Learning How to Hit a Softball

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Softball is definitely a great sport that can be learned by anyone - even children as young as six years old. Teaching yourself, or your kids, how to play this sport, you’ll not only help develop reaction time and “physical motor” coordination but also increase self-confidence.

If you want to teach softball to your daughter, then you shouldn’t hesitate and worry about hitting or throwing like a girl. Coaching kids for sports (regardless of their gender) shows them how to be self-assured about their skills/abilities and helps them develop better mastery/poise of movement. 

Here are some useful tips that you can use to learn the art of hitting a softball: 

#1: Choose a Space 

First and foremost, you need to choose a comfortable space . While you can play in a large outdoor span, having a child walk long distances for picking up the batted ball can exhaust her and wear on her attention span. If you’re serious about learning, then consider looking at some of the options for home batting cages to put in the backyard since they are lightweight, portable and aren’t hard to install. Having one installed in your home will allow for more consistent practice. 

#2: Get the Right Bat Size 

See to it that the bat size you get is appropriate. Go to the sports store to buy the bat. Once there, lift the bat parallel to the floor, sideways, with right hand (or left hand if a leftie) for at least 30 seconds. If this can be done comfortably, then great; if not then go for a lighter bat. 

#3: Start with Softball Basics 

Expecting anyone - especially a child - to be as good as someone at competition level would be expecting too much. Begin with the basics and demonstrate how the bat is used to hit the ball - that's it. This isn’t the time to dive into the details and talk about the rules. Focus on hitting and swinging properly, along with holding proper stance. 

#4: How the Bat is to be Held

Learning how to hold the bat properly is important. To do this, wrap the left hand around the handle while the right hand is positioned directly above it (the opposite should be done if left handed). Remember, the grip on the bat has to be relaxed and the same time firm. Also, both hands should be besides one another.

#5: Adopt the Correct Stance

When it comes to maintaining the proper stance, knees should be slightly bent and body perpendicularly faced to the home plate. Also bend slightly at the waist while keeping eyes on the ball. As far as feet go, they have to be “shoulder width” apart while all her weight is rested at the balls of her feet. Working on getting the proper stance will go a long way.

Play ball!

photo credit: Shakeskc via photopin cc

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