Ruining your Golf Swing - Softball

[Kevin Kikkert]

Just like most of you, golf was one of the only external activities that was still available to me during the months of sheltering in place (I live in Michigan and this just ended last week). 

The combination of starting to work from home and the postponement of all other social activities gave me the unique opportunity to golf more than I ever have going into summer. The Men's League at my local club was able to start 4 weeks ago, and I have been golfing 3-4 times a week on average. 

However, just when I started to feel like I had knocked off all of the rust and saw my golf swing return to form, it was announced that my annual summer softball league was finally going to begin. Yesterday evening was the first night of softball league, and due to lost time, we started out with a triple header in the immensely muggy weather and even down pouring rain.

Aside from my knees getting a shock treatment from putting on cleats again and one night a week now unavailable for golfing, the most negative aspect of playing softball is the affects it has on my golf swing. Swinging a bat uses a completely different form than swinging a golf club and uses a separate group of muscles. A golf swing has quiet feet, little knee movement, and and no stepping involved. A softball swing has a toe pick up with a step, large knee movement, and your entire upper body moves on a completely different plane. 

While you could argue that there are also similarities between a golf and softball swing, I have historically found that one does not help the other. Quite the opposite. Every summer, my golf swing seems to "go to crap" whenever softball starts. I find myself moving my lower body more, topping the ball more, and trying to swing much faster with more power. 

While I will have to wait until tomorrow morning to see how the first week of softball will affect my golf swing, I am wondering if anyone else has experienced this same dilemma. Furthermore, are there any other activities (sports or otherwise) that you have found to negatively (or maybe even positively?) affect your golf swing? 

Edited June 10, 2020 by Kevin Kikkert

[tchat07]

Tennis for me. A few summers ago I took up tennis for about a month and my entire golf game fell apart. I didnt want to release the club and was hitting some pretty nasty push slices.

Sent from my SM-G950U using MyGolfSpy mobile app

[RickyBobby_PR]

Softball didn’t affect my swing, playing baseball had a little impact on it more so from a timing thing though.

I had a friend that was a low hdcp usually between 3-4 and played in sole competitive softball in multiple leagues that had no affect on his golf swing

[PMookie]

1. A kid I coached in HS baseball years ago is now a college baseball coach, and stipulation NUMBER ONE to his team is that once they start prepping for the season, his players are not allowed to swing a golf club! Ha! Apparently it has negative effects in the reverse as well!

[THEZIPR23]

I played softball/baseball up until 2018 when I injured my back and haven't played since because I like golf too much. It didn't have any effect on my swing. But I'm not normal either I play with a 10 finger grip and my arm movements in golf swing still resemble a baseball swing. 

[PMookie]

2 minutes ago, THEZIPR23 said:

I played softball/baseball up until 2018 when I injured my back and haven't played since because I like golf too much. It didn't have any effect on my swing. But I'm not normal either I play with a 10 finger grip and my arm movements in golf swing still resemble a baseball swing. 

Yeah, it was really strange when you kept saying, “Hey, batta, batta, SWING batta,” in my backswing at Sandpiper! 

[Mtbryant01]

I totally agree with you on the overswing in golf during softball season. I mean chicks dig the long ball right? I usually try to overpower and come up to quick out of my stance turning my fade into a low slice.

[Kor.A.Door]

I always thought that playing softball helped my golf swing. 

[Kevin Kikkert]

11 hours ago, Mtbryant01 said:

I totally agree with you on the overswing in golf during softball season. I mean chicks dig the long ball right? I usually try to overpower and come up to quick out of my stance turning my fade into a low slice.

Exactly! I am a huge Atlanta Braves fan, and you just reminded me of that old TV commercial with Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine. Also, that is almost exactly what happens to my golf swing, also. I start hitting lower trajectory and flare my wrists out much more. I love both sports, and just haven't been ready to give up softball/baseball!

[Mtbryant01]

28 minutes ago, Kevin Kikkert said:

Exactly! I am a huge Atlanta Braves fan, and you just reminded me of that old TV commercial with Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine. Also, that is almost exactly what happens to my golf swing, also. I start hitting lower trajectory and flare my wrists out much more. I love both sports, and just haven't been ready to give up softball/baseball!

Just because I think it's an awesome commercial...

