Softball Coaching Stuff
4 Steps to Changing Old Habits
May 10th
We’ve all got habits – some are good, like brushing our teeth, while some are not so good, like not making our bed, or biting our fingernails. Either way, if you know how to change the habits you have into new and better habits then you’ll become a better player.
Ok, first of all, what’s a habit? If we’re going to try and change them then it would be good to first know what they are. Think about it for a minute and see what you can come up with. When I do this with players they’ll usually say, it’s something you do a lot, which is true, but that answer’s not complete. Any guesses?
Basically, a habit is something you do over and over without thinking about it. We have good and bad habits. We tie our shoes when we put them on, we brush our teeth, we brush our hair, we fasten our seatbelts, we raise our hands to talk in class. These are all habits since we weren’t born knowing how to do them. Sure, they’re good habits, but they are still habits.
We have sports habits as well. We might always swing at high pitches, or rush in-between pitches when we get tired, or never step on the chalk line, or take our eyes off the ball when we have an easy throw to make, or always sit in the same place in the dugout, or never remember to carry our equipment bag, or always watch the pitcher in the on-deck circle. Softball habits are an important part of playing softball – especially when they’re good habits.
So the question is, how can we change a bad softball habit into a good one? Let’s go back to the definition of a habit – something we do a lot without thinking about. So, in order to start to break, or change a habit we need to start thinking. When we just go through the motions without really thinking about what we’re doing we’re more likely to use our habits. So, if you’re trying to change a bad habit you’ve got to keep your brain involved so you can focus and give your body new thoughts.
What Factors Affect Ball Movement?
Apr 30th
Factors Affecting Ball Movement (in order of importance)
1. Release Angle - good release angle is displayed on a dropball that finishes at the bottom of the strike zone. Every fraction of an inch above the bottom of the strike zone will result in less downward movement.
2. Release Point - this relates to how high the ball is when released. The higher the release point the less upward release angle required for a dropball – thus gravity has more effect on the ball. The best way to get a good release point is to ensure the body(spine) is near vertical at release – this will raise the hand. I don’t suggest shoulder shrugging or other body contortion to raise the hand.
3. Spin Direction - ball should spin in the direction you want it to move.
4. Seam Orientation - four seams cutting into the airstream vs. two seams will create more pressure differential on the ball.
5. Spin Rate - how fast is the ball spinning. Faster spin creates more pressure differential
6. Speed - less speed gives gravity more time to affect ball movement; more speed=less time for gravity to affect ball movement. Slow pitches break more but it is a more “rounded break” and is typically easier to read and hit.
Quick hitting tips
Apr 29th
A few quick hitting tips:
- Stay loose at the plate. Tensed muscles are slow muscles and to be successful at the plate, you need to be quick. Relaxed muscles fire more quickly.
- Make each swing count. You shouldn’t be swinging just for the sake of swinging. Each swing should have a specific goal whether it is to work on a technical element, drive the ball in a specific location, or adjust to a specific pitch.
- Don’t focus on your batting average but on your on-base percentage. This is a much better indication of your overall performance at the plate. Reaching a base on an error or a walk is a good as getting a hit.
- Learn to hit according to the location of the ball. If the ball is outside, go with it and drive it to opposite field. If it is down the middle, drive it right back at the pitcher. Finally, if the ball is inside, turn on it and drive it into your field.
- Hit behind the runner. The ability to hit the ball on the ground to the right side of the infield with runners on second or third is invaluable. When hitting behind the runner, you are trading an out for a run. To hit behind the runner, you must keep your hands inside the ball, delay the swing, and make sure that the bat head is above the flight of the pitch.
Coach: Do You Engage or Tell?
Apr 29th
As a coach, do you engage your players? Or are you a coach who simply tells their players what to do and has them follow along?
What’s the difference?
Coaches who Tell: These coaches are the ones who simply tell their players what to do and often times have a one-way street of communication: do this, do that, throw like this, stride like that, cover here, throw there, etc. Often times they ARE instructing their players to do the right things, but may not be getting the most out of their coaching time without input from players. Players can get so used to being told what to do that they wait for instruction during the game (someone to tell them what they should do in different situations).
Pitching: changeups
Apr 27th
To help your pitchers have their changeups reach homeplate have them focus on this statement: “Fast In = Long Out“. Which means if your pitcher focuses on keeping her hand fast into the release she’ll have a longer distance out, and the changeup will reach homeplate.
Make the changeup slow with your grip instead of trying to slow it down at release. Speed up at release and watch your changeup reach homeplate.
Loading ...