons on YouTube, even Mendoza teaches something very different from the way she actually hits! It seems to me that her using Linear hitting phrases -- "shift your weight," and "take your hands to the ball" -- can be confusing to most players, because Mendoza doesn't do these things in a Linear way at all, as you can see in the photos.)

Mendoza keeps her hands back and high as she begins her swing. As she takes a very small step, her entire body moves slightly toward the pitcher (the "weight shift"), but her weight is balanced equally on both feet. Her hips begin to rotate as she brings her back hand down slightly. Her front foot pivots. Keeping her elbows close to her body, the hip rotation brings her bat around at very high speed. Her wrists remain in the same position as at the beginning of the swing.

Her back shoulder moves lower (how much lower depends on the pitch -- if it had been high in the strike zone, the back shoulder would have lowered less, but still would have "dipped"). At contact, both elbows are in an "L" position, head directly on the ball. At the moment of contact, the front knee is straight, the back knee in almost an "L" position. The bat extends straight from her lead arm, looking as if it is part of her arm.

The elbows remain in the "L" until well into her follow-through. Her back hand remains on the bat until the swing is 98% finished.

That's how the best fastpitch hitter in the game does it. And the ball is on a powerful line drive trajectory. If you can get a look at Crystl Busto, the most powerful fastpitch hitter who every played, you'll see that her swing is the same. If you can find video of Stacey Nuveman from 2004-2007, you'll see the same swing. If you look at the Texas A&M team, nearly everyone has the same swing as Jessica Mendoza.

Is One Better Than the Other?

In the fastpitch softball community, the discussion over the two styles is often very heated, and passions frequently run high. Often people are so emotional about their chosen method that they cannot see that both have a place. But look at the 2006-2009 USA National Softball teams. The ladies who made up the team were deemed to be the best players in the US at the time. Both methods of hitting were represented on the team, and they won 3 World Championships and a Silver Medal in the Olympics. Clearly there is room for both Linear and Rotational hitting.

What to Look for in a Coach

In general, everyone who teaches Linear hitting teaches the same principles and the same swing. While each coach will have their own way of teaching it, there is a great uniformity in Linear instruction. A player will get the same advice and tweaking of her swing, but perhaps with different words used from coach to coach.

Unfortunately, while Rotational hitting is fairly simple and straightforward, many coaches haven't really learned the components of the swing. Simply latching onto key words and phrases, they teach what sounds like Rotational hitting to them and the player. Of course, this doesn't produce a sound swing, and causes many to abandon and reject Rotational hitting. Those who have learned Mike Epstein's system can teach a pretty effective swing. Jack Mankin has taught many coaches how to teach the swing used by Mendoza and nearly every Major League Baseball Hall of Fame member.

Even worse than those who teach Rotational hitting without understanding it, are those who try to combine the two methods. This simply doesn't work, except for a very few extremely gifted athletes whose hand-eye coordination is so superior they can overcome this disastrous combination swing. Avoid this swing at all costs!

Use the photos at batting.wordpress.com and the description above of Mendoza's swing to guide you in finding a Rotational hitting coach. These are the fundamental elements of the swing, and each is crucial. Ask the coach to describe the components they teach. If it sounds very different, move on to someone else. If it sounds similar, ask more questions. Be sure they are teaching what you see in these photos. This particular swing is about as perfect a Rotational swing as humanly possible.

In the End, It's a Choice You Have to Make

As we said, there is a place for both Linear and Rotational hitting in fastpitch softball. However, as they move up in skill levels, Linear hitters will find it increasingly difficult to achieve the greatest possible success at the plate.

The best hitter in fastpitch, Jessica Mendoza, is a Rotational hitter. So are Crystl Busto, Stacey Nuveman, and many of the best players in the US. More and more top Division 1 college softball coaches are adopting Rotational hitting for their teams.

