HELP! please evaluate my daughters swing

[_MIA_]

Kudos to Matt for presenting the info as if it's his, and/or new...but there's not a single thing in there that isn't/wasn't from HI ten years ago...the SnF drill, one legged, TTB, palm up, the list goes on.

There is no way he isn't lurking online (even here) getting the info. I don't begrudge him for it and I actually have never heard him say it is his theory (haven't heard him give credit either... ) One thing that he has going for him is that he looks athletic when performing these drills something that isn't always the case with TM....

 

[julray]

TBH not a big hockey fan. I'll watch the Bruins in the playoffs but that is about it. Even though I am from MA, the part of MA I am from (Southeastern) is not a big hockey area.

Godd god pattar, I would of preferred you to say you didn't watch at all then say you follow the Bruins. Leafs fan here, and we will be facing the dreaded Bruins AGAIN in the 1st round, lol

 

[_MIA_]

Godd god pattar, I would of preferred you to say you didn't watch at all then say you follow the Bruins. Leafs fan here, and we will be facing the dreaded Bruins AGAIN in the 1st round, lol

Like I said, I am from MA....Celts,Pats,Red Sox and Bruins for me.

 

[julray]

There is no way he isn't lurking online (even here) getting the info. I don't begrudge him for it and I actually have never heard him say it is his theory (haven't heard him give credit either... ) One thing that he has going for him is that he looks athletic when performing these drills something that isn't always the case with TM....

No matter which drill I perform, I don't look athletic. I am sure it's one of the major deterrents in convincing my DD how she should swing a bat, LOL

 

[Mudders Brudder]

Well to be more clear ... the lead-arm angle is a 'function' of the torso tilt ... it is not 100% dependent on the body tilt.

But then what...

I find the feel of trying to work the knob up can be replaced with the feel of trying to align the barrel to the lead-arm.

...in order to get the barrel aligned with the lead-arm, and subsequently the ball?

 

[Mudders Brudder]

I appreciate the clarity.

I guess when I promote 'gather' and 'hover' then I am promoting being 'one legged'.

Stay in your legs!

Hahaha...yeah, kinda sorta.

 

[FP26]

This has been a good discussion.

Since we're defining terms: I like open-yet-back better than forward-yet-back.

Open-yet-back means as you start to move out your *still-coiled* hips should start to open (around the rear/leg hip) While you are still pulling back with the upper half.

This gets you to max-coil and max stretch.

It's what one-legged means. It's what swing-puts-the-foot-down means. Yes, the front foot does land and helps and accentuates rotation, sometimes with a front leg block but sometimes the force of rotation causes the front foot to roll-over. You can see both in good hitters. And the extent of either is why sometimes a good swing looks like it has a bit of squish the bug in it.

At open-yet-back/max-coil/max-stretch and with all the slack out the launch is executed -- and yes I know this is very TM-centric -- when the hand-pivot launches the barrel rearward and the leg snaps forward.

That action is the only way in my view that you can truly get hips before hands without forcing it with some kind of non-leveraged two-legged elvis/scissor move.

Finally, and I defined these terms in my eyes in an earlier post, rearward launch/early bat speed means that you can execute all this and STILL abort it and take a pitch.

I use turn-the-barrel as a concept, but really I think a better description would be work-the-handle (or torque). I like Tewk's old demo that the swing is a barrel turn performed at the rear shoulder that is over like *that*!

Yes, a lot of this is phrasing that I like is from TM. I think he has done a good and unique job of describing *actions* in new ways. I'm not a TM disciple. Yes he can be obnoxious online. If you reach out to him he is both extremely generous and very direct (but not obnoxious) and protective of his terms and ideas. He helped me understand his concept of hip slip which I find useful. But I also contended it is a confusing teach to young hitters. He strongly disagreed lol.

That said, I still use 'live and independent hands' as a cue, from RVP-days for crissakes. I like tip and rip. I like palm-up palm-down. I like what I see from Matt Antonelli on Youtube, who I think combines a life in MiL and MLB with some new-thinking to create really good cues and demos.

I agree with W=W that what Judge is doing *is* overbaked. But it's been effective and if the no-stride can cut down on strike-outs it could yield an MVP season. He's very pre-set and often holds the 12-6 past contact. Trout does the 12-6/no extension thing at times too. I also think that although what Judge does *is* different in some ways than other high-level MLB swings, there are also important commonalities.

There's an agenda war going on as part of this conversation, largely unstated. But you know the sides and players if you've been around enough. I find that war boring and monotonous and is why I don't lurk at BBD anymore. I like to come here and share some things that helped me and kids I've coached as I've filtered through all these discussions for a very long time now. Maybe it will help some coach or dad. If it doesn't resonate, no harm/no foul.

Great post!

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

I can see that - got a drill for that or just a verbal cue?

I break it down a bit in a demo.

I perform a swing and freeze it at the beginning of swing launch ... which as I teach it will have the 'upper lead arm' finding the ball during the initial hip/torso-engine usage. While frozen in this 'orientation' (inclination), I tell my hitters that the bat head is still up and behind me, but I've already found the ball ... and that all I need to do from here on is use my hands while remaining in my body's inclination ... I tell my hitters that the hit is mine for the taking ... all I have left to do is use my hands ... so I might as well use my hands at 100%.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

That's awesome! I had a different experience. This exaggeration ended up in my DD TTB and losing control of the barrel which resulted in the barrel getting way too low and being under every pitch. This is why I believe reinforcing the body first to get in a good position to control the barrel.. this may be a teaching point, but I believe the hitter needs to have a solid foundation to control the barrel. And when they do, this exaggerated motion/action will likely not occur to such an extreme in a complete swing

That's because the torquing action being demonstrated is not correct.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Kudos to Matt for presenting the info as if it's his, and/or new...but there's not a single thing in there that isn't/wasn't from HI ten years ago...the SnF drill, one legged, TTB, palm up, the list goes on.

Btw, I love what Matt's doing and teaching in his Youtube videos, but just find it a bit humorous that some who disparage Rich's words/work, like what Matt is teaching/saying...when Matt is dang nearly parroting/demoing word for word, action for action Rich's and others earlier work.

IMO Matt is leaving out some of the bad advice that TM stumbled over along the way ... for example the late pronation of the lead-arm (showing the non-hairy portion of the lead-arm to the pitcher). In other words ... he's cleaning up the information.