Critique / Help Series of Swings

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Jun 18, 2010
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For those who wish for a quick SnF reference, here is an index:

Let me know if you would like to see additional posts added to the list:

[Click on the post number hyperlink to open link in a new tab]

Post #006 MTS - student launching barrel behind rear hip
Post #050 MTS - bat tip is the hand in a windmill throw
Post #071 MTS - fix the way the barrel is launched with the back arm and the front arm will fix itself.
Post #072 MTS - steel rod connecting his elbow to the barrel tip
Post #128 RichK's - SnF Samples
Post #129 redhotcoach - SnF Description
Post #132 rdbass - SnF Sample
Post #134 MTS - SnF Sample
Post #141 MTS - Student SnF Sample
Post #170 rdbass - SnF Sample
Post #178 MountieSB/MTS - SnF Description
Post #190 MTS - Whitney Larson Triangle
Post #394 roga danar - crankermo's DD Brooke crushing gif
Post #429 NoonTime - crankermo's DD Brooke crushing it youtube
Post #460 crakermo - advice from a dad who has been there.

VLOG Entries:
Post #116 knightsb - VLOG from 01/31/2013
Post #187 knightsb - VLOG from 02/02/2013
Post #336 knightsb - description of changes as of 02/05/2013
Post #506 knightsb - VLOG from 02/09/2013 SnF Comparison
Post #513 knightsb - VLOG from 02/09/2013 Unedited swings

Post #001 knightsb - Critique / Help Series of Swings - Part 2

Stretch & Fire Success thread started by MountieSB
Post #001 MountieSB - trying SnF at team practice
Post #055 MTS - MTS demoing SnF
Post #061 redhotcoach - one legged golfer


Stretch & Fire Misc
Post #007 straightleg - Casey SNF 2013 - YouTube
Post #006 FFS - Fast Hands




Here is the Original Post:
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.

[video=youtube_share;sq3x5Gxg1Os]http://youtu.be/sq3x5Gxg1Os[/video]
 
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Biggest thing I noticed and could not figure out until I slowed down even the slo mo at the end if that she locks her front arm just after the forward motion has begun, it what is causing her to look like she is really swinging around the ball. It looks like she cleans things up a little but she can't ever recover.

Look at some of the model swings the front arm does not lock out until after contact during the follow through. I know a lot of people say set up is just preference but it is only "style" if it is not effecting your mechanics. IMHO two things are causing her to lock out her front arm 1) the huge amount of separation she is getting and 2) starting her hands low in her stance...actually upon examining that I noticed she is dropping her hands too.

as to 1) I don't think I would mess with separation because it is a good thing therefore I think we need to address 2) if she were to start her hands higher (even with shoulders) that would create a better angle on which also leads to something else she really wraps the bat around her head after she is completely loaded and coiled.

Everything I see is really relating to what she is doing with her hands. She needs to:

Start a little higher (4 or 5 inches)
When is fully loaded maintain bat angle of about 45 degrees closer to stacked straight up is OK
Take knob straight to direction of ball (without dropping hands) should prevent lock

I've gotta run after everyone has completely disagreed with everything I said I'll come back and make a practical suggestion or two.
 
Jul 10, 2008
380
18
Central PA
She's got good separation, although I agree with David that I would start her hands differently, just a style I prefer.
Here's what I notice:
-Her hips and hands rotate at the same time, or "gate swing." Have her unwind from the hips through the torso.
-Her contact point is so far out in front of her that she's making contact with the ball as her wrists are rolling over. That's why she keeps bouncing balls in front of the plate. I would have her hit lots of balls off an outside tee (placed over the second or middle corner of the plate) and have her focus, both off a tee and with live pitching/front toss to hit the inside seam of the ball. In my experience, many timing issues can be corrected with that simple cue.
-Because she makes contact so far out in front, she has to bend at the waist to get a low pitch. When you're bent at the waist at contact, your power is sucked from the swing. When it gets deeper (again, try "hit the inside seam"), you can be in a strong "power line" position, where the shoulders are behind the hips, and the hips are behind the front knee.

Mackenzie Wilson 15.jpgBurge 02.jpg
 
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R

RayR

Guest
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.

[video=youtube_share;sq3x5Gxg1Os]http://youtu.be/sq3x5Gxg1Os[/video]
Hand height is fine by me

I like the back leg - but I think the long stride and her upper body staying back is preventing better rear leg action

Launch the barrel away from the 2B - not behind her rearside - right now she needs to swing around her rear hip instead of behind

Learn to hit ball much deeper then she is in these swings - set up a tee even with her rear foot and let her figure it out using the video below as a guide

Rear leg swings also will help her to figure out how to hit the ball deeper - front toss to her as she balances on her rear leg and the goal is to "jump" out to the ball and swing - keeping balanced and not letting the front foot come down



Here is one of my hitters - in one swing she is launching the barrel behind her rearside and in the other more away from the second basemen - one is loose and goes around her hip - the other is tighter (arms/hands/bat connected) and more behind her rear hip.

Just stare at the barrel in the clip below and notice the difference in how it is launched

RBGoodBad1-27-13.gif
 
Oct 25, 2009
3,345
48
MountieSB noted what is the most important flaw. Improving her point of contact (and the adjustments that go with it) will make a HUGE difference in her swing. She's way too far out front. This is causing disconnection of the arms from the body; an arm swing—no power, lots of ground balls on medium pitching, lots of popups with higher speed pitches.

Drill for that flaw: place the tee almost centerline of her body (middle pitch). Use an 18" wooden bat, top hand, low tee, hundreds of repetitions. Ball should go up the middle! Then do the same drill with the tee at her rear hip, hitting EVERY ball to right field.

Mix in the above drill with front toss (not side toss) using the same 18" bat.

Caution: Don't adjust the tee in those drills just because she can't do it. Make the batter adjust!
 

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