While slapping, two things need to work in unison to be successful: The footwork and the swing. When you slap, your feet lead your hands in the box, so it’s natural that you learn the proper footwork first (either the two-step or three-step approach). After your feet get moving, your hands follow. Follow along closely as this guide isolates the basic swing technique for slapping.
Note: This guide focuses solely on the swinging aspect of slapping. Check out our guides on slapping in softball to learn the proper footwork and timing.
The Grip & Bat Placement
The first thing you need to know is how to hold the bat.
- Left hand goes on top: If you are a right-handed batter transitioning to the left side, this may feel awkward. But with time and repetition, it will feel more comfortable.
- Line up your knuckles: Just like with regular grip, line up the knuckles you’d use to knock on a door. You may stagger your knuckles slightly, but don’t lose the grip.
- Choke up: For new slappers, choke up on the bat handle as high as is necessary until you feel complete control over the bat. If the bat still seems too heavy, opt for a lighter and shorter bat.
- Place the bat on your back shoulder: Your arms should make an upside down “V,” and the bat handle should be parallel to the ground or slightly angled upward.
- You can either slap from this position or you may lift the bat a few inches off your shoulder. If you prefer, you can raise the bat to a 45-degree angle above your back shoulder.
“As far as I’m concerned, slapping is softball. It’s as much a part of softball as is the underhand pitching motion. It has its place in our game and I personally think it’s exciting. Slapping is unique and different, but it’s undeniably consistent and effective. Baseball purists might not like it, but they can’t argue that it works.”
Stacey Nuveman
Former USA Softball
The Swing
For slapping, try to utilize an “inside-out” swing. That is, your hands should always be inside of the ball, and you should swing out and away from your body. The optimal spot for slapping is the 5/6 hole, between the shortstop and third base, which you can hit by contacting the ball at your back hip.
Your Feet Lead
When you slap, your feet start your motion:
- Depending on the approach, you will either step back (three-step approach) or your body weight will start shifting forward (two-step approach).
- Then, your back leg (no matter which approach you use) will cross over and step in front of your front foot.
- Finally, your hands go.
Keep Your Swing Tight
When you swing, keep the bat as close to your body as possible. The tighter your swing, the more successful you will be — you will not succeed as a slapper with a huge swing. You do this by keeping your hands inside the ball at all times. Also, a slap must be incredibly compact.
How you swing comes next:
- Start with your bat in its starting position. For beginners, the bat should rest on your back shoulder, or a few inches above, at a 45-degree angle.
- The next step, when your hands move, is the same no matter what approach you use:
- Three-step approach: After you front foot steps back, your back foot will cross over. Once your back foot plants, your hands will begin coming forward.
- Two-step approach: After your weight shifts forward, your back foot will cross over. Once your back foot plants, your hands begin their forward motion.
- Throw your hands forward. Imagine that a line runs from the knob of your bat to the center of the ball. The line is not on a flat plane as it would be for a regular hit — it’s diagonal. That’s because a slap is a downward, compact swing. This is the path that you want your hands to follow.
- It’s important that your hands stay inside of the ball, and that you throw the knob of your bat at the ball first, not the barrel.
- Make contact with the pitch when the ball is nearing your back hip. As you make contact, really throw your hands out towards the 5/6 hole, swinging inside the ball. Remember, don’t take a full, level swing — you’re not swinging, you’re slapping!
- As you make contact, your front leg should follow through with a strong, sturdy step. Your slap and this final step will often coincide. Once you step through and slap the ball, drop the bat and run!
It may feel odd that you make contact when your back foot is in front of your front foot, but it isn’t. Once you get used to it, you’ll be able to take batting practice with your back leg ahead of your front.
Mental Edge
Visualization is key. If you can’t visualize what a slap looks like, you’ll never learn the proper mechanics.
Through the 5/6 Hole
A slapper’s biggest challenge is her own footwork, so don’t get too antsy in the box. The pitch will come; you just have to time it correctly. If you have rhythm in your footwork, your hands will follow naturally. Just remember, your feet lead your hands when you slap — it’s never the other way around.
When you are first learning, it can get frustrating. The hardest thing to master is the timing, so if you are not making solid contact, check your timing first. Nothing comes easy, so keep practicing. Tee work is a slapper’s best tool! Ultimately, slapping adds a whole new dimension to your game, so try to have fun with it.
