Critique / Help Series of Swings

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I agree that she does not have a classic case of casting out because instead she is getting that action rearward. Look at the Michigan player, the last gif in MTSs sequence, her front arm is bent when it is behind her as it comes forward and gets to her hips she is making an adjustment because it is a low pitch and is very extended at contact.

Another stab at getting better during stance observe McEtchen(?) the Pirates BB player he starts his hands low, has to bring them high, them low again...yes I am saying that an MLB player might not be performing optimally even though I am a nobody. Now look at the others the Arizona player she starts low but is very direct to the ball, same with the others they start higher and simply come straight to ball. Finally look at all the bat positions in the gifs nice 45 degrees no wrap around flat bats. I would agree with striding comments as well a little shorter might help.

MOST IMPORTANT...take all this as simply ideas for you to think about try out on your own see what you like and make one or two adjustments then reassess later to see if she looks better, keep up the good work she looks better than a lot a girls including mine.

p.s. I know that guy in the video sounded like he was a MLB hitting instructor but that advice was terrible you can look at all the great hitters of the day and almost every other good player on the planet they are NOT extended at contact their front arm is bent....period
 
Jul 10, 2008
380
18
Central PA
Continued... can only embed one movie per post...


4.

Yes. She tends to reach with her stride leg instead of getting a good initial weight shift.
Is this valid advice?



I think the part where he says (or mostly says) the purpose of the stride is to unload the back leg is valid. For me, the stride allows greater weight transfer and the hip to uncoil with greater range than when not striding (whether you stride or not, uncoil/weight shift can happen, lots of good discussion on other threads about this).

In my opinion, the part he fumbles through (as do most hitting instructors because it's the toughest thing to practice and "teach" - myself included and I'm open to some mentoring on this!), is the timing issue. When looking at video of most college pitchers vs. hitters, the hitter strides when the ball is about 1/3rd of the way to the plate. I would say this is nearly impossible to teach, because a hitter is focusing on the ball path to get on plane.

For my hitters, I spend less time on the "when" to swing, and focus on the "where" to swing. For my hitters, we focus on hitting the inside half of the pitch, no matter where it's thrown inside, outside, up or down. By focusing on hitting the inside half of the ball (inside seam), players are forced to get it early inside or get it late outside. In order to hit the inside seam on the inside pitch, they have to get there earlier. To hit the inside seam on the outside pitch, they have to get there later. It seems to work for my hitters.

When a kid asks for the "when," I tell them stride at the pitcher's release out of the hip. They can anticipate that based on the pitcher's windmill. Then we practice like crazy on hitting changeups!
 

redhotcoach

Out on good behavior
May 8, 2009
4,706
38
He does in fact have at least one student that is a mlb player. He also has work with some D1 schools. Do I believe you would learn a good swing following these...yes. Do I believe you will learn "high level swing"? No.
 
Jul 10, 2008
380
18
Central PA
2.
The Point of Contact (POC) issue is very clear. She is definitely way out in front of it.
Do you think this is a timing issue with her stride?
Perhaps she is striding just a little too soon.

See the post above about timing. These things are very correctable, so I anticipate her being successful with the good advice you're getting from the other posters in this thread. Keep up the good work!
 
Jan 24, 2009
617
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Here are four swings from last weeks hitting practice. When she hits it squarely it is usually a good hit, but she has been mishitting the ball a lot lately. What is your advice, from stance to swing, on things to work on? Thank you.


The front arm lockout and not staying inside the ball has been mentioned. One of the things that contributes, if not causes it here is that the player is too far away from the plate. Have her step into the batter's box to hit, lol! We can barely see an edge of the plate in the video. I would be willing to bet that the balls she squares up on are the inside pitches.

If she does the typical "stand at the plate and extend the arms to a 'V' with the sweet spot over the plate and then back the feet up to center it" that so many kids do...she will stay too far off of the plate to be a hitter. Speaking of 'Hitter,' search and read his take on how to set up at the plate.

Once she learns where to be in relation to the plate, she can unlock the front arm and let the ball come a little deeper instead of reaching and hitting it off the end of the bat.

Good luck!
VW
 

redhotcoach

Out on good behavior
May 8, 2009
4,706
38
The first couple of swings she strides out, her lower half transfers and goes. He swing has to be powered by her top half. Her last swing...everything is going into ball...if her hands did not have a disconnection from her bodies action, alot of power would have gone through the ball.
I do believe if you follow MTS one leg swing advice he gave...and maybe work with him on what needs to happen...the rest will fall into place quickly. I do not believe a "high level swing" is a farther journey that is unattainable for a girl. It is just a different road that has not been taken by the norm.
 
