Posted by: Shawn (bellshw2@aol.com) on Thu Jun 21 12:30:57 2001

Hi BsH,

I see you started a long thread on fastpitch hitting. I'll read through it later.

The most important thing mentioned is what are you going to base your mechanics from, the drop ball (thrown by 90% of all pitchers, or some form of the drop, curves, etc.).

Or the riseball that only a select few can actually throw in the strike zone (which you really don't swing down at).

What level of play are we talking?, the national scene?

Mike Candrea (Arizona) teaches to lay off the rise (very few can throw it for a strike). This shows up in his hitters approaches, easily seen. Umpires usually have a baseball size strike zone. In fact in most towns umpires ump both sports.

You can teach, train, a hitter for the upper portion of the strike zone or the lower portion. Making the other end an adjustment. In any case the hitter that has learned how to handle a portion of the strike very well, is better off than a hitter chasing everything.

The older USA players have to make a some serious adjustments for the lower portion. The younger players are making adjustments up in the zone (if they choose to do so, it's not like the umpire is calling it a strike). The older player seem to chase everything upstairs and miss everything down low??????. The best thing you can do for a hitter is work on mechanics that can be used against 90% of the pitchers they see at every level of play.

Check out the Pro Softball website for the next game and watch the hitters approaches.

www.prosoftball.com

Shawn