Posted by: J.R. (juniorshowtime@hotmail.com) on Sun Feb 12 13:20:37 2006

I have played both baseball and slow-pitch softball at high levels, and have succeeded in the batters box in both by using a slightly open stance, a slight leg hike and focusing on keeping my hands inside the ball. Any real ball player knows that most of your power comes from your legs, and the bat speed created by your forearms and wrists. Yes the back does add a bit, but that is only after the ball has made contact with the bat, and even then it is only to aide in propelling the ball off the bat. The power that used when the ball meets the bat is generated from A.) the velocity of the ball and B.)the velocity of the bat. In baseball many pitchers supply the power for many batters, and all they have to do is put a good swing on a pitch. In slow pitch softball however, the pitch is coming much slower, so the bat speed has to be greater. Add the transfer of weight created when the back leg is turned, and the back muscles propel the ball off the bat, and a screaming line drive is the result. Too many times a batter puts a slow swing on a ball and hits a lazy can of corn, or a weak ground ball. They may have also let their hands get outside the ball and "Rolled Over" on the pitch. If you played ball at a high level you know what rolling over means, and it is the same for slow pitch. In order to make contact with the highest surface area of the ball with the most surface area of the bat where the most energy can be transferred from your body that is in its most powerful position, the batter must keep their hands inside the ball, making contact hands before barrel, in the power V position. Then and only then, can the transfer of power from the back, legs, forearms and writs be optimized.