Winning the Short Game

Bunting

The foundation of any short game involves the bunt. It is a must have, and yet more often than not players don’t get the bunt down at the most crucial times of the game. This video acknowledges the fears that girls have of having their hands hit while bunting and then helps girls learn the fundamental mechanical skills that will give them confidence that they won’t get hit and the skills to make them successfull, and help them be confident so that they look forward to moving their teammates over at crucial times to help manufacture runs. This video also covers more advanced methods of bunting that can be utilized for base hits and more importantly helps explain the game situations where each should & can be used most effectively.

Slapping

Disclaimer: If you are looking to purchase this video so that you can take a right handed hitter and distract her temporarily by letting her slap then put down that mouse. That is the same thing that Coach Dalton starts the video with. If you think that hitting a small round ball with a round bat while standing still is difficult, then you’ll unerstand why slapping is one of the most difficult aspects of this sport. Slappers are moving and are trying to place the ball in a specific location, all while trying to adjust to seeing the ball from the other side of the plate. This video is intended for the coach, parent or player who is committed to learning this skill, commiting to practicing and become an “artist” at it. Coach Dalton spends a great deal of time explaining why the footwork is so criticial to success, and then goes through “drag bunting”, “slapping” and “power slapping” and explains why all 3 are a needed weapon.

Sliding

I’m not sure that there is anyway to put this mildly … there is no such thing as a good “strawberry” in softball. They are nothing more than very painful burns. You wouldn’t want them to get burned anywhere else, yet so many accept them as a “right of passage” on the softball field. Stop it.

This video carfefully illustrates scientifically how burns and broken ankles are incurred scientificaly and demonstrates the mechanics that can be used to avoid both. This video helps them realize that sliding can be safe and more importantly it can be fun. Giving players the mental advantage that they need to really become aggressive base runners.

Dive Backs

This is the foundational skill for any really aggressive base runner. If you can’t dive back to a base, you can’t take a big lead. You can’t really “round the base”. You basically limit your base running skills out of “fear.”

As with the other skills Coach Dalton goes over that fear and helps girls progress literally from the ground up in a way that makes them understand the fundamental principles that enables them to dive and not just belly flop. Through that technique it also explains why girls of any height can dive just as easily as girls that are lower to the ground.

Helping players get over this fear and enjoy this aspect of the game truly equips them to be more aggessive in the entire game and gives them a confidence that they can do what they once only dreamed of doing.

Advanced Baserunning

This video should probably be titled “All out attack on the bases” but that probably wouldn’t be searched for on google. Coach Dalton explains lots of techniques that can be used to save precious ticks of the clock both getting to and while on the bases.

He also explains the true concept of “stealing a base” and offers suggestions that get players and coaches to really think about ways to do that in an aggressive and effective manner.

The Sliding and Dive Backs video are preparation for the more advanced sliding and diving techniques that are demonstrated and explained in this video.

The bottom line is that all of the material in this video are designed to produce confident, aggressive base running weapons that put fear into the opposing pitcher, catcher and coaches.