Posted by: Mike Myers (mike.myers@bell.ca) on Wed Jan 5 20:12:14 2005

>>> There are no good, current books on men's adult softball power hitting mechanics. So you turn to the web, and encounter several websites dedicated to bat speed and swing mechanics. The problem is that they almost universally assume that generating power is the same in baseball and softball, and it is DEFINITELY NOT. They often times spew the same MIS-INFORMATION that has been around forever even though it is decidedly wrong.
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> The biggest difference between baseball and softball is that in baseball the batter is battling pitch speed. That means that a batter can't really load up. He may be trying to catch up to a 95mph fastball on one swing, and trying not to be out ahead of a 73mph curveball on the next. In softball, however, you don't need to worry about pitch speed nearly as much. While pitchers may throw different speed pitches, the difference is easily recognized since the pitches are coming much slower. This means the hitter needs to do less speed adjustment, and can spend more of the early portion of his swing on generating power. The softball batter can really load up during the "coil" portion of his swing. Another reason the baseball batter can't load up as much is that he has to spend the early part of his swing determining what pitch has been thrown (pitch recognition). Again, the softball batter has the luxury of not having to judge speed or what pitch has just been thrown. In softball, the batter has more time to generate power. The emphasis switches from quick, fast movements, to strong powerful movements."
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> This observation is consistent with my impression of effective slow pitch hitters. They raise their front foot much higher and coil their entire body with leg raised before striding forward.
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> The baseball rotational swing is more energy efficient - but perhaps efficiency is not crucial if one is much less concerned with pitch speed and location. The batter has more time to generate a harder swing to a predictable target, where, in baseball one must react quickly to a less known target.
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> Perhaps coiling the front leg in an exaggerated pitching motion can enhance rotational power to a known target. Although the swing takes longer to complete, this is unimportant for a slow pitch. <<<
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> Hi Mike.
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> While waiting for your reply, I decide to review the last slow pitch game between the Slow Pitch All Stars and Major League players. Hitters on both teams used many different styles to set up their launch position. However, only a couple of the softball hitters used a higher knee lift than the baseball players. But most important, all the best hitters, softball and baseball, exhibited the same core mechanics once the swing was initiated. Unlike the less productive hitters on the teams, the top hitters all produced a good CHP and applied THT and BHT.
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> I would also point out that batters in the Home Run Hitting Derbies are being feed 60 to 70 mph meat balls and the still use the same basic mechanics they exhibit in game situations. So I am not sure why you would think that different pitch speeds require different mechanical principles to produce maximum bat speed at contact, at least it is not true with the best hitters.
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> Jack Mankin
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Jack,

I agree CHP, THT, and BHT are common components to the best baseball and softball swings.

However, where the target is almost completely predictable, we are only concerned with the absolute highest batspeed attainable – not quick reaction time, and fine balance.

Perhaps slow pitch is not a good example, as pitch speed is still too high (60-70mph). Consider lob ball. In this case the pitch is extremely slow, and predictable. Here, the additional hitting mechanic is observed. For this, can the rotational model not be extended to include an uncoiling stride - as pitching motion, with high leg kick and backward turn, before, uncoil and forward thrust?

As an experiment, place an X on your practice bag at the ideal contact position. Now, try - in any way possible - to have the bat hit this as hard as possible (as measured by final batspeed). I'm sure you'll find an exaggerated lunge would work as I suggest. This is still rotational – just a longer swing path.

This principle would hold for adult tee ball, if played. (Children are too light for adequate ground friction, and would probably "spin out" attempting this, however, strong heavy males can accomplish it.)

It is impractical for high pitch speeds because it takes too long to generate this force, and one could never time it accurately to an incoming pitch.

Regards,
Mike.