How to Slap Hit a Softball

Series Summary

Softball is a team sport that is especially popular in the United States. It is a direct descendant of baseball, and the rules of both sports remain substantially similar. A softball game can last anywhere from four to nine innings, depending on the league, rules, and type of softball. However, seven innings is the most common amount. In each inning, each team bats until three batters have been put out, and the teams take turns batting. Officially, which team bats first is decided by a coin toss, although a league may decide otherwise at its discretion. The most common rule is that the home team bats second, as batting second is advantageous.

While softball and baseball are well-known sports, a beginner may still not know how to properly play. In this free video series on softball instructions, our expert will get you started with the basics. You'll learn how to hit, pitch, and catch a softball, how to slide and how to play the field. You'll learn how to steal and how to pick off runners as well! So, watch these videos, then go out and have some fun.

Video Transcript

"My name is Juan Carlos with Expert Village, and today we're going to be talking about softball for beginners. In this segment, we're going to be teaching you about the art of slap hitting. Slap hitting is a technique only done in softball where the left-handed batter, normally a very fast runner, gets a running start, steps across, and pokes the ball in any direction possible. Normally, a slap hitter would hit the ball to the furthest part of the field, which is the shortstop in the in field. As my outfielder will demonstrate, she starts out with her hands near her shoulder. Her first step is the cross over and then the swing as she makes contact with the ball. Normally, the ball is hit to left field to the left side of the in field in order for her to possibly have a one running start as she keeps on going to first base. "