Jan. 2, 2013
COLUMBIA, S.C. – On Mon., Jan. 21, South Carolina softball coach Beverly Smith hosts her annual winter clinic in the USC Field House, with the day’s sessions concentrating on improving pitchers and catchers as well as hitting.
The morning session starts at 9 a.m. and is titled Pitching and Catching – Improving the Battery. Smith and her pitching clinic staff will teach pitching fundamentals, emphasizing skills and drills to increase speed while gaining better control of the player’s arsenal. Catchers will work on their technique as well with Gamecock associate head coach Lisa Navas and others working the clinic, including improving their stance, signals, blocking, framing and throwing. The two groups join back together for the last half of the session, working on communication, plate coverage on wild pitches and passed balls, giving and receiving signals, pitchouts and pickoff throws and framing together.
The afternoon clinic, which begins at 1 p.m., will be all about hitting, with the Gamecock staff, fronted by hitting coach Calvin Beamon, teaching proper swing technique, mental preparation, timing and pitch recognition to improve confidence heading into the spring. Attendees will learn drills and watch video examples of elite hitters from the Right View Pro program the Gamecocks use.
Attendance for each session is $60, with a $110 combined rate for the two when signed up for at the same time on bevsmithsoftball.com. Limited space is available for the clinics, and registration closes at midnight on Jan. 16. The clinic is open to 10-to-18-year-olds. Check-in time is 8:30 a.m. for the morning session, and lunch will not be provided between the clinics. Participants are encouraged to bring their own equipment.
Camps are open to all, limited only by gender, age, grade level and/or number of participants.
