Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
A softball coach will bark countless times about bending your knees and staying low to the ground. You have to lower your center of gravity to maintain balance and change direction quickly. In addition, the major movements of softball – running, jumping and throwing – require a strong core, which consists of your abdominals, lower back and hip muscles. A regimen of sit-ups, crunches and leg lifts is not enough. If you want to shine on the softball field, you need to follow a core conditioning program that develops functional strength in your entire abdominal region.
Using fusible batting inside a quilt allows you to skip the tedious tacking portion of quilting and go straight to assembly and completion. Fusible batting has a webbed adhesive on each side that softens under high temperatures. When an iron is used on the quilt fabric the fusible batting underneath will respond to the heat and merge the layers together. Quilting with fusible batting removes the need for tacking and binding the quilt with bias tape.
Baseball and softball gloves have an intoxicating leather smell when they are new. The problem is, when they are new, they are also very stiff and hard to control. On the playing field, a glove should feel like an extension of your hand, and a new glove does not fit the bill. Fortunately, there are a number of items — including some found in your kitchen pantry and medicine cabinet — that can help you break your mitt in quickly.
Sports tryouts give coaches precious little time to fully evaluate players' skills. The athletes' narrow window of opportunity also reduces the acceptable amount of subpar performance, so an off-day or nagging injury can have a tremendous impact on surviving the cut. Fast-pitch softball coaches can benefit from a set routine and scoring system when evaluating players at a tryout. Assigning a coach to watch for intangibles like on-field leadership will make sure a valuable asset doesn't slip through the cracks.
Rafters are a common anchor point for indoor batting cages. Hanging the netting from the rafters is a simple job that requires basic hardware. The typical netting is light and does not stress the rafters or structure. Some netting manufactures provide hardware kits for rafter installation but the materials are available through standard hardware stores. Hanging the netting is possible by a single person but extra hands are useful for support and safety.
Batting cages are erected using a large variety of hanging techniques. Some cages are draped from indoor rafters and others are connected to cable systems. Metal end poles are also common for free standing batting cages. The poles provide a stable base and allow the cage material to hang with tension. The tension is necessary for stopping balls in flight. Hanging chain link and mesh netting from the poles is accomplished using the same technique.
Many people associate softball with either a slow-pitch recreational league with high-arcing pitches or a high-level fast pitch game with violent windmill pitching motions. However, in the middle of these two extremes is modified softball. In modified softball, pitchers can throw as fast as they want, but they cannot step backwards or use a windmill or rocker pitching motion. Hitting against modified softball pitching involves the same principles of other softball batting. The key is adjusting to a new motion and release point.
A batting cage can be a fun way to see successive pitches for an extended period of time. The machine is also much more accurate than most pitchers, which can help you get a handle on the ball when you are ready for a big game. Various games can be played in a batting cage to improve the overall experience.
In many competitive sports, motivation isn't always a problem. At the competitive level, each athlete has likely practiced for untold hours and beaten out competition to earn a spot on the team. While some softball leagues are competitive, many others are recreational. As such, some players on these teams may lack motivation and require a friendly reminder from another player on the team. Whether you're the captain or a senior member of the team, you can motivate your teammates through talk and actions.
As with baseball, the key to an effective change-up pitch in softball is selling the batter on the idea that a fastball is coming, only to send a slower pitch to the plate. This means your motion has to look very similar to what you use to throw a fastball. The flip change-up lets you keep your footwork and arm speed the same, while only delivering about 3/4 the speed of a heater.
Softball hitters have a tough task when they step into the batter's box. They must demonstrate quick reflexes to locate and hit fast pitches, all in less than a second. This job is made tougher by pitchers who throw effective changeups. Changeups appear to be fastballs initially, but they come in much slower, forcing hitters to adjust quickly. Successful changeup hitters employ techniques before and during games to improve timing and reflexes.
A backhand changeup is an off-speed pitch thrown in fastpitch softball. A changeup can be an effective pitch if thrown properly because it has less velocity than a fastball. If a batter is not expecting a slower pitch, the batter is more likely to time the swing for fastball and swing too soon. This can make the changeup a good pitch to throw when a strikeout is needed.
Baseball and softball teams can determine who's best on the field, but the real decision makers -- ball or strike, safe or out -- are the umpires. These men and women have a responsibility to be emotionless, detail-oriented professionals with the sole goal of being fair arbiters. Prospective umpires need to pass a test and market themselves to district officials in hopes of getting onto diamonds in the U.S. Specialty Sports Association leagues of Louisiana.
