MILLARD SOUTH MILLARD SOUTH SOFTBALLSOFTBALL

HITTING PHILOSOPHYHITTING PHILOSOPHY

OUR PURPOSEOUR PURPOSE

REINFORCE WHAT WE ARE REINFORCE WHAT WE ARE TEACHINGTEACHING

CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT OF CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT OF TRUSTTRUST

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN INSTRUCTIONINSTRUCTION

ANSWER QUESTIONSANSWER QUESTIONS

THE EVOLUTION OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE SWINGTHE SWING

HISTORICAL METHODSHISTORICAL METHODS LINEAR SWING (CHARLIE LAU)LINEAR SWING (CHARLIE LAU) ROTATIONAL SWINGROTATIONAL SWING SOFTBALL SWING VS. BASEBALL SOFTBALL SWING VS. BASEBALL

SWINGSWING

HITTING BASED ON HITTING BASED ON RESEARCHRESEARCH

http://www.norcalhitting.com/http://www.norcalhitting.com/Fastpitch.htmFastpitch.htm

http://www.batspeed.com/http://www.batspeed.com/ http://www.beabetterhitter.com/http://www.beabetterhitter.com/

index.htmlindex.html http://www.sportskool.com/sports/softballhttp://www.sportskool.com/sports/softball http://www.game-ex.com/drills/http://www.game-ex.com/drills/

index.shtmlindex.shtml http://www.mikeepsteinhitting.com/http://www.mikeepsteinhitting.com/

OUR BASIC OUR BASIC PHILOSOPHYPHILOSOPHY

TO MAINTAIN CHAMPIONSHIP TO MAINTAIN CHAMPIONSHIP EXCELLENCE, A PLAYER HAS TO EXCELLENCE, A PLAYER HAS TO HIT A 65 MPH PITCH/AND A 45 HIT A 65 MPH PITCH/AND A 45 MPH CHANGEUPMPH CHANGEUP

OUR HITTING EMULATES OUR HITTING EMULATES CREIGHTON, MICHIGAN STATE, CREIGHTON, MICHIGAN STATE, ARIZONA, AND UCLA AMONG ARIZONA, AND UCLA AMONG OTHERSOTHERS

OUR RESULTSOUR RESULTS

YEARYEAR DOUBLES DOUBLES TRIPLESTRIPLES HOME RUNSHOME RUNS TOTAL EXTRA BASE HITSTOTAL EXTRA BASE HITS

19991999 17 17 10 10 1 1 2828

20002000 17 17 6 6 3 3 2626

20012001 7 7 4 4 0 0 1111

20022002 21 21 2 2 0 0 2323

20032003 16 16 6 6 0 0 2222

20042004 42 42 13 13 4 4 5959

20052005 55 55 10 10 9 9 7474

20062006 48 48 22 22 7 7 7777

20072007 52 52 19 19 1010 8181

THE MENTAL THE MENTAL APPROACHAPPROACH

STARTS AT PRACTICE, DRILLSSTARTS AT PRACTICE, DRILLS STARTS WITH CONFIDENCE IN WHAT IS BEING STARTS WITH CONFIDENCE IN WHAT IS BEING

TAUGHTTAUGHT EXTRA WORK IS REQUIREDEXTRA WORK IS REQUIRED IN A GAME, THE MENTAL APPROACH STARTS BEFORE IN A GAME, THE MENTAL APPROACH STARTS BEFORE

ENTERING THE BATTER’S BOXENTERING THE BATTER’S BOX NEVER PRESSURE BATTING AVERAGE – HIT THE BALL NEVER PRESSURE BATTING AVERAGE – HIT THE BALL

HARD AND BE SELECTIVEHARD AND BE SELECTIVE KNOW WHAT TO DO IN A HITTER’S COUNT (0-0, 1-0, 2-KNOW WHAT TO DO IN A HITTER’S COUNT (0-0, 1-0, 2-

0, 2-1, 3-1, [3-0?])0, 2-1, 3-1, [3-0?]) CAN’T EXPECT 100% RESULT FROM 60% EFFORTCAN’T EXPECT 100% RESULT FROM 60% EFFORT LEARN TO OVERCOME ADVERSITY AND FAILURELEARN TO OVERCOME ADVERSITY AND FAILURE

THE MILLARD SOUTH THE MILLARD SOUTH SWINGSWING

STARTS IN THE GRIPSTARTS IN THE GRIP HAVE A WAY TO RELEASE TENSIONHAVE A WAY TO RELEASE TENSION THOUGHTS ON STANCETHOUGHTS ON STANCE

- EYES- EYES

- ELBOW- ELBOW

- CLOSED OR OPEN?- CLOSED OR OPEN?

