Dad needs help with this 8yr olds swing.

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Mar 21, 2013
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Bella working on swing - YouTube


Dad is lost at what to do. She is a 4ft 3in tall and 52pds. The good is she hits everything pitched. The bad is its not solid 90% of time. If this helps, the ones she does hit hard are to the right side. She can apply anything I ask her to do fast, but dear old dad is doesn't know where to go. Help, thanks.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
She has a LOT of good stuff going on. This is one of the better 8yo swings I've seen.

Practice, practice, practice against live pitching and front toss will help with improving solid contact. As for hitting the ball harder, there are a couple of things I notice right away...
1. She is staring forward with her hands a little bit early. Her hands should still be back when her toe touches on the stride, and then launch with the rear hip and hands. My 9yo DD has the exact same issue.
2. Bat speed - Try having her think about getting moving as fast as possible as quickly as possible. Right now, it looks like her bat is moving fastest after the ball is already gone. Improving early bat speed will help her velocity through contact. Think 12-6 speed, not 9-3 speed (12-o'clock being the top of her swing at launch). Fast hands from "go!"
 

JJsqueeze

Dad, Husband....legend
Jul 5, 2013
5,436
38
safe in an undisclosed location
It must be good swing week at DFP. She looks great for the age and the fact that the softball weighs more than she does. That hit to the right side and the lack of pop you are noticing looks like it is caused by the fact that at contact she is already facing forward and her torso is no longer contributing power. This causes her hands to be out front with the barrel still lagging behind. Its not really far off, just a timing tweak away from having that torso being more connected to the hands so there is still power available at contact and the angle is a little better to pull a few more instead of pushing everything right. I saw a few gifs from some other members that I liked a lot that show the position(s) I am talking about. I'll try to find them and post them here.

to put it in other terms, her swing is real "chesty" needs to be more "backy".
 
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rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
83
Not here.
TeamM,
Your DD has a pretty good swing.You could just enjoy that swing and have fun. If you don't want to read any negatives don't read anymore.
I would work on your DD's rearleg. You want to drive off the rearfoot not spin the foot to toe touch. I see the rear leg and foot spinning as a unit. Meaning the whole leg foot spins all together. The part were your DD does a pre-swing to the lag position. That is a pass through position. Reminds me of the Epstein Torgue drill. Just have your DD 'turn the barrel' to the ball don't think about or try to get to that lag position. Whip the barrel like she is right to the ball.
Like I said alot of good to work with.
 
Oct 6, 2013
37
0
Nice swing.

8 yo old? Are you kidding me?

Now, for that half swing, the way your DD doing it now is just moving the bat from top to lag with very low effort. Instead you should tell her to do it with a lot more force just like a check swing. Ask her to use 120% of effort and check it so that the bat won't hit the ball. Then let her to swing and finish. You will see what may happen.
 
Mar 21, 2013
164
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Like one my favorite quotes I tell her "feedback is the breakfast of champions" If you want different results you got to change what you are doing. So thanks for all the feedback. What thread or videos do I need to immerse myself in to understand these comments. I understand pitching but I am lost in hitting department. She implements whatever I tell her. She is doing gymnastics right now, when she not doing competitions we play in tournaments on weekends. I just want a plan going into the winter to steer her in the right direction.
 
Oct 25, 2009
3,345
48

Dad is lost at what to do. She is a 4ft 3in tall and 52pds. The good is she hits everything pitched. The bad is its not solid 90% of time. If this helps, the ones she does hit hard are to the right side. She can apply anything I ask her to do fast, but dear old dad is doesn't know where to go. Help, thanks.


Look at her hip at the 5 sec mark. She needs to maintain that coil all the way to toe touch. Right now she is opening just as soon as she starts her stride (not good).

She also needs to start the swing from the ground up. IOW, her hip needs to lead (don't spin open, though). The hands stay back (just like in throwing). The hands are the last thing to move; and then it's throw the barrel—not pull the barrel.
 
Mar 21, 2013
164
16
This is the pre drill she does outside the batters box. This is a Epstein drill. What I learned is that some drills may not be bad, but my understanding may be wrong in how I instruct them. One thing that is in general agreement is that she needs to keep coil through toe touch and the last thing to move is her hands. Drive off back foot. Also to learn to whip the bat. I must get my concept right before I start fooling with her. Thanks
 

rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
83
Not here.
This is the pre drill she does outside the batters box. This is a Epstein drill. What I learned is that some drills may not be bad, but my understanding may be wrong in how I instruct them. One thing that is in general agreement is that she needs to keep coil through toe touch and the last thing to move is her hands. Drive off back foot. Also to learn to whip the bat. I must get my concept right before I start fooling with her. Thanks

Thats what I saw and commented about. The problem now is how to teach hand usage.
 
Mar 21, 2013
164
16
1390603137 - YouTube Please help with my DD. Cranking it back up for the year. She is hitting it harder. But I don't think the swing has improved. Maybe she has become a little stronger? What is one thing you would change in her swing? Be Honest. I am guilty of wondering from one fix to another fix when we are working together. It comes from my lack of understanding of the cause and effect and sequence of the swing. Thanks for the continued help.
 
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