Garland Shirley: The Complete Guide to Teaching Slap Hitting- From Bunting to Blasting The Ball & More!

with Garland Shirley,
Clarke University Softball Coach;
2021 recipient (1st ever) of NFCA's Natasha Watley Scholarship for Social Change;
In his first 2 seasons, set Clarke's school record for win-total turnaround by improving his team's record by 26 wins;
Marshalltown Community College Head Coach from 2015 to 2018;
Coached 13 All-Region players in three seasons and produced the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) Offensive Player of the Year in 2017;
Ankeny Centennial High School (IA) - Head Coach from 2014 to 2018;
Van Meter Community High School (IS) Head Coach from 2009 to 2014 (Iowa's first-ever African-American High School Head Softball Coach);
compiled a 117-61 overall record, was named the 2012 District Coach of the Year and led the school to its first state tournament appearance in 2012

Softball coaches know that if you want to develop a good slap hitter you need to begin with great fundamentals and work your way up to more advanced concepts. Garland Shirley, the head coach at Clarke University, has created a loaded instructional video featuring all the essential fundamentals – ranging from how to teach the necessary basics, while offering up valuable coaching points and a series of excellent drills that teach the art of slap-hitting from footwork to hard slaps.  

Slap Fundamentals From Beginner To Advanced

Coach Shirley hits the ground running in this video, by showcasing a series of tee drills that develop your complete slappers – including bunting, soft slaps and hard slaps – all with a proven progression of tee work.

Through the instructions shown in the first half of this video, you'll receive key information that teaches slap hitters how to see the ball better and make better contact. The tee drills demonstrated in this video does both, all while also stressing proper footwork, hand-eye coordination and multiple types of slap hits. 

Directional Slapping, Adding Power To The Equation

Coach Shirley next guides viewers through the process of teaching your slappers how to hit directionally on cue, as well as how to develop power swings – utilizing an ingenious, side-step approach that allows hitters to swing-away, without giving away the fact that he or she is not slapping on that pitch.

At the conclusion of the video, viewers are shown long-tee drills to help develop slapping power while allowing your hitters to see where they are hitting. These drills give key repetitions for hitters to work on hit placement to designated areas on the field, such as the 5-6 hole, which is a slappers goal location to hit.

This is an essential video to own if you want to help your players to become better slap hitters. Garland Shirley teaches you how to get the most from your slappers – while utilizing a ground-up approach. The tee lessons demonstrated in this video helps any slapper, from the beginner to the advanced, to become more consistent, more accurate and dangerous at the plate. This video is also packed with great progression drills that apply to slappers of all ages and experience levels. 

59 minutes. 2022.