Fastpitch Hitting Fundamentals We Can Agree On

I'm serious about that subject line. I have enjoyed the influx of energy (and disagreement) from newcomers the past few days, but in the end I am actively coaching a 12U girls team that we are trying to teach from the ground up how to hit.

For a high-level FASTPITCH swing (because after all, this is a fast pitch site) what are the things that are so fundamental that there is some agreement on them. That Tewks and Hitter will see eye to eye on ; >

What are the very best drills and progressions to teach and, for instance, in pregame warmups, reinforce those fundamentals?

Because the truth is, finishing off my final 6 weeks of winter workouts emphasizing (or hopefully reemphasizing) those fundamental elements is going to get me closer to where I want our girls to be (while also giving me time to continue to learn from the arguments over the finer points on this site and others).

Maybe I've opened a can of worms, or the question is too big. Maybe it will just get ignored.

But I figured I'm not alone in what I'm trying to accomplish and hoping to learn.

Thanks in advance to everyone here.

I suggest you compare everything anyone tells you about hitting to slow motion video of the best in the world. If you think these videos make sense http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-hitting/2348-new-hitting-theory.html- good luck. In that case you should listen to Tewk, Tom and Wellphyt. I'd suggest instead, on here, you key on what Hitter, Boardmember and a few others say. I'd further suggest studying Siggy's site and using those clips as a horse puckey detector. I'd further suggest closely studying Englishbey's stuff.

http://imageevent.com/siggy/hitting;jsessionid=2jhbcz1lk1.giraffe_s

Here is a list that I'm constantly looking at and revising. I have presented this list before and there has been a lot of arguments concerning this list. It's been a while since I got this old list out and took a look. In using this list, my hitters have consistenly been in the top offensive categories in our area. However, like any cues, etc. these thoughts have to make sense to you in order for them to be beneficial. BTW, this particular list was one Donny liked. This is also the list that Swingbuilder once said that he liked a lot.

1. It has to have a center or axis that can generate centrifugal force.
2. It has to have a principle of hands first – hands last! HOW?
3. It has to have the principle of pulling the bow back. Chin into deltoid.
4. In reality, for a right-handed batter, the fingernails of the right hand are up when contact is made. (Opposite for lefties!)
5. The finish has to be high. (I believe in releasing the top hand – others don’t!)
6. Front toe closed is important! (It is also impossible)
7. There is a relationship between front toe touch-down and the swing. Rather, this involves the hands location and timing. (IT CAN’T BE A STAGNANT RELATIONSHIP!) (This is where we discuss the sprinter coming out of the block!)
8. I think that the right knee in a right-handed batter actually (it is already bent) actually moves toward the hitter and then the swing occurs.
9. 55 - 45 weight ratio with 55 on back foot. (We actually don’t mind 50-50 but I’m more confident in our hitters due to what I’ve coached in the past with 55-45!)
10. The head must maintain the same plane at toe touch.
11. The ball must be hit in the first 4-6 inches of the plate. Even in a situation where you hit the ball to right field, the ball is hit on the front half of the plate.
12. You must fight situations of tense muscle activation. Even with the back arm, the arm is relaxed prior to tensing that arm to implement the swing (load). Pulling the bow back creates the needed tension or scap load.
13. The eyes must be ahead of the barrel of the bat. Find ball flight but know that you won’t see the ball the entire flight of the ball. As eye specialize Gary Meier told me, they eyes will make their adjustments if you allow both eyes to see the ball.
14. The hands should be off the armpit 6 inches and the bat must be rotated behind the ear on a 45-degree angle.
15. The hitter must be on the balls of his feet slightly. (Even the back foot that has 55 percent of the weight on it.) Heel is still down but pressure minimum.
16. Good hitters initiate the swing with some type of trigger. Almost always this entails some type of negative rotation. (Beware also that this creates many flaws in hitters for instance dropping the hands instead of rotating the shoulders slightly backwards as a unit.)
17. BALANCE BALANCE BALANCE! (This might be the most important item!)
18. As the ball is being driven, the back foot actually rotates to the point that the hitter, as they generate power, comes on top of his back toe and even drags it!
19. Great hitters hit off of a platform. In other words, the front leg becomes straight. This also helps keep the head in the proper location. Note, straight but not rigid. Many great hitters have a slight bend to that front knee during some point before and after the swing. Soft, stiff, soft.
20. Great hitters are slightly“ tilted” over the plate. Nose over the black of the plate.
21. Great hitters can control the bat plane at any point in the swing thus their ability to foul off pitcher's pitches.

