Is "small ball" dead?

[SoCalSoftballdad]

Having watched some of the WCWS games and the record # of HRs this year, it is clear to me that the college teams are playing long ball and moving away from small ball. Is there a fiundamental shift in fastpitch softball to rely more on power hitting and less on bunting / slapping / hitting for contact?

If so, should we be teaching this "new game" to the younger players?

 

[stephanie]

I agree...it seems I saw a LOT of slapping last year, but barely any of it this year...

What gives?

 

[Bishop]

Shouldn't we be teaching them both? Teach them the proper swing mechanics for power production as a basic swing. Teach them to bunt, drag and slap along with the situations that those are appropriate. The more tools they have and use well the better craftsman they will be.

At the pinnacle of the sport, where you have home run power top to bottom of the order like Hawai'i and some other teams do. Sure, play the long ball game. It's not a situation most of us are going to find ourselves in so I don't intend to coach solely for that goal.

 

[SBFAMILY]

Are we watching the same games. 18 batters and 14 were lefty's. AZ and UCLA , speed is winning over HR's. Yes HI had a bunch of HR's but they didn't make the cut. Good hitters can bunt, slap and hit for power. That is what you see today. You have Larry Ray at AZ, one ,if not the best Slapping coaches in the country with 7 lefty's. UCLA has 10 on the roster.

 

[amanda_cake]

I think that a combination is what will take it to win now. It used to be all small ball, but now you need hitters that can do everything. I know as a coach I'd want a girl who can go yard, then the next time lay down a beautiful bunt for me.

 

[TheRogue]

Our 12A team plays up at 14A whenever possible. We usually small ball teams to death; Saturday was our first loss to a 14U team in about 20 games playing up.

The only teams we've played that have tried to do the same to us are other 12U teams. The 14U teams are generally all significantly bigger and stronger. We play back deep and eat up the groundballs......if they would play small ball a bit we'd have to start defending it, and they'd get a lot more balls through the infield that way, I suspect we might not have quite as much success.

I think so many girls are bigger and stronger today that since they do have the ability to hit the ball harder/farther, coaches are letting them swing away more often.

 

[sluggers]

I believe they are talking about moving the fences back 20 feet. It is a little ridiculous to have so many home runs. A good game should have a combination of everything. Softball is getting to be like home run derby.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

Having watched some of the WCWS games and the record # of HRs this year, it is clear to me that the college teams are playing long ball and moving away from small ball. Is there a fiundamental shift in fastpitch softball to rely more on power hitting and less on bunting / slapping / hitting for contact?

If so, should we be teaching this "new game" to the younger players?

It's not dead, but the teams who are winning are the ones who know how to do it all, which includes both hitting for power and small ball.

Many feel that slapping is too one-dimensional.

 

[DonnieS]

Having watched some of the WCWS games and the record # of HRs this year, it is clear to me that the college teams are playing long ball and moving away from small ball. Is there a fiundamental shift in fastpitch softball to rely more on power hitting and less on bunting / slapping / hitting for contact?

God, I hope not. I know a lot of people love the long ball and all but I love a great fast game of small ball. One of my favorite situations when I was coaching was getting into ITB against a great team - and being forced to manufacture that run and then play great defense to shut down the other guy. I know not everyone feels the same way about it but small ball and run manufacturing is so exciting. Coach Jay Miller had a course out called "Manufacturing Runs" and I watched it many times and tried to incorporate his ideas and techniques into our game.

 

[mudbug]

No, small ball isnt dead. It just isnt popular in college ball at the top level. But with the best hitters in the country, some teams dont need to do anything else but play long ball, just like MLB.

Its always been my opinion that 18s and college should be on a 220-240 ft field. It is ridiculous for them to play on the same field that a lot of 12 yr olds, and most 14s can hit it out on. By that level only the best are still playing, and the fence is way too close for them with todays balls. Or make them use a softer ball, etc, or wood bat.