Softball Drills for Developing Slappers

Get the most out of your practice time with slap drills that will keep your slappers' batting average up and strike out percentage down.

Ehren Earleywine follows up his slapping mechanics DVD by introducing 18 different drills he uses to help develop his University of Missouri slappers. For each drill presented, Coach Earleywine discusses the key coaching points as a few of his slappers demonstrate. He also presents video analysis of three different types of slaps, to help address coaching points for several of the drills.

These drills cover every aspect of slapping, starting with footwork and the importance of slappers running in a straight line out of the batter's box. Earleywine introduces a toe touch tee drill to put the slapper into the launch position and isolate the mechanics of the upper body.

Many of the drills Earleywine talks about emphasize developing the proper bat plane. To illustrate the importance of getting on plane with a pitch, he shows video of his slappers hitting various pitches. Earleywine introduces a few of the tee drills he uses to work on bat plane with rise and drop balls. He also shows a few innovative ways to throw front toss that simulates rise and drop balls, including a tennis ball bounce drill.

Often, slappers are naturally right handed, and therefore have weaker left hands. Coach Earleywine shows one-handed slap drills to strengthen the left hand, as well as hitting away and using a heavier bat.

Bat control is also of vital importance to slappers. Earleywine provides two drills designed to work on bat control through ball placement. You will also learn a few drills for eye hand coordination and timing.

This DVD will be an asset to softball coaches at any level. Use Coach Earleywine's drills to develop every aspect of your team's slapping game and dominate the batter's box!

47 minutes. 2013.