Plain and simple, championship teams score runs. Their offenses are consistent, aggressive, opportunistic, and disciplined. They may manufacture runs or rely on the long ball, but they score early and often. And they win.
High-Scoring Softball is the definitive guide for offensive play. The game’s most successful coaching duo, Ralph and Karen Weekly, share the approach that has shaped some of the game’s top scoring offenses and generated more than 1,700 career victories.
Inside you’ll find detailed instruction, advice, and coaching tips on mastering offensive fundamentals, such as baserunning, bunting, slap hitting, and hitting for power and average. You’ll learn how to evaluate your team’s talents, tendencies, and strengths and create a potent, offensive attack. And a detailed analysis of common game situations provides you with strategies and advice for capitalizing on every opportunity.
Defense may win games, but only if you score. With High-Scoring Softball you will score and you will win. It will change the way you play the game.
Introduction: Offensive Evolution
Chapter 1 Bunting
Chapter 2 Slap Hitting
Chapter 3 Baserunning
Chapter 4 Hitting for Average
Chapter 5 Hitting for Power
Chapter 6 Bat Speed
Chapter 7 Offensive Strategies
Chapter 8 Playing Within Your Team
Chapter 9 Communication
Chapter 10 The Mental Game
Appendix I: Offensive Circuit Training
Appendix II: Poor Man’s Circuit
Appendix III: 150 Swings for Success
About the Authors
Ralph and Karen Weekly are head coaches at the University of Tennessee, where they have led the Lady Vols to a staggering 514 wins since 2002. The duo has celebrated over 1,700 combined career victories and received numerous honors, including being named SEC Co-Coach of the Year twice and the NFCA Region Coaching Staff of the Year in 2005, 2007, and 2010. They have led Tennessee to four top three national finishes in the annual Women’s College World Series, to four NCAA Regional and Super Regional Championships, and have participated in the SEC Tournament nine times, including four championships. The two led Pacific Lutheran University to NAIA national championship titles in 1988 and 1992 and were named National Coaches of the Year during that time. The duo has had 40 All-SEC or All-Freshman selections, 34 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All Region selections, 21 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America selections, and 12 CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-American selections.
Ralph Weekly enters his 11th season at Tennessee with a prestigious new accolade to include on his already impressive resume: The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) recently honored his efforts in a distinguished three-decade career with a 2011 induction into the NFCA Hall of Fame. During his 24-year coaching career, Ralph has been successful at every stop, amassing 1,015 overall collegiate victories and second most championships in both armed forces as well as international softball. Ralph has coached teams including the U.S. Air Force, Pacific Lutheran University, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and University of Tennessee. He was the hitting coach for the 1996 and 2000 U.S. Olympic softball teams, both of which received gold medals. From 1993 to 2000, he coached (as head or assistant coach) in 13 international events, winning the gold medal in each of them.
Karen Weekly has experienced success both on the field and off, earning awards as a player and a coach. While at Pacific Lutheran University, she was an All-American softball player, led NAIA hitters with a .440 batting average, and was named Female Athlete of the Year. She was a national title-winning assistant coach at PLU in 1988 and 1992 and served as a championship head coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. A 15-year collegiate softball head coaching veteran boasting 737 career wins, Karen Weekly is in her 11th season with her husband, Ralph, at the helm of the Lady Volunteer softball program.
“I was blessed to see all these drills in real life and learned exactly what it meant to play smarter, not harder. It’s important to bring it every time, whether pitching or hitting, in order to have a high-scoring offense. Playing for the Tennessee Lady Vols helped me see that.”
Monica Abbott– 2008 Olympian, Holds NCAA Records in Wins and Strikeouts, 2011 NPF Championship MVP
“The Weeklys have done an outstanding job of identifying the critical components of the offense game. Slingshot your game to the next level with High-Scoring Softball.”
Sue Enquist– 27-Year UCLA Softball Coach, 11-Time National Champion, 4-Time Hall of Fame Inductee
