with Shonda Stanton,
Indiana University Head Coach;
former Marshall University Head Coach;
the winningest coach in Marshall softball history;
2017 Conference USA Coach of the Year;
2013 Conference USA Tournament Champions; 4x Conference champions;
former Coach for the Akron Racers of the Women's Professional Fastpitch League
Becoming a great hitter isn't an easy task. In addition to having solid swing fundamentals, good hitters need to have great timing and a plan for which pitches they want to hit. Shonda Stanton teaches you how to build a fundamentally-sound swing by using specific, yet simplified swing cues, progressions, and drills. She also addresses ways to help a hitter practice rhythm and timing of the pitch as well as drills to work on mental approach and situational hitting.
Coach Stanton builds from the ground up, stressing a few important aspects of hitting while keeping the batter comfortable while in the box. Her drill progression allows for players to develop an effective swing and then, more importantly, a great ability to execute at game speed.
Swing Mechanics
Make hitting a little easier to understand for your athletes. Coach Stanton uses a simplified approach to teach the mechanics of the swing by breaking it down into manageable parts, including:
- Stance
- Rhythm
- Negative move
- Stride
- Contact
- Finish
Learn the key points for each part of the swing and what to look for in each segment. She also discusses problematic areas of the swing and potential causes and cures.
Progression Drills
Coach Stanton demonstrates 16 drills that progressively increase in difficulty, building into the ultimate challenge of live hitting. Learn how to warm-up properly and prepare the body to swing ferociously with six bat calisthenics. Coach Stanton accentuates the phases of the swing while implementing a series of drills that build hitters from their foundations, including:
- No ball drills
- Still ball drills
- Tossed ball drills
Timing is one of the most difficult aspects of hitting. Coach Stanton offers six drills designed to emphasize different aspects of timing. You'll get four approach drills that work on bat control and pitch identification. There are also drills that force a batter to make decisions on which pitches to look for and how to hit them. The Spray Drill helps the batter learn bat control and place balls where they want them to go, while also learning to take pitches they might not be able to handle.
Finally, batting practice ends with live situational hitting drills where the hitters must execute in five common situations:
- Hit and run
- Hit behind the runner going first to third base
- Score the runner from second base
- Runner at third base, sacrifice fly
- Runner at third base, score them anyway
Get your players hitting more strategically to drive in more runs with this great video from Coach Stanton!
66 minutes. 2017.