DD's swings during lesson

[maksoftball]

Her bad habits are chasing pitches...she needs to learn to wait and stay back...that much we do know.

[video=youtube_share;VUlYLb9piSM]http://youtu.be/VUlYLb9piSM[/video]

 

[RayR]

OK - I will start.

Swing is out front - it is probably why she chases bad pitches because she has to start her swing early to hit out front. With her current mechanics asking her to "stay back" does not make sense to her. She shifts first then swings - one easy way to tell is to set a ball up on a tee deep (on the rear side of the mid line of her body) and see if she can make good contact behind the ball.

Read Knight's DD thread and follow the improvement.

Ray

 

[maksoftball]

Thanks for responding, Ray. She understands it...just needs to work on it. I think her main flaw is me...I have no idea how to watch for these things and help her. I am clueless and incompetent so therefore, when she works on it on her own time, I can't help her.

What I do is convey all of her coach's remarks to her team coaches to make sure they are all on same page and stay on her about it. We'll see.

Also, the angle of the video is off as I couldn't get to the side...there was another lane by them.

Any input is appreciated...and is she doing ANYTHING right? Just gets upsetting when I pay for all of these lessons and invest in taking her to fields to practice.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

She is doing a lot right. I like her. She has a timing issue, that she can work on. One thing that she does, that isn't a problem to me, is that she sets up and then, lines up her feet, when the ball is approaching. Watch the front foot move. So, I think that someone is coaching her to get a better look at the ball. You can help by doing a lot of front toss with her. Get toy balls that you can toss to the outside of the plate. You want her to let the ball get deep and drive it to right field. Ask her to move back in the box, a bit. I lay down the bat, across the back corner of the plate and my front foot goes there.

I bet that she is speedy and is beating out some infield grounders.

 

[HUT13]

Looks like she is pushing the bat instead of throwing the barrel. She also pushes too long with the back leg which causes her head to pop up. Her weight shift is very good, she is just overdoing it. Needs to learn to separate the upper and lower. Not a terrible swing by any means. Just some things to work on. JMHO

 

[RayR]

Hey Mak,

Is she doing anything right? Tough for me to say because I don't know what she is being taught. She might be doing everything right that is being taught to her. I will say that I would love to get a chance to work with her as I think there is a lot of athleticism that just needs to be directed better.

Watch my hitter's rear leg and foot.

Her stride is controlled by her back and her rear leg and rear hip. This helps her stay back and not jump out at balls.

If I had a chance to work with her I would have her work on rear leg swings off a tee and off front toss as well as work on SnF swings (check Knight's thread) and do deep tee work as well as reverse top hand swings that would help her figure out how to turn the barrel rearward instead of pushing the hands to contact.

Here is another hitter working on turning the barrel and not jumping off her back foot - I actually gave her the instruction of trying not to lift the rear heel at one point. Yes, she is spinning on the back foot. Once her rear leg gets stronger and she uses her back better to create some stretch the spin will disappear.

Thanks for responding, Ray. She understands it...just needs to work on it. I think her main flaw is me...I have no idea how to watch for these things and help her. I am clueless and incompetent so therefore, when she works on it on her own time, I can't help her.

What I do is convey all of her coach's remarks to her team coaches to make sure they are all on same page and stay on her about it. We'll see.

Also, the angle of the video is off as I couldn't get to the side...there was another lane by them.

Any input is appreciated...and is she doing ANYTHING right? Just gets upsetting when I pay for all of these lessons and invest in taking her to fields to practice.

 

[RayR]

Sometimes taking the stride away can help if there is an emphasis on turning the barrel rearward.

It may look like a hip shift but it is really this hitter trying to create some stretch in her lower back as in SnF drill work. Compared to the hitter in my last post - she uses her back better and so the rear foot reacts and doesn't spin

 

[rdbass]

Ray,
Honest question not a set up. You have been a Hitting coach for awhile. Do you feel that your students are progressing quicker since you started using SNF as one of your drills? Do you feel that your students are grasping the "turning of the barrell" quicker and more easily? Is the SNF drill/drills a bigger part of your drills. I believe like you that the Reverse hand drill is a very important drill in learning to really figure out the turning of the barrell. Doing the Reverse hand drill and it seems the body will figure out how the body should work to support this. Truthfully not a set up question but I question as a dad with my DD as my "student".

 

[lclifton]

maksoftball,

Hitters go about generating power in various ways. Your daughter's is a very typical way. Amy had a suggestion of working with lots of front toss with a focus on an outside location. Why? To get her to learn to create a "behind the ball hit". (Amy, I realize you didn't say it that way). The suggestion is a good one because she won't be able to hit it to the opposite field with the current "out over the front leg" swings.

Generating power,
Please take a look at where your daughter has her arms when she launches her swing. There is no stretch.
What does that mean? It means she starts with some slack in the system...as such she looks elsewhere for power.
Where does she find it? With momentum that takes her out over her front side. (momentum, not a bad thing, when contained)
How to fix it? Where to start?

Imo, stretch.
Does she have to start her hands "all the way back"? No. She can learn to move to there. Something like this; (won't be exact but it's a good visual) This clip goes along with what Rayr is saying about 'controlling with the back leg'.

Check out Ray's hitters, notice where the hands are? Compare.

Overcoming the urge to "go get it" is tough, it is a process, but I agree with the others that see the athletcism in your daughter ....... she can do this.

Here is a collage of still pictures depicting "cocked and ready"....and...again, I'd prefer to see a student MOVE TO this spot ,,,,ideally they "flow into it and launch".


(Click to see the bigger picture)

The guys do this too.

 

[crankermo]

RD,

I know the question wasn't asked of me but I've always said the body wants to work in a ceratin and it will if you let it. The body wants to be efficient and quick.

Not trying to be a smart-rear here when I asks these questions, I think they are qustions we all need to ask ourselves; How many different paths have you personally been on? What feels natural? Which one has helped you & your DD the most? What is your DD's ultimate and yet reachable goal behind this journey?

I've studied and tried just about every damn thing on the net and I've found things that work great for Brooke and I believe in them staunchly but I also know not every kid is Brooke.