Daughter is hitting off the thin part of the bat on everything.
- Thread starter eddie35
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FiveFrameSwing
Banned
Is the issue on inside pitches?
FiveFrameSwing
Banned
Often a player with a poor swing, or someone that swings to pull the ball, has a need to be close to the plate to deal with outside pitches. The issue this creates is that they don't give their hands enough room to deal effectively with inside pitches.
There is also the issue that many coaches don't quite understand that the best way to deal with outside pitches isn't to be on the plate, but to teach a swing that deals with outside pitches. That's what AO, or "Attacking Oppo", is all about.
Let's try it this way.
If you learn to let the outside pitch get deep, then you are able to put the sweet spot of the bat on the ball without having to crowd the plate. Very different than if you have a mentality to go out and get the ball. Said differently, a good swing allows you to drive the ball on the outside of the plate without having to crowd the plate.
If you have a swing that allows you to handle the outside pitch without crowding the plate, then you give yourself more room for the hands to work when facing inside pitches. With that extra room the jamming issue goes away.
It may seem a bit convoluted .... but an effective way to build a swing that can deal with inside pitches is to build a swing that can drive outside pitches to opposite field with authority ... a swing that lets the ball get deep and allows for an "out from", or "attacking oppo" approach.
Developing such a swing has multiple benefits ... it allows for a smaller timing differential between inside & outside pitches, as well as increases power.
Many pros begin a BP warm-up by working the outside edge. They do this for a good reason.
When a hitter receives instruction from their coach to crowd the plate, they may be doing so because the pitcher is primarily attacking the opposite side of the plate ... or they may be doing that because they think the kid's swing sucks ... or they may be doing that because they themselves don't understand what a good swing is capable of. Bottom-line ... a good swing clears up the issue and allows a hitter to deal with the outside pitch without crowding the plate, and hence giving their hands ample room to work for inside pitches as well.
There is also the issue that many coaches don't quite understand that the best way to deal with outside pitches isn't to be on the plate, but to teach a swing that deals with outside pitches. That's what AO, or "Attacking Oppo", is all about.
Let's try it this way.
If you learn to let the outside pitch get deep, then you are able to put the sweet spot of the bat on the ball without having to crowd the plate. Very different than if you have a mentality to go out and get the ball. Said differently, a good swing allows you to drive the ball on the outside of the plate without having to crowd the plate.
If you have a swing that allows you to handle the outside pitch without crowding the plate, then you give yourself more room for the hands to work when facing inside pitches. With that extra room the jamming issue goes away.
It may seem a bit convoluted .... but an effective way to build a swing that can deal with inside pitches is to build a swing that can drive outside pitches to opposite field with authority ... a swing that lets the ball get deep and allows for an "out from", or "attacking oppo" approach.
Developing such a swing has multiple benefits ... it allows for a smaller timing differential between inside & outside pitches, as well as increases power.
Many pros begin a BP warm-up by working the outside edge. They do this for a good reason.
When a hitter receives instruction from their coach to crowd the plate, they may be doing so because the pitcher is primarily attacking the opposite side of the plate ... or they may be doing that because they think the kid's swing sucks ... or they may be doing that because they themselves don't understand what a good swing is capable of. Bottom-line ... a good swing clears up the issue and allows a hitter to deal with the outside pitch without crowding the plate, and hence giving their hands ample room to work for inside pitches as well.
First of all thanks for the post, I believe she has a great swing and has hit the cover off the ball her whole life. She knows to let the ball get deep to go the other way, rotate as needed depending where the location of the pitch is.what I see in her swing is that she is barring the lead arm to early and when she gets a inside pitch has to fight to get barrel to the ball. I guess what Iam looking for are drills to promote correct hand path to maintain hands inside the ball. Any help would be appreciated.
Her hands
It could be her hands need to be tighter into her body. If her hands drift over the plate on her load, its hard to bring them in. I teach my hitters hands no more than 4inches from earhole. her bottom arm should make an L formation on load if she is straightening out her bottom arm on load then she' will likely get jammed on the inner 3rd of the plate. Simply keeping your hands inside the ball.
It could be her hands need to be tighter into her body. If her hands drift over the plate on her load, its hard to bring them in. I teach my hitters hands no more than 4inches from earhole. her bottom arm should make an L formation on load if she is straightening out her bottom arm on load then she' will likely get jammed on the inner 3rd of the plate. Simply keeping your hands inside the ball.
- Mar 29, 2012
- 376
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Is she maybe not keeping her hands inside the ball, her elbow not staying tight or lead hand pushing to far over the plate?
FiveFrameSwing
Banned
Eddie35, if hand path is the concern then work on having a "tight HPP" (hands in close to the body) ... that will help lead to a "short to" in the phase "short to, long through".
Add to this the concept of leveling (i.e., the process of getting the barrel behind the ball) ***AS*** the swing is performed, and not first lowering the hands behind the back as the pitch is being read. Set up the machine to pitch high, and have a goal of line-drives and grounders ... don't accept balls hit high ... with this drill you are forming an "attack from the top" mentality. When your hitter has this going well, then set the machine to pitch low ... on the knees ... and see that the bat levels as it is swung, and not prior. Go back and forth between high and low pitched balls ... build a mentality of "attack from the top" and "leveling AS you swing".
Add to this the concept of leveling (i.e., the process of getting the barrel behind the ball) ***AS*** the swing is performed, and not first lowering the hands behind the back as the pitch is being read. Set up the machine to pitch high, and have a goal of line-drives and grounders ... don't accept balls hit high ... with this drill you are forming an "attack from the top" mentality. When your hitter has this going well, then set the machine to pitch low ... on the knees ... and see that the bat levels as it is swung, and not prior. Go back and forth between high and low pitched balls ... build a mentality of "attack from the top" and "leveling AS you swing".
