Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Fri Sep 1 09:07:17 2000

What are your thoughts of the overlap grip for slow-pitch softball. More than 75% of the major players use some form of it. Your thoughts. Thanks

Dave-
I'll give you my opinions while Jack is formulating his reply.I believe the preferred mechanics for fastpitch and baseball are as Jack describes here.I would recommend several adjustments for slow pitch,but they would not include using the overlapping grip.

The overlapping grip is preferred if you think snapping the wrists and pushing the top hand(past a relatively stationary bottom hand that has extended away from and lost connection to the turn of the front shoulder) through contact.This is a swing that is primarily powered by torque of the top hand around a more fixed bottom hand without much contribution from the body rotation since the handpath has straightened out.

The mechanics Jack describe require the arms to be used to torque the bat from initiation to contact by both hands applying opposing forces to turn the bat about a point between the hands.The hands are driven in a circular path to contact by shoulder turn(not by arm action).The wrists are not particularly active as they are not snapping at the end of any whipping action(energy is not efficiently whipped through the arms to the bat).This requires a non overlapping grip with the bat in the top of the palm(not up in the fingers)and a relaxed top hand that can allow some sliding of the bat within it as the swing proceeds. I find the overlap grip incompatible with these mechanics.
Because of the limited reaction time,fastpitch requires the shortest possible swing(swing radius).Slowpitch on the other hand has infinite reaction time and has to match a very downward sloping trajectory,so you might make the following adjustments:
Start with hands low-at waist,not shoulders.
Sequence is recognize pitch,then stride,then swing(not stride then recognize,then swing)
Swing more up by leaning back more so axis of rotation is tilted back more
Lengthen swing radius by allowing back elbow to start further away from body.

Most hitters have a heck of a time going back and forth between the two because it is just too confusing for the body to adjust between so many different motor programs and remain sharp at all of them.

If the player tries these mechanics(as opposed to wrist snapping,etc.) he will experience more batspeed and power,but may not be able to get the consistency neede without significant retooling.