Baseball vs. Softball Swing

[Intel]

Can we add rotational vs linear to this camp fire!!!!

[TravelSoftballUSA]

For those who think the swings should be different...I have asked some coaches this question. If A Rod played fastpitch softball, do you think he would change his swing?

[Skarp]

For those who think the swings should be different...I have asked some coaches this question. If A Rod played fastpitch softball, do you think he would change his swing?

Soooo...you ask them if they think the baseball swing should be different than the softball swing. That probably moves the discussion right along.

[HoosierCoach]

Every "good" or "mechanically sound" swing ends up in the same place at contact, whether its Ted Williams or Jessica Mendoza or little Cindy Pigtails playing coach pitch.
The difference is in how you get there, and the swing plane (in my opinion). Baseball pitchers release point is higher so the ball travels in a downward angle to the batter. Softball pitchers let go of the ball lower, and the ball (on most pitches) is going to travel on a slightly upward angle. So it would make sense, for the batter to put the bat in a position to make solid contact through the entire path of the ball as it traverses the strikezone, that the swing-plane should mimic the plane in which the ball travels.

[TravelSoftballUSA]

Every "good" or "mechanically sound" swing ends up in the same place at contact, whether its Ted Williams or Jessica Mendoza or little Cindy Pigtails playing coach pitch.
The difference is in how you get there, and the swing plane (in my opinion). Baseball pitchers release point is higher so the ball travels in a downward angle to the batter. Softball pitchers let go of the ball lower, and the ball (on most pitches) is going to travel on a slightly upward angle. So it would make sense, for the batter to put the bat in a position to make solid contact through the entire path of the ball as it traverses the strikezone, that the swing-plane should mimic the plane in which the ball travels.

Well said...So does that mean that 'rotational' mechanics work in softball also? Linear tends to promote a downward plane to the swing. Also, I was having a discussion with a high school coach who told me that in order to play in college you must be able to slap. I tend to disagree but was curious to what others thought. I tend to feel that the slap style is less popular in college than it used to be. Any thoughts?

[SSdad]

um.......not to stir up the pot anymore, but what about the players who play slow pitch. That ball is on a severe downward angle, but you don't see batters trying to uppercut to match the plane of the ball.

[HoosierCoach]

Thats an interesting argument. But, how many strikeouts do you see in slowpitch? When the ball is coming in that slow, making contact is not an issue.
You can swing "up" in fastpitch and still hit the ball, just like you can "sweep" and even "pull your head out" and still hit the ball. In my opinion, its all about giving yourself the best chance at making good contact.

[artomatic]

come on, everyone knows you can't strike out in slowpitch or you have to buy the beer after the game!
that also goes for making the 1st and 3rd out in an inning, which is called a "sandwich"...

[peon]

oh yeah

slow pitch: decision time = forever, deception = 0, ball movement = 0, bat speed = highest requirement, bat quickness = lowest requirement

fastpitch: decision time = almost 0, deception = Zig*, ballmovement = Zig*, bat quickness = highest requirement, bat speed = lower requirement

*Zig = the combination of factors reducing a batting average from 1.000 down to .200 assuming a reasonably competent hitter

fastpitch, baseball, slow pitch.

which one of these is NOT like the other two wrt the hitting task....

[slider201]

I thought you all voted not to have JoeBad on this site.