WCWS hitting stances

I think it has more to do with timing and the ability of the muscles to react (male vs. female). Atleast that is what I'm going with.

Fastpitch is transitioning from linear to rotational. Most of the older players (like Smith) used linear. The swings will look the same as MLB soon.

Interesting. I was thinking the same thing, and I have heard some of the schools still teach linear. What I find strange is that a lot of the young ladies coming up through club ball are being taught rotational then when they get to college linear is being pushed. Katie Cochran one of the best hitters in college was pure rotational, and yet I believe ASU coaches are more linear in there teachings. At least that is what I have heard.

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Originally posted by larrythompson:
I think it has more to do with timing and the ability of the muscles to react (male vs. female). Atleast that is what I'm going with.

I believe there is some truth to this.You add the much closer pitchers mound/circle with a quicker reaction time than baseball,even though the pitches are slower.

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Katie Cochran one of the best hitters in college was pure rotational, and yet I believe ASU coaches are more linear in there teachings. At least that is what I have heard.

Katie is the best hitter ever in softball....Her dad taught her how to hit........They modeled her swing from Ted Williams......Her dad works with several current players....

Many College softball players have hitting instructors.....If you're a really good hitter before College, you can do your own thing at most schools....

While we would be blessed to be able to say our daughter will have the ability to play in college, to be sure, she has only known what I have coached for my baseball team. My daughter, and many others, have made that move early on. Brianna first attending my hitting camp at the age of 8. She attended every advanced hitting camp from that time forward where we did film work, taught concepts like the relationship between the knees, how the shoulders and hips are tied together, how to think of connection as a kenetic chain effect starting from toe touch and not just a simply hands and shoulder combination... She can explain this back now to anyone who ask. I don't think she would be alone. Katie Cochran is exceptional and yet, even she would tell you that female hitters have become such students of the game and have now demanded better coaching. They know that film work, drill work, ... all have to be specific to the player and not some cookie cutter formula. I know that Mike Lotief at ULL has been a pioneer in changing the game. Anyone that has spoken a few minutes with him knows that he can speak of hitting in any terms that you want and so, can find that denominator necessary for his players to have success. If you look at Candrea and Enquist, they have both changed and now work with RVP. I disagree that the swings of most of the young ladies in the CWS demonstrates a lower level swing. Are they the equivalent of MLB? Well, some are but most are not. Are they high level? In my opinion, yes AND they are continuing to improve. Howard Carrier made the point on another website that there are phisological difference that might make side by side comparisons of MLB Players and the best in fastpitch softball suspect at best. Still, many of us who watch the College World Series (I almost didn't get to watch since my TV went out.) are impressed with these player's swings. JMHO!

"True Story"

Many years ago, while walking with two Chinese
Olympic softball ladies in Beijing on the way to a Chinese restaurant, we discussed their hitting styles.

Inside the 300 customer "eatery", I exhibited with chopsticks the "swing" and stance of the ladies left handed swings. I mentioned that they both could be the best hitting instructors in China to women and men baseball players. Of course, the customers thought this was a "show". Next came the sliding drill.HA!

The Chinese ladies have the same swing as our American girls, Strong and quick with a balanced lower body.

Bob

Bob, that is an interesting story. Do you know who Howard Carrier is?

Coach 25;
yes I have recognized his name. When the Chinese girls were 16, they entered a Sports Academy for training 360 days each year.

Later they became coaches of young baseball and softball players. My son in 1999, signed the 1st Chinese player at age 16 for the Seattle Mariners.

One of the ladies was his baseball coach at the Baseball School in Beijing.

Bob