 

[JohnSmalls]

I always thought swinging a golf club screwed up my swing at the plate and baseball was everything then so I wouldn't touch a golf club, not to mention I didn't have the required goofy pants and a fat rear end.   Now I've almost sworn off of swinging a bat

[Kenny B]

Check out Mike Malaska youtube videos.  He has several where he talks about golf swing and baseball.  He was a pretty good at both, and now makes some comparisons that benefit the golf swing.  

[Kevin Kikkert]

53 minutes ago, Kenny B said:

Check out Mike Malaska youtube videos.  He has several where he talks about golf swing and baseball.  He was a pretty good at both, and now makes some comparisons that benefit the golf swing.  

Thanks for the heads up! I will have to look those videos up.

[tommc23]

8 hours ago, JohnSmalls said:

I always thought swinging a golf club screwed up my swing at the plate and baseball was everything then so I wouldn't touch a golf club, not to mention I didn't have the required goofy pants and a fat rear end.   Now I've almost sworn off of swinging a bat

I like the Happy Gilmore quote in there.

 

Playing hockey before golfing made keeping my eye on the ball very hard when I was learning now it helps me out. Hockey is all about weight transfer and it helps me with that aspect of my golf swing.

[JohnSmalls]

3 hours ago, tommc23 said:

I like the Happy Gilmore quote in there.

Good catch! 

[StrawberryShortCake]

I don't need others sports to ruin my swing. Ha just playing golf too much or too little or not playing golf it all ruins my swing. Just kidding. But if I practice too much I get all messed up. Something about hitting off mats is so different then real grass and messes me up when I go back to playing shots that are not perfectly level.

[Kevin Kikkert]

10 hours ago, StrawberryShortCake said:

I don't need others sports to ruin my swing. Ha just playing golf too much or too little or not playing golf it all ruins my swing. Just kidding. But if I practice too much I get all messed up. Something about hitting off mats is so different then real grass and messes me up when I go back to playing shots that are not perfectly level.

That is a great point. A golf swing can definitely ruin a golf swing! I find that when I hit too many balls at the range, all of the small defects in my swing accentuate and exaggerated. My local course has had the rough really thick and long the last 2 weeks and with all of the rain in Michigan lately, it has been extremely hard to hit a ball out of. They just cut it midweek and now I am hitting under the ball in the rough and popping everything up. I can definitely see where you are coming from with the imperfect lies. 

[newballcoach]

I played a lot of competitive baseball through my teenage years, and there are lots of similarities between the swings (namely rotational power and strength). Activities like throwing have similar benefits. 

That being said, I stopped playing slo-pitch a few years ago and my golf game took off. I got tired of playing slo-pitch mostly because it was being taken WAY too seriously and I just couldn't care that much. When I was playing softball the rotation aspect of the swing is the same, but as others have mentioned, my release became awful. Because you don't release a club the way you release a bat, I found I was leaving the clubface open and hitting those nasty pushes many mentioned (or slamming the face closed and hitting some AMAZING hooks). 

Glad it's working for some, but it did not work for me. 

[Kor.A.Door]

3 hours ago, newballcoach said:

I played a lot of competitive baseball through my teenage years, and there are lots of similarities between the swings (namely rotational power and strength). Activities like throwing have similar benefits. 

That being said, I stopped playing slo-pitch a few years ago and my golf game took off. I got tired of playing slo-pitch mostly because it was being taken WAY too seriously and I just couldn't care that much. When I was playing softball the rotation aspect of the swing is the same, but as others have mentioned, my release became awful. Because you don't release a club the way you release a bat, I found I was leaving the clubface open and hitting those nasty pushes many mentioned (or slamming the face closed and hitting some AMAZING hooks). 

Glad it's working for some, but it did not work for me. 

I agree with the softball issues. It’s not softball anymore. That’s one of the main reasons I stopped playing as well. 

[newballcoach]

8 hours ago, Kor.A.Door said:

I agree with the softball issues. It’s not softball anymore. That’s one of the main reasons I stopped playing as well. 

The team I was on just took things way too seriously. Wanted to enter all these weekend tournaments to try and win prize money. Arguing about calls. Wanting to practice, team batting practice, etc. I just couldn't do it with a straight face.

Then I tried playing co-ed. Without being a jerk, that was WAY worse.

[Kevin Kikkert]

On 6/12/2020 at 10:08 PM, newballcoach said:

The team I was on just took things way too seriously. Wanted to enter all these weekend tournaments to try and win prize money. Arguing about calls. Wanting to practice, team batting practice, etc. I just couldn't do it with a straight face.

