10yo Maddie

[bullethead]

This is the hand-action template I had her look at yesterday...

After watching it for a while, she said, "His hands turn in the same place". Yes! She found the words to describe it that made sense to her. "Pivot" and "swivel" weren't getting me anywhere - LOL. She obviously hasn't been able to replicate the action yet, but I think the path in her own head became a little clearer.

I am talking further "upstream". I see this video and many others but they are later in the swing. Watch the mcutchen video and see how his hands get "up/back" to the pivot. Help with this comment -
I'm seeing an improvement in her ability to get the bat moving behind her shoulder, instead of being beside her. This is getting things in place to where the hip can start pulling the hands instead of the hands/hips pushing. I'm seeing the hands still getting started a little bit early, before her stride is down. Delaying the hands will allow the rag to wring tighter, and get her more in line with Brooke's pattern.

 

[crankermo]

I like it Eric. Keep up the good work. I would start to work with her on the bat wrap though before it becomes to big of an issue. Have her load the hands instead on the shoulders and upper half. She will shorter and more explosive to and through the ball. A LOT of good stuff going on IMO though.

 

[Eric F]

I like it Eric. Keep up the good work. I would start to work with her on the bat wrap though before it becomes to big of an issue. Have her load the hands instead on the shoulders and upper half. She will shorter and more explosive to and through the ball. A LOT of good stuff going on IMO though.

Thanks, crankermo! These are things I'm heading towards. I greatly appreciate your input.

 

[Buttermaker]

Eric - Thanks for showing the progress. Any thoughts on how the rear knee is leading her legs? Maybe instead of focusing on the hands - the hands/barrel will react better to the lower body?

Thanks for the giffery, knightsb!

 

[redhotcoach]

Just a general dad instructor advice...I am sure you see some of her swings as just lights out-snap-sudden. My advice is to always be watching for that as your #1 indicator. When I throw front toss or pitch, I can't really watch mechanics very well...my own dd scares the crap out of me. What I have trained myself to do is have a soft focus on how sudden it looks. Example was Monday night, after several pitches, and well hit balls, I had an over all feeling of her swing that it was being forced, muscled, possibly armish. So I watch closer and yes, her biggest problem she falls back on is getting the front foot down too early. She gets it down, shifts, and muscles the ball. So we just work about 15 minutes on "riding the coil", and swinging late, swinging sudden on command.
Maddie is doing great, and I can only see the gif not the video on my phone, but think about when working with her... "Is it 'short'?" "Is it sudden?" 'Sudden' is the holy grail IMO. If it's not sudden, then there are issues with the power source or slack between the source and barrel.

 

[crankermo]

RHC,

Being sudden is what everyone should be looking for. You can spot it a mile away. I can tell once Brooke steps in the batters box how a particular AB is going to go just by how loose she looks. I've always told her power isn't forcEd it's generated, small moves equal explosive power not big muscles movements. Brooke always tells me "Dad I blacked out on that one", which means she just let her body explode without forcing it.

Good info for all parents RHC.

Eric,

I'm not into critiquing every part of the swing either. I started out doing that with Brooke and it just paralyzed her growth. I learned to let her body take over some of the teaching process and it came quickly. Your daughter is headed down the right path. She has plenty of time. She's obviously a hard worker so keep her confidence up. When kids are confident they are loose, when your loose your body will do some amazing things.

 

[Buttermaker]

RHC - This is good advice of not letting the swing be dictated by the front foot landing.

Crankermo - one thought should prevail in the swing - The idea of using the lower half to create/resist so that the swing is sudden upon release of that resistance but in a controlled way that allows the hitter to have timing. The hands will react to legs/hips. The "corner" will be created by the lower half actions - both legs supporting the swing.

All in all - yes paralysis by analysis is something we have all been guilty off.

Just a general dad instructor advice...I am sure you see some of her swings as just lights out-snap-sudden. My advice is to always be watching for that as your #1 indicator. When I throw front toss or pitch, I can't really watch mechanics very well...my own dd scares the crap out of me. What I have trained myself to do is have a soft focus on how sudden it looks. Example was Monday night, after several pitches, and well hit balls, I had an over all feeling of her swing that it was being forced, muscled, possibly armish. So I watch closer and yes, her biggest problem she falls back on is getting the front foot down too early. She gets it down, shifts, and muscles the ball. So we just work about 15 minutes on "riding the coil", and swinging late, swinging sudden on command.
Maddie is doing great, and I can only see the gif not the video on my phone, but think about when working with her... "Is it 'short'?" "Is it sudden?" 'Sudden' is the holy grail IMO. If it's not sudden, then there are issues with the power source or slack between the source and barrel.

 

[crankermo]

Butter,

The lower half IS the swing plain and simple. That's not debatable.

 

[Buttermaker]

Agree 1000%.

The difference is that some believe that the lower half is one legged/hipped and others believe its both legs/hips. And without going off the rails it is also about which plane of movement you believe the swing moves in.

Most swings move in the frontal plane from catcher to pitcher and need the front foot down to get the barrel around the shoulders - you go from the back leg to the front leg.

Or you follow the idea that the swing works behind the rear leg so you don't need the front leg - and the swing takes on a transverse plane of motion like spinning.

Or you can move in the sagittal plane like flexing and extending the hips and learn to create resistance in that plane so that the pelvis re positions so the barrel can work through the sagittal plane behind both legs/hips.

Butter,

The lower half IS the swing plain and simple. That's not debatable.

 

[coachbob]

Agree 1000%.

The difference is that some believe that the lower half is one legged/hipped and others believe its both legs/hips. And without going off the rails it is also about which plane of movement you believe the swing moves in.

Most swings move in the frontal plane from catcher to pitcher and need the front foot down to get the barrel around the shoulders - you go from the back leg to the front leg.

Or you follow the idea that the swing works behind the rear leg so you don't need the front leg - and the swing takes on a transverse plane of motion like spinning.

Or you can move in the sagittal plane like flexing and extending the hips and learn to create resistance in that plane so that the pelvis re positions so the barrel can work through the sagittal plane behind both legs/hips.

Since its quiet here, Ill hijack for a minute. Why is the one legged swing necessarily transverse? do you not see sagittal movement in the drill below? What parts are spinning, and around what axes?