DD at a lesson

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Turn the barrel involves raising the back elbow to shoulder height with front elbow down. Then simultaneously lowering the back elbow to the ribs while elevating elbow to the height of the shoilders and aligning the front forearm to the shoulder plane. Ideally, the hands stay near the back shoulder the entire time until release after contact.
Look at her elbows and front forearm compared to these:View attachment 15362View attachment 15363View attachment 15365View attachment 15366View attachment 15367View attachment 15368View attachment 15370View attachment 15371

@DrRiello - Look at these ^^^ and think about working the bat in the plane of the shoulders.
 
Oct 2, 2017
2,283
113
Here is my 2 cents, I've been work with my DD on trying to turn the barrel "now." Here is what I've been doing, I've simply have been reiterating that the hands do nothing. They do not push, they do not go up or down, they do not go back to reach for more separation, THEY DO NOTHING. They stay at the rear shoulder, armpit area. The kicker is that I'm in the camp that believes the hands actually have a roll to play in the swing much like W=w. What we have to understand though is the way in which younger players think of the swing.
 
Oct 13, 2014
5,471
113
South Cali
My point was about how a young player envisions the swing, and how they execute it with their own body. Unfortunately, it is common for their understanding to be affected by coaches who have grabbed words or phrases, and applied them literally, but wildly incorrectly.

I have no idea how one swings a bat without a circular(ish) path. When pivot points are involved, rotation happens.


Yes. But the goal is NOT a circle. The goal is to be direct to the ball. Smallest circle possible. We have all seen their practice swings. The bigger the circle, the longer the swing. A longer arc is only desired on low and low and away pitches.

 
Jul 29, 2013
1,199
63
My point was about how a young player envisions the swing, and how they execute it with their own body. Unfortunately, it is common for their understanding to be affected by coaches who have grabbed words or phrases, and applied them literally, but wildly incorrectly.

I have no idea how one swings a bat without a circular(ish) path. When pivot points are involved, rotation happens.
Eric, you're correct that the circular path is involved in all swings.
What I find is that in low level swings the bat starts on a linear path and then turns around the hands into the path of the ball.
The result is that in the low level swing the bat is dragged along via arm extension and the barrel only gets behind the ball at the end of the extension when it turns into the ball path. Timing is critical.
In elite swings, the opposite happens and the bat turns around the hands and into the path of the ball and becomes linear as the arms are extended.
The result is the bat is in the path of the ball early and stays there longer.
Timing isn't so critical.
What do you think?
 
Nov 8, 2018
774
63
I see now how the shoulder level or plane and the bat plane should be equal. Pretty cool actually. I will show dd so she understands better how it should look. At the very least. We will work on some of the drill videos you all presented. Maybe I’ll post the drills so you all can pick it apart.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Jul 29, 2013
1,199
63
Here is my 2 cents, I've been work with my DD on trying to turn the barrel "now." Here is what I've been doing, I've simply have been reiterating that the hands do nothing. They do not push, they do not go up or down, they do not go back to reach for more separation, THEY DO NOTHING. They stay at the rear shoulder, armpit area. The kicker is that I'm in the camp that believes the hands actually have a roll to play in the swing much like W=w. What we have to understand though is the way in which younger players think of the swing.
Hands are the pivot point.
 
Oct 13, 2014
5,471
113
South Cali
Eric, you're correct that the circular path is involved in all swings.
What I find is that in low level swings the bat starts on a linear path and then turns around the hands into the path of the ball.
The result is that in the low level swing the bat is dragged along via arm extension and the barrel only gets behind the ball at the end of the extension when it turns into the ball path. Timing is critical.
In elite swings, the opposite happens and the bat turns around the hands and into the path of the ball and becomes linear as the arms are extended.
The result is the bat is in the path of the ball early and stays there longer.
Timing isn't so critical.
What do you think?

The bat is outta plane for along time. The hands are on plane for along time. You are saying to dump/release the barrel early which makes the swing non-adjustable. Kendrick doesn’t plane the barrel early. Hottest hitter in the playoffs. Maybe Altuve is hotter.



 
May 30, 2013
1,442
83
Binghamton, NY
The bat is outta plane for along time. The hands are on plane for along time. You are saying to dump/release the barrel early which makes the swing non-adjustable. Kendrick doesn’t plane the barrel early. Hottest hitter in the playoffs. Maybe Altuve is hotter.





The example you posted is indeed very short,
and Kendrick is a great hitter...

But his swing DOES rely more on his timing being ON,
than a Hitter that TTB more early in the swing, and can get the bat on plane earlier, which allows them to "let the ball get deeper".

You see TTB guys making good, hard contact even with their body.
Kendrick swing forces him to make contact further out more even with front foot.

I'm not necessarily saying one is better than the other,
but TTB DOES seems to produce a bat path that is in a hitting plane earlier and longer....
Which is what a lot of posts in this threat tout as an advantage
 
Last edited:
Jul 29, 2013
1,199
63
The bat is outta plane for along time. The hands are on plane for along time. You are saying to dump/release the barrel early which makes the swing non-adjustable. Kendrick doesn’t plane the barrel early. Hottest hitter in the playoffs. Maybe Altuve is hotter.




The bat plane and bat in pitch path are 2 different things but are related.
The bat plane is the circular path around the body like the rings around Saturn. The circular plane must intersect the pitch path.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,474
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top