Then I tried playing co-ed. Without being a jerk, that was WAY worse.

Completely understand where you are coming from. Same to @Kor.A.Door 

I have played on a summer ball team for 4 years now with an old high school teacher of mine and he gets younger and younger guys every year and now I am one of the old guys at 31! Plus, they don't allow any drinking so you can't enjoy a cold lite beer by Miller during the games. It keeps getting more and more serious. In the fall, I play a shorter season with a bunch of friends from high school and college and we have a blast. Always end up at a restaurant/bar after games and it is a great way to catch up. I have heard co-ed can be very difficult on the patience, but I would be more than willing to give it a try!

Every year I debate with myself if I will hang up the cleats and quit it, yet here I am for another season!

Edited June 16, 2020 by Kevin Kikkert

[Kor.A.Door]

4 hours ago, Kevin Kikkert said:

Completely understand where you are coming from. Same to @Kor.A.Door 

I have played on a summer ball team for 4 years now with an old high school teacher of mine and he gets younger and younger guys every year and now I am one of the old guys at 31! Plus, they don't allow any drinking so you can't enjoy a cold lite beer by Miller during the games. It keeps getting more and more serious. In the fall, I play a shorter season with a bunch of friends from high school and college and we have a blast. Always end up at a restaurant/bar after games and it is a great way to catch up. I have heard co-ed can be very difficult on the patience, but I would be more than willing to give it a try!

Every year I debate with myself if I will hang up the cleats and quit it, yet here I am for another season!

I love playing ball. The biggest issue I have. Is when you join a “fun” league. It’s set up as “fun” league, it’s coed with many people that don’t play much or have not played at all, it’s just something fun to do. Until you get the team or players from a team or 2 who think it’s the World Series. You have guys that play 6 days a week on 4 different teams at much higher levels that only play serious ball. Then proceed to hit line drives back at the pitcher, or pick on one of the girls and try to actually hit them. Then Get pissed off when you say something to them. No thanks. That’s not softball. If the games return to fun where you joke with each other afterward I would consider playing again, but as for now I like not having bruises on my body from pitching while class A and B players pelt the ball back at me just because they feel like it. Bunch of guys that can’t make it doing anything else do the live their baseball fantasies out on a softball field with people just trying to have fun. 

[Kevin Kikkert]

3 hours ago, Kor.A.Door said:

I love playing ball. The biggest issue I have. Is when you join a “fun” league. It’s set up as “fun” league, it’s coed with many people that don’t play much or have not played at all, it’s just something fun to do. Until you get the team or players from a team or 2 who think it’s the World Series. You have guys that play 6 days a week on 4 different teams at much higher levels that only play serious ball. Then proceed to hit line drives back at the pitcher, or pick on one of the girls and try to actually hit them. Then Get pissed off when you say something to them. No thanks. That’s not softball. If the games return to fun where you joke with each other afterward I would consider playing again, but as for now I like not having bruises on my body from pitching while class A and B players pelt the ball back at me just because they feel like it. Bunch of guys that can’t make it doing anything else do the live their baseball fantasies out on a softball field with people just trying to have fun. 

Not sure I could have said this any better, myself! It sounds we have VERY similar experiences with softball! Maybe we need to make a team together haha. 

Last summer we took exception (verbally) to some teams and it did not end all that well. Told myself I was done. Yet, here I am about to get packed up to go play a double header....such is life. Hopefully, will be able to get some golf in tomorrow, though!

[Kor.A.Door]

27 minutes ago, Kevin Kikkert said:

Not sure I could have said this any better, myself! It sounds we have VERY similar experiences with softball! Maybe we need to make a team together haha. 

Last summer we took exception (verbally) to some teams and it did not end all that well. Told myself I was done. Yet, here I am about to get packed up to go play a double header....such is life. Hopefully, will be able to get some golf in tomorrow, though!

I had a guy one time hit one straight back at my knees, I was able to get out of the way. When he got to first I looked at him and said “really”, you are winning 35-1 and you hit it back at me. He got pissed. A couple batters later he scored i happens to take the throw at the plate. After he scored he jumped up behind me and started yelling in my ear. Mind you, I’m 6’4” and and 250 so I’m not small and can handle myself. I did t do anything, but he had about 5 teammates of his jump in and tell him to stop. I really think the guy was on something. That was the last season I played. It was Coed and we were terrible. That’s still no excuse to play like it’s the game of your life  in a game that was all but done. I do love the game and have lots of fond and fun memories playing with and against some very good players. If the opportunity comes up to play a couple games I may do it. For now I’ll stick to golf. 

