1st year 14u - Swing mechanics what to work on

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fanboi22

on the journey
Nov 9, 2015
1,138
83
SE Wisconsin
Been working on so much recently and just want to make sure i am aiming my DD in the right direction. Already got great feedback on the pitching and throwing, and thought i would put up a video of her current swing.

i recently got a Blast Motion (i like the techy gadgets) and like how it captures the start of swing and point of contact, so when you compare you can get a comparison vs the point of contact across a couple videos.

One of DD's biggest issues has been timing, so knowing this is off a tee, i will have to wait to get game swings with her current form. As a note to this we were not as focused on the lower half but appreciate any comments on that as well. Our main focus here was TTB, more of a teacherman style from what i gather. Snapping so that the vertical barrel moves from somewhere around 12 oclock to 9 oclock on a vertical plane to initiate the swing, or more of a top down. Trying to get top hand/bottom hand quickly in position, and as the torso/core starts to work then the hands follow to get the bat on plane sooner. I think it may have been an Eric F video we saw that made me wonder tho, and maybe its for another thread, but my question would be, should the focus on turning the barrel be vertical from 12 to 9 or should it be more of a flattening the bat behind head first and turn the barrel at whatever plane gets you closest to the ball position as it enters the zone.

As a note on her swing before she was doing more of walking away from hands, flattening barrel behind head, pointing knob at catcher, then pulling knob to the ball with the barrel snapping later and not as deep in the zone and getting on plane later. Based on the data from the Blast, i could see in the comparison that the barrel speed was getting to 30 mph well in advance on the new swing vs old. however overall speed of barrel and hands went from 65ish to 58is and 21ish to 18ish respectively. I know not a lot put faith in the metrics, but i think it gives some insight. Also attack angles went from single digits old way to high double digits new way.

Probably too many questions as always, and welcome the great insight you have.



[video=youtube_share;i1hme-RavN4]https://youtu.be/i1hme-RavN4[/video]
 

rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
83
Not here.
tumblr_pkipfjBfn41usf292o1_250.gif

tumblr_pkipidd25N1usf292o1_250.gif

Snapping so that the vertical barrel moves from somewhere around 12 oclock to 9 oclock on a vertical plane
Might want to rethink that.....I'd try a 12-6 barrel path. It's a the barrel path after, during, and through the ball barrel path. Not during the start/initiate the swing.
Another thing the tee is too far out in front.
There's other flaws as well.....spinner...arm barring, swinging around the ball, swing with her arms.
Like her throwing you seem to be over coaching. Again JMHO.
 
Last edited:
Aug 20, 2017
1,474
113
Work on stride! Either widen out and do a no stride or more traditional stride and get some forward momentum. The stride is where the majority of swing flaws occur. I like a slow traditional stride with the front foot stepping toward pitcher. Allows players to read the ball longer. Need to see thatback knee move forward while the hands continue to resist. I believe in a two piece swing. Lower body initiates the swing while the upper body resists.
 
Jan 6, 2009
6,591
113
Chehalis, Wa
Looks rotational, mechanical.

Shoulders stop rotating a little early and the hands have to far to travel to finish the swing without shoulder rotation (armsy disconnected swing).

Edit: Rdbass clips show the shoulders don't stop as early as I thought.

She doesn't need to TTB the barrel, she needs to be more connected. Setting up the hands as a rotational point and not trying to use the hands to TTB.
 
Last edited:

fanboi22

on the journey
Nov 9, 2015
1,138
83
SE Wisconsin
tumblr_pkipfjBfn41usf292o1_250.gif

tumblr_pkipidd25N1usf292o1_250.gif


Might want to rethink that.....I'd try a 12-6 barrel path. It's a the barrel path after, during, and through the ball barrel path. Not during the start/initiate the swing.
Another thing the tee is too far out in front.
There's other flaws as well.....spinner...arm barring, swinging around the ball, swing with her arms.
Like her throwing you seem to be over coaching. Again JMHO.

Thanks. Do you have an example of that barrel path and perhaps a drill to work on? Agreed on the tee. Thanks.
 

fanboi22

on the journey
Nov 9, 2015
1,138
83
SE Wisconsin
Work on stride! Either widen out and do a no stride or more traditional stride and get some forward momentum. The stride is where the majority of swing flaws occur. I like a slow traditional stride with the front foot stepping toward pitcher. Allows players to read the ball longer. Need to see thatback knee move forward while the hands continue to resist. I believe in a two piece swing. Lower body initiates the swing while the upper body resists.

