How to Bat in Slow Pitch

Batting in slow-pitch softball may look easy, but there is more to it than meets the eye. It is different than batting at fast-pitch softball and baseball, and these tips will help you make the proper contact when batting at slow-pitch softball.

Things You'll Need

  • Softball
  • Baseball bat (aluminum or wooden)
  • Pitcher or pitching apparatus
  • Batting tee (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Find a batting stance that is comfortable to you. Grip the bat by the handle with your dominant hand on top. Draw the bat back behind your ear (right ear if you are batting right-handed, left ear if you are batting left-handed). Keep your back elbow up in a comfortable position anywhere between your back shoulder and midsection. If you like, crouch your knees a bit. Distribute your weight to your back foot. Make adjustments until you find a stance that works for you.

    • 2

      Practice your swing, perhaps on a tee. Step to the plate, keeping your feet about shoulder-width apart (again, find what works best for you). Turn your head toward the pitcher's mound and get into your batting stance. Practice your swing by distributing your weight from your back foot to your front foot as you step toward the pitcher's mound and swing the bat through the zone. Practice with a batting tee, which should rest on home plate, if you'd like.

    • 3

      Keep your eye on the ball until the bat makes contact. It is one of the oldest axioms of hitting a ball, but one that many times gets overlooked. Follow the arc of the ball until it hits the bat. In slow pitch, batters who are anxious begin their swing too early, and it leads to them missing the ball or not hitting it properly. Be patient.

    • 4

      Wait on the ball before swinging. In slow-pitch softball, you must wait on the ball coming to you. So you do not want to distribute your weight until the ball is about halfway between the pitcher's mound and the plate.

    • 5

      Distribute your weight, step toward the ball, swing and follow through. As the ball nears, you need to shift your weight, driving with your legs. This produces the power of your swing. Keep your head down (which will help keep your eye on the ball), keep your hands locked, and try and extend your arms through the swing. After making contact, swing through the ball, following through, to generate the most power.

    • 6

      Do not swing with an uppercut--that is, do not swing upward on the ball. This will mostly result in pop flies and foul balls. You want to make line-drive contact on the ball with the sweet spot on the bat, driving the ball on a line to all parts of the field.