What Is The Wrist Angle Position At Point Of Contact?

[Chris O'Leary]

Thanks Chris and 3DD'SDad, I just caught my daughter in the swing to contact drill with that right wrist still cocked back and not released, and as a result making the bat lag way behind and pointing down the first base line or worse. Just trying to find an answer to why she is hitting so many balls to the right side of the field.

If you push the hands forward through the POC (e.g due to trying to throw the hands at the ball) or have some other problem with disconnection, you won't get the whip you need.

That's why I don't like the word "push."

If I'm understanding it correctly you need that angle creating by the wrist to create that whipping effect for more power and not be just pushing the bat.

You're confusing cause and effect.

The angle of the wrist at contact is the EFFECT of the whip, not the cause of the whip.

What really drives things is the curved hand path. As the hands turn the corner, that causes the bat head to whip on its own.

Notice how, right before the POC, the hands come back toward the hitter's body. That coincides with the whip because it is driving the whip.

If you try to push the hands, you will interfere with this process.

Where should the belt buckle be pointing at that same place of contact ? Thanks SBFAMILY, you answered while I was typing. I think she may be over rotating also. But her hands were really tight in this drill holding the bat head way behind. Do we need to work on loosening up her grip on the bat ?

I wouldn't worry about this.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

Just reread what Chris last posted and that seems to be the problem, she is not releasing her wrist. Just like in golf, if I hit the ball with my hands (so to speak) and don't release them then the clubhead never gets back square at contact and the ball goes right. So do you guys think that maybe her grip is too tight? Where should we start on breaking this bad habit? SBFamily, how tight do you teach holding that grip?

The wrists are an unpowered, free-swinging hinge.

Too tight of a grip can gum up this hinge.

 

[ThundersDad]

So if she loosens up her muscles while in her preload, load, start of swing, etc. then the wrists should release on their own? All I know is that when I had her swing out to contact several times that her wrist were still locked and hinged back, making the bat head be way behind. I understand that you can't push it through, just thought she could help the release a little by thinking about it, maybe thinking getting the bat head to contact by the time the hands get there ?

 

[SBFAMILY]

Grip is very important. You cannot use a hammer correctly and most girls we work with have never used a tool like a hammer and hold the bat wrong. Not sure about Chris's post on belly button or grip. Both are very important. My lefty slapper had an issue on release point and rotation to hit for power into right field and Howard worked with her last weekend. Grip I will find Howard post and cut and past it for you. Don and Sue tested grips at ULCA in the lab and found we could gain 3 to 5 MPG in bat speed by using the correct grip. Here is a little test using Mattrix. Take bat to ball contact point and stop. If you can take one finger and push the bat back, she is not using the correct grip. As Howard likes to point out " Feel it or Measure it". Now if you are using the grip that we teach, you will not be able to push the bat backwards at contact. You can also hear the sound of the T with a different grip. Kids go wow the first time we change it. We teach rotate as needed to hit a pitch.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

I understand that you can't push it through, just thought she could help the release a little by thinking about it, maybe thinking getting the bat head to contact by the time the hands get there ?

You're much more likely to mess things up than help them.

 

[SBFAMILY]

Howard grip post " Look at how she is holding the bat and do not say anything to her and then say do not move or let go of the bat and I will bet you the bat is in the back of her top hand where the thumb and index finger meet.

Some where there is a picture of one of our girls showing how we hold the bat in front of the index finger pad.. Some of our girls take the rubber bands they use to tie their pony tails up with and cut it and tie it on the index finger so the knot is on the palm side of the hand and then put the glove on so it makes a lump and they can feel it until they get use to it and how it feels and IT KEEPS THE BAT OUT OF THE BACK OF THE HAND!

Try this....stretch out your right hand palm up and then take your index and thumb of the left hand and hold your forearm with the index and thumb circling it.

Now move your ring and social finger inward towards ( make a fist) the palm of your outstretched hand and you should feel the muscles activated on both sides of your forearm.

Now repeat and only move the index and thumb and you will feel just a little activation on he thumb side of the outstretched hand.

We call the ring and social finger grippers and the thumb and index finger balancers.

You can hold the bat with the ring and social fingers only and no one can pull the bat out of your hand.

This is why we use the grip we do as the bat is out of the back of your hand and and is in front of your hand and your wrist is flexed downward at contact ie palm up and palm down

 

[ThundersDad]

Thanks SBFamily, I know that the release should just happen, but I'm pretty sure now this has been her problem all this summer. I know that in golf I held my hands and didn't release them for years and all I could hit was a slice. Then I learned to release at contact and WOW! a nice draw going down the fairway. These problems are hard to see when we don't film our daughters batting. I guess I need to give her mom the camcorder sometimes. Will Howard and Crystal be giving any clincs near Memphis.Tn. anytime this year?

 

[tom.guerry]

skeppie -

I thought the question was :

"When does a right handed hitter release the angle of the right hand?"

What did you think ?

I think the answer is a technical/sequentioal/kinesiological/joint motion description of how the top hand wrist moves near contact. If that is not what was being asked, it should be what is asked for the HLBB swing pattern.

Maybe we need a more technical technical forum.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

skeppie -

I thought the question was :

"When does a right handed hitter release the angle of the right hand?"

Frame 51...

 

[tom.guerry]

FRAME 51 is closer to when LEAD/BOTTOM wrist uncocks/ADducts (unhinges/widens hinge angle) prior to contact while top hand/rear wrist (right hand for right handed batter) remains "set"/cocked until later as angle at rear elbow widens from triceps extension