SET-UP

 The softball swing can be broken down into five (5) sequential steps:    SET-UP, LOAD, STEP, SWING and FINISH.  From start to finish, the 5-step swing sequence should take only 5-6 seconds.

 "Inexperienced" hitters are often too anxious when they step into the batter's box.  They will often"hover" their bat 5-10 seconds while the catcher is signaling  the pitch and positioning her glove as a target.  When a batter hovers the bat above her shoulder for more than 3-4 seconds, hand and arm muscles  begin to tighten.   This causes the batter to lose quickness and precision.  Batters need to relax in the batter's box and let the  bat rest on her rear shoulder until the pitcher steps on the rubber and begins her throwing motion.  It only takes 2-3 seconds for a relaxed  batter to raise her hands into Set-up position. 

KEYS TO A GOOD SET-UP:

  • Be relaxed and comfortable in the batter’s box.  
  • Align your body with the middle of home plate.
  • Spread your feet a little more than shoulders width.  Your toe line should be parallel to home plate.  The "toe line" is an imaginary line stretching between the front tip of each foot.
  • Shoulders, hips and knees should be square.  Imaginary lines through your shoulders, hips and knees should all be parallel to your toe line. 
  • Grip the bat properly.  There are three preferred ways to grip the bat.  Try them all and then use the grip that works best for you.
    • OPTION 1:   Align the “door knocking” knuckles of the top hand with the "door knocking knuckles" of the bottom hand.
    • OPTION 2: The "BOX" grip.  Align the door knocking knuckles of the top hand with the big knuckles of the bottom hand.
    • OPTION 3: Neutral Grip:  Position the "door knocking" knuckles of the top hand mid-way between the "big" knuckles and the "door knocking" knuckles of the bottom hand.  
      • FYI: Most major league ballplayers use the "Box" grip.  Some college softball coaches prefer their batters to align the door knocking knuckles.  Most professional hitting instructors recommend the "neutral" grip.  Experiment with the three grips and then use the one that works best for you.
    • What everyone does agree on:
      • Do not hold the bat too tight.  Fingers should be relaxed.
      • Do not hold the bat too much in the fingers, nor too deep in the hand. The most effective grip is achieved by holding the bat in the fleshy part of the hand, just below the fingers.
      • Palm up...Palm down.  When the bat moves into the hitting zone, the palm of the bottom hand faces the ground, and the palm of the top hand is under the bat facing upwards.
  • As discussed above, don't Set-Up too early. 
  • Get into an athletic stance: Bend your knees and bend forward from the waist.  Push your backside out over your heels.
  • Place most of your weight on the balls of your feet.  Also, place more weight on the inside of each foot.
  •  "Hover" the bat over your rear shoulder.  Follow the steps below to find your "hover" position.  Hover your bat before every pitch.
    • Rest barrel of bat on the outer edge of your rear shoulder.  Hold the bat parallel to the ground. 
    •  Holding the bat at the knob with both hands, slide bat forward until both hands are just past your toe line.  
    • Without moving your bottom hand up or down, push up with your top hand and rotate the barrel of the bat upward until it is at a 45-degree angle to the ground. 
    • Rear forearm should be relaxed and either parallel to the ground or 15–30 degrees below parallel.
  • Relax your upper body.   Arm & shoulder muscles should be loose. 
  •  Flex your fingers to relax your hands and wrists.  
  • The Set-Up position is important, but it lasts only 2-3 seconds.   As outlined above, batters should not "set-up" until the pitcher initiates her throwing motion.  

The best way to grip a bat for Softball with coach Mike Candrea - YouTube

Perfect Hitting Setup | Baseball Hitting (Pro Speed Baseball) - YouTube

Proper Baseball Hitting Grip | (Pro Speed Baseball) - YouTube

How To Grip A Baseball Bat (For Maximum Bat Speed & Power) - YouTube

Top Hitting Grip Mistakes - AVOID THESE! - YouTube

How to Grip a Bat. Door Knocking Knuckles, Big Knuckles, or Rings? (efastball.com)     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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        Quiz: What can this batter do to improve her Set-Up?

  • Batter's hands and bat are too far behind her rear shoulder.  She should move her hands forward 2-3 inches, to the back edge of her shoulder. 
  • Bat angle is angled behind batter's head.  The bat should be perpendicular to batter's toe line, on a 45-degree angle to the ground.
  • Rear elbow is too low.  The rear forearm should be 0-30 degrees below shoulder height.

This batter looks relaxed and confident.  She is flexing her fingers to keep her hands loose.  Bat should be resting closer to the tip of her rear shoulder.

Don't spread your feet any wider than this.  Batter has nice balance and both eyes on the pitcher.  However, her hands are hovering too high.  Her top hand should be even with the top of the rear shoulder.  

This batter does not look confident.   Her hands and arms look tight.  Batter's hands should be pushed further back so that bat rests near the tip of her shoulder.   

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