Hitting a homer takes serious skill, experience, and power. It is incredibly challenging to achieve this initiation rite because it takes strength, coordination, timing, and athleticism.
To hit a softball over the fence in softball, you must have a fast pitch through your strike zone, the proper swing mechanics, and enough strength to crush the ball among other things. You must hit the ball squarely in the center at a slight uppercut to power hit a homer.
This article will explain how hard it is to achieve a slow pitch or fast pitch home run, the best technique to hit home runs, and tips and strategies you can use to increase your hitting power.
What you need to hit a home run?
1) The right grip, stance, and swing
Proper swing mechanics is crucial for hitting. Without the right grip, stance, and swing, you won’t be able to hit a home run.
Grip
Your grip should be low on the bat, but not too low that you feel you can’t control your swing. Choking up on the bat can give you more control, but it takes power away from your swing. It is best to find a place in the middle where you feel comfortable and in control yet strong in your swing.
Stance
Your stance should be strong yet natural. Your feet should be hip-width apart. Your back should be straight. Don’t lean forwards or backwards.
Swing
The right swing is the most important aspect of hitting a home run. You should have complete control of the bat during the entire swing and follow through in one continuous motion. Use your entire body strength to hit the ball squarely.
Practicing your swing at a batting cage is a great idea to figure out what works and what doesn’t. If you think your swing needs work, you can ask a friend or coach for pointers.
2) Solid contact
When you have the right grip, stance, and swing, making solid contact becomes easier. Solid contact means hitting the ball in the center, not the upper or bottom half.
Hitting the upper half of the softball will lead to a grounder, and hitting the lower half will lead to pop ups. To hit a home run, try aiming for the center and aim “through” the ball.
You want to hit the ball squarely, but you also want to use the right part of your bat. The ball should hit your bat on the sweet spot, the thickest part.
Making good contact with the ball is just as important as strength when it comes to hitting home runs.
3) Power/Bat speed
It takes a lot of athleticism to hit the ball over the fence. When you make contact with the ball, you must use your entire body and all of your strength to crush the ball, not just your arms.
When hitting, try putting your weight on your back foot before the pitch. Then, transfer your body weight and momentum to the front during your swing. Rotate your hips during your swing to get even more power.
Perfecting your swing will allow you to use your full force to hit the ball. You want to use your entire body when you make contact with the ball. In addition, you should also work on your bat speed. The faster your bat speed, the further you can hit the ball.
4) Strength
Hitting a home run requires a lot of body strength. You need strength and overall athleticism to power hit the ball. If you believe that you practiced enough to perfect your swing but still aren’t hitting homers, it is probably because you do not have the strength.
Don’t worry, you can still hit a home run. But it won’t be easy! Strengthening your muscles through weight training will help you build muscle and increase your hitting power as well as your overall athleticism.
When working out to build softball-hitting muscles, focus on the arms, chest, shoulders, abs, calf muscles, glutes, and hamstrings.
5) The right pitch
Every pitch won’t be a “home run” pitch. The right pitch will be in your strike zone, but not every pitch in the strike zone will be the right one to hit a home run.
It is much harder to hit a home run in slow pitch softball than fast pitch. That’s because faster pitched balls allow you to use more power, which makes the ball go further.
If you are on a slow pitch softball team and are not hitting homers, it may not be your fault. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do about too slow pitches. You can try your hand at faster pitches at a batting cage.
6) Focus
No one can go up to bat without a plan or intention, halfheartedly swing, and hit a home run. It requires a focused approach. You must go up to bat with a plan. “Hitting a home run” is not a plan.
“Wait for a pitch slightly high in my strike zone and drive the ball up the middle” is a better plan. Having an intention before hitting helps you get ready for the pitch, which helps you achieve your goal.
7) Experience
If you are new to the game, you haven’t had much experience with hitting. You can’t expect to hit a home run as a beginner. Home runs take a ton of skill, so practice often to improve your hitting skills. A home run will come in time.
You can practice with slow pitches until you can hit the ball consistently, then try faster pitches. Batting cages are great for practicing hitting because every pitch is in the strike zone and you can choose from different speeds.
8) The right approach
Having the right approach is also essential in hitting home runs. If you feel pressured to perform, anxiety about hitting, or frustrated that you aren’t hitting home runs, it will be much harder to play your best.
Don’t put so much pressure on yourself to hit a home run. Instead, approach hitting as a fun experience to see what you are capable of. Leave your worries at home and loosen up in the batter’s box.
Also, don’t feel frustrated going into the batter’s box. Go in with a confident, strong, natural approach and see what you can do.
Hitting the ball over the fence is no easy task. A ton of skill and strength is necessary. You need both accuracy and power to hit a home run. One can’t work without the other. Fortunately, there are batting drills that can help you build your hitting skills.
Practicing hitting at the batting cages is an excellent idea. You can choose which speed you want to practice with and each pitch will be in the strike zone. While practicing hitting, you want to focus on bat control, swing mechanics, and bat speed.
If you are still not hitting home runs, it’s time to hit the weight room. Increasing your overall strength will help you hit the ball further and can even help you hit a home run.
