Critique / Help Series of Swings

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Oct 10, 2011
1,572
38
Pacific Northwest
mannysameold.gif



this is the no teach that i mention above, the hands will always have a life of their own.




noteacg-M.jpg


first day ever, and she already looks elite:)
 
Aug 29, 2011
1,108
0
Dallas, TX
Steve,

I think you are very a very smart hitting guy obviously or you wouldn't have the resume that you do. The turning the barrel debate right now might just be a verbage miscommunication, does hand pivot point sound more reasonable to you? As for Brooke she is a sophomore in HS and a catcher by trade. Her OH throwing velocity is a consistent 65 with a high of 69 clocked by D1 schools. Her pop times are in the 1.7-1.8 range. She's scheduled for her first ACT saturday.

What is most important here is that you are on schedule with the Clearinghouse. Did you ask for a packet? One more year! I think they changed the signing date to 1 July now, next summer. It was 15 July, and they are always messing with the contact periods.

Yes, there has been some misunderstanding, though not all, because of changing terminology from older posts. I don't hang out here much of the year. I can't keep up with changing definitions or nuances. That term, "hand pivot point" describes and creates an image. Better!

Well that pop time is very good! She is giving up a little potentially because of her height, but her athleticism and fast-twitch are helping her catch up to the height issue. Ashley Holcombe comes closest to what I teach in catching. I do two things differently that we can mention here, but one is about blocking balls outside the knees that is more difficult to explain in this post. But it shocks people a little to see it work. First let me say the hand path of Ashley is very important bringing the balls back for a throw. Most bad throws are too the RF side of 2nd. This is because of the rear foot plant. When the glove swings around in an arc, instead of how Ashley shows it, coming over the top, with palm down, the momentum of the arms and shoulders forces the back foot to plant off center. When the back foot does this, it causes a slight imbalance. To adjust, the left foot will plant off the center-line, creating an open splayed foot position. The feet are lined up a little toward the SS. This causes the arm or elbow to drop, and the throw will be to the RF side. This applies to fielding bunts or throwing in general. The rear foot should plant on the center-line of the catcher, (crotch), when she comes up to throw. This is impossible when the arms are swung around to the throwing position. So the glove comes back, palm down, straight toward the ear. Step on the center-line with the back foot, and then step forward on the left foot, on the center-line as you throw.

Second, I teach the whole inside edge of the feet to make contact with the ground. Why? Because first, you can drop quicker to block a pitch. Secondly, there is no raising up before going down to block. Watch normal catching videos and you can see this slight action up before down. Ashely's position is good, but just a small adjustment to the complete edge of the feet. Third, your push-off to the side is much stronger if you are not ONLY on the balls of the feet.

Here is a photo of girls at a camp in Croatia that are doing the first element I mentioned. The girl who is airborne, shows the sudden drop into correct position. Some coaches teach to drop forward. Too slow! Balls of the feet, too slow! Only the far girl and Katy, closest got it right away.

Catchers block.jpg

Catching Tips-Throwing with Ashley Holcombe USA Softball - YouTube
Cathing Tips-Stance with Ashley Holcombe USA Softball - YouTube
Catching Tips-Framing with Ashley Holcombe USA Softball - YouTube

knightsb and Olivia, your catcher means everything to your success, so ask her to study these videos. Make her work for you.
Now back to hitting. Maybe this should be moved?
 
Last edited:

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,165
38
New England
I've thought this for a while as I've been reading over this thread, is it possible that when MTS says "rearward launch," SteveHuff is confusing this with dropping the barrel straight back toward the backstop? The bolded statement about the wall drill makes me think this is what he is thinking. If the barrel was dropped so it was facing toward the backstop, I would use the wall drill to correct this (because when you drop your bat head toward the backstop you create an unhinged top-hand wrist which causes an extended top arm, which causes sweeping). That's not what I understand MTS to be saying about "rearward launch." To me, I've been interpreting "rearward launch" as the barrel going behind the hitter (pointing toward the 3B coach for a RH hitter) while beginning to uncoil from the resistance in the hips up through the torso.

None of MTS's gifs show the barrel pointing backwards to where the wall drill would be necessary. Barrel still stays deep and inside the ball in the gifs where the hitter isn't fooled. Thoughts?

I posted Tewks link showing Bautista's old and new swing earlier in this thread for a reason. I struggled like Steve H is with understanding the difference that MTS is trying to explain. The key for me was swinging and feeling the difference. IMO, once you feel the difference, you can see it and understand it. Call it a rearward launch or running start or elite swing component - whatever, the difference it makes is heard in the sound of the ball coming off the bat - people hear it, then stop and watch.
 
Feb 14, 2010
592
18
Steve,

I love the info. Will definitely have Brooke read and watch it. IMO she should be a legit 1.6 or below pop and I know that's olympic level but I truly beleive she has that type of talent. she needs to get quicker on the transition, she's always relied on her pure arm strength.
 
Aug 29, 2011
1,108
0
Dallas, TX
I've thought this for a while as I've been reading over this thread, is it possible that when MTS says "rearward launch," SteveHuff is confusing this with dropping the barrel straight back toward the backstop? The bolded statement about the wall drill makes me think this is what he is thinking. If the barrel was dropped so it was facing toward the backstop, I would use the wall drill to correct this (because when you drop your bat head toward the backstop you create an unhinged top-hand wrist which causes an extended top arm, which causes sweeping). That's not what I understand MTS to be saying about "rearward launch." To me, I've been interpreting "rearward launch" as the barrel going behind the hitter (pointing toward the 3B coach for a RH hitter) while beginning to uncoil from the resistance in the hips up through the torso.

None of MTS's gifs show the barrel pointing backwards to where the wall drill would be necessary. Barrel still stays deep and inside the ball in the gifs where the hitter isn't fooled. Thoughts?

This was confusing for me at the beginning. No doubt that is what I was thinking for the first 10 pages or so. Now, no! The Posey gif clarified some of this completely, though I did know early on that MTS was not saying this. As I said, if that is what crankermo or MTS were saying, no one would listen.
 
Aug 29, 2011
1,108
0
Dallas, TX
Steve,

I love the info. Will definitely have Brooke read and watch it. IMO she should be a legit 1.6 or below pop and I know that's olympic level but I truly beleive she has that type of talent. she needs to get quicker on the transition, she's always relied on her pure arm strength.

I won't argue with you. Like I said, you can make assumptions just from watching another skill. One question is does she rise all the way up. If she can pop up into a half or little more stance, get her back foot near her rear shoulder, she might shave a .1 off her time. She might already be doing it. I will pm you and send you a video in the future on blocking balls outside the knees. But this is most important for now. Put some tape or string down for her centerline.
 
Oct 10, 2011
3,117
0
Crankermo, you are wealth of knowledge, and unlike so many others that post, i can actually understand what the heck you are talking about.
you get five guys talking about hitting in room, it takes less than two minutes for it to get very load. And, they are all saying the same thing, using different words.
thank you for helping, really..... thank you.

It would be awesome to get these guys in a room talking hitting. I'd love to go to something like that and have RD with a big screen showing some cool gifs:) I'd sit in the corner and take notes with a big grin on my face.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
42,865
Messages
680,372
Members
21,540
Latest member
fpmithi
Top