Kids fresh out of tee-ball or coach-pitch softball invariably have flaws in their stance, stride, swing and finish -- like the tee-baller's exaggerated wind up before the swing and the uppercut used in an attempt to hit home runs.  Players continue to refine their flaws throughout their "slow-pitch" careers so they can hit the ball harder and farther.  Coaches may try to teach better hitting techniques, but kids generally don't change because they know what works.  Then, of course, as the players progress into higher levels of the game, they encounter faster pitchers, and inevitably the techniques that worked in the past become liabilities.  Good "slow-pitch" power hitters become lousy fastpitch hitters because:

• The exaggerated wind up or negative move (pulling the arms and shoulders back, with little control, before the swing) increases the distance the bat has to cover to reach the hitting zone, and contributes to late, sweeping swings;
• The long stride and early shifting of weight to the front foot locks the hips -- as a result, the lower body and legs contribute little towards the quickness and power necessary to hit pitches in excess of 50 mph and the player puts herself in a position (with all her weight on her front foot) to be totally fooled by the change-up;
• An early extension of the arms, whether preceded by an exaggerated wind up or not, results in a sweeping swing with no hip turn -- the result is slow bat speed and loss of the power generated by the lower body and legs; and
• The uppercut, generally preceded by dropping the hands before the swing, reduces the chances of making contact with the ball and, when contact is made, results in pop-ups instead of the "home runs" these batters are used to getting.

Teaching the fundamentals necessary to overcome these poor hitting techniques can be a frustrating experience for both coaches and players.  All of these flaws inhibit progress in achieving the most important objectives of the fastpitch hitter:

• Achieving maximum force with minimal effort
• Using live and independent hands
• Increasing the speed of the bat throughout the swing - slow to fast speed
• Hitting through a long zone - staying on the plane of the pitch as long as possible

Everything about the fastpitch swing must be tailored to achieve these objectives.  The discussion that follows highlights the key elements necessary to achieve a fundamentally sound fastpitch swing.  These techniques should be taught when the players are young, before they get locked into habits that must be changed as they get older.

All descriptions that follow are for right-handed hitters.  Adjust accordingly for left-handed hitters.

Negative Movement	Just as in throwing a ball, the hitter should make a move back towards the catcher -- this is a lateral move, not a twisting motion The right elbow should remain away from the body The right knee stays inside the right foot The belly button will be behind the head
Stride (including toe touch and heel plant)	After the negative move, the batter makes a positive move to toe touch The batter can move her stride foot forward (no more than 2 - 4 inches) with the toes pointing out at a 45° angle to the pitcher The belly button will be in line with the head -- this completes the lateral movement of the body Use the front hip as the axis of rotation After toe touch, slam the heel down Hip rotation begins at heel plant