Critique / Help Series of Swings

[redhotcoach]

Second SNF drill. Second swing on the clip.

Obviously, good hitters whip, not sweep.

Thanks Chris

 

[RayR]

Steve Huff,

Is this a sweep?

 

[Steve Huff]

Here is a clip for you - bat is getting launched at same time but he is able to delay it just enough in one swing and speed it up in the other ....as he reads the pitch.

Absolutely true! Perfect! Thanks!
1) And what is his core orientation at contact in each? Just look at the back knee and belly button. Please keep in mind that he keeps a closed stance.
2) And which video does he bat extend over the plate more? You can see that increased extension from a frontal view. The bat is thrown out over the plate deeper in the zone, more behind him! But what would it look like from a side view? The swings would look totally different, as far as bat head travel, as I have explained over and over again, just as they look different here. Pitch height, pitch location, change the perceived appearance without providing all the information. He hits the ball deeper in the second gif. You can see that. But what if he over-rotated and tried to pull the ball? Is that what Larsen did? Do you know?

Can you make these gifs and re-post to help other viewers?

 

[Steve Huff]

Steve Huff,

Is this a sweep?

Yes, there is a little sweep in her swing. But her problems are exacerbated by that grip! That grip helps the bat set the barrel in motion a little early. The grip does not help with her whip, because she is not palm up palm down. Her back wrist is over-rotated. She can't point her index fingers parallel. Her wrists should be fairly parallel as a result of proper alignment, which they are not. She would have more accuracy in her swing. The back wrist orientation promotes a stronger back arm than it does initiation by the forearm.

Any early "launch" creates sweep.

 

[RayR]

Steve Huff,

The point is that while launching the barrel rearward (which you oppose) he is reading and adjusting....it seems that you insist that really good hitters key on certain positions and don't put the barrel in motion until much later than Kemp, Larsen, Bonds, Pujols, Bustos, etc....

 

[RayR]

Can you point out exactly where the "little sweep" is occurring? Are you saying that sweeping can be solved by changing the grip?

Yes, there is a little sweep in her swing. But her problems are exacerbated by that grip! That grip helps the bat set the barrel in motion a little early. The grip does not help with her whip, because she is not palm up palm down. Her back wrist is over-rotated. She can't point her index fingers parallel. Her wrists should be fairly parallel as a result of proper alignment, which they are not. She would have more accuracy in her swing. The back wrist orientation promotes a stronger back arm than it does initiation by the forearm.

Any early "launch" creates sweep.

 

[RayR]

Is this a sweep?

 

[RayR]

Just to clarify in case someone else is reading.

Training to hit deep is not about location specifically....it is training you to get the barrel into the hitting zone early and staying there...giving yourself a much better chance in the batter's box....but I am sure that you, Steve Huff, knew that....

Your SNF drill. I have nothing against hitting deeper. But hitting deeper is for outside pitches just as Chris O'Leary shows. Hitting deeper is not for pitches middle - in. And yes knightsb's DD needs work on that. But her swing is light years ahead of that student you show in post #4 I think. Once you put the bat in motion, it tends to stay in motion. Once it starts to swing, "launch", you have created a bat path. You have lost your load, you are sweeping, and a sweeping swing does not play in college or international ball. I saw a DI player who was a big sweeper. She had the best batting average I ever saw for a sweeper. She was actually in that game I mentioned Nancy Evans pitched. Her team finished 3rd at Nationals, she got a scholarship, and hit .260 in college. Not bad, not good, and she was the best I saw in my career.

I don't tell Mike Candrea what to do. We coach hitting a little different. I am more of the Mike Epstein, Chris O'Leary, Howard Carrier, Cheryl Bustos camp. No redhotcoach, I do not know them personally except Carrier. I trust Candrea. He coaches from a philosophical position that is sensible and he can back it up. There are no fundamentals that he defies. You are defying basic fundamentals and principles of physics. It isn't a different approach, it is an anti-approach! The notion that they have more time to read the pitch set me off. No sweeping swing, as I have told you it is, as Chris O'Leary has suggested it is, works! The premise you made that upset me is like a myth. It defies physics. That makes it counter productive.

 

[knightsb]

What is the logic of starting her hands where she does?

I see lots of girls do that, and what often happens is that the hands end up behind the back elbow due to a crack the whip effect.

I prefer the hands be set up a bit more back so that it's easier to keep some bend in the front arm.

Hi Chris,

We were using Bustos as a model swing and that is why I had her start with her hands like that.

Since this thread started, we have moved her hand position and raised her back elbow. We also tried to adjust her starting lower body position and not stride quite as far.... among other things ;-)

Left-before
Right-after

 

[Steve Huff]

VLOG from 02/02/2013:

[video=youtube_share;1QJ6kW4emM8]http://youtu.be/1QJ6kW4emM8[/video]

This tee placement shows that her problems were not with technique, but tee placement and a mental approach about hitting out in front. When she "hit under the ball" she over-rotated a little bit. She has to think belly-button and back knee to RF. The first swing in "complaining about tee placement, her core orientation and back knee are much better.

As you can see, her release is earlier (position not timing) because her orientation, hitting to RF. But the swing is the same. The orientation of the swing is what changed.

She still wants to hit out front too far sometimes, but she is a quick learner. She is in the "conscious competence phase". She thinks about it and can do it right.

Knightsb, girls send their recruiting tapes during their junior year, usually. I got tapes even after the signing period started. Right now, at 14, with this improvement in this video, your daughter is light years ahead of the average video I got, and better than average mechanically than the average girl on 18U travel ball teams; when she can do this in a game! That requires muscle memory and getting to the "unconscious competence" phase.

Things she is doing well.
1) Load timing is pretty good, so her hands don't move around too much; keep an eye on that!
2) Connection through swing to hip is very good.
3) Eyes down on ball, chin on back shoulder.
4) Contact with "power arm" position, hands extend just in front of hips at contact, back elbow bent, palm up, palm down.
5) Front elbow is bent, not straight. But as I said, I think that was about reaching to hit out front too much. So it looks very good
6) Back knee is under hip better sometimes. But I have a comment below.
7) Front arm and bat form one long line at contact and through extension.
8) Extension is very good, long. When hitting up the middle or pulling, it should be at the pitcher at finish, toward RF when hitting to RF.
9) Weight is on toe, not squishing the bug.
10) Front foot orientation at about 45 degrees at heel plant.

Things I see that could use a little work, but not today. Practice what you are doing and working on now.
1. Her toe touch is not solid. She is reaching but setting down her heel rather flat footed, without weight transfer causing the hell plant. She needs to push into, or against the front foot a little more. Look at 2:30 in the video. Back leg stays back.
2. Make sure her wrists are rather parallel. I can't see it clearly enough to see if they are. The index fingers should be able to extend parallel.


There are a few dads here whose daughters swing this well, but they have had a lot of private lessons.