HOW do you Teach TILT!

[Mr T]

... and as far as drills at this point, I like the stride and separate drill I posted with Stone. I like it because you physically grab their hands and bat and put them into proper place. This will hopefully help with getting the setup just right.

Then, I like the drills people have posted where the girl goes to the point I talk about and freezes, then swings (at a tee ball). The girl fires her hips and slots her elbow before freezing. And be careful, firing hip can't be spinning and it's important the back leg bend.

 

[Filthy McNasty]

I think the Stone videos are great. However, he does not mention what he does with the rear elbow or the path of his hands. I think his videos are great and would recommend them to anyone. My problem with him is that he is in Illinois and I am in Texas.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

FM ... Stone does speak of hand path and the importance of the elbow in terms of creating 'whip'.

 

[Mr T]

Here is Stone on hand path, also with mention of slotting of the elbow.

But as for training I like the pause drills. I can't remember what the topics were called but they've been mentioned in various threads.

 

[softballphreak]

So how do you guys explain yourself to a 10 year old or a single parent(without a clue) that wants to work with their kid at home. I know you guys aren't using all of this scientific lingo with your students, because there would be little comprehension and a very short attention span. Regardless of the elbow or the hands leading what should I teach my kid about her hand path to the ball. I heard Albert P. say he takes his hands to the ball. Also curious if I am wrong telling her to open with her hips while staying closed with her shoulders while going through bat lag(just doesn't seem they should open together).

It's a long and winding road. For beginners to be involved in a thread like this probably wouldn't be very productive.

The good news is that in past threads many of these same posters have contributed much valuable information for younger hitters and parents as well as the more experienced. There is a wealth of knowledge already posted. Using the search feature I believe you will be able to find discussions as simple as you would like or as complicated as you would like.

Many of these posts are discussions between very knowledgeable and experienced people. Many of the posts were not meant to teach players but rather to teach the teachers or exchange ideas, etc.

 

[Mr T]

My daughter has had a lot of success using two pieces of material from Epstein. One is his "Torque Drill" which does a great job of teaching kids how to lateral tilt and rotate the shoulders simultaneously. Basically the drill teaches kids how to take two movements and combine them into one seemless movement.

Once they get that down, I introduce Epstein's "Weather Vane" concept. This concept really only works if the student knows how to correctly slot their rear elbow and get their front forearm max up off the chest to establish connection. Assuming they have that part down, it becomes a simple matter of using the front elbow as a guide to determine what your shoulders are doing. IOW, my daughter knows that if her front forearm is level to the ground, then her shoulders are close to level to the ground, which means she is getting on top of the high pitch. If her front forearm is working up, then she knows that her shoulders are tilted, which is what she shoots for on lower pitches. Of all the things we've worked on this is probably the one she does the best. It shows up in her game swings all the time. It's most noticeable on high pitches in game swings where she just reacts and levels out, getting on top of the pitch, resulting in a line drive. Those are probably my favorite hits to watch because it's so easy to see what she's doing in real-time.

Hitters can't really see their shoulders when they are hitting. However they can see their front forearm because it's in front of them. The forearm therefore can be used as a rear view mirror for the shoulders. The "Weather Vane" concept basically teaches kids not to have grooved shoulder tilt. It lets them know that it's ok to vary shoulder tilt depending on pitch location. It' not so much about what to do, as it is about what's ok to do".

What Epstein material contains the torque and weather pane drill?

 

[Filthy McNasty]

It's a long and winding road. For beginners to be involved in a thread like this probably wouldn't be very productive.

The good news is that in past threads many of these same posters have contributed much valuable information for younger hitters and parents as well as the more experienced. There is a wealth of knowledge already posted. Using the search feature I believe you will be able to find discussions as simple as you would like or as complicated as you would like.

Many of these posts are discussions between very knowledgeable and experienced people. Many of the posts were not meant to teach players but rather to teach the teachers or exchange ideas, etc.

Sorry, I didn't introduce myself as a beginner. My question was in regards to relaying info.

 

[softballphreak]

Sorry, I didn't introduce myself as a beginner. My question was in regards to relaying info.

My bad. I assumed because you mentioned a 10 year old we were talking about relaying info to a 10 year old.

 

[rdbass]

I recommend the Megan1-tee, on page 4 started by Immortal1.Always rereading this post.Shows a dad like myself with a average DD that would like to teach his DD the proper sequence.This post you go on a journey though the day to day learning process.Explained in terms that a dad such as myself can follow and with video also.To me this is pricless for a dad with limit resources.Kids like got eat.

 

[Wellphyt]

Wellphyt--please see the "What causes Rotation" vid.

Yes there is pelvic opening during the stride--caused by the Back Leg Abducting at the hip joint, driving the rear pelvic bone forward and slightly open.

I like the pics you posted. Note how "relatively" closed the pelvis (and front side in general) is just after the front heel drops.

Chris, the reason I posted this collection of pics was to illustrate the lower body position of pro hitters at heel plant. Notice the position of their back knee and back foot. The hips of each player in the image have begun to turn forward, yet their back knee is not driving down-and-in. IMO these hitters are holding onto the pressure at the back foot created by the muscles in the pelvis that control the legs. IOW, they are not purposefully turning their rear leg inwards in an attempt to turn their hips.



My experience is that when kids are told to actively use their back leg or foot, they will almost always interpret that in a way that leads to them giving up the pressure at the back foot prematurely. I saw this with my daughter and I see it with the student you posted. This premature loss of pressure at the back foot is why I have abandoned any reference to doing anything actively with the back leg or foot. I have replaced that teaching approach with that of Sevam1 starting at the 2:25 mark. In laymen terms, when a RH hitter coils their hips back they feel pressure at the back foot in a clockwise direction. When they unwind the coil and turn their hips forward the pressure at the back foot increases in the same clockwise direction. This pressure at the back foot creates the launching pad for the hips. What I was teaching my daughter was to actively try to turn her rear knee down-and-in, which I call the "Elvis Move". Doing that led to her giving up the pressure at the back foot early. She still hit really well, but it didn't match slow motion of the best, so we are making some changes.