Pulling Head

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Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
Went to a hitting lecture last night and someone asked about Players that pull their heads. We have a few players that do this, looking at LF when they hit the ball.

The talker’s premise was that the pulling of the head was a byproduct of something else wrong in the swing. So forget the pulling of the head and saying things like “watch the ball”, backtrack the swing to find out why they are able to pull their head in the 1st place. (Talker is much more articulate then me)

Does this makes sense?
 
Nov 26, 2010
4,784
113
Michigan
Yes it makes sense. I remember coaches having kids bite their shirt throughout the swing. Hoping to keep the head more stable. Never seemed to work.
 
Oct 13, 2010
666
0
Georgia
I'm not so sure about that. The head can turn 180* side to side (left shoulder to right shoulder) and is usually following the eyes. If your eyes are focused on the ball comming in from the pitcher, the head will stay on the ball. Your body would have to turn around completely backwards to the plate to "force" your head toward LF (assuming RH batter). Of coarse if you are pulling your head to look at LF while swinging, there probably will be other problems with the swing. Just not sure you can say those other problems will 'cause' you to pull your head. Seems more likely to be the other way around.
 
Mar 14, 2011
785
18
Silicon Valley, CA
Yes. Instead of just saying you're pulling your head stop doing that, look for the cause. The follow through can be the easiest place to see that something has gone wrong, but coaches will try to put band aids on it instead of figuring out what happened earlier in the swing.
 
Oct 13, 2010
666
0
Georgia
Yes. Instead of just saying you're pulling your head stop doing that, look for the cause. The follow through can be the easiest place to see that something has gone wrong, but coaches will try to put band aids on it instead of figuring out what happened earlier in the swing.


What would happen earlier in the swing to cause the head to pull out?
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
I would quess casting, if that is the correct term. Wouldn't that cause the batter to open their shoulders and more or less cause the head to pull out? On shaky ground here. :)
 
Aug 4, 2008
2,364
0
Lexington,Ohio
Most kids are doing this to see where they hit the ball and stealing power away from the swing. We practice with a white rag stuffed in the T and make sure they can see the white rag at contact. In a pitching machine, I place a ball on the floor by the outside corner of the plate and make sure they are looking at it at contact and not watching where they hit the ball. I ask every student are you stronger with your head down or up? Bustos and Howard show them how to test this in every clinic.
 
Mar 14, 2011
785
18
Silicon Valley, CA
What would happen earlier in the swing to cause the head to pull out?

Well, I can't say for sure exactly the problem that was being discussed. If we're talking about ending up with our head in left field it sounds like the batter is opening up. This can be caused by even a subtle overloading during the negative move. Think about over-turning you shoulders backwards and wrapping the bat around your back. Pitcher sizzles a fastball on the inside corner. What is your brain going to do to be able to hit that pitch now that you've dug yourself in a hole with your load? Probably throw your front side open violently.
 
Oct 14, 2008
667
16
The biggest issue with the head coming out of the swing isnt the head but the front shoulder. The head is a by product of that movement, and usually caused by over rotation forcing the shoulder to come or fly out at contact. Keeping the front shoulder in as long as possible and then getting long through the zone will alleviate alot of the issue.

SB is correct though. Watching where the ball goes is defiantly another issue. And they are interconnected. If you are the 3rd base coach and see the face mask of a right handed hitter you know the head is not on the ball........... Short of a shock collar for the offenders its just a ton of tee work to correct it.


Tim
 
Oct 13, 2010
666
0
Georgia
There's only two swings I have seen that can "cause" the head to turn off the ball. One is a slapper who is trying to run to 1st too early (before contact), and the other is on a change up, where the batter is so far in front of the pitch that they give up and turn completely around in the box. Both involve having your back to the plate. Other than that, your head can stay on the ball, even with poor mechanics. I've seen girls cast, bar the front arm, and pull the front shoulder while still keeping their head on the ball. But I do admit, that when they pull their head there are usually other issues with the swing. Just not sure whether the other issues are a cause or a result of pulling the head.

My initial thought would be that pulling the head would be a cause of swing problems more than a result. IOW, fix the head first. But I didn't hear the lecture. Interesting topic though.
 
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