Extra Drills for Slappers

Extra Drills For Slappers

Slappers, I didn't forget about you, I promise.  I wanted to add in some slapping drills that you can do in addition to your normal hitting drills.  As usual, focus on good mechanics during these drills.  Start out slow and build up to game speed.

One Handed Work:  10 Reps each, 2 Rounds

(1)  Front Arm Work (Bottom Hand)-  Make sure the arm stays nice and close to the body, and get through the ball to extension.  Focus on working off of that back hip and sending everything to that left side.

(2)  Rear Arm Work (Top Hand)-  Again stay nice and close to the body, square the shoulder and hips, and hit off of that back hip to the left side.

Soft Slap Work- 15-20 Reps

Start from the cross step position, stopping at contact and focusing on hitting the top third of the ball in a downward facing, sending the ball to the left side of the field.

Hard Slap Work- 15-20 Reps

Id you have a net, place it approximately 10-20 feet out in front of your hitting position.  Your goal is to hit this net on a line drive.  We talk a lot about making adjustments, and you may need to adjust where you are making contact on the ball.  If are too left of the target, you may be contacting the inside of the ball too much.  If you are right of the target, too much to the outside of the ball.  If you are putting it over the net, we are catching it  slightly too low on the ball.  This is your chance to play around and really learn your swing.  Once you are able to hit that target with ease, move your target.  Again, you are already dangerous as a fast slapper.  If you can learn to read the defense and put that ball wherever you choose, you become nearly unstoppable.  Be patient, and learn from your swings. 

Inside/Outside Tee Work- 10 Reps Each

Work your six zones for inside outside,  Outside pitches we are leaving to the left side, but it becomes very important to let them get deeper in our stance and squaring our shoulders and hips in the direction we want the ball to go.  Inside pitch, I would like you to work on going all three directions. 

(1)  High Inside

(2)  Belt High Inside

(3)  Low Inside

(4)  High Outside

(5)  Belt High Inside

(6)  Low Outside

Glove on Hand Drill-  10-15 Reps of Each

With your fielding glove on your left hand, either have someone bounce or toss, from the front, over the plate.  You can use tennis balls, softballs, rubber balls, etc, your focus is simply to catch that ball at your back hip, which is where you would be making contact with the ball to get it to the left side.  Try keeping the shoulders closed at contact, and contact point being the back hip and not out in front of the body.  First 10-15 reps are stopping at contact.  The next 10-15 are running through contact.

Bunting-  15 Reps, 2 Rounds

Work on deadening the ball as much as you can and picking a good location to place the bunt.  Start going down the third base line and then move to the first base line.  Feel free to set up cones to use as targets, and feel free to move these targets off the lines so that you can concentrate on putting the ball exactly where you want it.