[THEZIPR23]

6 minutes ago, Kor.A.Door said:

I had a guy one time hit one straight back at my knees, I was able to get out of the way. When he got to first I looked at him and said “really”, you are winning 35-1 and you hit it back at me. He got pissed. A couple batters later he scored i happens to take the throw at the plate. After he scored he jumped up behind me and started yelling in my ear. Mind you, I’m 6’4” and and 250 so I’m not small and can handle myself. I did t do anything, but he had about 5 teammates of his jump in and tell him to stop. I really think the guy was on something. That was the last season I played. It was Coed and we were terrible. That’s still no excuse to play like it’s the game of your life  in a game that was all but done. I do love the game and have lots of fond and fun memories playing with and against some very good players. If the opportunity comes up to play a couple games I may do it. For now I’ll stick to golf. 

Similar experiences here. 

The only league that I have played in that has remained fun is a co-ed church league. A little bit of competition but mainly just fun and camraderie 

[Kor.A.Door]

1 minute ago, THEZIPR23 said:

Similar experiences here. 

The only league that I have played in that has remained fun is a co-ed church league. A little bit of competition but mainly just fun and camraderie 

It didn’t always used to be this way, I’d say the last 10-12 years or so it has gotten really bad. Mostly because of the technology in the bats. I’d love to see a league start up that only allows single wall aluminum bats. Just so there is a chance for people to play real softball. What they play now is basically homerun derby with juiced up and shaved bats that a 10 year old can hit bombs with. Then talk about how good they are. 

[THEZIPR23]

1 minute ago, Kor.A.Door said:

It didn’t always used to be this way, I’d say the last 10-12 years or so it has gotten really bad. Mostly because of the technology in the bats. I’d love to see a league start up that only allows single wall aluminum bats. Just so there is a chance for people to play real softball. What they play now is basically homerun derby with juiced up and shaved bats that a 10 year old can hit bombs with. Then talk about how good they are. 

Actually this is exactly one of the rules they put in. Women were allowed to use whatever bat they chose. Men were limited on what they could. Honestly have no idea on bat construction however if it was a Demarini I couldn't use it. 

[Kevin Kikkert]

16 hours ago, Kor.A.Door said:

It didn’t always used to be this way, I’d say the last 10-12 years or so it has gotten really bad. Mostly because of the technology in the bats. I’d love to see a league start up that only allows single wall aluminum bats. Just so there is a chance for people to play real softball. What they play now is basically homerun derby with juiced up and shaved bats that a 10 year old can hit bombs with. Then talk about how good they are. 

I agree that it has gotten really bad the last 10 years or so. I remember playing right out of high school in the summers and it was more relaxed and fun. The bats are a great point. This summer league has all of the juiced bats and people just hit laser line drives and bombs all day. My skill has always been being good on defense, and they just take that aspect out of the game now. My fall league has restrictions on bats and basically bans the juiced ones, but people still show up with them and use them regularly. It is very easy to tell the difference in the sound of the bat when they are used together. 

We got mercied both games in a double header last night to a team that is the epitome of what we are talking about here. It wasn't fun at all, but at least the shorter games got us to the bar for some beer and food quicker!  

[Lakeeriegolfer]

This is something I have pondered for the 7 years I have played softball and golf together.  I think the biggest impact is definitely the one night a week being taken from golf for softball.  However the swing impacts is something I always thought about. 

I have done something for a couple years as a joke, and I am going to commit to it this year.  Hitting left handed in softball.  I took the leap after hearing Tron Carter from NoLayingUp is going to golf lefty for a year.  I think it will reduce overswing in softball and also its a step closer to first.  Golf impact is still TBD. 

[Kevin Kikkert]

24 minutes ago, Lakeeriegolfer said:

This is something I have pondered for the 7 years I have played softball and golf together.  I think the biggest impact is definitely the one night a week being taken from golf for softball.  However the swing impacts is something I always thought about. 

I have done something for a couple years as a joke, and I am going to commit to it this year.  Hitting left handed in softball.  I took the leap after hearing Tron Carter from NoLayingUp is going to golf lefty for a year.  I think it will reduce overswing in softball and also its a step closer to first.  Golf impact is still TBD. 

Keep us posted on the lefty experiment!