Picked up habit of dropping hands

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May 15, 2016
926
18
Here are examples of DD hitting off a T, then with front toss. Her T work looks fine to me, her problem is only with front toss. She drops her hands after the pitcher releases the ball.

She does not have this dropping hands problem with side toss.


T work



Front toss from the side



Front toss from the back
 
Last edited:
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
I never quite appreciated the high hands in stance ... especially for a young developing player just learning to swing. This is not a DBSF type issue. If you start the hands this high, then you have to first lower them to swing ... which is what she does.

delme.gif
 
May 15, 2016
926
18
I never quite appreciated the high hands in stance ... especially for a young developing player just learning to swing. This is not a DBSF type issue. If you start the hands this high, then you have to first lower them to swing ... which is what she does. [/IMG]

She has had three batting coaches over the past two years, all of them current or former college players. They all taught her the same thing, high hands and move the bat diagonally to the ball. When working off the T she has no problem bringing her hands diagonally down to the ball. To me it seems she drops her hands as a reaction to the pitcher releasing the ball.
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
She has had three batting coaches over the past two years, all of them current or former college players. They all taught her the same thing, high hands and move the bat diagonally to the ball. When working off the T she has no problem bringing her hands diagonally down to the ball. To me it seems she drops her hands as a reaction to the pitcher releasing the ball.

Great ... you may be the source I'm looking for. Tell me why these former college players are recommending high-hands in the stance.

Edited to add:
Are these college coaches expecting the swing to be launched from this high-hands position?
 
Last edited:
May 15, 2016
926
18
Great ... you may be the source I'm looking for. Tell me why these former college players are recommending high-hands in the stance.

Edited to add:
Are these college coaches expecting the swing to be launched from this high-hands position?

Yesterday her batting coach, and AC for her team, said there is a specific spot on the ball just above center, slightly to the left of the middle line of the ball, to best get a line drive hit into the outfield. I will ask her about it more specifically on Tuesday.

Yes, they are expecting the swing to being from this position. In the video of her hitting off the T you can see how she gets her hands down to the ball, without dropping them vertically.
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
Yesterday her batting coach, and AC for her team, said there is a specific spot on the ball just above center, slightly to the left of the middle line of the ball, to best get a line drive hit into the outfield. I will ask her about it more specifically on Tuesday.

Yes, they are expecting the swing to being from this position. In the video of her hitting off the T you can see how she gets her hands down to the ball, without dropping them vertically.

Regardless of there being a specific spot on the ball to hit, how does having "high-hands in one's stance" help? What is their reasoning?

Regarding swinging from a "high hands position in the stance" ... can you show me a video of hitters doing this in live at-bats?
 
May 16, 2016
1,024
113
Illinois

I agree with FFS that the hands should not start that high during the stance. Starting the hands that high is leaving your daughter with no other choice to drop her hands to get on plane with the ball. I would suggest starting her hands closer to shoulder level height and during the stride her hands should go backwards and slightly up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1mx1zf_Lbs


I think this video will show you better than me trying to describe in words what the hands should look more like. Check out that video in slow motion. You can see that Cabrera's hands are actually dropping and then coming back up and backwards during his stride. Your daughters hands are just dropping then she starts swinging. Cabrera is not the only guy that has that type of hand path.
 

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