Hitting a slow-pitch softball isn't as easy as it looks. The ball has a large surface area and striking it in the proper spot will help you hit the ball harder, farther and increase your batting average. Slow-pitch softballs are pitched high into the air and a strike is called a when the ball lands on the plate. This extreme angle creates a higher strike zone than fast-pitch softball or baseball. To practice with a high strike zone, you'll need to make your own slow-pitch softball tee.
USSSA is an acronym of the United States Specialty Sports Organization, an independent, multi-sports organization with sports leagues for athletes under the age of 19. Founded in 1968, this organization has grown from a small sports league to an international youth sports operation. USSSA hosts national tournaments for all of its sports, including the fast-pitch softball World Series in Orlando, Fla. This organization's headquarters is in Kissimmee,Florida -- a suburb of Orlando.
Slow-pitch softball is played differently than fast-pitch softball. Whereas fast-pitch softball has many similarities to baseball -- bunting, hit-and-runs, stealing -- most slow-pitch softball players go up to the plate with one intent in mind: to hit the ball as far and as hard as they can. Although many players choose to hit with an aluminum bat, the cost can be prohibitive, up to five times higher than a wooden bat. Plus, many players prefer the sound a wood bat makes over a metal one. Choosing the right wood bat for slow-pitch softball requires determining what type of player you…
Players have one chance to impress coaches during fast pitch softball tryouts. Organization of the tryouts is important to give the player a chance to perform at their personal best, which provides the coaches a fair evaluation of the players' skills and talents. The organizer of the tryouts is responsible for setting up the drills the players will complete, scheduling when each activity takes place and making sure the process runs as smoothly as possible.
Any baseball player that wants to improve his swing spends a lot of time in a batting cage. If you don't have access to an athletic center that has an indoor or outdoor facility where you can practice hitting, it is possible to build a batting cage that will fit in your backyard, provided you have the space for it. That way, you can practice whenever you want, for as long as you want.
Softball, like all other sports, can be fiercely competitive, the will to win so strong that players can contravene the rules. Softball umpires are there to adjudicate when the rules have been broken and to determine, according to the rules of the game, the correct penalty. They also check that the pitch meets regulations prior to play commencing and make reports at the end of each game detailing the score and any major incidences. Salary levels for the role are comparable with those for officials in other sports.
Say, "slow-pitch softball" and the image evoked is a scene of barely athletic players enjoying a friendly game as part of a family picnic. Becoming a professional slow-pitch softball player in the Major League Softball Association means taking your game to its competitive heights. A prospective player should establish a regimen of activities and workouts to put him in the best playing shape possible. MLSA players are signed to one-year contracts worth as much as $25,000 per season as of 2011. You will need to match the skill level of those competing against you for a spot on one of…
The most widely known tournament brackets are the NCAA basketball tournament referred to as "March Madness." Thousands of sports fans, marginal and die-hard alike, fill out their brackets for the chance to win money or for bragging rights. Creating your own tournament brackets is part of the allure and fun of any athletic playoff system. You can design tournament brackets for college baseball, hockey, lacrosse, darts, golf and bowling. Depending on the number of participants or teams involved, you can create in the range of a 3-team and up to a 64-team bracket.
Fast-pitch softball requires hitters to react to pitches within a fraction of a second. As such, the American Softball Association (ASA) has established clear guidelines to prevent pitchers from gaining an unfair advantage.
Youth baseball can be incredibly competitive, and the desire to be the best player can be overwhelming. As an outfielder, you need speed, good judgment and a strong arm. There are a number of drills that you can practice to improve your outfielding skills that can be performed with a friend in your spare time.
If you have an indoor space 50- to 100-feet long and at least 15-feet wide, you have what you need for a batting cage. An indoor cage can be used for teaching young players the art of hitting or for high school, college and even professional players to work on their hitting technique without having to reserve time in a facility or hit outside and pick up baseballs across the outfield -- or from behind a neighbor's broken window. Using a retractable batting cage means that when a hitter is done taking batting practice inside the cage, you can push…
Baseball is one of America's favorite pastimes, and, for some, is more fun played than watched. The rules of the game are simple, hit the ball and run around the bases. But the physics behind why the ball is thrown a certain way for a fastball, and how choking up on the bat makes a difference, is much more complex. When you choke up on a bat, moving your hands higher on the handle, you decrease the amount of bat to swing. Moving your hands closer to the heaviest part of the bat allows you to swing the bat faster…
Fast pitch softball is the most competitive form of softball predominately played by women. The pitched ball is thrown at speeds up to 85 miles per hour, which is nearly as fast as professional baseball, according to the Central California Amateur Softball Association. The distance from the pitcher to the hitter is 43 feet for women, rather than the 60 feet for baseball, giving softball players less time to react in order to hit the ball successfully. To improve your skills, use these five steps to hitting a fast pitch softball.
