An amazing softball swing is the results of perfect stance and grip with correct body position and keen eyes to detect the ball. The powerful hit has the component of strength in it as well.
What is a perfect swing in softball?
A perfect swing in a softball allows the ball to reach the desired distance without producing any damage to the player’s body.
There is no secret formula to have the perfect swing right away. It always becomes better with practice and every good player knows that. To have the perfect swing, practicing by using the right technique is also essential.
Tips on how to swing a softball bat for power
Here are the best tips to swing a softball bat for power:
Getting your Position Right
First and foremost, you need to get your grip and position correct. For the right stance, you need to stand in the middle of the batter’s box. This way, you will be easily able to hit the ball that comes in the strike zone.
Your feet should be parallel to how the home plant is facing; your shoulder should also be wide straight. Further, you need to bend your knees to distribute the weight equally on the balls of your feet.
Have an Ideal Grip
Hold the bat using your both hands. The right-handed batsman places the right hand on top and the left hand below; the opposite is for the left-hand batsman.
The hand should be near and stacked on top of each other, having your knuckles in a straight line.
Don’t keep your grip too tight; it will remove the flexibility in your wrist when it comes to swing.
Some simple tips to have the perfect grip are:
- If the bat is heavy and long, then strangle your hands a bit up on the handle – one to two inches
- The knob located at the bat’s ending, hold the bat a bit up from it
- For power-hitting, you need to remember two rules:
You have better control over the bat when you hold the bat up, but you lose power in your swing.
The control is even stronger when you hold the bat a bit lower, and hitting power will be enhanced.
Keep your Arms and Hands Right
After the above steps, the position of your hands is crucial. For the ideal swing, your hands should be closer to your body with your elbows down, shoulders relaxed, and tension free. Turn your head to see the pitcher, with the bat pointing upwards, and angle down.
Now It’s Time for the Ideal Swing
When the pitcher is about to pitch, you can make a small movement by moving your front foot. This movement is called stride. It will enhance the batting momentum. Some important points to remember here are:
- Your height will decide the steps you need to take; you need to take longer steps if you are tall
- Ideal strides are between 2-8 inches
- Your front should, and hip rotate a bit with your swing, make sure hips remain parallel; the front shoulder should be a bit lower than the back one
A Major Secret for the Best Swing
For the best swing, you need to have enough stamina in the field to face the ball. One secret to improving your game is through strength training exercises. These exercises strengthen your play many folds.
Strength training exercises are the form of physical activities that specifically utilize muscle contraction in such a way that it enhances strength.
Not only that, but they have a significant impact on human health as well. It overall improves the health of muscle, bone, ligament, and tendon. It enhances metabolism along with bone density.
And one more factor you should not ignore is using a good bat and suitable for the hitter. This will also significantly affect your swing.
What are the Techniques of Strength Training?
The main strength training techniques comprise the sets, repetitions, exercises, tempo, and the force driving you to workout.
There is a special combination of all the above components. The technique uses wide regimens to gain different outcomes.
These kinds of exercises are not done continuously. There should always be a gap of two or three minutes, enhancing the recovery time and boosting strength. For every muscle group, there should be two to four sets.
What are the Methods of Strength Training?
Strength training methods vary and include gymnastics, weight training, isometric exercises, circuit training, yoga, Super Slow, Pilates, plyometrics and many others.
Strength training requires limited or no equipment at all. The equipment usually used are dumbbells, barbells, weight machines, resistance bands, Swiss balls, and similar equipment. Most strength training exercises are anaerobic.
The Top Strength Training Exercises
Among the many strength training exercises, there are a few top exercises to improve the strength of the softball players.
#1. The Goblet Squat
It is one of the best ways to do squat. It helps the body in the following ways: stronger legs, faster throws, and harder swings. One can say that it is an all-rounder exercise.
When the players are new to this exercise, they should initiate with 15lb wt. Using lighter weight, in the beginning, helps in learning the form and improving with time.
#2. 1-Leg Squat To Bench
For the field, this practice is great and improves lateral hip strength. It also makes the knee muscles better. In female athletes, mainly in softball players, ACL injuries are pretty common, and this exercise prevents them.
It is ideal to go for 3-sets of 10 for every leg and practice once or twice a week.
#3. Monster Walk
The monster walk is one of the special exercises that involve strengthening the lateral hips. It also removes the chance of knee injury and helps in building muscle strength. Not only on exercising days, but it is also an ideal way to warm up.
#4. Sliding Leg Curl
The sliding leg curl helps in building hamstrings better than other exercises. It is the perfect leg builder. Squats and lunges target the quadriceps mostly. On the other hand, this exercise improves sprinting and throwing of the player.