Slow pitch softball thread

[T R U]

Then honestly, you should continue doing it. I honestly don't know anyone who can get a hit every single time (maybe 75-80% of the time, but never all the time). The fact that you can apparently get on base on-demand is way better than hitting the occasional home run.

 

Like Kyle said, keep hitting line drives. The home runs will come. I've hit HRs that were more or less line drives and those feel way better than a towering fly ball that just happens to go out.

 

Also, doesn't your league have a HR limit?

 

Our league doesn't sound quite as competitive as some of yours. Most people out there are in their mid to late 20's but there are some older gentlemen as well mixed in. Hell I could prolly hit a ground ball to short and with my speed and odds of a bad throw get on base almost every time that way. However, I have found that I can pretty much stroke a ball right over the 3B/SS area at will. Ive been thrown out on two ground balls, and that's because I am a sore loser who doesn't run hard when I don't get good contact on the ball but I am working on that. The majority of my outs though are flyballs out to deep left/left center. I would venture to guess I hit about .800 last season, didn't have any homeruns obviously but lots of doubles and triples.

 

Our limit is 1 HR, but like I said no one on our team outside of myself and maybe two others will ever hit a HR or even come close. The majority of them we are just praying they don't strike out.

 

 

 

[Kyyle23]

Limit is 1? Wow, either your field is huge or you guys have flight restricted balls

[T R U]

Limit is 1? Wow, either your field is huge or you guys have flight restricted balls

 

The fields seem pretty big to me, but I also dont know the exact dimensions. What size field do you play on.

[chw42]

Limit is 1? Wow, either your field is huge or you guys have flight restricted balls

 

I play in a few 1 HR leagues. Most of the leagues in Austin are 1 HR.

[chw42]

The fields seem pretty big to me, but I also dont know the exact dimensions. What size field do you play on.

 

Smallest is 285, largest is 315. Most are 300.

[witesoxfan]

The fields seem pretty big to me, but I also dont know the exact dimensions. What size field do you play on.

 

Our fields are 300 down the lines. There is a small town tourney we play where the fields are 250, which is awesome.

Edited May 15, 2014 by witesoxfan

[T R U]

Yep, I would say they are prolly 300' down the lines. Also see that we use 12" balls

[Kyyle23]

Our fields are 300, 3 homer limit. When I started it was 5 homer limit, which was a lot of fun. We used some crazy balls that had like 525 PSI cores. Then the next season the limit was changed and te balls changed to 385, now we are at a 475(I think. Didnt look at a ball this season yet)

[chw42]

Limit is 1? Wow, either your field is huge or you guys have flight restricted balls

 

Isn't it against ASA rules to use anything but regulation balls (52 cor 300 pound max compression)?

[witesoxfan]

Our fields are 300, 3 homer limit. When I started it was 5 homer limit, which was a lot of fun. We used some crazy balls that had like 525 PSI cores. Then the next season the limit was changed and te balls changed to 385, now we are at a 475(I think. Didnt look at a ball this season yet)

 

What do those numbers mean, are you sure you're not drunk

[Kyyle23]

Isn't it against ASA rules to use anything but regulation balls (52 cor 300 pound max compression)?

 

The restricted balls I played with was 10 years ago when I lived and played in Carbondale. I just asked TRU because I was kind of surprised that everything was dying at the fence

[Kyyle23]

What do those numbers mean, are you sure you're not drunk

 

Well they mean.....im not sure i am not drunk.

 

In reality though, the core of the ball is compressed at different rates in different leagues, depending on which ball/brand the league chooses. The harder it is, the farther it flies.

[chw42]

Our fields are 300, 3 homer limit. When I started it was 5 homer limit, which was a lot of fun. We used some crazy balls that had like 525 PSI cores. Then the next season the limit was changed and te balls changed to 385, now we are at a 475(I think. Didnt look at a ball this season yet)

 

475 pound compression? Those are HR derby balls...

[Kyyle23]

475 pound compression? Those are HR derby balls...

 

They can be, but once your homers are gone, you gotta make sure you keep it in the park

[chw42]

They can be, but once your homers are gone, you gotta make sure you keep it in the park

 

Are you sure it's 475? The new ASA balls are .52 cor and 300 pounds max compression.

[T R U]

Here what it says about the ball " TRUMP STOTE AK-RP-ASA A-Y cor.52 12 inch Balls for men "

 

Also, anyone know where I can get a custom white glove?

