HS Freshman - Lefty Swing

Hi all!

Sort of new here, here is my DD's swing. She is a HS freshman and for background a converted lefty who slaps and hits away... about 1.5 years full-time lefty now. Recently injured her left ankle and hasn't been able to hit/practice for about 2 weeks. She says the ankle is ok and it doesn't hurt. She is wearing a brace on it for now to protect against re-injury. Was looking for input on the swing and what she should work on!

Thanks in advance!

[video=youtube_share;w-NNyfk17qc]http://youtu.be/w-NNyfk17qc[/video]

1. Watch her back foot and compare it to some of the high level swings that are posted on here.
2. So doesn't step to toe touch and pulls her front foot backwards.
3. I have my players start with the feet about shoulder width apart. The front foot at toe touch is about the length of if you put your bat on the ground between your feet.

What I tell my kids if you are hitting a ball forward, shouldn't all your motion be going forward, never backward.

I know she is a slapper, but my dd was also a converted righty to a lefty at age 11. She was taught to hit first then slap. My question when she slaps does she use the drop step method, which is what appears she is doing when she hits. We use the cross over , instead of the drop step. DD learned by a very good slapper that played on team USA and you like the cross over step going forward , instead of the drop step method. A start, I'm sure others will post more in depth.

SBFAMILY said:

Watch her back foot and compair it to some of the high level swings that are posted on here.

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Thanks. I noticed that. Any drill you can recommend?

SBFAMILY said:

I know she is a slapper, but my dd was also a converted righty to a lefty at age 11. She was taught to hit first then slap. My question when she slaps does she use the drop step method, which is what appears she is doing when she hits. We use the cross over , instead of the drop step. DD learned by a very good slapper that played on team USA and you like the cross over step going forward , instead of the drop step method. A start, I'm sure others will post more in depth.

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Yeah. She uses the drop step method when slapping which i guess looks like it has bleeded into the regular hitting somehow. I would prefer her to use the cross over as I think it tips the defense less, but for whatever reason she just does it that way. I'm guessing its more comfortable or natural for her...

Rdbass .... I believe SBF may be attempting to describe a "negative stride" .... I initially thought he was describing a touch-back ... which is perfectly fine.

FiveFrameSwing said:

Rdbass .... I believe SBF may be attempting to describe a "negative stride".

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I think I know what you mean. Her front foot should end up forward instead of backward. Correct?

goinglefty said:

I think I know what you mean. Her front foot should end up forward instead of backward. Correct?

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Question for you .... your daughter is a slapper .... is she attempting to not give away whether or not she is going to slap?

FiveFrameSwing said:

Question for you .... your daughter is a slapper .... is she attempting to not give away whether or not she is going to slap?

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I don't think so. I think that is just a habit she somehow picked up... possibly from alternating between slapping and hitting when practicing.

In the first swing she sets up with the front foot ahead of the tee ..... and she may feel that it is necessary to bring her foot backwards towards even with the tee. Don't see as much of a negative stride in the second swing ... but then she sets up to the tee differently.

That is the reason why I don't like the drop step method. As FFS stated you give away to the defense what you are doing, plus if you use that method to hit, you do not have the power that a cross over gives you. If you are only a bunter slapper then the drop step is fine. If she wants to hit for power then change her foot work. Think about hitting as throwing. Now have her try to throw a ball using her current footwork. That will give you an her an idea of the power loss. You asked for a drill. This would be the first thing I would work on. I didn't ask you how was her throwing, but I have never had a student that couldn't throw correctly be a good hitter. I use this drill with my kids that were taught to squish the bug. Take a ball and throw it into the net, using both methods and they catch on real quick. I tell them to watch someone swing a golf club, or throw a foot ball and watch the foot work.