One thing to know about Alabama Softball is that there’s always something new to learn. It implies that no matter how long you’ve been playing, there’s always something you can do to enhance your game. Competitive players can always push themselves to improve their game and become more valuable to the team, but it takes consistent effort.
If you want to improve your game, here are eight tips you can put into practice right away.
1. Change Your Grip
An at-bat is a tense situation, and you may be tempted to tighten your grip on the bat to brace for impact. However, be aware not to over-tighten. Any hitter that chokes the bat will have less power, reach, and control. Instead, use your fingers to apply pressure with your dominant hand over your weaker one. Make sure your wrists are nice and loose so you can maintain the desired amount of control. It will require some practice to master this grip and hit with it, but it will be worth it.
2. Don’t Second-Guess Your Swing
You’re up against a pitcher who’s causing you problems. Are you thinking about changing your stance to better approach the ball? If you don’t, you’ll find yourself in an even worse position than before. In a moment like this, it’s far better to stay with what you’ve practiced than to try something completely untested and perhaps weak. You know your stance basics (feet shoulder-width apart, weight centered, bat shouldered), and you know your swing will come straight from your stance, so the middle of an at-bat is not the time to explore. Besides, if your swing needs help, let your coach guide you.
3. Watch The Ball
Don’t start rolling your eyes just yet. Instead, “keep your eye on the ball” is one of the most common bits of softball advice. It’s so common that it’s incredibly easy to miss if you’re not actively trying to maintain it. When you get a pitch, you could be tempted to look at your grip, first base, the outfield, or anything else that isn’t the ball. If you’re a new hitter, you might be tempted to close your eyes. If you want to make contact, you must resist this impulse. Yes, you must be mindful of your grip as well as the positions of your on-base teammates and opposing outfielders, but facing down a pitch is not the place to check!
4. Use Your Hips to Swing
The movement of your hips will create a high portion of the force in your swing. If you concentrate on your arms, you’ll wind up overextending or bending them awkwardly, reducing the power of your hit. Rotating your hips and front-facing shoulder will result in a smoother, rounder swing with a lot greater impact when you make contact.
5. Touch Every Base
There are several base-running strategies available in the softball game. Still, this one, as simple as it is, is one of the most important. You don’t receive credit for making a base if you don’t make contact with it, but some runners might forget and trot right past in the excitement of the moment. All the smart base-running advice in the world won’t help you if you don’t make contact with the bases, so don’t waste your efforts or the efforts of your teammates. Make a conscious effort to make contact with every base as you circle it!
6. Never Stop Paying Attention
When playing certain fielding positions, it’s easy to get sidetracked and drift off, especially if you go innings without being engaged in the action. On the other hand, allowing yourself to become distracted is a way to make mistakes when the action does come back to you. It significantly slows your reaction time.
7. Collect The Ball With Two Hands Whenever Possible
Any ball that can be collected easily with two hands should be. Using two hands to collect grounders, pop-ups, and short or slow flies may not look spectacular, but it means that the ball does not accidentally roll out of your glove. If one-handed catches are the only option to collect a ball, go for it. Nevertheless, using two-handed catches wherever possible ensures you don’t make mistakes on balls that you should be catching.
8. Know How To Play At Least Two Positions
A skilled softball player is versatile and has at least once played all of the positions. If you’ve walked a mile in someone else’s shoes, you should be able to help your team while also throwing a curve-ball to the other team.
Wrapping Up
It takes a lot of time and practice to become a terrific softball player. However, the above tips can also help you become a skilled player. Along with your gameplay, you also need to look game ready. You can also visit A Supe Store for Alabama Softball merchandise.