Thanks CB, I agree we need to work on early and slow. Hardest thing so far to work on. Thanks.
 

fanboi22

on the journey
Nov 9, 2015
1,138
83
SE Wisconsin
Looks rotational, mechanical.

Shoulders stop rotating a little early and the hands have to far to travel to finish the swing without shoulder rotation (armsy disconnected swing).

Edit: Rdbass clips show the shoulders don't stop as early as I thought.

She doesn't need to TTB the barrel, she needs to be more connected. Setting up the hands as a rotational point and not trying to use the hands to TTB.

Thanks Shawn, maybe I don’t understand the def of turn the barrel. I do agree with RD that I am over coaching but looking to try and get a certain feel I guess as well.

Is there a drill or anything you suggest to accomplish getting connected? I think I understand the rotational point on hands but curious how to accomplish that without a bit of snapping teacherman style. I think it may have been a Pujols practice video where he twitched on the first and swung at the second pitch. That is the feel I am trying to understand a way to teach. I just can’t feel a way to get that twitch to happen without a little hands action. Otherwise the barrel just seems to stay up in space. Any thoughts would be helpful. Thanks again for all the comments.
 
Dec 4, 2013
865
18
High tee drill. One of the easiest ways to teach kids to turn the barrel. Get in an athletic position. Set up with the knob at the same height as the ball. No stride/momentum. Turn it. Laser it. Supinate your rear forearm.

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Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
Been working on so much recently and just want to make sure i am aiming my DD in the right direction. Already got great feedback on the pitching and throwing, and thought i would put up a video of her current swing.

i recently got a Blast Motion (i like the techy gadgets) and like how it captures the start of swing and point of contact, so when you compare you can get a comparison vs the point of contact across a couple videos.

One of DD's biggest issues has been timing, so knowing this is off a tee, i will have to wait to get game swings with her current form. As a note to this we were not as focused on the lower half but appreciate any comments on that as well. Our main focus here was TTB, more of a teacherman style from what i gather. Snapping so that the vertical barrel moves from somewhere around 12 oclock to 9 oclock on a vertical plane to initiate the swing, or more of a top down. Trying to get top hand/bottom hand quickly in position, and as the torso/core starts to work then the hands follow to get the bat on plane sooner. I think it may have been an Eric F video we saw that made me wonder tho, and maybe its for another thread, but my question would be, should the focus on turning the barrel be vertical from 12 to 9 or should it be more of a flattening the bat behind head first and turn the barrel at whatever plane gets you closest to the ball position as it enters the zone.

As a note on her swing before she was doing more of walking away from hands, flattening barrel behind head, pointing knob at catcher, then pulling knob to the ball with the barrel snapping later and not as deep in the zone and getting on plane later. Based on the data from the Blast, i could see in the comparison that the barrel speed was getting to 30 mph well in advance on the new swing vs old. however overall speed of barrel and hands went from 65ish to 58is and 21ish to 18ish respectively. I know not a lot put faith in the metrics, but i think it gives some insight. Also attack angles went from single digits old way to high double digits new way.

Probably too many questions as always, and welcome the great insight you have.



[video=youtube_share;i1hme-RavN4]https://youtu.be/i1hme-RavN4[/video]

First, congratulations. Your daughter's swing looks to be the result of exactly what you focused on ... "we were not as focused on the lower half but appreciate any comments on that as well. Our main focus here was TTB, more of a teacherman style from what i gather. Snapping so that the vertical barrel moves from somewhere around 12 oclock to 9 oclock on a vertical plane to initiate the swing, or more of a top down. Trying to get top hand/bottom hand quickly in position, and as the torso/core starts to work then the hands follow to get the bat on plane sooner."

The question you should ask yourself is if this was a good focus point. You ignored the torso-engine ... not a great idea IMO.

The data you collected is real ... your daughter lost swing speed ... -7mph ... and your daughter lost hand speed ... -3mph.

Why collect the data if you aren't going to use it.

If you are going to use it, then is the objective to lose barrel speed and hand speed? Not usually.

Add back the torso-engine and then lets see the result.
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
Looks rotational, mechanical.

Shoulders stop rotating a little early and the hands have to far to travel to finish the swing without shoulder rotation (armsy disconnected swing).

Edit: Rdbass clips show the shoulders don't stop as early as I thought.

She doesn't need to TTB the barrel, she needs to be more connected. Setting up the hands as a rotational point and not trying to use the hands to TTB.

Please explain the bolded portion above.
 

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