Winter Hitting

[DB1]

Just finished soccer and volleyball and trying to get ready for spring softball. We just started swinging without instruction and here is where we are. No instruction was given except for trying to get a feel for the pressure in her feet with weight transfer.

I'm not sure where the abbreviated follow through came from as I don't remember seeing that in prior swings. First video is awhile back with a heavier wooden bat and the second video is more recent with her game bat.

Thoughts appreciated.

 

[DB1]

 

[Eric F]

I like her early bat speed and the suddenness with which she launches the bat. From what I can see, the biggest missing piece is good lower body and back useage. Her lower body turn looks truncated (for lack of a better word at the moment), and not connected with what's happening up top. Her rear hip should be coming forward hard and fast, and should lead the hands. Right now, her swing is powered primarily by her upper body. Get the bottom half working correctly, and she's going to crush the ball.

 

[pstein]

I like the second swing a lot more than the first one. I would continue working on continuously pulling back with the lower back and fusing the torso, but outside of that, she's good.

 

[DB1]

Thanks for the reply, at one time I remember a cue being to hide your hands from the pitcher. Is that the same type of action that you are referring to while continuously pulling back? IE, pulling your hands back (as in towards 3rd base dugout)?

 

[Eric F]

I like the second swing a lot more than the first one. I would continue working on continuously pulling back with the lower back and fusing the torso, but outside of that, she's good.

Important part bolded ^^ Pull back with the back, not the hands.

I'm not sure how "hide your hands from the pitcher" figures into hitting. I have heard a similar cues used for pitchers (baseball - "hide the ball from the batter as long as possible") and catchers ("hide your throwing hand from the pitcher"), though.

 

[DB1]

Trying to get the feel of pulling with lower back. I get what you are saying about using the back and not the hands. I am trying to figure out a way to convey that to her. If I tell her to pull back with her lower back, I am pretty sure she will have no idea what that means. My understanding is that we are trying to create resistance up top while the bottom begins to unload creating stretch. The hard part is getting her to figure it out too. Thanks again.

 

[Eric F]

Careful with the "not the hands" cues. The hands swing the bat, the lower body and back is the source of power. "Not the hands" (or similar) can lead to her thinking that the arms swing the bat. The hands are responsible for turning the barrel and whipping the bat through contact.

 

[FP26]

I am relatively new to this forum and won't pretend to be as knowledgeable as most of the people posting here, but I will take a crack at this one. When I first read the post about "hiding the hands from the pitcher", the first thing I envisioned was a batter that was loading her hips and shoulders at the same time. Not saying it is correct mechanics but if the hands are hidden and the parts are moving in unison, you would be getting the hips to coil... However, if I understand the threads about "proper sequence", the hips should not be moving with the shoulders but rather independently of each other. But like I said, I am not an expert...

 

[Doug Romrell]

Personally, I really like this young lady's swing. I like the type of stride she uses. While he's not right nor wrong, my DD's high school coach (spring season) doesn't seem to want his players using a stride. I'm sure he has his reasons (and I do respect him), but I believe a stride, if used correctly, adds to, rather than takes from, the effectiveness of a hitter. Also, isn't the stride this young lady is using like the "glide stride?"

Further, I'd be surprised if this young lady hasn't used the reversed hand drill. Why? Because her swing emulates what that reverse hand drill does.

P.S. I don't see how she can do this in bare feet. Why? Because the skin grips better than most tennis shoes.