Slap hitting is when a player makes contact with the ball as they're moving forward, enabling them to more quickly reach 1st base. This means “slappers” must hit from the left-handed batters box, so that they're closer to 1st and can transition from hitting to running in one fluid motion.

What is the advantage of slap hitting?

The major advantage of the slap hit is that it provides an opportunity for a fast player to get on first without hitting the ball out of the infield. The difficulty in learning the slap hit is to learn the footwork and timing required to contact the ball while moving rapidly forward.

Who invented slap hitting?

Florida coach Larry Ray is credited with developing the slap attack while working as an assistant coach at Arizona in the mid-1980s.