So you want to be a slap hitter??

Description of a Slap Hitter

They are in the left-handed batter’s box. The slap hitter moves/runs toward a ball that is moving toward her with the goal of making contact. Her goal is to read the defense and put the ball in play, primarily to the left side of the infield and utilize her speed to get on base and put pressure on the defense.

The slap hitter is usually the No. 1, No. 2 or No. 9 hitter in lineup. The slapper has to be probably the most disciplined hitter on your team. They have to know the strike zone, the umpire’s strike zone and know what the pitcher is capable of throwing.

What a Slap Hitter Can Do For an Offense

If there are runners on base, the slap hitter can force defenses to line up in different positions. The slap hitter is usually a lead-off hitter, and has been that player who can get on and steal a base. I like to have two slap hitters hitting back-to-back in the line-up, this allows you to do more things on offense and puts even more pressure on the defense. You can call for a hit-and-run, a sacrifice bunt or a drag bunt.

Bunting is a huge part of slap hitting. The slap hitter has to have the ability to read the defense and to pick out where to bunt the ball. They have to study the defense, watch the corners. Sometimes they have to drag bunt or drop the bunt in front of the pitcher or slap the ball down the left field line or over an outfields head.

Several Myths about the Slap Hitter

The most common myth about the slap hitter is that they can’t swing away or they can’t hit with power. I believe that is wrong. With the technology and the strength of the players today, there are a lot more slap hitters who can drive the ball to the outfield, and are multi-dimensional and can swing away.

Another common myth is that slap hitters are just fast players. Speed is nice, but the slap hitter has to be tough. They are going to get inside pitches and might get hit a couple of times. They will be called upon to steal bases. This requires sliding and diving into base and the possible risk of injury that comes along with playing aggressively.