Critique / Help Series of Swings

ELAE (early lead arm extension)
Redhotcoach thanks for all the gifs you make.

The issue is not her front arm....all working on her front arm will do is increase the amount she pushes her hands/arms through the swing....like doing a bench press....which requires you to hit the ball out in front....way out front....

Once she learns to hit the ball deeper, control the stride with her back leg and launch the barrel in the correct direction by using her back arm better she will be fine....she can learn to use her back to swing and not her chest....

Thank you all very much.

We read the comments together yesterday afternoon. I can point things out with her swing, but when DD reads feedback from you guys, she is 1) excited you are looking at her swing 2) is anxious to try your suggestions. FYI, DD is 14 and is in 8th grade.

We had team hitting practice last night. She said there was some improvement on letting the ball get deeper in the zone, and she didn't lock her front arm out "as much". I was working a hitting station, so I didn't get to record any swings. She does know she strides too long, and reaches with her stride leg. Our schedule is full the next couple days.... pitching lessons tonight, pitching practice Wednesday, and day off Thursday. We will work on some tee drills in the Garage Friday and Saturday.

MTS, do you have a link or example to the rear leg work you suggested?

MTS said:

The issue is not her front arm....all working on her front arm will do is increase the amount she pushes her hands/arms through the swing....like doing a bench press....which requires you to hit the ball out in front....way out front....

Once she learns to hit the ball deeper, control the stride with her back leg and launch the barrel in the correct direction by using her back arm better she will be fine....she can learn to use her back to swing and not her chest....

Click to expand...

I agree! I made the gif yesterday when there was concern she was casting. Just showing that was what it was doing. Didn't get posted until last night. I debated even posting it...thinking someone would take it as my advice to what needs fixing. I still stick with my advice of if she learns to swing with the rear leg...the rest will fall into place.

MTS, I have to ask you, I do agree that this girl is making contact to far out in front. My question for you is, you like the ball to get in deeper on the hitter. But how far is to deep? front hip, middle, what? I also know that it also depends on the pitch. I really don't see to many hitters letting the ball in to deep, only if they are fooled or find a outside pitch that they can drive to opposite side of the field. Just would like your thought and reason?

On my way to work - will look for a clip later.....but just get up and take a swing just on your rear leg without falling on the front leg....

At first, it will seem weak and uncoordinated....keep at it and figure it out.....these will increase balance strength in your rear leg and your stabilizers in your core....try to start the swing behind your rear hip....turn your front shoulder down and in.....

if your daughter has ever pitched - ask her to pitch just off the rear leg to get the feeling....then put a bat in her hand and tell to imagine the bat is her arm when she was windmilling....this creates a more diagonal, behind your rear hip swing plane....deeper, not out in front...

We practice with a tee near the rear foot....balls hit to oppo field....imagine the swing as a windmill arm circle....bat tip is at roughly 12:00 to start maybe 11:00 - bring the tip around the arm circle, but on an inside out path more like a golf swing....this trains the hitter to start the swing deeper....

I wouldn't worry about where the ball is hit in a game - game hitting is about adjustments....if your swing starts deep you can adjust easier....

nanotech14 said:

MTS, I have to ask you, I do agree that this girl is making contact to far out in front. My question for you is, you like the ball to get in deeper on the hitter. But how far is to deep? front hip, middle, what? I also know that it also depends on the pitch. I really don't see to many hitters letting the ball in to deep, only if they are fooled or find a outside pitch that they can drive to opposite side of the field. Just would like your thought and reason?

Click to expand...

There is a tendency to practice hitting off of a tee with the tee out past the front foot. I believe this is because the batter is able to generate more bat speed by the time they reach the ball, so the ball rockets off the tee. When the tee is deeper the ball doesn't have the same pop.

When the batter practices with the tee that far out front there is a tendency to "reach" for that point of contact in a game. Very often the point of contact in the game will be near the front foot; and that's not a bad thing. But if they had been "reaching" for that poc there would probably have not been the same results.

As MTS pointed out, the deeper the ball gets, the better the batter can adjust; because they see it longer. The brain "sees" it.

MTS said:

On my way to work - will look for a clip later.....but just get up and take a swing just on your rear leg without falling on the front leg....

At first, it will seem weak and uncoordinated....keep at it and figure it out.....these will increase balance strength in your rear leg and your stabilizers in your core....try to start the swing behind your rear hip....turn your front shoulder down and in.....

if your daughter has ever pitched - ask her to pitch just off the rear leg to get the feeling....then put a bat in her hand and tell to imagine the bat is her arm when she was windmilling....this creates a more diagonal, behind your rear hip swing plane....deeper, not out in front...

Click to expand...

Hoping this ties into you post, MTS? I read alot about the SNF (stretch and fire)drill. Would this be one of the kind of drills/practice swings you are suggesting? Would the SNF drill help with the feel of the swing? If so a gif of the SNF would be helpfull and and explaination of the proper way to preform the drill would be nice. I think( to me anyway) this may help fill in the missing piece in the swings. If I'm offbase on the request just please ignore. Thinking it maybe helpful.