Stretch & Fire Success!

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

R

RayR

Guest
For me - it helped me figure out how to separate the upper back from the lower back from the hips....

Most swing with their shoulders and then mask it with hip language....this is something quite different.

I can do a half assed rear leg swing using my upper back and stay balanced. When I use my lower back it takes on a much different meaning....



MTS, RHC, FFS, or RDBASS,
Help me understand the purpose of the one leg rotational swing that MTS is demonstrating and what are we trying to teach in doing this?
 
Oct 12, 2009
1,465
0
Most swing with their shoulders and then mask it with hip language...

Sorry, but this doesn't make any sense anatomically.

The shoulders can't move themselves. Instead, they are moved by the muscles of the core.

You could argue about whether the movement is as efficient as it could be, but to call someone a shoulder swinger is simply wrong.
 
R

RayR

Guest
Thanks - it's my company's shop. The Telly Savalas look will never go out of style, lol

Mts,
Thanks for the videos and all your(others all so) help on explaining the SNF. I also like the neat shop and the bald look. We have the same barber.:D
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
As good as the "90-degree oriented SnF drill" is for developing hitters, I've seen even greater development using the drill at a 45-degree orientation. It teaches a great deal relative to the "rear leg", the "around & over" action of the rear hip, the lower back usage, hand usage, and the dynamic stretch action of SnF.

I generally perform these against full speed pitching .... after a tee-drill warm-up (generally performed with particular points-of-emphasis in mind). I'll set the pitching machine at 64mph and perform the following sequence ...

1: SnF at a 90-degree orientation.
2: SnF at a 45-degree orientation (some of the biggest hits will come from this drill ... and for a good reason).
3: Normal parallel orientation with the hitter attempting to bring forward SnF mechanics into their normal swing.

These three drills are part of a normal progression sequence I have hitters go through after their tee work.

I'll also ping-pong back-and-forth between 2-&-3 above to help a hitter capture SnF mechanics or particular aspects of the swing.

I personally find the 45-degree orientation of the SnF drill to be a big help in terms of developing hitters.
 
Nov 21, 2012
89
0
New England
Have been doing the 90 snf with dd (as well as the babe ruth drill which is now her favorite) and she has really been getting "the feel" for it. Definately will be adding the 45 snf next session! Ffs is this done without lifting front leg?
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
Have been doing the 90 snf with dd (as well as the babe ruth drill which is now her favorite) and she has really been getting "the feel" for it. Definately will be adding the 45 snf next session! Ffs is this done without lifting front leg?

Yes, the front leg is not lifted in this drill. The front heel will often lift though.
 

Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,854
113
FFS, how you described the drill that you do is what I have done with my child for years. I do like it but have not turned the pressure up via a machine. We simply front toss but I use a throwing motion and get it up there at a decent but not fast speed. Because of that, and I think that you might disagree with this, that is where I came up with the "hit through the back hip" idea. Think of that swing and I'm sure you'd see how someone like me would then use that cue although you can see the resistance as soon as you try it.
 

rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
83
Not here.

This video was shot last week before MTS suggestions on the proper SNF.
I posted this here. With questions concerning the bottom half.
To start/at the start with the bottom half: I know that both feet should point to pitcher: Correct?
When you "stretch" that is when the front foot/leg (Lf foot) should then turn in and point or roll over towards right side batters box. correct?
Should the right leg foot remain pointed at pitcher or does that also turn with the hips? Give up the firm leg/foot?
Hips turn as far back as possible?
I'm trying to understand what the bottom half does first.
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
FFS, how you described the drill that you do is what I have done with my child for years. I do like it but have not turned the pressure up via a machine. We simply front toss but I use a throwing motion and get it up there at a decent but not fast speed. Because of that, and I think that you might disagree with this, that is where I came up with the "hit through the back hip" idea. Think of that swing and I'm sure you'd see how someone like me would then use that cue although you can see the resistance as soon as you try it.

CB, I do agree with you. There can be a strong sense of hitting with the rear side with this drill. The drill has many many many avenues that can be stressed and developed through particular points-of-emphasis. As the rear upper leg drives, and the hands turn the barrel, there can be a pronounced increased dynamic stretch that some can feel as “hitting through the back hip”. I've had hitters that have described it that way ... and some that describe a different feel to me. I believe I understand what you mean.

I have spoken with baseball and softball hitting instructors across the country that use the 45-degree SnF drill (the drill has various names). It is a fantastic drill in which there are several points in the swing that can be developed/enhanced and brought into one’s normal swing.

Because of the drill’s versatility in terms of developing various aspects of the swing, I make it a habit to use this progression drill going into regular BP. It's a main stay with many of my hitters.
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR

This video was shot last week before MTS suggestions on the proper SNF.
I posted this here. With questions concerning the bottom half.
To start/at the start with the bottom half: I know that both feet should point to pitcher: Correct?
When you "stretch" that is when the front foot/leg (Lf foot) should then turn in and point or roll over towards right side batters box. correct?
Should the right leg foot remain pointed at pitcher or does that also turn with the hips? Give up the firm leg/foot?
Hips turn as far back as possible?
I'm trying to understand what the bottom half does first.


Rdbass ...

A1: Correct ... both feet should ideally be pointed towards the pitcher during the setup with the 90-degree SnF drill.

A2: Correct ... during the stretch the front foot will tend to turn in as you describe.

A3: The right foot will tend to remain pointing towards the pitcher. This is part of learning the functionality of the rear leg.

A4: In terms of hip turn ... I view this as a good opportunity to select the rear hip usage as a point-of-emphasis ... that being the 'around and over' action ... the 'around' on the coiling and the 'over' that accompanies one's normal 'lateral tilt'. I feel this is easiest learned from the 45-degree SnF drill. From the 90-degree SnF drill you may wish to concentrate more on the action of the rear lower back. In fact, a common cue I'll use during the 90-degree SnF drill is "lower back and hands".

A5: Do the hips turn back as far as possible? ... not necessarily ... or at least not for me. I only feel the need to rotate rearward enough to feel the full range of 'around' motion ... and have never felt the need to continue counter routing to the point where I take that full range of motion considerably further, which I could physically do, but would feel no power generation from doing so. Basically ... satisfy the 'around' full range of motion.
 
Last edited:

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,478
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top