[chw42]

Here what it says about the ball " TRUMP STOTE AK-RP-ASA A-Y cor.52 12 inch Balls for men "

 

Also, anyone know where I can get a custom white glove?

 

Yeah, that's the new ball.

 

They used to play with .44 cor balls with 375 pound compression. Those come off the bat way harder (it's a harder ball too) and it was way easier to hit HRs with it.

 

The change of balls made hitting HRs a lot harder. I hear stories of guys who used to hit HRs on a regular basis with the old ball, but couldn't hit one out with the new ball to save their lives.

Edited May 15, 2014 by chw42

[witesoxfan]

Here what it says about the ball " TRUMP STOTE AK-RP-ASA A-Y cor.52 12 inch Balls for men "

 

Also, anyone know where I can get a custom white glove?

 

http://www.spiderzcustomgloves.com/

 

You should name your glove Donald Sterling

Edited May 15, 2014 by witesoxfan

[southsider2k5]

I am on a work team that we just started in March. This is my first time playing competitive softball, but I have played baseball for a good portion of my life so its not much different. We ended the first season 2-8, including a wonderful 34-5 loss in one of those games. I am trying to hit home runs, but I can seem to get the right swing down. Ive hit the fence a few times, and I know im plenty strong enough to get the ball out. Any of you seasoned softball players have any advice for this? I could probably bat 1.000 but I end up popping out to deepish left and left center regularly because I am trying to hit the ball out of the park.

 

Our second season starts Sunday, hopefully we will be a little better than last season.

 

The biggest adjustment from baseball to softball is the speed of the game messes people up. Everything is slow. Wait and then wait some more. If you are rolling over on the ball on the ground or popping it up, your swing angle is bad, and you are getting either on top of, or under the ball. From the sounds of, you aren't letting the ball get deep enough on you. Slow. Slow. Slow. That is the key for a softball swing. Let the ball come to you.

[T R U]

The biggest adjustment from baseball to softball is the speed of the game messes people up. Everything is slow. Wait and then wait some more. If you are rolling over on the ball on the ground or popping it up, your swing angle is bad, and you are getting either on top of, or under the ball. From the sounds of, you aren't letting the ball get deep enough on you. Slow. Slow. Slow. That is the key for a softball swing. Let the ball come to you.

 

My initial thought is that I am putting too much uppercut on my swing. I almost never hit ground balls, they are all deep into the air. I am missing out on just a little bit of distance and I believe it is due to the uppercut. That is something from baseball that is tough to initially break out of. I will try waiting a little bit longer on Sunday and see how that goes, I am hitting about 99% of my balls to dead left/slight left center so I might be swinging too early.

[chw42]

My initial thought is that I am putting too much uppercut on my swing. I almost never hit ground balls, they are all deep into the air. I am missing out on just a little bit of distance and I believe it is due to the uppercut. That is something from baseball that is tough to initially break out of. I will try waiting a little bit longer on Sunday and see how that goes, I am hitting about 99% of my balls to dead left/slight left center so I might be swinging too early.

 

Do some BP or go to the batting cages.

 

It's much easier to practice something like that there than in a game.

 

You can try creating some kind of timing mechanism in your swing to make sure you end up waiting a bit longer. Whether it's a longer leg kick, toe tap, etc.

[Kyyle23]

Are you sure it's 475? The new ASA balls are .52 cor and 300 pounds max compression.

 

I will take a pic of it tonite, but I am pretty sure we play a hybrid ISA/ASA game.

[southsider2k5]

My initial thought is that I am putting too much uppercut on my swing. I almost never hit ground balls, they are all deep into the air. I am missing out on just a little bit of distance and I believe it is due to the uppercut. That is something from baseball that is tough to initially break out of. I will try waiting a little bit longer on Sunday and see how that goes, I am hitting about 99% of my balls to dead left/slight left center so I might be swinging too early.

 

It could be. Drop your swing angle to a line drive swing and see if that changes it. If not, it is probably timing. Me personally, I'd bet on timing because you see most guys who just start playing softball, after playing baseball, have that same problem.

[T R U]

It could be. Drop your swing angle to a line drive swing and see if that changes it. If not, it is probably timing. Me personally, I'd bet on timing because you see most guys who just start playing softball, after playing baseball, have that same problem.

 

Well, to be fair I haven't played organized baseball since 2002.. but I only have 10 slowpitch softball games under my belt

[Kyyle23]

This is our old old ball

 

 

Our game tonite is at 9:40, I will take a pic then. All of my bag balls have the writing rubbed off