The method has been around for nearly a hundred years and is proven to be very effective. If you're serious about taking your game as far as you can, if you dream of playing college softball or even playing for your national team (and why NOT dream that?), you should look into Rotational hitting. But try to be sure you find a coach who really understands this simple method and knows how to teach it.

Whatever you choose, keep practicing, especially in the off-season, keep working hard at getting better, but also take some breaks from the game! Don't get burned out on the game you love!!

©2009 Joseph M. White

Now in his 17th season as a youth softball and baseball coach; also a hitting coach and fastpitch pitching coach. His long experience studying all aspects of the game, and teaching hundreds of boys and girls how to play, and play better, gives him unique insights and enables him to effectively convey game skills to players, coaches, and parents.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_M_White

Monday, June 21, 2010

Softball Training Tips – Learning How to Train Smart

Softball Training Tips – Learning How to Train Smart
by: Marc-Olivier Dagenais

Training is a normal part of being a softball player. That’s especially the case if you’re an elite athlete. Training helps you accomplish several things in your softball career including making sure you know your role on the field, improving your game season after every season, and practicing plays, just to name a few.

But it’s not enough that you just train aimlessly. You should learn how to train smart. Why? Because when you train smart, you don’t waste any of your time doing drills and exercises that won’t add anything to your game.

Aside from that, players who train smart have a goal in every training session they attend. That way, they’re able to gauge whether they’re improving in their game or not.

Finally, training smart keeps you away from the risk of injury. And when you’re injury-free, you’ll be able to play the game for much longer.

So if you want to make the most out of your training time, here are some of my softball training tips to help you train smart.

Plan Ahead

As I mentioned earlier, players who train smart set goals for their every training session. You don’t want to waste your time under the sun swinging the bat when it’s not what you want to improve on, right?

That’s why planning ahead is very important when you’re training. Before you go on training, I recommend you create a training schedule for at least a month. Place your goals for every week in there. That way, you can track what you need to accomplish every week and find out what forms of training you need to do during that period.

Doing this not only keeps things organized, but it enables you to keep track of your progress throughout your training schedule.

Choose a Partner

It’s no fun training when you’re all alone. You could do that occasionally, but in the long run, training without a partner could cause boredom and lead you to drop training altogether.

So pick a partner among your teammates with whom you could train. The purpose of doing this is that you could act as motivators for each other. It always helps to have somebody to push you harder when you’re at the verge of giving up.

Give Yourself Time to Rest

It’s great to work hard. It gives you the feeling of self-fulfillment knowing that you did something great for the day.

But you should remember to give yourself and your body enough time to rest. Too much work could lead to burning yourself out, which you don’t want to happen if you want to enjoy playing softball for as long as you can.

Rest also allows your body to recover from the stress and fatigue that it went through during training. So if you want to keep yourself from getting injured easily, you must give your body enough time to recover.

Now that I’ve shown you my softball training tips on how you can train smart, I hope that you would integrate it in the way you approach your personal training. Again, training smart helps you make the most of your training time and keep you from burning out and getting injured. Have a great time training!



About The Author

Marc Dagenais is Softball Peak Performance Coach that helps softball players turn their athletic talent into extraordinary performances and help coaches get more out of their players, turn their struggling team around or get an edge over their opponents. Visit us at http://www.softballperformance.com/softball-tips/softball-training-tips.html


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Article Source:
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Tuesday, June 15, 2010

What Sort of Equipment Does My Daughter Need to Play Softball?

Equipment My Daughter Needs to Play Softball?
By Geoff James

When signing your child up for any sport, you want to make sure that she are prepared to play safely, but you also don't want the kid that goes roller blading in head to toe padding. Finding out what other players use to play the game is a quick and easy way to make sure that your daughter is prepared, as well.

Thankfully, much of the equipment needed to play softball is provided by the school or league. Uniforms, bats, and balls are always provided for a team, but many girls choose to bring their own bats, as well. Having your own bat is especially helpful if your daughter wants to practice at home or play with friends.