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Oct 25, 2009
3,345
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As far as timing, the front foot needs to be at least at toe touch when the ball gets there. The foot can touch down sooner and still be ok, but it cannot be late touching down.

Most all of the issues you are seeing at the moment is because she is "reaching" for the ball. The deep tee practice will help more than anything at this point in time.
 

rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
83
Not here.
JMHO
First, I think your DD's stride maybe to long. FFS had a post on how to determine a stride length. I will re-post later if you didn't read. Might be something to check?
I see your DD turning her front side in. I would like to see it more like this. Take note of the front knee cock.
9uvpl5.gif

The way your DD starts/turns her front side in now is more like how you would teach a hitter to turn away if a pitched ball was going to hit her. Seems she never recovers from that turn in/away and starts her swing from there.
Here is my new fav hitter. Kent, his movements seem so smooth and easy. Take notice of Kents top half.
kent_side.gif
kent0809side.gif

I hope this makes some sense.
Knight,thanks for posting and sharing your DD because, I learn alot from seeing a hitter posted and reading the comments. I enjoy the sharing of DD's and the sharing of knowledge to help them improve. Thanks again.
 
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Feb 14, 2010
592
18
I agree with most about her reaching with her front foot, stride too long. I do like the front hip turning in if she would maintain the coil until she's ready to uncoil. She loses it by reaching with the stride instead of coiling forward and letting the rear side be in control. If she would let the rear side gain control she would be able to go forward while staying back, instead of her upper half getting over the front side like she does now. Would also allow for her to hit the ball deeper. She needs to learn to let the rear side be the driver and it will pull the hands and keep them from being left behind like they are.
 
Aug 29, 2011
1,114
0
Dallas, TX
I don't know how old this kid is, but there is a lot to like! She connects well, keeps her head on the ball. Her instincts tell her not to have a straight front arm, though it ain't working. She has good bat forearm angle, and would maintain the elbows angle if not for that arm bar.

JMHO First, I think your DD's stride maybe to long.

I have been gone a long time and had to bite! I think there are many good comments here, and this one for me is very important. I think she is a leggy girl, and her stride is a little long. That long stride keeps the rear hip from full action, driving the hands to the ball. I noticed also that I feel I see a small amount of assistance from her front shoulder pulling her upper body around. On some swings, her hips are oriented more to right-center, and she is pulling the pull. So her shoulder assists in getting her upper body around. I think a 3 in shorter stride, and more back leg drive would help this issue. So thanks to redbass and also this, "He(r) swing has to be powered by her top half" from red hot coach which is exactly the point.

I don't think she is casting because the bat never comes behind her rear foot, but I do think she releases early. But this same problem above can promote it.

I absolutely agree with the most obvious point, which isn't in doubt. Her front arm is very barred strangely, until just before contact on some swings. So that is a major issue that David Carter brought up. I also agree with him that ideally I would like to see the hands start above every potential pitch, and a few inches higher. I think that barred front arm adds to the hand drop at final separation as well, and if not, then that might be a separate issue. And MountiSB mentioned, "Her hips and hands rotate at the same time, or "gate swing." Have her unwind from the hips through the torso." And she isn't going to do anything else until she gets her back hip more involved, driving the hands.

Of lesser importance to me and far down the road is her separation. Her bat isn't wrapped too much because she has a lot of shoulder turn, which just gives the impression. The question is more or less? If she gets her shoulders squared up and oriented correctly to where she is hitting in plenty of time, then is it an issue? It may not be a problem. Until you fix the major issues of the length of stride, getting the back hip more involved, the barred front arm, and hitting near the front, or behind the foot to right-field, then who is to say that it won't add more power to her swing. I don't like a bat angle above 45 degrees. I think it complicates the direct line to the ball. I like her bat angle.

And lastly, and many see it, on some pitches she is hitting too far out front. I would prefer to see 20 swings, not 4 to know that for sure, but it seems relevant in these four. The first two were definitely too far out front, beating it in the dirt, and the last two were around a proper contact point; the results speak! I was wondering as I went through this how people would do. I was pretty impressed. straigtleg! I wish I was a succinct as you are :) I would work on length of stride, back hip, and hitting the ball deeper in the zone as suggested. That will knock off 90% of the problems and some others may magically disappear.
 
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