- IS BAT POSITION IMPORTANT?- IS BAT POSITION IMPORTANT?

THE LOADTHE LOAD

WE DON’T BELIEVE IN STEP-SWING WE DON’T BELIEVE IN STEP-SWING IN A CONTINUOUS MOTION IN A CONTINUOUS MOTION (LINEAR)(LINEAR)

WE GO FROM STANCE TO LOADWE GO FROM STANCE TO LOAD– BAT OFF SHOULDER (MAINTAIN POWER V)BAT OFF SHOULDER (MAINTAIN POWER V)– SLIGHT WEIGHT SHIFT TO BACK SIDE SLIGHT WEIGHT SHIFT TO BACK SIDE

(CAUSED BY ELEVATION ON FRONT BIG TOE)(CAUSED BY ELEVATION ON FRONT BIG TOE)– BOTH EYES FORWARD AND LEVEL (NOT BOTH EYES FORWARD AND LEVEL (NOT

CHIN DOWN)CHIN DOWN)

NOW IT’S TIME TO NOW IT’S TIME TO SWINGSWING

MENTALLY LOOK FOR A PITCH TO MENTALLY LOOK FOR A PITCH TO HIT THE SNOT OUT OFHIT THE SNOT OUT OF

SHORT STRIDE WHERE FRONT TOE SHORT STRIDE WHERE FRONT TOE COMES DOWN, LEAVING A FIRM COMES DOWN, LEAVING A FIRM FRONT SIDEFRONT SIDE

KEEP BAT IN LAUNCH POSITION – KEEP BAT IN LAUNCH POSITION – DON’T CARRY HANDS WITH DON’T CARRY HANDS WITH STRIDESTRIDE

DON’T HIP SLIDEDON’T HIP SLIDE

A = BATA = BAT B = BALLB = BALL

IF THERE IS A “C” TOO MUCH IS IF THERE IS A “C” TOO MUCH IS OCCURINGOCCURING

KNOB LEADS TO BALLKNOB LEADS TO BALL QUICK HANDS “TO IT”QUICK HANDS “TO IT” HANDS STAY INSIDE THE BALLHANDS STAY INSIDE THE BALL HEAD IS STILLHEAD IS STILL TAKE THE “POWER V” TO THE BALLTAKE THE “POWER V” TO THE BALL

CONTACTCONTACT

LEAD ARM – PALM DOWN (ON KNOB)LEAD ARM – PALM DOWN (ON KNOB) TOP ARM – PALM UP (STRONG ARM)TOP ARM – PALM UP (STRONG ARM) ARMS ARE NOT LOCKEDARMS ARE NOT LOCKED CHIN, NAVEL, BACK HIP, BACK KNEE CHIN, NAVEL, BACK HIP, BACK KNEE

ALL COULD “TAKE PICTURE” OF BALLALL COULD “TAKE PICTURE” OF BALL ““IKE TO MIKE” SHOULDER TO IKE TO MIKE” SHOULDER TO

SHOULDERSHOULDER

WE’VE BEEN ‘TO IT’ NOW WE’VE BEEN ‘TO IT’ NOW ‘THROUGH IT’‘THROUGH IT’

STAY ON THE PLANE OF THE PITCH AS LONG AS STAY ON THE PLANE OF THE PITCH AS LONG AS POSSIBLEPOSSIBLE

INSIDE – PULL/OUTSIDE – MIDDLE OPP.INSIDE – PULL/OUTSIDE – MIDDLE OPP. DO NOT ROLL THE TOP WRIST OR AS LATE AS DO NOT ROLL THE TOP WRIST OR AS LATE AS

POSSIBLE (NEW SWING VS. OLD SOFTBALL SWING)POSSIBLE (NEW SWING VS. OLD SOFTBALL SWING) ““EXTEND AND EXTEND AGAIN” – OUT AND THEN UPEXTEND AND EXTEND AGAIN” – OUT AND THEN UP BACK SIDE HAS TO COME UP AND THROUGH – BACK SIDE HAS TO COME UP AND THROUGH –

BACK SHOESTRINGS AND BELLY BUTTON TO BACK SHOESTRINGS AND BELLY BUTTON TO PITCHERPITCHER

SOLID FRONT SIDE KEEPS BODY FROM OVER-SOLID FRONT SIDE KEEPS BODY FROM OVER-ROTATION “BALLERINA SWING”ROTATION “BALLERINA SWING”