Thoughts + or -? (Swing Review)
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I'm seeing her dropping the bat behind her shoulder/back, leveling to the plane of the pitch, before she launches the swing. As is common for this type of movement, we can also see her rear elbow get ahead of her hands ("bat drag"). These are VERY common swing patterns for young player, and some even have good success with this type of movement...until pitching speeds start increasing. The drop-the-barrel-and-swing-flat (DBSF) movement while reading the pitch location is a slow pattern, and will struggle against fast pitching.
What we want to see is loading the hands up and back near the rear shoulder, and launching the swing from that point by using the hands to turn the barrel to the ball. The bat will pivot around the hands, whipping/throwing the barrel to contact, rather than the arms swinging the bat around the spine.
This will be a very different feel for your DD, and will take a lot of work to program new muscle memory. It's not a quick fix, but it will be worth it.
What we want to see is loading the hands up and back near the rear shoulder, and launching the swing from that point by using the hands to turn the barrel to the ball. The bat will pivot around the hands, whipping/throwing the barrel to contact, rather than the arms swinging the bat around the spine.
This will be a very different feel for your DD, and will take a lot of work to program new muscle memory. It's not a quick fix, but it will be worth it.
I'm seeing her dropping the bat behind her shoulder/back, leveling to the plane of the pitch, before she launches the swing. As is common for this type of movement, we can also see her rear elbow get ahead of her hands ("bat drag"). These are VERY common swing patterns for young player, and some even have good success with this type of movement...until pitching speeds start increasing. The drop-the-barrel-and-swing-flat (DBSF) movement while reading the pitch location is a slow pattern, and will struggle against fast pitching.
What we want to see is loading the hands up and back near the rear shoulder, and launching the swing from that point by using the hands to turn the barrel to the ball. The bat will pivot around the hands, whipping/throwing the barrel to contact, rather than the arms swinging the bat around the spine.
This will be a very different feel for your DD, and will take a lot of work to program new muscle memory. It's not a quick fix, but it will be worth it.
Thanks. Confirms a lot of what I've been telling her and her hitting coach has been telling her. I call it getting loopy (easy for a 9 year old to remember) because her bat moves in the shape of an L. She's aggressive, and has success like you mentioned. However, once the pitching gets fast she grounds out to 2B a lot.
any specific drills to help with this?
I wish I could give you an easy answer of "do this...". I've been battling the same issue with my DD for 2 years, and she is finally starting to show some real changes in her hand path. We have been through a lot of different approaches. A big part of it (IMO) is making a mental adjustment on how to swing a bat (hand pivot point vs. arm swing).
Here's another Mig clip that might help to illustrate the hand pivot point...
One thing to pay attention to is how the hands and rear shoulder turn together. It's not a rigid connection, but the two need to work in sync. I've had progress with some hitters by having them rest the bat on their shoulder, keeping it there during the loading phase, and as the shoulders start to turn forward. Launch the bat by turning it off the shoulder with the hands, on a diagonal path to the ball (rather than level to the ground).
I wish I could give you an easy answer of "do this...". I've been battling the same issue with my DD for 2 years, and she is finally starting to show some real changes in her hand path. We have been through a lot of different approaches. A big part of it (IMO) is making a mental adjustment on how to swing a bat (hand pivot point vs. arm swing).
Here's another Mig clip that might help to illustrate the hand pivot point...
One thing to pay attention to is how the hands and rear shoulder turn together. It's not a rigid connection, but the two need to work in sync. I've had progress with some hitters by having them rest the bat on their shoulder, keeping it there during the loading phase, and as the shoulders start to turn forward. Launch the bat by turning it off the shoulder with the hands, on a diagonal path to the ball (rather than level to the ground).
pivot point work...... https://mann.smugmug.com/Other/Bagdrill/i-bbJnrjz/0/O/annahighbaggif.gif
FiveFrameSwing
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pivot point work......
Mann, this here is very different from what Cabrera is doing above.
What you show here is a gated swing with deadened hand/wrist/arm action. What we see with Cabrera is a 'throw' that is in progress as the lower body is in progress.
Moved this from the Practical forum to the Technical because it seems like it will be a better fit here. Usually when clips are posted for evaluation it becomes a technical discussion.
Just a short deep pivot point drill fIVE, no lower body work intended. turn the barrel with the body and the hands.
She used to cast out those arms and no matter where the pitch was. Now she has great hands, and can get that inside pitch, and hit it up the middle.
Hands work, pivot point, and i do agree that this 13 year old does not look like Cabrera, i am sure you have some girls that do.
I like the arms unfolding, and i like the throw analogy, but this type drill has proven effective for me, or i would stop using it as an early learning tool.
Hands work, pivot point, and i do agree that this 13 year old does not look like Cabrera, i am sure you have some girls that do.
I like the arms unfolding, and i like the throw analogy, but this type drill has proven effective for me, or i would stop using it as an early learning tool.
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