The Bare Necessities, and Some Luxuries

Softball is a great sport, and if you have adequate equipment you’re not going to excel. I am here to teach you how to excel at softball. Think of me as the female Kent Murphy, Kentrina Murphet. There is equipment that is necessary for playing like bat and glove. Then there is equipment and gear that helps prevent injury or lessen injury on impact like helmet, batting gloves, sliding pad, sliding shorts, even sunglass or blackout.

I’ll start with the necessities. First off is the glove that looks like a winter glove for a duck or any other web-footed animal. Though they may look a little weird, they make catching a line drive hit at you a little easier to catch. Glove sizes depend on you age and what position you play. To make things easier we are just going to talk about high school players. Generally if you play infield you want around a 12 inch glove so you can get low in the dirt. If you are an outfielder you would benefit more from a 13 inch glove because it is a little longer for those over the shoulder-above the head catches you have to make.

The bat is of course for hitting the ball so you can advance the bases. The bat length and weight all depends on your arm length and your strength. Most of the bats made today are composite, because they are said to perform better; Hit harder and further. The most common common way to find out what length bat you need is by putting your arm out parallel to the ground, then measuring from the center of your chest to your fingertips. The weight all depends on what you can handle while keeping the right swinging technique. The heavier the bat the harder and further the ball is going to go as well.

The gear that helps keep the players safe are helmets, batting gloves, sliding pads and shorts, and sunglass and blackout. The helmet is for the out of control pitches made by the pitcher so you don’t get brain damage and so when you’re on the bases and the ball is in play a wild throw doesn’t give you brain damage as well. Batting gloves is more of a comfort or luxury, people wear them so they do not get painful blisters from the friction of the bat handle, but also for the unforgiving fields that have more rocks than dirt so your precious hands do not get cuts which would make it painful to play. Sliding pads are a tube that have padding to put on your knee that git the ground when you slide. While sliding shorts are shorts with padding on the sides. Both are meant to prevent scrapes and nasty raspberries which are awful when you get them because the slightest touch of clothing on the wound is painful. Sunglasses and blackout (black paint/ stickers you put under your eyes) are meant to help you see the ball better so you do not get hit by it by losing it in the sun. Most of this gear is luxury and not necessary, but it sure does help when you have them.

That is the basics of the equipment and how to find which one is right for you, stay tuned for my next blog about muscle strengthening exercises that will help you become a stinger player!