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Posts Tagged ‘Fastpitch’

I am looking for a new bat for my first year of high school softball. I have seen a couple but I don’t know what is good or bad.

ABSOLUTELY!

Is money the only thing that determines which team will win? Of course not. Great players, great coaching, strategy, skill and luck all play a roll in winning fastpitch softball games. However, all things being equal, money will play a major roll in the outcome of a game. One obvious example is the team with a pitcher that is taking private pitching lessons versus a team whose pitcher is self-taught.

To be successful, the coach should set a budget at the beginning of the season that will allow for the purchase of training equipment. The coach will obviously have to gauge how much he thinks his parents can afford and then work within that figure. If money is a big issue, I strongly suggest cutting back on uniform cost. Oh my goodness, I have seen SO MANY teams that had great looking uniforms but couldn’t hit the ball. Fastpitch softball uniforms can easily run in the $50 – $80 range. The uniform will NOT win any games. It is the skill level of the player in the uniform that wins games. A player can easily be outfitted for $30 and the money saved can be put towards training equipment. Just think how nice the end of season picture will look with all the players holding a First place trophy!

Each team’s equipment budget will be unique for that team based on needs and resources, however $500 would go a long towards properly equipping a team. Below is a list of softball training equipment and an approximate cost to help build your team budget. The list has been put together based on the biggest “bang for the buck”.

1) A protective face mask for the pitcher, $40. Safety is always first. Try to coax the league into supplying this item, however if they refuse you should prepared to cover this cost.

2) The ASA Hitting Fundamentals video, $30. If you are going to teach others, you may as well learn from the best and know what you are doing.

3) A Hitting tee, $20. A hitting allows for increased batting practice which will result in better hitters.

4) Practice balls, such as plastic balls or sponge balls, $40. I’ve never known a team that had too many practice balls. Plastic or sponge balls will allow the coach to make better use of his practice facility without sacrificing safety. Who needs hard softballs raining down from every angle of the field when a sponge ball will do just fine?

5) Spring loaded pitching machine, $180. This is the VERY best way to throw consistent pitches to batters in order to maximize batting practice. A pitching machine will easily double the amount of productive batting practice time.

6) A composite fastpitch softball bat, $170. A current model will cost an additional $100 so buy last year’s model on clearance. Bats are an item where you get what you pay for. A good bat will make a difference in the win column.

7) A Coacher magnetic lineup board, $20. This is a very inexpensive item that will greatly help eliminate position and batting order mistakes.

A portable hitting net, $120. This will increase the efficiency of your practice area and it will allow for pre-game batting practice.

The cost of all of the items is about $620. I just couldn’t resist the net. However, the top four items on the list only add up to about $130 which would translate to about $11 per player. Any team can come up with enough money to cover those items, and they would make a significant difference in a team’s practices and performance on the field. Don’t let $11 stand between success and failure.

For offensive and defensive fastpitch softball game strategy feel free to visit http://www.mysoftballcoach.com where topics such as defensive positioning and batting lineup strategies are covered in detail.

Also, for specific fastpitch softball equipment reviews, please see http://www.mysoftballcoach.com/softball-equipment.html. Some equipment is worth the money, other equipment is a waste of money. Budget wisely and make the most of your equipment purchases.

Go Get ‘em, Coach!

There are a number of advantages to using fastpitch softball bats and among them are the ability score more runs, add greater number of hits as well as win more at the sport. It is quite surprising to learn that many fastpitch softball bats can actually help you to hit the ball as much as twenty percent harder than your normal run of the mill softball bats. With such bats around, you can look forward to turning your ground outs into single runs scored, and you can also turn your single runs into doubles.

Most people that are interested in the sport of softball are keen to know which the best bats are. There are of course quite a few options to choose from and before you choose any particular one you need to do some comparisons. Some people prefer using a Miken while others will go for the Anderson RocketTech. Still others would prefer the Worth Mayhem and there are also many takers for Easton Stealth as well as Louisville Slugger Catalyst and it would also be wrong to discount the DeMarini Onyx.

With so much variety to choose from, it can be hard figuring out which fastpitch softball bats are the best. To make things simple you need to follow a few simple rules such as making sure that the bats are tested as well as held to the twenty percent rule. In other words it should not be possible for the ball to come off from your fastpitch softball bat at a speed greater than one hundred and twenty percent of the speed at which it came into contact with the bat.

Any differences that are noticed can be accounted to the way that the bats are weighed and also how they are balanced as well as the amount of flexibility that is ingrained in it which gives the bats their whipping effect. Another feature that you will need to look closely at when choosing your fastpitch softball bats is the numbers on it which include numbers such as minus 10, 9 and 8 and these numbers relate to the length versus weight. So, a bat with -10 will be thirty-one inches long and twenty ounces in weight.

To get the best out of your fastpitch softball bats you should go for ones that are longer as well as on the lighter side; however, if the batter is tall as well as lanky you may well have to choose a bat that is more compact. Another aspect to buying the correct fastpitch softball bats is that you should not expect to pay less for the bats and at the same time expect too much in return. There is bound to be a difference between a twenty dollar bat and one that costs upwards of fifty dollars. However, it may be more advisable to buy a bat that costs between one hundred and seventy-five dollars and two hundred and seventy-five dollars for which price you can expect to get premium quality fastpitch softball bats. If you are in need of saving some money; then consider buying a slightly outdated model which will mean having to pay between forty and one hundred dollars less.

• Interchangeable 3-Stripes for color personalization
• TORSION SYSTEM for best abrasion resistance in the toe area

Product Description
Play like a girl: fast and hard. The adidas® Fastpitch III women’s softball cleat is designed to let you do just that, with a lightweight synthetic leather upper and a compression-molded EVA midsole for springy, responsive cushioning. A TRAXION™ outsole offers dependable traction on the diamond.Amazon.com Product Description
For total traction that will give your performance a leg up, this classic grippy cleat is it. With new metal plate for top traction and adiTUFF toe cap for added durability…. More >>

adidas Women’s Fastpitch III Metal Baseball Cleat

• Largest hitting area in the game
• Easton’s focused Flex handle technology increases power
• Patented CXN technology provides extra kick and increased bat speed
• 400 Day Manufacturer’s Warranty
• Meets all 2009 Bat Performance Standards – ASA, USSSA, NSA, ISA, ISF and SSUSA

Product Description
The Easton SSR3B Stealth Speed (-10) combines the largest multi-wall hitting area in the game with Easton’s Focus Flex handle design and 2-piece CXN technology, to deliver increased bat speed and more power at impact…. More >>

Easton STEALTH SPEED-10 Fastpitch Softball Bat