When should the back elbow start down? Is it in sequence with the front hip coming back? I have seen some people state that the barrel works back as the front hip works back but that feels a little funny to me. Elbow down as the front hip comes back feels right to me. I think it's the same thing but a different feel.
Back Elbow
- Thread starter Tango
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I always see so many people focus on the back elbow, back shoulder, back side, etc. While they are important, I tend to focus more on the front elbow, front shoulder, front leg a bit more. Keep the front elbow down so you don’t fly open, pull off the ball, drop the barrel and produce pop ups. Keep the front shoulder closed for the same reasons. Keep the front leg strong so you don’t lunge and chop down on the ball. I find that when I focus my hitters on these things, all of the back side things just kind of fall in place.
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Can you elaborate on keeping the front elbow down? With my little experience I found that getting the upper arm up and away from the upper body to be best.
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Sure. Keep the front elbow below shoulder level. Jcuevas posted pictures of some really good hitters in this thread, and every one of them has front elbow below shoulder level. That keeps the barrel on plane with the flight path of the ball for a longer time, like 18”-24”. When I see that elbow get above shoulder level, the barrel drops and you get a lot of pop ups, slow rollers to 2nd, or missing the ball altogether because the barrel only intersects with the flight path of the ball for about 6 inches, meaning your timing has to be PERFECT in order to drive it.
You’re right about getting the arms away from the body. Not to the point of casting, mind you, but so that you can get full extension at contact. I never saw anyone hit for power with alligator arms. But if you pull that front elbow above shoulder level, it doesn’t matter if your arms resemble an alligator or an ape.
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