To throw in another perspective on the front side…reactive front leg.
Hip extension and front leg extension go together…sports specialist have identified different patterns of hip extension. The desired pattern being Glutes fire first ..then hams ..then contralateral quadratus lumborum muscles (opposite side low back). This is across many sports.
If you relate that to hitting and the front leg and hip extension….
If glutes fire first…leg ‘gets’ extended…the feel is more of reactive front leg extension.
If hams fire first…leg ‘pushes’ to extend and straighten the front leg first.
While there are components of both…the sequence is key. I do believe some girls need to feel the leg push back while learning to activate the glutes first.
But these pro’s are glute dominate.
Test if you can feel the difference. Get on one leg..knee slightly bent…hip hinged. Push into ground…using leg….to straighten leg.
Then do again and firing glutes first..hip extension (posterior pelvic rotation) as you straighten leg.
Feel the difference? If the hips are working correctly and glutes fire first..thats the feeling of a reactive front leg as the hip extends imo.
This is also a test to see if a player fires glutes first or hams/legs. Most of the girls just push the leg and their pelvis never moves…”never rotates posteriorly” (little to no glute activation) or rotates it very late during the leg straightening. A glute dominate athlete will get the posterior pelvic rotation started at the beginning of the leg straightening because she is using a glute firing first pattern. JMO..OMV
Hip extension and front leg extension go together…sports specialist have identified different patterns of hip extension. The desired pattern being Glutes fire first ..then hams ..then contralateral quadratus lumborum muscles (opposite side low back). This is across many sports.
If you relate that to hitting and the front leg and hip extension….
If glutes fire first…leg ‘gets’ extended…the feel is more of reactive front leg extension.
If hams fire first…leg ‘pushes’ to extend and straighten the front leg first.
While there are components of both…the sequence is key. I do believe some girls need to feel the leg push back while learning to activate the glutes first.
But these pro’s are glute dominate.
Test if you can feel the difference. Get on one leg..knee slightly bent…hip hinged. Push into ground…using leg….to straighten leg.
Then do again and firing glutes first..hip extension (posterior pelvic rotation) as you straighten leg.
Feel the difference? If the hips are working correctly and glutes fire first..thats the feeling of a reactive front leg as the hip extends imo.
This is also a test to see if a player fires glutes first or hams/legs. Most of the girls just push the leg and their pelvis never moves…”never rotates posteriorly” (little to no glute activation) or rotates it very late during the leg straightening. A glute dominate athlete will get the posterior pelvic rotation started at the beginning of the leg straightening because she is using a glute firing first pattern. JMO..OMV