Photons-Electrons in the context of softball from a physics viewpoint

When you coach kids in softball the number one thing any young player wants is to get a hit. Not a bunt, not an error, but an out of the infield, honest to god good hit. When you are coaching kids - the most important thing you must do is SIMPLIFY THE TASK.

Hitting a baseball becomes a physics lesson. You need to explain to the young player (and sometimes to the parents) that the most important aspect in hitting a baseball is bat speed - form is actually second. You must explain the physics of the bat being swung is 1/2 mass times velocity squared. In other words, the speed of the bat is four times more important than the weight of the bat. So, how do you know if the bat is too heavy? You have the young player grab the bat at the very end and hold it in one hand straight out for 7 seconds. If they are leaning backwards or shaking while they are doing this exercise, then clearly the bat is too heavy and you need a lighter bat.


The second key point from a physics standpoint in baseball is getting your hips into the swing. You
tell the young player that as they swing the bat, pretend there is a bug is below their rear foot and
to SQUISH  THE BUG as they swing. This will get their hips into the swing.



The third key point you see above is to make sure the player extends their arms fully when they swing and meet the ball with the bat being level to the ground. This again is a physics lesson - you lose tremendous
amounts of power by having the arms bent when you meet the ball.


Finally, make sure the player has the right grip on the bat. The players door knocking knuckles should be lined up as in the picture below. Why? Because this will be the proper hand position when they hit the ball. They might complain that it feels uncomfortable at first, but it is the right way to grip a bat. Special thanks to my middle son Michael for demonstrating the correct grip of a bat.

Of course there are other important points to hitting, but these first few are what will give
a young player success.

-Dave Edstrom

12 Tips For Hitting Success

Submitted by Coach Kent Marshall


1. Belief
2. Faith
3. Family
4. Team
5. Self

2. All Hitters are Different

1. Coach the player
2. Understand a player’s skills and strengths
3. Rotational hitters
4. Linear Hitters
5. Roto-linear Hitters
6. Power and speed
7. Approach
8. Flexibility
9. Vision
10. Execution

3. Balance (in all things)

1. If Softball is the only interest you have, you need a hobby.
2. Softball is not just hitting or pitching etc. Softball is a multi-skill sport that requires balance and dedication to all facets of the game.
3. Balance in life is important to help create a whole person.
4. A student-athlete is a student first. A player will be a citizen much longer than a player.

4. Desire

1. Set Goals
2. Create paths to success
3. Be disciplined
4. Be realistic, but dream BIG. You can do more than you think.

5. Forgetfulness

1. Give yourself some room to breath.
2. Don’t let your last bad swing affect your next good one.

6. Technique

1. Base
2. Hands
3. Negative / Load
4. Contact
5. Extension
6. Finish
7. Approach
8. Plate Distance

7. Athleticism

1. Use the players skills to the best of their ability


8. Situations

1. Teach and learn the game all of the time

9. Practice Makes Permanent

1. Look at what you do
2. Track success
3. Track failure
4. Understand why things happen
5. Be open enough to make needed changes

10. Aggression

1. Above all else GO HARD

11. Criticism is not negative

1. The goal of my coaching is to help shape and develop the whole person. To give each player the information and techniques to be the best person as well as the best player they can be.
2. Criticism, Critiquing, Coaching, Correcting are all part of helping the player become better. Many players see this as coaches looking down, not believing or getting down on a player. It couldn’t be further from the truth. Coaches correct, criticize to help players learn. Praise is awesome as long as it is honest praise. Saying over and over to a player you are doing great when they are not succeeding is dishonest and the player knows it.
3. Be tough enough, and honest enough to listen with an open mind to criticism.
4. Coaches who never criticize a player don’t care enough about that person to care if they improve. They don’t have the courage to have difficult conversations.

12. Goals

a. Goal setting is extremely important. Defining your hopes and dreams and laying out the steps required to achieve those is a valuable skill to have each player see clearly how they can succeed and improve. Honest, strong and challenging goals help make a player better and it is a vital life skill every player should have.

1. Define goals

a. Future
b. Season
c. Practice
d. Game
e. AB’s

Keys To Great Softball Hitting

By Andy Collins


Master these 7 steps and you are on your way to achieving your goal of being a hitter that can go as far as your dreams, desires, and hard work can take you.

Jump Into The Box
The stance is similar to when you land from a jump:

knees bent

feet slightly wider than your shoulders

on balance

bend slightly forward from the waist

Door Knocking Knuckles The best grip to use will line up the knuckles we would use to knock on a door. This allows for a freer and quicker swing.

Big Toe This reminds us of the soft step that starts the swing with weight landing on the big toe. It's no more than 6" and keeps the weight back while this step is taken. It also reminds us to keep the front foot closed.

Squish The Bug When we hit, we need to use not just our arms, but get the big muscles in our hips and torso working as well. This is a hard twisting on the ball of our back foot.

Karate Chop / Karate Punch We need to take the barrel of our bat right to the ball, like in karate. The lower hand would be a snap from the elbow straight out, while the top hand would go straight toward the ball so that it meets the ball in the ...

The Red Zone Hit the ball out in front, where our hands and arms are fully extended for maximum impact with the ball contacting the sweet spot of the bat. Also known as the hitting zone or success zone.

Follow Through This reminds us that once we've hit the ball to bring the bat through the zone quickly. You're still in your straight balanced position, but your bat goes right from contact to your shoulder or back.