Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Thu Jan 30 08:45:10 2003

Coach I got a very simple question to ask you or someone else for that fact that would be able to answer me. I thought both my nieces how to hit. The youngest of the two made her school team her first time around and some of the guys that used to play pro ball seen her hit(can hit 70 mph hardball, not bad for a half year of hitting practice) and were so impressed by her. Here is my question: The oldest one, her high school coach keeps telling her that she needs to develop a softball swing and not swing like a baseball player. I didn't know that there is a difference between the two, or for that fact should it matter how you get to the ball when you mechanics are good and you constantly hit the ball for distance. "The coach asks her: What's with this Edgar Martinez swing here?" So is there a difference between the two baseball vs. softball?

If she is having success with the Edgar swing she should definitely stick with it.Don't let the coach change/confuse her,it will only make her worse.If he needs her to do some situational stuff,she can use other techniques on demand to bunt/slap/place.

The Edgar swing(rotational driven by energy of lower body) is much shorter and quicker to the ball with more power than the upper body arm swing that is usually taught in fastpitch.This latter swing should only be used as a placement swing.If you try to power it,you lose the advantage of making consistent contact.With the Edgar swing,the harder you swing without losing your technique,the better you do.

For typical teaching advice/experience,see the thread above about "dipping the shoulder".