Feedback on swing, how can I help her

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Jul 23, 2014
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I've been lurking here for a while and have decided to try and help my daughter improve her swing. She just turned 11 and is long and athletic, but her hitting goes as her confidence goes. When she's confident she'll put everything in play, when she isn't she is hesitant to even swing. When she is hitting she tends to hit everything from the middle to right hand side. I never played baseball so I don't have a lot of my own experience to pick from. To me in games her swing seems long and slow.

Video:[video=youtube_share;0GPkgCRFeWQ]http://youtu.be/0GPkgCRFeWQ[/video]
 

rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
83
Not here.
DuBYT1.gif
 
Last edited:
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
The first thing that jumps out at me is her rearward weight shift with her knee getting outside her rear foot. We want to see coiling around the rear hip rather than a linear shift over the rear foot. Starting with some bend in the front leg may be helpful here, too. I prefer to see the rear foot starting pointed straight ahead (to the opposite batter's box) or even toed-in slightly (toward the pitcher). I've found that this assists in getting young hitters to coil more effectively.

Also, when she launches, everything is turning forward together, and the bat is being pushed to contact by her arms, rather than whipped by her hands. A goal I strive for is getting the hips starting to turn forward as the hands are still going back - some call this "overlap". This creates tension through the back, connecting the drive of the rear hip to the hands. Right now, there's no connection.

All this said, she's clearly a strong athlete, and has the potential to be a monster at the plate.

For you, do some research on "turn the barrel" and "rock the U".

Welcome to DFP. Enjoy the ride! :)
 

Howe

Blowhard in training
Aug 28, 2013
1,922
0
I've been lurking here for a while and have decided to try and help my daughter improve her swing. She just turned 11 and is long and athletic, but her hitting goes as her confidence goes. When she's confident she'll put everything in play, when she isn't she is hesitant to even swing. When she is hitting she tends to hit everything from the middle to right hand side. I never played baseball so I don't have a lot of my own experience to pick from. To me in games her swing seems long and slow.

Video:[video=youtube_share;0GPkgCRFeWQ]http://youtu.be/0GPkgCRFeWQ[/video]
Your daughter has some really good things going on.

I think her top half is fine except for the rolling over through the ball. Have her extend through the ball while holding onto the palm up/palm down for a bit longer.

In regards to the bottom half, I'd have her practice emulating this:


or this:


Both the same thing.

Your daughters front side is dead and she spins on the backside. Let's get her moving a little.

DuBYT1.gif


Also, the gifs posted here, can be downloaded and playback using Quicktime. You can step through them frame/frame using the right|left arrows on the keyboard.

Noon, you need to weigh in on this. :D
 
Last edited:

Howe

Blowhard in training
Aug 28, 2013
1,922
0
Some will be scratching their heads about the top half comment being "fine". Unlike many youngsters I've seen here and other places, this young lady has almost no wasted moves. It's rare.
 

rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
83
Not here.
Some will be scratching their heads about the top half comment being "fine". Unlike many youngsters I've seen here and other places, this young lady has almost no wasted moves. It's rare.
Howe,
I originally comment that 'your DD turns the barrel nicely' but, removed because of the 'swing around' part. I didn't want to have the thread go off topic. Your are correct about...
I think her top half is fine except for the rolling over through the ball. Have her extend through the ball while holding onto the palm up/palm down for a bit longer
Looking more for this after your DD 'turns the barrel to ball'. See how Cabrera swings 'out from' his body.
Cabrera_hands_side.gif

Your DD 'turns the barrel to the ball' but, she swings 'around her' body.
DuBYT1.gif

Bottom half needs to 'support' what is going on up top. JMHO.
 
Last edited:

redhotcoach

Out on good behavior
May 8, 2009
4,706
38
Her front leg is locked the whole swing.
I like watching drag racing, and that show "Street Outlaws" on discovery channel. When they do a burn out, they have a button that locks the front side up so the power from the rear side can't do anything but spin out in place. When they launch in a race, the front brake is off and the power from the rear side launches the car forward.
You can't launch a weight shift through the ball, if the front side is holding it back.
 
Last edited:
Jul 23, 2014
195
16
Thanks for the feedback. This is really helpful and thank you for the visuals, it really helps me process what you are saying. As far as getting her moving a bit more we did some work on that stepping, happy gilmore drill posted above and she loved it.

Do you think getting her to put a bit of stride in will help? At the plate she has a tendency to spin out at times and take the front foot away from the pitcher. I was thinking about step one being to get her to start striding and having her start a bit closed and step toward the pitcher on the stride.
 

TDS

Mar 11, 2010
2,926
113
Thanks for the feedback. This is really helpful and thank you for the visuals, it really helps me process what you are saying. As far as getting her moving a bit more we did some work on that stepping, happy gilmore drill posted above and she loved it.

Do you think getting her to put a bit of stride in will help? At the plate she has a tendency to spin out at times and take the front foot away from the pitcher. I was thinking about step one being to get her to start striding and having her start a bit closed and step toward the pitcher on the stride.

pctrips, the stride needs to be a reaction.. IOW's don't try to stride using the legs.. If you want to add a stride let the middle control it so the legs will support it.

 
Jul 23, 2014
195
16
I really appreciate all the feedback. We'll go to work for a couple of weeks and see how she does.
 

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