Quote from High School Coach

[YOCOACH]

I beg to differ, and I come from one of the oldest, most established fastpitch areas in the country. Never heard of such a thing, nor saw it. Are you actually that old; did you play then? It is basically something people like to say today; particularly people who never played softball or even gave it a thought in the 70s or 80s, being 2 years old or even 15 years old at the time. Softball players did not fall off the turnip truck yesterday and they deserve more respect.

More than that, men's FP was huge then, and those players came from baseball or went back and forth (after they grew up, not before). So what does that say about "your history." Did the men have two swings?

For someone who supposedly grew up in an area that was one of the "Hot Beds" of SB you never cease to amaze me by your ignorance. Until the 70's there were only wooden bats. In 1974 Aluminum bats were introduced. There were no weight limits at that time and it was already apparent that a much heavier bat would produce further/harder hit balls. Since Womens' fastpitch was basically in it's infancy, the bat manufacturers were for the most part making these bats for men with few weight/length choices for women. As unenlightened as it was back in the day, many thought that females, being the "weaker sex," were not able to use a rotational swing effectively especially with these heavier wooden/aluminum bats. This is when and why the linear swing was "invented" and became so popular. This very slowly started to end around the mid 80's (1986 I believe) when the NCAA introduced rules limiting the minimum weight of baseballs/softballs, the maximum length and maximum/minmum drop weight ratios in bats for both sports.

Research by others such as Bobby Tewksbary has shown that the linear swing for softball is still the most taught swing although it is rapidly on the decline. In the pursuit of excellence many more parents, coaches and instructors are finding out that the "Elite" or "High Level" swing is the swing our players should all be striving towards. Who knows, 20 years from now maybe the Japanese/Australians/USA will make even more refinements and what we thought today will no longer be valid. After all, it's still an evolving game.

Edit to Add: As to your other queries, yes I'm that old and I also played SB at that time and during that time period. Maybe not the ASA Nationals but at a pretty high level. One other thing to add. There are men players today that still play fastpitch at a very competitive level in my area and they also play SP for recreation. Ask any of them if their swing is different just between the two speeds/versions of SB and most will tell you yes. Why is it so hard for you to believe that although it was wrong IMO, men and woman were taught different swings to play the same sport in the past?

 

[BuckeyeGuy]

I may expect to hear that from a "rec ball coach",,, not HS. It is kind of funny, be interested to hear what the differences may be in her eyes.

Funny you mention that. One of the coaching guidelines for my rec league is "coach the hitting as little as possible.' IOW, don't try to change their swing just because it looks wrong to you - have a reason (not making contact, swinging straight up/down, etc.).

 

[rdbass]

Prior to around 2004 a couple of coaches thought there was a 'softball swing'.

UCLA Advanced Hitting Video

This UCLA Advanced Hitting Video is Coach Sue Enquist's latest work on teaching what she knows to be true about hitting.

Back in 2001 when Coach Enquist, the coach who's directed UCLA's women's softball program to NCAA titles in 2003 & 2004 and took her team to 2nd in the nation in 2001 & 2005 and a 3rd place finish in 2006, stood on stage and told a room full of college, high school and travel ball coaches

"What I've been teaching about hitting in the past was WRONG"

 

[softball88]

I would love to know the difference too.

I agree with oilf, my sister's in the 70s and early 80s had the same swing as my brother and I. We were told stories of the great men's fp teams aurora sealmasters of the 50s and 60s and grew up watching the aurora home savings and loans teams in the 70's and early 80s. These teams did well against other national teams in asa men's division. They all had "baseball swings".

What's the difference?

 

[RichK]

Prior to around 2004 a couple of coaches thought there was a 'softball swing'.

We took our girls to a D1 hitting camp last year and the head coach was teaching just this swing, with "extension" and finish via wrist snap way out in front like that. Some of us coaches were sitting on the sidelines and they looked over at us like "wtf'? We just smiled, they nodded and went along and when they rotated to a live hitting station crushed balls with their own swings which the D1 coaches then took credit for

Which is fine, until it becomes a real issue with a real coach, right?

 

[quincy]

Funny you mention that. One of the coaching guidelines for my rec league is "coach the hitting as little as possible.' IOW, don't try to change their swing just because it looks wrong to you - have a reason (not making contact, swinging straight up/down, etc.).

For the most part DD’s school coaches appear to leave her alone. Her penalty this year was starting the year at the bottom of the order not because her swing is lousy but because she did not hit a dang thing a practice. First couple games she got lucky, by the 3rd or 4th they figured out she could hit and moved her way up in the order.

I still do not know if that is good or bad.

 

[obbay]

I may expect to hear that from a "rec ball coach",,, not HS.

Our HS Varsity coach held a clinic recently where he was instructing batters to line up the knocking knuckles and roll the wrists into contact "just like the pros do".

Back in 2001 when Coach Enquist, the coach who's directed UCLA's women's softball program to NCAA titles in 2003 & 2004 and took her team to 2nd in the nation in 2001 & 2005 and a 3rd place finish in 2006, stood on stage and told a room full of college, high school and travel ball coaches

"What I've been teaching about hitting in the past was WRONG"

Gotta hand it to her, she wants to get it done right! In January we saw her speak and she said that if a coach tries to change anything you have been doing, have them provide video to back up what they preach. if they can, then you can see exactly what it is. if they cannot.....

 

[Strike2]

There are TWO types of swings in either baseball or softball. There's the EFFECTIVE, and there's the INEFFECTIVE.

 

[Cannonball]

I have had college coaches use those exact same words. It's shocking how some people get the positions they have.

We also had a college coach tell our dd this. He is supposed to be some kind of legend. Said she would never be successful. She needed more arms. LOL!

OOFPDaddy, man, I know this has to eat at you. You've done your homework and made sure your dd is good to go with the best advice and coaching. Hopefully, this coach will get out of the way. Still, the drill work etc. can be a problem if it promotes a poor swing. So, good luck with all of this. Hope the dd has a great year!

 

[Cannonball]

Really? What YOCOACH described is exactly what used to happen and how some people, including those that have older video on hitting, described the swings. Yes, I am that old and yes, I played Fastpitch and at a good level. I played on a team with a lot of guys who played on ADM's National Championship Team. OILF, I try not to pile on but posts like the one you just made criticizing YOUCOACH's post makes it hard not to.

I beg to differ, and I come from one of the oldest, most established fastpitch areas in the country. Never heard of such a thing, nor saw it. Are you actually that old; did you play then? It is basically something people like to say today; particularly people who never played softball or even gave it a thought in the 70s or 80s, being 2 years old or even 15 years old at the time. Softball players did not fall off the turnip truck yesterday and they deserve more respect.

More than that, men's FP was huge then, and those players came from baseball or went back and forth (after they grew up, not before). So what does that say about "your history." Did the men have two swings?