A softball umpire has one of the most important jobs on the field. It is the job of the umpire to call out when a pitch is a strike or a ball, or when a softball that's been hit is either fair or foul. It is also the job of the umpire to make calls regarding runners on base. An umpire needs to have keen observation skills and razor sharp focus to make accurate calls. Becoming a slow-pitch softball umpire is a simple process that requires some training and dedication to the game.
Composite bats are new to baseball, but have been used in softball for years. Traditional aluminum softball bats are hollow in the center. Composite bats have a new technology which produces a woven graphite wall on the inside of the bat. This allows for a lighter bat that can be swung much faster. They are also more expensive than aluminum bats and must be broken in before using in a game.
Purse nets are wide-mesh traps used to catch small wild animals. Trappers stretch the opening of a purse net over the opening of an animal's den ground to catch it as it attempts to exit. The animal then becomes tangled in the net, facilitating its capture. You can make a quick purse net with common supplies found at hardware stores.
Speed is the name of the game in softball whether you're at bat, on the bases, in the field or on the mound. As a pitcher, the harder you throw the more movement your pitches have and less time the batter has to react, given that the plate is only 45 feet from the pitching rubber in the first place. If you want to be one of the top softball pitchers you must be able throw hard as, according to Apex-Sports, "Just about every one of the best pitchers in the world has great velocity."
Fastpitch pitching is important for softball players of all ages to learn. Many people play softball either as a recreational sport for a league, through school or even professionally. Many softball leagues or even tournaments require pitchers to pitch the ball in a fastpitch style. Anyone who would like to be a pitcher for a fastpitch league should practice extensively as it is a skill that can take a long duration of time to hone.
FITA stands for the Federation Internationale de Tir a l'Arc, or the International Archery Federation. This is the official governing body for archery. It sponsors competitions and promotes the sport around the world. Veteran archers at FITA determine mandatory rules and effective techniques for archers who want to compete in tournaments.
The windmill pitch is the most traditional pitch in softball and allows you to to get the most speed out of your pitch. It is only allowed in fast-pitch games. With this pitch, women commonly attain speeds that exceed 70 miles per hour, and men can exceed 100 miles per hour. There are many variations on how to throw, but with the proper instruction you can learn the correct delivery.
Windmill pitching is an underhand pitch used in advanced levels of fast-pitch softball. Softball is often played in female or coed leagues. The game is played following rules similar to baseball, with a slightly larger ball, and it was invented in Chicago in 1887. Fast-pitch softball players are generally more talented and experienced that slow-pitch softball players.
Youth fast-pitch softball is growing in popularity with the rise of television coverage in collegiate and Olympic fast-pitch competition. The number of youth fast pitch teams rose to more than 86,000 in 2007 from less than 74,000 in 1995, USA Today reported. New leagues and tournaments spring up all over the country each year. Tryouts are an essential tool for coaches attempting to choose players for their team or to determine which roles their players fit best. A solid pitcher adds the most value to her team because fast-pitch softball games are usually low-scoring affairs.
A batter's swing is one of the most important aspects of the offensive side of baseball. If a batter swings too wide, the ball will not connect with the sweet spot of the bat and will likely result in a foul or strike. Shortening your swing will also quicken it, enabling you to hit tough fastballs. Choking up on the bat and keeping your elbows bent will ensure a tight, short swing, making you a tough opponent for the opposing team's pitcher.
Teaching T-Ball requires a coach to have patience and understanding as the young players first learn how to play the game. For most players, T-Ball is their first introduction to the sport of baseball. Many will not know how to perform even the most basic skills unless their parents have worked with them. By providing some basic baseball instruction and encouraging parents to work with their children at home, T-Ball games will be fun and good for a child's self-esteem.
