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.

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Tips For Improving Baseball Or Softball Bat Speed

By Jeff LeRiche

While there are plenty of softball and baseball players out there who will claim to have hit a home run, there are just as many who will truthfully admit that they have never hit a home run. Whichever club you find yourself in, hitting the ball over the fence will always require significant bat speed.

Okay we all know that chicks did the long ball, go big or go home and all that. But how about winning games? Facing a team that consistently utilizes the entire field effectively while stringing together hit after hit, coupled with smart base running applies pressure to a defense with the added benefit of frustrating the opposition too.

That said every softball or baseball player should strive to be as complete as player as they can be. Why limit yourself to being just one thing or another? Do not put limitations on your ball hitting potential. Putting one over the wall should not define your value to your team or you as a softball player. Many will tell you there is nothing better than absolutely destroying a ball and sending it to where it deserves to go. If you are ever fortunate enough to hit a few out of the yard, you will most likely still vividly recall that first bomb you hit in a game.

No matter what you are trying to accomplish at the plate, your plan should include hitting the ball hard every time you swing. The best hitters in any game will be trying to crush the ball every time. Sometimes the result is a 400′+ bomb other times a laser in the gap or screaming humpy in front of the outfield. The fact is that you don't get anything positive done at the plate without bat speed.

Here are a few tips, which with practice should help you to improve your bat speed:

Keep your hands loose. Maintaining a loose grip on the softball or baseball bat will gain you 5 mph of bat speed and 5-10 mph of ball speed. Tension in your hands will cost you bat speed.

Push with your back hand while pulling with your front hand. The push will increase your power and improve your follow through.

Release your top hand off the bat. Doing this will allow you more extension which translates to more power.

Keep your hands out in front of the bat. Throw your hands at the ball so that the bat head is the last thing that comes through the zone.

Hit the bottom half of the ball. This creates back spin which will carry the ball farther.

Shift your weight. Make sure you are shifting your weight from your back foot to your front foot.

Make contact slightly in front of where you are standing. This point is where you will be generating max bat speed. Too far in front and the bat will be decelerating when you hit the ball. Too early in your swing, and you will not be generating enough speed and leverage.

Adjust your grip. Drop your pinky finger off the knob to get more leverage.

Choose pitches in your "power zone". You have a zone where you hit with the most power. Learn it in batting practice, be patient & really work on pitch selection.

Head on the ball. Start your swing with your chin on your front shoulder, and end with your chin on your back shoulder. This will keep your head down on the ball and prevent you from opening up too soon & losing power.

Range of motion- Start with the bat back as far as you can. That complete range of motion will allow you to create as much momentum as you can prior to contact.

Each improvement or piece of knowledge that you add to your arsenal can mean one, maybe two, maybe even five mph to your bat speed. It is those incremental gains that you make to your bat and ball speed that gradually make you a better softball or baseball player. Nobody ever knows the limits of their potential. You will be surprised what you are capable of if you apply proven techniques and practice hard. If you desire to hit with more power and consistency, you can and will. It is up to you!

Jeff LeRiche is the President and Founder of OTC Sports, a premier baseball and softball bat retailer. With deep passion for the sport, Jeff managed and played on his own team traveling the country for the better part of a decade. He has served on various softball associations and boards including several years as the State Director. After years as the ultimate baseball/softball road warrior, Jeff held the position of DeMarini National Manager of Slowpitch Softball and during this period he became the voice of DeMarini slowpitch. Having recently ventured out on his own with OTC Sports, LeRiche strives to bring the best baseball and softball bats and accessories to players of all types and levels. Jeff continues to bring his passion and love for the game to OTC Sports everyday. For more information, see http://www.otcsports.com.

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Must Have Equipments For Softball Hitting

By Marc Dagenais

Softball is considered as one of the most popular games in the world. This is played by people of all ages all over the world. Even if it is a game that is hard to play, a lot of people are still enjoying playing softball because it brings tons of challenges.

We are all aware that there are many skills that you need to master first before you can learn to play the game well. They are quite hard and difficult to learn but if you are determined no matter how hard these skills can be, you can surely master them.

As we all know, softball hitting is considered as the hardest skill in softball. Well, it is not easy to hit that ball especially if you are faced with a great pitcher. But you must not forget that a great pitcher will be useless if you are an excellent hitter.

If you are planning to develop your skills in softball hitting, there are lots of things that you have to consider first. One among these things is your health. It is important that you are healthy enough before you decide to go on with this because you will need your physical strength. Aside from this, you must also ask yourself if your equipments are already complete. Softball hitting equipments are needed so that you can perform well. Here are the softball hitting equipments that every hitter like you must have:


Softball bat.
If a soldier needs a gun, you as a hitter need a bat. This will be your partner for every game. You can say that it can also be your key to win. There are many types of bat. There are bats that are made of wood, aluminum, composite materials like glass, and graphite. They are also of different sizes. Big bats will surely have a great impact but then it can affect your speed which is also important. In finding a bat, you must not just go on its brand name. go for the one that will suit you, a bat that can match you. You must see to it that you will not have any difficulty in using it and you are comfortable.

Gloves.
Hitters also need gloves in order to perform well. This can avoid you from having blisters which can greatly affect how you hit. This will make your task of holding the bat easier and you are sure that your grip will be tight with the gloves around. This will help in making you feel comfortable. Choose a glove that will match the size of your hands.

Protective gears.
You can find these protective gears at any sports equipment stores. They are used to protect players like you. We know that softball is a game that needs a lot of action. Because of this, you are close from having injuries. To avoid any untoward incident, you must use protective gears so that you will stay safe and protected even if you are out in there creating some action.

Marc Dagenais is a softball peak performance coach that helps softball players and coaches improves their game by sharing with them the tips and strategies used by the world's best softball players and coaches to achieve extraordinary performances. Visit his site and sign-up to get his FREE softball hitting tips!

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