In all honesty, I'm a baseball guy who does softball. It's expected for umpires to be licensed for both around here.

Anyway, here's my question: Why do you see so many girls thump themselves in their back when they take practice swings? I never see boys do that. Just curious.

Maybe girls are more "bendy" than boys.

Question for a coach, maybe?
 

I'm glad someone asked this...I've often wondered this myself. One girl, very young, clearly still learning, took a practice swing, was a little too enthusiastic, and had to request time while she walked off the bruise she now had.

I'm sure there's a reason for this having something to do with swing mechanics, but I agree with TwoBits...maybe a head coach or batting coach can weigh in and clear this one up.

Charlie

I asked this same question to my 12 yr old DD's coach at the beginning of this season, and he explained it as having to train the girls to put effort into their swing. Basically, he said that when teaching girls to swing, they tend to be timid, and not swing through the ball like the boys do. Hitting their shoulder forced them to go "all the way around" and show power in their swing. Boys have the natural upper body strength that the girls tend to not have. Both a physical and a psychological thing.

That was his explanation... sounded good to me... but if there's another logical explanation, I'd love to hear it.

[Edited by SRW on Jun 30th, 2005 at 05:45 PM]

I've thought about this as well before. I think SRW's explanation is good, but I've got a little to add. If you think about the mechanics of a baseball swing vs. a softball swing.

In baseball the swing is a much longer monster. A larger step is taken, hands and arms are extended through the zone (unless they're fighting off an inside pitch). When you extend your arms through the zone like in baseball, it's tough to hit yourself in the back.

In softball, the swing is much more compact. The emphasis is on turning quick and quick hands. There is not nearly as much extension in the softball swing which is why when they power through, they end up smacking their shoulder/back area.

This is just what I've come up with having played baseball and having a sister that plays softball and watching lots of both games from umpiring. Just my 2 cents.

-Josh

Since I know SRW, I just have to say - find Webster for an explanation on how to spell explination. ;)

My DD has anything but a compact swing, and she routinely thumps her back when she takes practice cuts. The extra flexibility may have something to do with it, but she was taught by a coach to do it as part of a “full follow-through”.

I think the boys' swing is more controlled at the end - the bat is not "everything-they-can-handle", and stopping the bat is easier. The girls, probably a little weaker, in general (not as a rule... just generally) have to put everything into a swing to get the same batspeed, and are more unable to stop the swing after it's passed through the zone.

The thumping of the shoulder or tricep is a telltale sign that the hitter has been taught the "linear" method of hitting versus the "rotational" method.

These two methods represent one of the few long-running debates in softball as to which is better. (the others being whether a rise ball really rises, and high school versus travel)

Simply put, in linear the batter finishes with her hands way out in front of her body (towards the pitcher) thus allowing the barrell of the bat to make contact with the back of her arm or shoulder.

The rotational hitter finishes with her hands up high near the shoulder causing the barrell of the bat to be in the area of the opposite hip (RHB, back of left hip) or towards the butt.

Linear supposedly increases contact. Rotational is for power. From here the debate begins contact versus power. Not for this board.

Hopefully, that explains it.

Alright, buddy... problem fixed. http://www.deephousepage.com/smilies/jerkit.gif



:D

Take this to Eteamz.....where it belongs!!!! :D

This was brought up at my DD practice recently. One of the dads mentioned an old baseball player that wore a big pad on his shoulder. Brian

Hey Andy, See you on eteamz. I think you had a smiley in there, so I think you meant it in a positive way.

Hopefully you saw what I wrote
...Not for this board...

Power= Boys
Speed= Girls

...or so I was told....