1. Lift to Hit
Hitting a softball takes total body strength. Therefore, boost your power in the off-season by performing the following basic core, upper body and leg exercises. Do three sets of 10 reps, two to three times a week for about 40 minutes a session. Perform sit-ups, crunches, straight leg lifts, bench press, push-ups, dips, pull-ups, curls, military press, squats and leg press. Hit throughout the off-season to maintain the flexibility of your swinging motion. When the season starts, gear it down by lifting less (one to two times a week) and performing more cardio exercises.
2. Explode Through the Zone
When you angrily slam a door, your arm continues to move after the door shuts. This is called a follow-through, and it is an important aspect for athletic skills (punching, tackling) where power is the aim. Some hitters stop their swing as soon as they make contact with a softball. This makes for slow bat speed leading to puny fly balls or weak ground-outs. True power hitters continue their swing long after they hit the ball. This is called hitting through the ball and its purpose is to add distance (power) to the swing. Explode your bat through the hitting zone and continue your swing until your hands finish high over your front shoulder.
3. Get a Good Pitch to Hit
Ted Williams once said that one of the most important things for a hitter to consider is getting a good pitch to hit. Williams was a Hall of Fame baseball player, but his advice works well for softball. All hitters have sweet spots where they hit with more power. For example, many softball players prefer pitches out over the plate rather than high and inside or low and away. Your job is to find where your zone is, then wait the pitcher out until he throws one into it.
4. Tension Is a Killer
Hitting guru Charley Lau stated that tension is a hitter's greatest enemy. When a hitter is tight at the plate, his swing slows down and he loses power. The key is to swing hard but with as little tension as possible. Do this by loosening your grip and having a little movement (rocking back and forth, waving the bat) in your stance. Some batters call this their trigger or hitting mechanism.
5. Rotational Instead of Linear
There are endless hitting theories with numerous disciples dedicated to each method. One interesting theory claims that the old linear mechanics (weight shift and forward movement of hands) are flawed: the bat speed can only be maximized if the hitter uses rotational mechanics where the hands and bat move in a circular motion. Such a swing uses torque to generate power by pushing the bat handle with the top hand while pulling it with the bottom. This is said to complement the circular path of the hitter's hands and trunk, leading to a more efficient and powerful swing.
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