Been A While - Need Some Advice

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

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

Mar 28, 2014
1,081
113
I hear ya. This is a video my dad took at a game I was not able to attend. Different angle, but it's one of my favorites.


Lots of good points so far but one thing I see that's not being mentioned is in the first two videos you posted, she is drifting forward. I put my cursor on the leading edge of her helmet at heel plant and then went frame by frame and saw a lot of drift. This video shows less drift. Almost none although it's hard to tell exactly because of the angle.

I understand the drift on the first pitcher because she was so slow which threw your DD's timing off some but the girl in the 2nd video was plenty fast and your DD still had some drift. Likely why that ball was just a double instead of a HR becasue she squared it up good.

We played Crosby in the pre-season tournament back in Jan. Hell of a squad then, can't imagine how good they'll be when your DD gets back. Good luck to you guys this year.
 
May 1, 2011
350
28
With some quick fingers on the pause button, I was able to pull these frames from the other swing you posted.
You can see how she starts to get the barrel to work behind her to get on plane while the hands stay back with the rear shoulder. My guess is you'll see less of a turn of that barrel and more of the knob facing the ground in her swings now.

View attachment 16484

100% correct. I call it "steep." DD understands what I'm saying when I use that word.
 
May 1, 2011
350
28
Lots of good points so far but one thing I see that's not being mentioned is in the first two videos you posted, she is drifting forward. I put my cursor on the leading edge of her helmet at heel plant and then went frame by frame and saw a lot of drift. This video shows less drift. Almost none although it's hard to tell exactly because of the angle.

I understand the drift on the first pitcher because she was so slow which threw your DD's timing off some but the girl in the 2nd video was plenty fast and your DD still had some drift. Likely why that ball was just a double instead of a HR becasue she squared it up good.

We played Crosby in the pre-season tournament back in Jan. Hell of a squad then, can't imagine how good they'll be when your DD gets back. Good luck to you guys this year.

Drift is a great word. It's something her and I have talked about in the past. I do a lot of back toss with her to try and combat it. We have another girl on the team that tore her ACL recently as well. She would have been a Top-3 in the lineup kinda player. Between the 2, they probably would have hit 30+ homeruns this year and driven in 60-70 easily. Next year is gonna be WILD if they're all healthy. Will have one of the best lineups in the state.
 
May 1, 2011
350
28
Lots of good points so far but one thing I see that's not being mentioned is in the first two videos you posted, she is drifting forward. I put my cursor on the leading edge of her helmet at heel plant and then went frame by frame and saw a lot of drift. This video shows less drift. Almost none although it's hard to tell exactly because of the angle.

I understand the drift on the first pitcher because she was so slow which threw your DD's timing off some but the girl in the 2nd video was plenty fast and your DD still had some drift. Likely why that ball was just a double instead of a HR becasue she squared it up good.

We played Crosby in the pre-season tournament back in Jan. Hell of a squad then, can't imagine how good they'll be when your DD gets back. Good luck to you guys this year.

Also, that ball leaves any other park except that one. Angleton's field is 230' in dead center with a 15-20 foot wall. It hit about a foot below the top of the fence. However, without the drift, it might have changed the (can't believe I'm about to use these words) launch angle and gotten some more air under it.
 

rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
83
Not here.
I hear ya. This is a video my dad took at a game I was not able to attend. Different angle, but it's one of my favorites.


Same bat path that continues down to then through the ball instead of down to and up through the ball. Most of your DD's swing I see the same swing path. On your DD's 'better' hits she got 'lucky'. I'll try and explain.......Same swing path your DD gets 'lucky' that the ball happens to hit the top of the bat and goes up. Same bat path and your DD isn't as 'lucky' and ball strikes under the ball and the ball goes down and is a ground ball. JMHO.
 
May 1, 2011
350
28
Same bat path that continues down to then through the ball instead of down to and up through the ball. Most of your DD's swing I see the same swing path. On your DD's 'better' hits she got 'lucky'. I'll try and explain.......Same swing path your DD gets 'lucky' that the ball happens to hit the top of the bat and goes up. Same bat path and your DD isn't as 'lucky' and ball strikes under the ball and the ball goes down and is a ground ball. JMHO.

Of if she's a little early, top of the bat and pops it straight up. A lot of that was going on as well. Totally agree with the lucky aspect. Swinging the bat on a completely different plane than the ball gives her very limited room for error.
 
May 1, 2011
350
28
Same bat path that continues down to then through the ball instead of down to and up through the ball. Most of your DD's swing I see the same swing path. On your DD's 'better' hits she got 'lucky'. I'll try and explain.......Same swing path your DD gets 'lucky' that the ball happens to hit the top of the bat and goes up. Same bat path and your DD isn't as 'lucky' and ball strikes under the ball and the ball goes down and is a ground ball. JMHO.

That being said...if all of her swings (even the better ones) are like that...she sure seems to get lucky a lot. Definitely going to be focal point NUMERO UNO whenever she's released to swing it.
 

rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
83
Not here.
586f70c8472132a77fc38f6ba5a54f9411cfdfdb.gifv
 
Jul 29, 2013
1,199
63
IMHO
I wouldn't be too concerned with the drift. She's not on her front leg yet and it's her way of timing the pitch. Consider it her "leg kick". Once she plants her front heel, the drift stops, head movement stops, and her swing starts.
If I'm seeing it correctly, she's better on pitches that are up because she gets her bat on plane early. She hits down on the lower pitches...she doesn't get the head of the bat into the ball path until contact.
Stretch a twine with a bungie cord at the end (for forgiveness) between two points to simulate the pitch plane. Make it a low and away pitch. Have her match her bat path to the twine (pitch plane). Swing away! When she's on it correctly, the twine will hardly bounce.
Works good for all pitch locations.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,477
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top