Their excuses were as lame as their bats.
"The sun was in my eyes.""The pitcher was putting an illegal spin on the ball."
"We need new bats."
Uh-huh. What the Sandy Sissies (not the team's real name) needed was more attention to stance, swing and offensive strategy and less attention to brute strength.
"Hitters should rely on correct techniques rather than power alone," says Lee Guest, one of the state's top slow pitch players.
A pitcher and consistent hitter in competitive leagues for more than two decades, Guest has competed against some of the best softball players in the world.
In 1989 he was on the team from Utah that went to the USSSA Class A nationals. His team lasted to the semifinals where they were beaten by a team from Las Vegas 28-27. He has also played three times in the ASA World Series - where only 12 teams from the United States are invited.
Guest can hit just as well now as he could 20 years ago - because of attention to the fundamentals.
Here are some basic batting suggestions that beginning and competitive players might find useful. Perhaps the missing ingredient to your slow pitch game is here.
Choosing a bat: The standard wisdom for choosing a bat is to pick the heaviest bat that doesn't impede the mechanics of your swing. But many batters use bats that are too heavy, forcing them to choke up and sacrifice power and mobility.
Use a bat that fits your hand. "If a bat handle is too wide it will slow down bat speed because the wrists can't extend," says Guest. "Don't use a thick handled bat for power hitting."
Grip: Your hands should be together and the knuckles aligned. Grip the handle of the bat with your fingers and upper palm but keep the bat away from the lower palm. Choking up will provide better bat control but is considered an impediment to a powerful swing. Rather than choke up, Guest suggests using a lighter bat (which is easier to control) and dropping the hands all the way to the bat's base.
"The current trend among serious softball players is to switch to a lighter bat and drop the hands further down the bat."
Guest actually drops his hands so far down the bat that his middle finger is hugging the base of the bat and his ring and pinkie fingers are beneath the bat's base - again, allin favor of increased leverage.
Stance: The batter should stand with his feet shoulder width apart. Both arms are held high and away from the body, allowing an uninhibited swing. Many serious hitters prefer an open stance which provides a better view of the pitched ball and speeds up the swing.
A closed stance is useful in hitting outside pitches and in slowing down the speed of the batter's swing - helpful for batters who pull their swings or who want to hit to right field.
The regular stance (with both feet parallel to the plate) allows batters to step into any pitch worth swinging at.
Guest cautions against hunching over the plate since it restricts movement of arms, shoulders and hips. "You'll see alot of the big guys (power hitters) will almost lean over backward to get better leverage," he said.
Swing: A proper swing involves your entire body. "You can't just meet the ball in slow pitch. You have to hit it with some authority," says Guest.
"Leverage in a swing is the most important thing in slow pitch softball.
"Keep your weight back. As you swing you should transfer your weight into your swing, by shifting your hips and shoulders which will help increase your leverage.
"To get an idea of what constitutes a proper swing, you should throw the bat at the ball instead of swinging the bat at the ball," says Guest. "Your wrists should snap when your arms are fully extended. Try to literally throw the bat in the direction you intend to hit the ball. You'll get a feel for the way your arms should extend and your shoulders and hips should move.
"The rotation of the hips is also a fundamental part of the swing. Pretend there is a belt around your waist with a bat attached at your navel. When the ball crosses the plate, act as if you can only swing the bat at your navel. This will teach you how to get your hips into the swing."
Strategy: "My intent is to be a base hitter," says Guest. But to get a hit, every batter should have an idea of where he wants to hit the ball before he swings.
Be aware of fielders' strategies. "Often players will try to decoy me and will stay way back and then run in when I start to swing," said Guest. "Sometimes I just try to slap a ball over the infielder's head. Do that a couple of times and when they come in on you, you burn them.
"There are conditions that won't let you hit the long ball. If you try to knock one out of the park all you'll get is 300-foot outs. Under these circumstances, try to hit through the holes."
Beating the pitcher: Slow pitch is a mind game. A good pitcher will do whatever he can to throw a batter's concentration.
"Pitchers will toss the ball in the air, pitch from behind their backs or do anything else to get the batter's mind on anything but swinging properly," says Guest. "If the wind is blowing in a pitcher's face, he can throw a knuckle ball that will break two or three feet."
To counter a wiley pitcher, stay focused on your game. Watch the opposing pitcher as he warms up. If his pitches tend to cross the plate a little high, move back a little in the batter's box. If they tend to cross low, move forward a bit.
Be patient.
Practice: There are numerous drills that will help you get greater accuracy out of your hitting. If you have to practice by yourself, try hitting from a tee or fungo hitting into a chain link fence. Use the same bat in practice and regular play. Focus on the fundamentals. In batting practice, choose a spot where you want the ball to go before each swing.
A word of caution on batting cages: Not every pitch from a machine is a good one. It's worth a few cents to let the bad pitches go and swing only at the good ones. Other resources: Power Hitting in Softball (video produced by Louisville Slugger); Champion Slow Pitch Softball, by Judy A. Blucker and Joanne Graf; Softball: Step to Success, by Diane L. Potter and Gretchen A. Brockmeyer; Softball for Girls and Women, by Gladys C. Meyer. Books and video available through Salt Lake County Library System.