Training Insights: “Swing Attractors” by Coach Mike Lotief… Shelbi Redfearn, Before & After Learning Pelvis Load
By
@BruntjensElla
November 23, 2021
Shelbi Redfearn had a huge senior season as she batted .301 with 15 home runs and 49 RBIs in 60 games for the Ragin Cajuns. Photo: Louisiana Softball.
Extra Inning Softball continues our series of articles with record-setting college softball coach Mike Lotief who, after 17 years of coaching Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns softball, reveals the training program that propelled his team to the NCAA tournament, the Women’s College World Series, and NCAA Super Regionals.
Keep checking in every Tuesday and Thursday to learn how, as Coach Lotief puts it, “to improve your swing and up your game!”
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Read about how going from “stepping in the bucket” to “pelvis loading” helped Shelbi Redfearn lead her team to the 2014 Women’s College World Series for the Louisana Ragin’ Cajuns.
Watch the video of her before and after transformation and listen to her CONFIDENCE after hitting a game winning home run. Hard work and attention to detail matters and with a little luck, pays off at the perfect moments!
Shelbi Redfearn: on the left when she was at Baylor, where she played her Freshman and Sophomore seasons (2011, 2012), and is here shown getting her stride foot down early, stepping “in the bucket” and then leaning over at the waist to hit an outside pitch.
And on the right, at Louisiana, where she played her Junior and Senior seasons in 2013, 2014 and is shown starting with a more open stance so she could remind herself to load into her pelvis instead of just stepping.
One of the adjustments Shelbi made, when she got to UL, was to start with an open stance and an already “hinged” pelvis in order to remind her to load her pelvis “more” at the release of the pitch by “coiling” or getting her pelvis “squared” between 12 o’clock and release, instead of just stepping with her stride foot “into the bucket.”
This photo is from the 2014 SUPER REGIONALS vs. Arizona hosted in Lafayette, LA. – the Cajuns, behind Redfearn’s hot bat, advanced to the 2014 WCWS. Small details can make a HUGE DIFFERENCE.
Notice Shelbi’s set-up: more open stance and pre-hinged in the pelvis.
From 12 o’clock until release, she “coils” or “gets her hips squared”: maintaining and increasing the tension in her PELVIS.
The focus now is on what’s going on with her pelvis, not her legs. She “feels” the “tension” in her pelvis; her pelvis is now integrated with her spine (a.k.a. “Posture”). Compare the differences below of before and after.
Before Shelbi was “stepping in the bucket” while striding or stepping forward.
Because of the adjustments Shelbi made, she hit in the 4 hole and lead her team to the WCWS; her power numbers and offensive production increased and in the interview below, you can “feel” her CONFIDENCE IS SKY ROCKETING, so much so, she deflects any praise to her teammates.
Bombs away! Clutch… hard work paying off!
Players thrive in a healthy, competitive environment that values “us” and team more than “me” and cliques.
They are willing to make adjustments (dare greatly) and do their very best (strive valiantly) because they see and understand the BIG PICTURE, and throughout the “process” they transform, learn, grow, & achieve big dreams while recognizing and acknowledging and showing gratitude for the contributions of others, especially their teammates and coaches.
Shelbi in 2014.
Shelbi had an incredible Senior season, starting all 60 games, hitting .301 on the season, with memorable performances against her former team in the regular season; but she saved her VERY BEST FOR THE BIGGEST MOMENTS IN POST-SEASON: the winning home run in the Conference Tournament Finals, went 3-for-3 with three runs and three RBI against Texas in the NCAA Regionals Finals, and went 3-for-7 against Arizona in the NCAA Super Regionals.
Here is Shelbi’s bios highlighting her outstanding senior year accomplishments:
Named to the Sun Belt Conference Second Team and was an All-Louisiana Honorable Mention selection, voted on by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association … one of four Cajuns to start in all 60 games, seeing time at first base and in left field … hit .301 on the season with 59 hits, 49 RBI, third in the conference, and 35 runs … tied for first in the conference with three triples … tied for second in the league with 15 home runs and third in RBI … totaled 18 multiple-hit games and 14 multiple-RBI games … committed just two errors in 169 chances for a .988 fielding percentage … recorded a slugging percentage of .607, sixth best in the league … went 3-for-3 with three runs and three RBI in a 10-1 win over Texas that sent Louisiana to the Super Regionals … also had three-hit outings against Lamar (3/6) and South Alabama (5/9) … belted two homers and recorded a career-high seven RBI in a thrilling 11-10 victory over her former team No. 12 Baylor (2/28) at the Gulfport College Classic … went 3-for-7 in the NCAA Super Regionals against Arizona (5/23-24) … had a 4-for-5 day in a doubleheader sweep over No. 14 Baylor (4/22).
Shelbi is from Stillwater, Oklahoma and the daughter of Daren & Kasi Redfearn; she graduated from UL in Speech Pathology/Communicative Disorders and is working in the Houston School Districts.
PURSUE EXCELLENCE! WIN THIS PITCH!
About the Author
Mike Lotief coached 17 successful years as either the head softball coach or co-head softball coach with his wife Stefni Whitton Lotief at the University of Louisiana from 2002-2017 with an overall coaching record of 731-176 (80.6 winning percentage). Every season, the Ragin Cajuns softball team advanced to the NCAA tournament and also advanced to three (3) Women’s College World Series (2003, 2008, 2014) and from 2012-2016 advanced to five (5) straight NCAA Super Regionals. Coach Lotief produced over 40 All American selections and his 2017 team lead the nation in scoring and was ranked in the Top 10 in home runs, slugging percentage, on base percentage.
The coach is a cancer survivor (twice) and was the first person in the U.S. to receive the Pro Trach device. Mike and Stefni spearheaded and raised the funding to build the new softball stadium in 2009 and the new softball indoor hitting facility in 2015. They are proud parents to Chelsea, who played softball and graduated from the Univ. of Louisiana in 2018, and Andrew, who is a junior at Louisiana studying Mechanical Engineering.
Mike Lotief coached 17 successful years as either the head softball coach or co-head softball coach with his wife Stefni Whitton Lotief at the University of Louisiana from 2002-2017 with an overall coaching record of 731-176 (80.6 winning percentage). Every season, the Ragin Cajuns softball team advanced to the NCAA tournament and also advanced to three (3) Women’s College World Series (2003, 2008, 2014) and from 2012-2016 advanced to five (5) straight NCAA Super Regionals. Coach Lotief produced over 40 All American selections and his 2017 team lead the nation in scoring and was ranked in the Top 10 in home runs, slugging percentage, on base percentage.