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FASTPITCH SOFTBALL
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Library
Definitions Page 2
 
 

A to C Pathway
acceleration
angular velocity
athletic position
back foot
back hip commitment
backside
backside collapse
backside hitting
backside under you
balance
balance, dynamic
balance, static
barred arm
barrel
barrel above hands
barrel up
bat
bat angle
bat, flat
bat, horizontal
bat mass (weight)
bat path
bat selection
bat speed
bat, vertical
batters box
bisect the head
bottom hand
bottom hand pulls
bunt
bunt, drag
bunt, push
bunt, sacrifice
bunt, suicide squeeze
casting
center of gravity
centering, fine
centering, soft
chicken wing
cocking
cocking the barrel
contact
contact hitter
contact point
count
count, hitters
count, neutral
count, pitchers
delaying action
drag backfoot
dropping the barrel
elbow to belly button
elbow, high back
elbow, high front
elbow, lift back
elbows down
extension
eye dominance
finish
finish, high
five eyes on pitcher
follow-through
force
form an “A”
form an "L"
front foot
front shoulder down & in
front side
front side collapse
front side, firm
front side, weight against
front side, weight over
grip
grip, choked
grip in fingers
grip in palms
hand path
hand, bottom
hand dominance
hand, top
hand position
hand-eye coordination
hands away
hands, hide the
hands, high
hands, low
hands, barrel above
hands, dead
hands inside the ball
hands, noisy
hands, quiet
hands outside the ball
happy zone
hard inside, soft away
head position
head still
head flies out
head movement
hips under you
hips rotate
hit and run
hit the inside of ball
hitch
hitch position
hitter, dead stop
home plate
hook
inertia
jammed
kinetic energy
knob to the ball
launch position
lever
line drive
linear
linear transfer method
load
load, bat
load, inward turn
load the knob
load, no
load, preloaded
load, reverse C
load, tiny circles
long-short-long
longitudinal axis
lunge
maintain angle
mash the bug
mechanical couple
motion
muscle memory
off-speed pitch
number knuckles
on your heels
opposite field
palm-up, palm down
pivot
pivot on back foot
plate coverage
power base
premature extension
pull
quiet eyes
reach
release point
rotational
rotational method
rhythm
separation
short front arm
shoulder to shoulder
shoulder, high front
stance
stance, close your
stance, closed
stance, open your
stance, opened
stance, parallel
stance, pigeon-toed
stance, square
stance, widen your
step in the bucket
stepping on ice
stride
stride closed
stride, developing a
stride, direction
stride, length
stride, no-stride
stride, opened
stride, overstride
stride, toe closed
stride, toe open
swing
swing, compact
swing length
swing, long
swing, short
swing, looping
swing, inside-out
swing, outside-in
swing, sweeping
swing, round
swing, uppercut
swing, wood chopper
take
take a strike
time, movement
time, reaction
time, response
timing
top hand
top hand, hanging
top hand push
top hand release
top hand too early
top hand, too little
torque
trigger
under the hands
up the middle
visualization
weight
weight shift
weight transfer
weight forward
weight on front side
weight on heels
weight distribution
wrapping the barrel
wrist roller
wrists cocked
wrists flat
wrists, roll

 


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bat selection: When selecting a bat, it is imperative that you choose one which can be easily handled by the hitter. In most all cases, it is better to get a lighter bat that can be swung at a higher bat speed. (See Kinetic Energy). Parents start kids at early ages with great expectations of stardom. They march down to the local sporting goods store to buy their kid a bat. Since this is their little budding star, normally, its nothing but the finest. What do they look at first when choosing a bat? No, not the weight, but the price tag. Yes, it’s important that they only have to make this type an investment once every several years, so they will buy Junior one he can grow into. This scenario happens repeatedly and has done more to hurt young hitters swings than no instruction at all. Since young hitters are weak physically in their hands, wrists and forearms, they must use the larger, stronger muscles in their upper back and trunk muscles to swing their new investment. This results in the front side leading the swing by opening up in order to drag the hands and bat through, normally resulting in contact that is weak and late. Couple this with a horizontal bat angle, with the torquing effect of gravity on the barrel, and Junior not only has a problem with his front side flying open, but now has a problem with the barrel dropping as well. Sometimes Junior is just a better athlete than the kids pitching to him and can be successful with these swing mechanics. However, as Junior grows older with these mechanical flaws, the pitchers age as well. They develop arm strength and throw harder, forcing Junior to start his swing earlier to hit their fastball. But still another problem for Junior occurs at this age-- pitchers bregin to throw breaking balls and change speeds. Now Junior, an all-star since birth is starting to struggle at the plate. He can’t seem to hit the breaking ball because his front side flies open too soon. Pitchers that Junior normally owned are now jamming or throwing it past him. Now Junior is frustrated and mom and dad can’t understand what the problem is. Junior now thinks the game is not as much fun as it used to be, so he thinks he will quit. The point is, select a bat a kid can swing, not one that he has to grow into.

