Ever wonder why some of the best softball hitters in the country use a T? Well, in this short segment (because it’s the off season and yes I have that kind of time) I’m going to talk about some of the benefits of using a T to improve your swing. More over, it’s winter and with a T and a popup net you can practice anywhere by your self, and even indoors in your garage. Now this is NOT me saying that you should do that…because you need to make sure nothing breakable is around, in case you miss…. So with that disclaimer out of the way on to talking about why you should practice with a T.
First and most obvious … the T provides a consistent “pitch”. By hitting a ball in the same location and with the same part of the barrel you become more consistent.
Second with the ball in a consistent position in order to make contact you’ll focus more because you know you can miss the ball and hit the T. This will in turn help you keep your head down and and make better contact. The contact spot for a pitch down the middle is directly opposite the front hip. Consider if you were going to throw a punch. You would need the target to be standing at this spot in order for your punch to provide maximum efficiency.
Contact for an inside pitch occurs sooner, and out in front of the body.. which means you have to get the bat head out in front in order to “catch” it on the sweet spot. By using a T you can practice and put the ball in various positions which help you align your body and your swing with the location of the pitch. The player must understand where to make contact with different pitches so that they can hit the ball hard at each location. This is what we mean when we say “Hit the ball where it is pitched.”
The third thing that happens (usually by accident) is that the batters swing slows down. You slow the bat down to maximize your contact and hit the middle of the ball. This usually has unexpected benefits. Most batters “swing hard” but that causes them to get there body out of alignment, or pull there head, or be to far out on there front foot… in other words, the mechanics are off and wrong. By slowing down your swing becomes more “connected” which in turn means you generate more power with less effort. The result is the ball goes further. Not what you’d think right?
Finally the T helps the batter focus on the ball and contact which means that they stop trying to muscle the ball and they relax and swing smooth. The less tension there are in your muscles the “smoother” a connected swing becomes.
Once you use a T for a few days then take live pitching you’ll be surprised and the difference it can and does make. Once you’ve started using a T as part of your routine you’ll see the benefits and probably incorporate T work into every weeks practice routine.
Have a good off season, and we’ll see you out there.
Softball Nation 365 