13yo Maddie

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Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
Some terms I use when working with hitters ... "walk away from the hands", "forward and prepare-to-throw", "separation", "pullback against a forward moving hip", "forward-by-coiling", "forward and stretch", "forward as we take the slack out of the system", "forward as we take the ball out of the glove" and "forward as we place the hands on the bookshelf".

The notion is to take the slack out of the core (and the lead arm) such that the main engine (i.e., the core) immediately communicates to the barrel.

I believe you like the term "pull back". I'm fine with that as long as the hitter doesn't use that cue to 'stiffen' the system ... the notion is to get the slack out of the system, not to make the upper body stiff as a result.
 
May 3, 2014
2,149
83
impossible to get the slack out of system without stiffing the back unless you plan on using the arms to the direct the bat.
 

tjintx

A real searcher
May 27, 2012
795
18
TEXAS
Are you getting the slack out or are you supporting the distal movements proximally?
And shouldn't the support be more dynamic than a 1 dimensional rear side load?
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Too much slack in the system at Go!.

Agreed.

Some terms I use when working with hitters ... "walk away from the hands", "forward and prepare-to-throw", "separation", "pullback against a forward moving hip", "forward-by-coiling", "forward and stretch", "forward as we take the slack out of the system", "forward as we take the ball out of the glove" and "forward as we place the hands on the bookshelf".

The notion is to take the slack out of the core (and the lead arm) such that the main engine (i.e., the core) immediately communicates to the barrel.

I believe you like the term "pull back". I'm fine with that as long as the hitter doesn't use that cue to 'stiffen' the system ... the notion is to get the slack out of the system, not to make the upper body stiff as a result.

I tend to agree with this ^^^ too.
 
May 3, 2014
2,149
83
Are you getting the slack out or are you supporting the distal movements proximally?
And shouldn't the support be more dynamic than a 1 dimensional rear side load?

Any slack will promote arm push. The scap clamps down and then drives down the spine at launch so just the forearms turn the barrel rearward.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
Agreed.



I tend to agree with this ^^^ too.

You have any video with the pitcher in it? Any chance she is getting started a bit too late and doesn't give herself enough time to fully "walk away from the hands"?
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
You have any video with the pitcher in it? Any chance she is getting started a bit too late and doesn't give herself enough time to fully "walk away from the hands"?

This is an area I have to be careful of with Maddie's swing. I like her scap getting tightened, drawing her hands back, but I want her hands to stay close to the rear shoulder. When we talk about something like "walk away from the hands" she tends to push her hands too far rearward by straightening her lead arm, and this will invariably lead to a longer and looping hand path - remnants of earlier swing issues.
 

tjintx

A real searcher
May 27, 2012
795
18
TEXAS
Any slack will promote arm push. The scap clamps down and then drives down the spine at launch so just the forearms turn the barrel rearward.

"SCAP" clamps down? Singular... again, that thinking is lacking imo. What does the front side scap do? Does it have any kind of supporting function?
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
This is an area I have to be careful of with Maddie's swing. I like her scap getting tightened, drawing her hands back, but I want her hands to stay close to the rear shoulder. When we talk about something like "walk away from the hands" she tends to push her hands too far rearward by straightening her lead arm, and this will invariably lead to a longer and looping hand path - remnants of earlier swing issues.

Fair enough. I can see how that terminology would lead to that. My main point was to make sure she was giving herself enough time to remove the slack as FFS suggested, and you agreed with.
 
Last edited:
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Fair enough. I can see how that terminology would lead to that. My main point was to make sure she was giving herself enough time to remove the slack as FFS suggested, and you agreed with.

I'm not worried about her timing, at the moment. I know her well enough that she will sort things out in that regard by herself. Generally speaking, she starts her stride about the same time the pitcher releases the ball.

Also, there are things that I agree with about swing mechanics that may be missing from my DD's swing at this current time. There are definitely areas that can be improved, and it's a continual process. One of those areas is how she uses her core. She still hasn't connected the dots on how to get stretch happening through the core, and how to apply that to her swing. Getting started earlier doesn't solve the issues until she understands the correct movements that need to happen after the process starts.
 

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