Each player will need to buy her own glove. Softball gloves are wider than baseball gloves because a softball is larger than a baseball. Though it is possible to play with Jimmy's hand me down glove, your daughter will be at a disadvantage to the other players as the ball won't fit neatly in the mitt pocket.

Batting gloves are used to prevent blistering and to better the player's grip on her bat. Many times coaches will bring a few pairs to practices and games, but girls can buy their own, as well. Helmets are another item needed at the plate that are almost always provided by the coach. Some have face masks, but as there is no regulation for game helmets, they come in all shapes and sizes.

The final, and most important, thing your daughter will need is a pair of cleats. Be sure to get plastic spikes because metal cleats are not allowed in game play. Cleats will help your daughter to control her movements in the dirt as she rounds the bases.

That's it! Enjoy getting to learn and love the sport alongside your daughter this softball season!

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Monday, June 14, 2010

Fastpitch Softball - Basics on How Its Done & Fastpitch Softball Pitching Equipment


SoftballrUs.com
Fastpitch Softball Pitching Equipment
By Mike Ripley

The game of softball is often confused with the game of baseball and many are often lead to believe that if one plays baseball one can play softball too. Before one discusses what softball pitching is all about it would be worth while to just have a glimpse of some of the differences. Softball as a game has its roots in the game of baseball. In softball the numbers of innings are limited to seven; the ball is thrown underhand and played on a smaller ground. The game of softball has been attributed to George Hancock and since then this game has become increasingly popular. Today it is played in countries all over the world.

Pitching a softball requires quite a bit of practice. It's not just about throwing the ball but instead requires proper hand and body coordination before the ball is pitched.

The whole idea of softball pitching concentrates around the pitchers body position with respect to the pitchers plate, the gripping of the ball in the hand and the proper positioning of the foot. A full understanding of these positions will help a softball pitcher perform better.

While pitching a softball the weak foot is usually placed at the end of the back of the pitch plate with the feet placed apart at around shoulder length. The arms are kept at the sides and the back heel is lifted in the air. This gives more strength to the front foot and greater balance. The weight can be shifted to the back by rocking the arms in a backward position. The arm is now brought forward with the ball in the glove such that the ball remains hidden from the batter. Rotating the ball in the air in the vertical direction and moving it in a circle the ball is released from the hip position. The action finishes by looking at the direction of the catcher. This is the essence of softball pitching where the main softball equipment with respect to the pitcher is the ball and the gloves.

However, there is fast-pitch softball also known as fast pitch or just fastpitch. This term refers to a form of softball played by women, though male and mixed fast pitch leagues also exist. They commonly start at the age of 6 and play it through the college. The International Softball Federation recognizes three pitch speeds: fast pitch, medium pitch and slow pitch. The fast pitch is considered as the most competitive form of softball. This form of softball was played in Olympic Games from 1996 till 2008.

Softball equipment helps a player to perform at the highest level possible. It is important that bats, gloves, cleats, apparel and more, are top notch in performance, quality, and durability at an affordable price. Nokona as a main manufacturer of softball equipment offers great quality and affordable prices. They make bat bags, softball knee leg guards, catcher gear and accessories (such as Nokona wrist saver, Nokona palm saver, Nokona classic glove conditioner, leather lacings, leather bags, NGM Nokona glove mallet).

Nokona athletic company provides softball players with quality gloves. They come in following series, Buffalo. Buckaroo, Classic Combo and Walnut Classic. They also use a wide range of materials to get the best results. Therefore, Buffalo and Classic Combo are made of American range bison, the leather which provides soft and sturdy at the same time. More over, Buckaroo is combination of kangaroo and cowhides to form lightweight gloves. At last, but not least important Nokona built its reputation on famous Walnut 'crunch' leather. For fastpitch, in their rich array they included series such are Catcher's mitts, Elite and Youth.

Fastpitch softball pitching equipment
http://fastpitchsoftballpitching.org
http://softballbaseballequipment.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Ripley

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