Cannonball said:

5. The finish has to be high. (I believe in releasing the top hand – others don’t!)

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This depends on the location of the pitch.

The finish will be high for pitches middle down and more around for pitches up.

Chris O'Leary said:

This depends on the location of the pitch.

The finish will be high for pitches middle down and more around for pitches up.

Click to expand...

High is a relative term.

Cannonball said:

High is a relative term.

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Agreed.

Finishing low is usually a telltale of dropping the hands and pretty much never a good thing.

Chris O'Leary said:

Agreed.

Finishing low is usually a telltale of dropping the hands and pretty much never a good thing.

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Don't a significant number of hitters that improperly drop their hands at the start of their swing have a 'loop' and finish high?

FiveFrameSwing said:

Don't a significant number of hitters that improperly drop their hands at the start of their swing have a 'loop' and finish high?

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We're not talking about dropping the hands at the start of the swing.

We're talking about dropping the hands to adjust up and down rather than by tilting.

RichK said:

I'm serious about that subject line. I have enjoyed the influx of energy (and disagreement) from newcomers the past few days, but in the end I am actively coaching a 12U girls team that we are trying to teach from the ground up how to hit.

For a high-level FASTPITCH swing (because after all, this is a fast pitch site) what are the things that are so fundamental that there is some agreement on them. That Tewks and Hitter will see eye to eye on ; >

What are the very best drills and progressions to teach and, for instance, in pregame warmups, reinforce those fundamentals?

Because the truth is, finishing off my final 6 weeks of winter workouts emphasizing (or hopefully reemphasizing) those fundamental elements is going to get me closer to where I want our girls to be (while also giving me time to continue to learn from the arguments over the finer points on this site and others).

Maybe I've opened a can of worms, or the question is too big. Maybe it will just get ignored.

But I figured I'm not alone in what I'm trying to accomplish and hoping to learn.

Thanks in advance to everyone here.

Click to expand...

Since Mark H went out of his way to bring me into the conversation, I'll engage. Hopefully with some meaningful content.

According to many past and present college fastpitch coaches including Enquist and Candrea, the high level fastpitch swing is the same as the MLB swing. Not everyone in fastpitch is completely onboard with this belief, which often times leads to disagreement on the specifics of the swing. Many of the more seasoned coaches who ARE onboard, are having to totally change what they have taught in the past, which is no easy task.

This may sound arrogant, but if you think about it logically it really isn't...On the day that Mike Candrea or Sue Enquist decided the fastpitch swing should be the same as the MLB, they had about the same knowledge of the MLB swing as you or I. Which begs the question, how are they learning about the MLB swing? According to Epstein, many big name college fastpitch programs have purchased his material over the years. We all know of the relationship that Candrea and Enquist have with Don Slaught via "RVP Pro". My point is that many of the top coaches in fastpitch are learning about the MLB swing the same way many of us are; from MLB hitters. Which only makes sense.

Hitting in fastpitch is in transition so opinions are going to be all over the place. With that said, I find that the transition to the MLB swing is far enough along that many will agree on the following basic principles.

1. Lunging is bad.
2. Slot then swing is bad
3. It's important to hit from a balanced position
4. Having a negative move is good
5. Keeping the hands inside the ball is good
6. Swinging level to the ball is preferably to swinging down or level to the ground
7. Squish the bug is bad
8. Keeping the rear hands connected to the back shoulder as they turn the corner is good
9. The hips leading the hands is good
10. A gate swing is bad
11. Getting the hands flat quickly and hitting through a long zone is good
12. Bat drag is bad
13. Pushing the hands into contact is bad
14. Pulling the head off the ball towards 3rd base dugout (rightie) is bad
15. Weight transfer is important
16. Timimg is critical
17. Getting a good pitch to hit is important
18. Hitting is 50% from the neck up

Those are a few off the top of my head. Just keep in mind that there will be some serious disagreement over how many of the things on my list are best accomplished. Which is a good thing, because if eveyone agreed on everything this would be a very boring place.

Chris O'Leary said:

This depends on the location of the pitch.

The finish will be high for pitches middle down and more around for pitches up.

Click to expand...

I would have said finish in plane with the rest of the swing.