For the casual beer league softball player, the art of hitting is sometimes viewed as simply stepping to the plate and hacking away as hard as you can. But if you take the sport more seriously, there are some fundamental techniques you can use to improve your hitting. Even if you're just playing in a recreational league with coworkers or on Sundays with the church crowd, everyone loves to feel like a big-league slugger.
Step 1
Study the pitcher before you get to the plate. Slow-pitch rules dictate that the arc of the pitch must be between 6 and 12 feet high -- a wide range. So if the pitcher has been throwing high, be patient, because the pitch is going to take longer to reach home plate. If she's throwing low, conversely stay on your toes and be ready to swing away. Stay away from any pitch outside the boundaries.
Step 2
Get into your stance. Bend your knees with your feet shoulder-width apart and pointing at home plate. Hold the bat around shoulder height, with your hands near your back shoulder. Your outside hand should be your bottom hand, with your thumbs wrapped around the handle and the pinkie finger of your back hand touching the index finger on your front hand. Treat the bat like an egg -- hold it just tight enough so you don't lose your grip on it, but don't squeeze it too tightly.
Step 3
Trigger your swing by striding forward with your front leg as the pitch approaches. At the same time, begin to swivel your hips and shift your momentum forward. Bring the bat through the zone and keep your hands at the front of your swing. Don't drop them or let them stay back behind your arms. Aim to hit the ball as it is dropping over the plate with the thickest part of the barrel -- also known as the sweet spot.
Step 4
Follow through. Keep your eyes on the ball until you have finished making contact. Don't slow your swing as you move the bat through the zone. Maintain maximum bat speed until your hands have reached your front-side shoulder. When your follow-through is complete, drop the bat and take off for first base. You can sneak a glance at the ball, but don't spend time rubbernecking and cost yourself the chance to beat out a ground ball or turn a single into a double.
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