12yo DD swing eval

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Nov 16, 2017
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Teaching a young hitter the mindset of attack everything north south can be extremely confusing. The players who understand how their body should react to pitch location will adjust to pitches of all different heights accordingly. High pitches are east-west.. because the body isn't tilting as much... the bat still follows the same path around the shoulders/deltoid. Pitch location dictates east-west or north-south. Asking a kid to go north-south on any pitch is not teaching a good thing, it's a flaw and confusing IMO. Immediately the kid will tilt on every pitch and it's game over at the higher levels.

I'm not saying teach east-west either, I'm saying adjust to pitch location, let your body dictate whether it's east-west or north-south

High Pitch


Low Pitch


I think we are missing each other a little here. North South is not Top Bottom. It is about intent to go back to front with extension toward the pitcher. Technically if you are in the northern hemisphere it is south north if your compass is facing north toward the pitcher. Imagine the compass placed over the transverse plane.
 
May 12, 2016
4,338
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I think we are missing each other a little here. North South is not Top Bottom. It is about intent to go back to front with extension toward the pitcher. Technically if you are in the northern hemisphere it is south north if your compass is facing north toward the pitcher. Imagine the compass placed over the transverse plane.
Yeah we are.. but based on your understanding, do you believe any hitters have the intent of east-west?
 
Nov 16, 2017
406
63
Yeah we are.. but based on your understanding, do you believe any hitters have the intent of east-west?

Absolutely, In fact I think most hitters have a natural affinity to want to pull every ball, even outside pitches. You can even hear guys say almost bragging "I am a straight pull hitter", as if that means they are ultra powerful. They go up to the plate thinking this ball IS going into left field period. (right handed batters).

With a North south (or south north to be technical) you are not thinking a pulling the ball you are thinking of going through the ball in specific direction. Telling a player to hit through the ball alone is not very useful because there is no direction.

This explains it better.
 
May 12, 2016
4,338
113
Absolutely, In fact I think most hitters have a natural affinity to want to pull every ball, even outside pitches. You can even hear guys say almost bragging "I am a straight pull hitter", as if that means they are ultra powerful. They go up to the plate thinking this ball IS going into left field period. (right handed batters).

With a North south (or south north to be technical) you are not thinking a pulling the ball you are thinking of going through the ball in specific direction. Telling a player to hit through the ball alone is not very useful because there is no direction.

This explains it better.

Through the ball vs around the ball makes more sense to me.. still, around the ball seems more of a flaw to me than intent. Are all pull hitters, east-west, around the ball hitters. I don't think so. Make no doubt, hard to get through a ball on the outside corner when you are thinking pull
 
Nov 16, 2017
406
63
Through the ball vs around the ball makes more sense to me.. still, around the ball seems more of a flaw to me than intent. Are all pull hitters, east-west, around the ball hitters. I don't think so. Make no doubt, hard to get through a ball on the outside corner when you are thinking pull

To clarify what exactly I am looking for. The first 12" or less of the knob traveling is what you look for. Does the knob take a circular path or does the knob take a linear path. Does the knob go under or go around. If the knob goes around on any pitch the player is never able to get into a good bat lag position. Even on high pitches this initial north south \ south north movement of the knob is there and crucial.

Everyone says "hit inside" but most players have no clue what that means. I understand the knob to the ball idea, although I think it should be modified knob forward or "north". The ball is coming from the front "north" so coaches have taught knob to the ball. The reason that is not so great is players recognize pitch location and can cast and get disconnected. But if players bring the knob north (in general with some adjustability, doesn't have to be perfectly north W=W haha) this puts them in the best bat lag position.

Some use the fence drill, and that is also flawed because you can cheat your way through it.

Simply teach kids a South to North hand path \ knob path of the initial part of the swing and you can eliminate a ton of problems right out of the gate.

Just make sure it is not a robotic North and that you have a degree of adjustability.

Watch the DD in question here and then watch the video Patar posted.
 
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May 12, 2016
4,338
113
To clarify what exactly I am looking for. The first 12" or less of the knob traveling is what you look for. Does the knob take a circular path or does the knob take a linear path. Does the knob go under or go around. If the knob goes around on any pitch the player is never able to get into a good bat lag position. Even on high pitches this initial north south \ south north movement of the knob is there and crucial.

Everyone says "hit inside" but most players have no clue what that means. I understand the knob to the ball idea, although I think it should be modified knob forward or "north". The ball is coming from the front "north" so coaches have taught knob to the ball. The reason that is not so great is players recognize pitch location and can cast and get disconnected. But if players bring the knob north (in general with some adjustability, doesn't have to be perfectly north W=W haha) this puts them in the best bat lag position.

Some use the fence drill, and that is also flawed because you can cheat your way through it.

Simply teach kids a South to North hand path \ knob path of the initial part of the swing and you can eliminate a ton of problems right out of the gate.

Just make sure it is not a robotic North and that you have a degree of adjustability.

Watch the DD in question here and then watch the video Patar posted.

Thanks James for elaborating. What does TTB mean to you? In regards to the first 12 inches, what do you mean by the knob going under?
 
Nov 16, 2017
406
63
Thanks James for elaborating. What does TTB mean to you? In regards to the first 12 inches, what do you mean by the knob going under?

This is better presentation of anything I can type.

Really love the replace the front elbow.

At 8:37 you can see the ball is setup like a high pitch but the first 12" of knob travel is under not around.

 
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Sep 17, 2009
1,637
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I'm more of a knob (immediately) up guy as the cue and then teaching how proper tilt takes the barrel to all positions high to low. That's what I see Miggy doing in the multiple swing GIF that often floats around.

That said, the video above is not bad, and shows a lot of the paths to avoid as far as around-the-ball, casting, etc. The issue in my mind is that the knob knock the ball off the tee demo he shows works for a relatively high location as is shown. The problem is if it trains you to also start pushing the knob *forward* like that (rather than more immediately UP) on a lower pitch locations, which I think that kind of knob-forward instruction can often lead to.
 
Nov 16, 2017
406
63
I'm more of a knob (immediately) up guy as the cue and then teaching how proper tilt takes the barrel to all positions high to low. That's what I see Miggy doing in the multiple swing GIF that often floats around.

That said, the video above is not bad, and shows a lot of the paths to avoid as far as around-the-ball, casting, etc. The issue in my mind is that the knob knock the ball off the tee demo he shows works for a relatively high location as is shown. The problem is if it trains you to also start pushing the knob *forward* like that (rather than more immediately UP) on a lower pitch locations, which I think that kind of knob-forward instruction can often lead to.

I see what you are saying, and that is why you can't teach this without explaining what is moving the bat. At that point in the swing it is not the hands it is the elbows or aka turning the triangle. If you turn the triangle to get to replacing the elbow with the knob you have it.

What I saw in the swing of the OPs DD was a turn of the barrel which got the bat flat behind her and then a circular knob path. Basically the knob turned out and then went around. I want the knob to work south to north as the bat is turning. I don't like the turn then circle swing.

Matt Lisle has a drill called rock the baby. That is basically what I am talking about.
 
Sep 17, 2009
1,637
83
There are definitely different cues you can use. I also like turn the triangle type cues -- I've used the triangle the elbows create downward, for instance, and instructed to SLAM the triangle toward the pitcher, which gets the elbow orientation right while also stressing that this happens NOW! not set-and-push.
 

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