bat speed:
A term that is used to describe bat head velocity. Developing bat speed is crucial to hitting for power.

bat, vertical: A bat angle that is approaching perpendicular to the ground. Starting with a vertical bat moves the center of gravity of the bat directly over the hands, eliminating the torquing effect in the wrists of gravity. However, the barrel must go through a loop to get on plane through the contact zone. A more vertical bat angle is more desirable for rotational style hitters.
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batters box: A rectangular box adjacent to the plate on either side in which the hitters takes a stance. Both feet must be inside the box (or on the line) when contact is made or the hitter is out. The size of the box varies according to level of competition, however the middle the box is centered on the middle corner of home plate. A hitter sets up forward or in the front of the box if he sets up toward the pitchers end of the box. Likewise, deep or the rear of the box is the end next to the catcher. Away from and closer to refer to distance from the plate. The position a hitter takes in the box varies between baseball and softball. Normally, when facing a hard thrower in baseball, a hitter moves deeper in the box to have longer to see the pitch and give him a fraction more time. Hitters may move forward in the box if they face a pitcher who is not overpowering, but has an exceptional breaking ball. In fastpitch, hitters normally set up foward in the box in order to hit the rise ball before it moves too high after passing the plate. Although a fastpitch hitter is cutting down the distance by moving foward, this maneuver is almost a must against a quality pitcher.
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bisect the head: A term used to describe a range of bat angles between approximately 45-75 degrees. When observing a hitter from behind the catcher, the barrel of a bat in this range would “bisect the head”.
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bottom hand: Refers to the hand on the bat that is nearer the knob.
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bottom hand pulls: A term used to describe the bottom hand action in the swing as the hands begin to move forward.
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Click Red Dot for Drills to Develop the Bottom Hand

bunt: A form of contact in which the hitter intentionally restricts his swing and attempts to "deaden" the ball off the bat, reducing the distance the ball travels when struck.

bunt, drag: A bunt in which a hitter delays showing in an attempt to reach base safely. The ball is bunted in a direction to the same side as he bats from. i.e., left handed-hitters drags down the first base line.

bunt, push: A bunt in which a hitter delays showing in an attempt to reach base safely. The ball is bunted in a direction to the opposite side as he bats from. i.e., left handed-hitters pushes down the third base line.

bunt, sacrifice: A bunt in which a hitter intentionally gives himself up at the plate in order to advance a runner into scoring position. Under normal conditions, if the runner is on first you are trying to advance, bunt to the first base side unless special defenses dictate otherwise. If the runners occupy second, or first and second, you should bunt to the third base side, attempting to make the third baseman field it. Unless special defenses dictate otherwise, this is accepted as a standard.

bunt, suicide squeeze: A bunt that is used as an offensive weapon to score a run. The runner on third breaks to steal home as soon as the pitcher’s arm has started down in the delivery. The batter also waits to show bunt until the pitcher has committed, or the pitcher could alter his arm path and throw a pitch that is not buntable. The hitter has a responsibility of getting the ball on the ground, regardless of where it is pitched or the runner will be tagged out easily. He must avoid stepping on the plate while making contact or he will be out. Normally upon receiving a suicide squeeze signal, the hitter will have a return signal to indicate the play is on. A suicide squeeze is usually executed with a good bunter, and one out. Squeezing with no outs could possibly take you out of a big inning.

casting: A term used to describe the hand path moving in a circular pattern away from the body during a swing. The action leads to a long, round, sweeping swing.
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Click Red Dot for Drills to Correct Casting

center of gravity: The point of a body in which its weight is evenly balanced.

centering, fine: A visual term that describes a hitter’s eye focus being shifted from some feature on the pitcher (eyes, head, etc.) where depth perception and focus have been established, (soft centering) to the release point to pick up the ball out of the pitcher’s hand.

centering, soft: A visual term that describes a hitter’s eye focus set on some point on the pitcher’s body, such as his eyes or head, in order to establish depth perception.

 

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