Does it have to be that complicated?

[2DDspitching]

I've been coaching SB and BB for over 18 yrs. Little league, rec , high school and competitive travel. I always am trying to find ways to make it easier for the kids to understand what I'm teaching.

Now when it comes to hitting I've been through it all. Coil, uncoil, fire the hip, starts in the bottom half, ext , ext.
Very few of the kids I've worked with really related to that stuff very well, regardless of how many different ways I went about teaching it.

Recently I've start doing something different. I'm teaching more about the core and what muscles to engage and when.
I always try everything myself to see what I feel and the results. When I focused on the core a lot of things just happened because of the action of the core. When I started trying it with the kids I seen the same results.

So my question is, has anyone else tried this approach and what was your results?

 

[2DDspitching]

Lol, is that good or bad?

 

[rdbass]

Recently I've start doing something different. I'm teaching more about the core and what muscles to engage and when.
I always try everything myself to see what I feel and the results. When I focused on the core a lot of things just happened because of the action of the core. When I started trying it with the kids I seen the same results.

I'm teaching more about the core and what muscles to engage and when.

Can you explain this more.

I always try everything myself to see what I feel and the results. When I focused on the core a lot of things just happened because of the action of the core. When I started trying it with the kids I seen the same results.

Can you post video/gif examples of you or your students showing these results of these 'core movements'.
Thanks in advance.

 

[ian]

Some 6 year olds will understand the intricacies of hitting. Some 37 year olds(myself) will have a hard time understanding the proper swing mechanics and how to teach them.

Then you have some bone heads who dont understand proper swing mechanics and arent interested in learning. They will claim to know everything but get very defensive when questioned.

Complicated for some, others can teach/learn hitting and chew gum at the same time.

 

[wjdempkowski]

Try using pictures of batters in various positions of the swing. Then explain in the most simplest terms what is happening. Video your players and let them compare it to the pictures to see what needs to be fixed or adjusted.

 

[Buttermaker]

This is how I have boiled down the use of the core.

When in your stance - think about the lat muscle closest to the pitcher wrapping around the front side of your body across your abdomen towards your rear hip. This should engage your whole core and want to pull your rear hip towards the plate - you resist with the rear hip by pulling back against that. The instruction is then to learn how to swing without letting that feeling go. This keeps your front shoulder down and in and encourages your hips/legs to start the swing.

The results are always harder hit balls if the hands are educated to know how to get the barrel around the way it should. Your top hand will always try and control the swing, but your bottom hand better be equal to the task to keep the hands and barrel from getting lost behind you.

 

[rdbass]

This is how I have boiled down the use of the core.

When in your stance - think about the lat muscle closest to the pitcher wrapping around the front side of your body across your abdomen towards your rear hip. This should engage your whole core and want to pull your rear hip towards the plate - you resist with the rear hip by pulling back against that. The instruction is then to learn how to swing without letting that feeling go. This keeps your front shoulder down and in and encourages your hips/legs to start the swing.

The results are always harder hit balls if the hands are educated to know how to get the barrel around the way it should. Your top hand will always try and control the swing, but your bottom hand better be equal to the task to keep the hands and barrel from getting lost behind you.

Bold above. Glad you came 'full circle' welcome back, too 'turn the barrel towards the ball'.

 

[Buttermaker]

Bottom hand, bottom hand, bottom hand.

The bottom hand better be pulling the handle/knob to initiate the barrel turning behind the hitter. Reverse top hands will help train this.

 

[mann]

Bottom hand, bottom hand, bottom hand.

The bottom hand better be pulling the handle/knob to initiate the barrel turning behind the hitter. Reverse top hands will help train this.

Pulling it where?

 

[Buttermaker]

away from your body.