If a softball or baseball player is looking to add a little bit of power to his swing and distance to his hits, a popular technique is end loading a bat. According to a study performed at Kettering University, end loading means increasing the weight in the barrel of the bat. An end-loaded bat usually produces a 3-mph increase in speed of a batted ball at the moment of impact.
The art of swinging a bat at a thrown ball is a common element for many sports. Though baseball and softball are the most common of this type of sport in the United States, popular variations exist in other countries such as cricket and rounders. A bat can have very different meanings depending on what sport you are playing.
Since the earliest days of baseball, pitchers have developed variations in the way they pitch the ball. Out of these variations came the two- and four-seam fastballs. The speed of a fastball is often directly affected by the way the pitcher grips the ball while throwing it. An individual can throw the different types of fastball pitches by properly placing his fingers around the appropriate areas to create a grip on the ball.
Softballs used for play in men's competition vary in size among leagues and tournaments. The Amateur Softball Association of America has rules governing balls for each level of play. All ASA-approved softballs have a cover of leather or synthetic material and stitches. The various sizes are described in terms of circumference. Balls also must meet requirements for Coefficient Of Restitution -- COR -- and compression. COR determines how "bouncy" the ball is, and compression is a measure of the ball's hardness.
Throwing a baseball or softball underhand can feel unnatural and difficult, especially if you've always pitched overhand. Yet with time, practice, and a little patience, you'll feel just as comfortable with an underhand pitch as an overhand one. Underhand pitching is rarely seen in baseball, but standard practice in softball. Whether you're a baseball player who has signed up for a softball league, or are entirely new to stick-and-ball sports, you'll want to learn how to pitch underhand.
In baseball, a short, quick and compact swing is often desired by coaches at all levels of play. The shorter and more compact the swing, the more time a hitter has to view the baseball and decide whether to swing or not. Such a swing increases the batter's reaction time to the ball. Teaching a short compact swing should start as soon as the player begins playing the game. To develop a short, quick swing there are many drills players can complete to achieve their goals. The drills develop muscle memory over time so players will take the swing from…
Breaking-ball pitches -- like sliders, curve balls and screwballs -- often fool batters into watching a strike float right over the plate or to swing at pitches that fall far outside the strike zone. Achieving better break on these pitches makes it even more difficult for batters to hit. Knowing how to throw several versions of breaking-ball pitches keeps batters guessing throughout the game, not just during a single at-bat.
A slider that is thrown properly can be one of the most difficult pitches for baseball batters to hit. The pitch travels more slowly than two- and four-seam fastballs, but faster than curveballs. Most sliders move downward and laterally, so pitchers use them to make batters swing at a ball that looks like a strike but moves out of the strike zone, or that begins outside the strike zone and hits the outside-corner of the plate.
Choose the proper bat for yourself to positively impact your game. If you aren't in the pros and don't play in an all wood league, consider getting an aluminum bat. With improvements in technology, players have more options to choose from. Examine all factors such as size, weight, length and material. Whether you are a power hitter or prefer speed to power, it's important to select the bat that suits you best.
Selecting and purchasing a baseball bat requires attention to the bat length. Bat length is determined by the height of the player with room for adjustment based on the player's comfort. The weight of the bat is determined by the strength and hand speed of the player and is entirely dependent on preference. Selecting an appropriate bat length is important and increases success at the plate. The length is important when timing the swing and attempting to connect with the ball.
Womens' fast-pitch softball is a quickly growing sport in America, played at all ages and all across the country. Pitching is an integral part of a team's success, but it is also one of the more difficult skills to gauge. According to Lisa Fernandez, three-time Olympic gold medal pitcher and current UCLA coach, the keys to pitching are power, control and deception. A coach can create an evaluation form to measure each of these skills during try-outs.
The curveball is a popular pitch in baseball to throw off the hitter on an opposing team. The curveball is an average of 15 miles per hour slower than a fastball and breaks at approximately a 45-degree angle. Power hitters have the most trouble hitting these pitches. It's recommended to wait until pitchers are 14 or 15 to teach them how to throw a curveball as the pitch provides unnecessary stress on the arms of younger players.
Softball is a game that shares key similarities with baseball; however, softball uses altered pitching techniques, along with a smaller field and a larger ball. Softball is traditionally a women's sports, often complementing men's baseball on high school and college campuses throughout America. Today, many male and female players enjoy the sport either in recreational or organized settings. Throwing is integral to the sport and specific drills can be used to throw softballs further.
