What does extension look like...

AnnasDad - I think in those situations (limited practice time, limited one-on-one instruction, etc.), timing is your best avenue to achieving any semblance of consistency or success. For this scenario, I was going to equate timing with sequence - but making contact just requires getting the bat on the ball. You can do this with poor mechanics and sequence (it would be an ugly swing, but you can still make contact). You can't do this with poor timing. Being on time is a key starting point - you can improve weak contact by swinging harder, improve the sequence by teaching them small things like hip rotation, and finishing the swing. Whereas with poor timing, swinging harder will often just get you a nice "woosh" sound when you swing and miss.

cbullard - To get back to your OP (and after seeing the video you added), to my novice eye, I don't see any extension issue. I'm guessing whoever saw her in real time noticed the way her wrist hinged at the very end of her follow through, and thought the way the bat came back around was an indication of poor extension. When you slow the video down, to me it looks like she's clearly extending.

Thanks Gags....DD kept saying "I feel like I'm extending" and then she'd swing again and the same person said "You're not extending". It was confusing.

cbullard said:

Love the thought process of just swing it hard....everything else will take care of itself

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What's the old saying......swing hard, you just might hit the ball, wish it were that simple! Like Gags said, you can teach them to swing harder, but without timing it'll just be a very hard, very ugly swing & miss! My 16 year old is really 4'11", maybe 5'0" on a good day, she weighs 125lbs, she's small! She's not a power hitter even though she bats in the 3 hole in HS and both the 3 or 4 hole in TB, she hits a lot of HR's. She's exceptionally strong for a girl her size and she has lightening fast hands......but we have 7th & 8th graders on this HS team that are just as strong or stronger. With my DD, it's ALL about timing, timing, timing.........and finishing!! We work on it a lot, but think about it this way, it's about timing on both sides of the ball, a pitchers main job is not to strike out every hitter, a pitchers job is to disrupt timing and keep a hitter guessing!

Gags talks about sequence, it's amazing what a few things, just a few small things......load, timing, staying inside the ball, finishing after contact & extension, staying back and not getting out front, rotating those hips, hand route, and yes, swinging hard(er), and lastly, confidence! Yep, it's amazing if you have to time to work on just these things with a girl who really just don't know how to hit, how much progress she'll gain in a short time. Now with a high level pitcher standing in front of these girls, just throw everything I said out the window.......or just swing harder

Extension is very important for keeping the barrel in the zone longer. Extension occurs after contact where the hands and arms are fully extended to the pitcher. Bad extension is alligator arms after contact and quick turnover of the top hand. Good extension allows girls to be more consistent when fooled with off-speed pitches due to the barrel staying in the zone longer.

Cornbread said:

Extension is very important for keeping the barrel in the zone longer. Extension occurs after contact where the hands and arms are fully extended to the pitcher. Bad extension is alligator arms after contact and quick turnover of the top hand. Good extension allows girls to be more consistent when fooled with off-speed pitches due to the barrel staying in the zone longer.

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It is not the case that the 'barrel' and 'ball' remain in contact for a prolonged period of time. Impact is relatively brief ... on the order of 1/1000 of a second. While extension may be considered 'good', it is not because the barrel is pushing the ball for a longer period of time.

While extension does occur/continue after contact, it also occurs prior to impact. Take note that the rear-arm orientation at 'swing launch' often has the rear-arm in a 'vee orientation', but at impact the rear-arm is in an 'L orientation'.

Kids that get good extension consistently are able to handle change ups better due to the barrel being in the zone longer. Nothing to do with the ball contacting the barrel for prolonged period of time

It isn't 'extension' that allows one to hit change-ups well. I know several kids that consistently become extended, but can't handle a change-up even when they are told that a change-up is coming.

I'll go ahead and weigh in on this. I am doing an "advanced hitting camp" with incoming 8th and 9th graders. Two or three of them have been coached to "get extension." One was hitting today and clearly didn't have half of the power she should have and yet, another camper who has been hitting with me for 3 years now was hitting bombs. In talking to this young lady, her concept of "extension" has led to a horrible swing. She is out in front of everything with arms extended and can not use her body to drive the ball. IMHO, I don't like the cue. It should happen correctly if the sequence and timing are good. JMHO!

Cornbread said:

Extension is very important for keeping the barrel in the zone longer. Extension occurs after contact where the hands and arms are fully extended to the pitcher. Bad extension is alligator arms after contact and quick turnover of the top hand. Good extension allows girls to be more consistent when fooled with off-speed pitches due to the barrel staying in the zone longer.

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Extension keeps the barrel in the zone longer, yet extension happens after contact? What good is the barrel being in the zone longer if extension happens after contact?

Extension is one way to adjust timing.

Learn to arc the bat early and behind you (turn the barrel) and it (barrel) will be aligned with the pitch plane.

Shawn said:

Extension keeps the barrel in the zone longer, yet extension happens after contact? What good is the barrel being in the zone longer if extension happens after contact?

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The 'direction' of the 'square' is a big part of the quality of the 'square' ... as is the 'release' into and through the 'square'.

Shawn said:

Extension is one way to adjust timing.

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The 'release' is performed with timing ... along with direction ... established in part with the core ... along with a married action of the '2nd engine'. If you 'release' into and through impact, your 'timing' is likely to be decent ... and extension is likely to be a result.

Shawn said:

Learn to arc the bat early and behind you (turn the barrel) and it (barrel) will be aligned with the pitch plane.

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Early? Early in time? Early in the swing? Would there be a difference for 'inside' versus 'outside'?