Slapping Mechanics, Fundamentals & Drills

with Jessica Bracamonte,
University of Toledo Head Coach;
Duke University Assistant Coach from 2019 to 2022;
2021 ACC Tournament Champions;
Central Michigan University Assistant Coach from 2013 through 2019;
2017 MAC Regular Season Champions;
former Golden West College Assistant Coach;
played professionally with the Chicago Bandits (National Pro Fastpitch);
at Michigan State University, led the Big Ten in triples (4) as a senior

Are you and your slappers seeking more accuracy and success at the plate? If so, then this video will cover all the fundamentals you need to turn your slappers into chaos-creating machines!

Coach Jessica Bracamonte presents more than 20 fundamental slapping drills that can be used at any age to drill your players' footwork, hips and shoulders while slapping. The key to a slapper's success is the ability to put the ball in play and make the defense rush. The drills in this video will teach your players to do just that!

Slapping-Specific Warm-Ups

Coach Bracamonte starts with a handful of drills that can be used with your slappers to warm them up properly and get their bodies used to the motion and movement they will need to slap properly. It's a two fold warm-up progression:

• 1. The dynamic warm-up helps prevent injury
• 2. The warm-up create muscle memory, making the process of slapping easier for the athlete

Drills to Refine Technique

As Bracamonte progresses through the video, she introduces a handful of drills that can be used both off the tee or from soft toss to reinforce proper slapping techniques. You'll see footwork drills to get your players through the box quicker and more accurately, hand drills to teach your players how to strike the ball for a desired effect, and location drills to explode out of the box to get down the line quicker.

Coach Bracamonte focuses on teaching players how to "hold the line" and keep their slap approach straight and consistent, which is an important technique to be able to reach the outside corner of the plate where most pitchers throw to slappers. A slapper's ability to soft slap or hard slap when the situation calls for it is what makes a dangerous slapper, and Bracamonte's fungo drill helps slappers create that ability.

If you are looking for a video that teaches your slappers how to be fundamentally sound from the ground up with their feet, hips, shoulders and hands, then look no further! Coach Bracamonte presents a variety of drills that range from warm-up form to exploding out of the box and are great for any level of slapper.

55 minutes. 2021.