Is the Reverse Hand Drill Good? Maybe not so much!!!

I used the search function and as usual I stumbled onto something much more interesting than My initial Query would have come up with. I am posting a link to a thread that has some GREAT posts..
Is the Reverse Hand Drill a good drill or not? Maybe not so much Post #44

What's a good drill(and I know you folks like drills) that would be a better investment of time. Post #29

And on and on... Only 10 pages so it won't kill any of you to read it but the value is DEEP. It holds important information that can lead to proper sequencing of the hips and hands. post #29
Turning the barrel, when and how post #29
How to put it all together.. post #29
and there's plenty more great info.....

good luck.

http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-hitting-technical/2388-reverse-hand-drill-3.html

Is the Reverse Hand Drill a good drill or not?

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Depends on what you think the purpose of the drill is teaching. What is your goal of the RHD drill?

Post #29 is by a knowledgeable poster no doubt. Palm up/palm down though? That is a little 5 minutes ago, lol!

If you are looking for "a good drill" I think you are looking at this wrong. One drill alone might be good to fix a specific problem but one drill by itself probably isn't going to result in overall improvement.

I am a drill guy. (A bucket dad not a hitting instructor). We have a group of five basic drills and we work in reverse top hand and a variation of walk through called face the fire. I think reverse top hand and face the fire are the difference between hitting the ball and hitting it hard. The results over 3 years have been very good, but that didn't happen in a few weeks it happened over months that turned into years.

My sophomore now does the same drill set on her own after practice. She believes in it and it keeps her swing looking good. She has been referred to several times as "that little girl who hits the crap out of the ball". Her sister is a more solidly built hitter who at 11 put down a rockettech for a rocket flex that swings heavier and hits the ball as hard as any kid her age. Older daughters sophomore bud is a tall skinny kid who at age 14 was playing on a 16 team and hitting hr's every few games... Never would have guessed it by looking at her.

The point of my shameless brag? Tee work and drills get dissed by many but it can be the ongoing foundation of really good things. It isn't the easy route though, they gotta do the set at least once a week, almost year round.

rdbass said:

Depends on what you think the purpose of the drill is teaching. What is your goal of the RHD drill?

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There is a video that I've heard that states that the drill is about getting to extension .... however what I see in the above video is one person realizing extension and one person not realizing extension. One swings much more "out from" than the other.

The real intent of the drill is well described by Charley Lau Jr in his book ... Lau's Laws on Hitting: The Art of Hitting .400 for the Next Generation; Follow Lau's Laws and Improve Your Hitting!: Charley, Jr. Lau, George Brett, Jeffrey Flanagan: 9781886110953: Amazon.com: Books.

Westwind said:

Post #29 is by a knowledgeable poster no doubt. Palm up/palm down though? That is a little 5 minutes ago, lol!If you are looking for "a good drill" I think you are looking at this wrong. One drill alone might be good to fix a specific problem but one drill by itself probably isn't going to result in overall improvement.

I am a drill guy. (A bucket dad not a hitting instructor). We have a group of five basic drills and we work in reverse top hand and a variation of walk through called face the fire. I think reverse top hand and face the fire are the difference between hitting the ball and hitting it hard. The results over 3 years have been very good, but that didn't happen in a few weeks it happened over months that turned into years.

My sophomore now does the same drill set on her own after practice. She believes in it and it keeps her swing looking good. She has been referred to several times as "that little girl who hits the crap out of the ball". Her sister is a more solidly built hitter who at 11 put down a rockettech for a rocket flex that swings heavier and hits the ball as hard as any kid her age. Older daughters sophomore bud is a tall skinny kid who at age 14 was playing on a 16 team and hitting hr's every few games... Never would have guessed it by looking at her.

The point of my shameless brag? Tee work and drills get dissed by many but it can be the ongoing foundation of really good things. It isn't the easy route though, they gotta do the set at least once a week, almost year round.

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Interesting, I believe that poster's 5 minutes ago is about 15 years ahead of what goes on at DFP for the most part. LOL
The drill that is referenced is just to get a feel for the body, mainly the hips being the driver of the swing. To feel the difference between an arm driven swing and a properly engaged engine that drives the swing. Most hitters that post on DFP do not allow the barrel to seek the plane while the hips work underneath. Most hitters period I should add don't do this correctly and put a ceiling on their true ability. if you think working the barrel in your hands while the hips and legs work underneath is so 5 minutes ago I believe you are mistaken as to the intent of that drill. Your focus went straight to palm up / palm down and skipped the essence which is the feel of a true engine working to hit the ball.
Learning to do this correctly at first is like trying to rub you belly and pat your head at the same time. You must disconnect old thoughts and reconnect new thought to a feeling then build on it. Yes, it's one drill that can probably make a huge difference to a lot of families trying to learn sequencing but of course it is just the beginning and can open up doors that might never be open.

rdbass said:

Depends on what you think the purpose of the drill is teaching. What is your goal of the RHD drill?

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Nice pictures? Any words you want to add? Do you think those 2 swings are the same? Do those 2 swings use the same power source? Do those 2 swings have the same pivot point? Please clarify why you think the RHD leads to the swing on the left.... Thanks

tjintx said:

Nice pictures? Any words you want to add? Do you think those 2 swings are the same? Do those 2 swings use the same power source? Do those 2 swings have the same pivot point? Please clarify why you think the RHD leads to the swing on the left.... Thanks

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RDBass did not state, or suggest IMO, that the 2 swings are the same or that the drill would lead to the swing on the left.

I believe RDB's contention is purely that someone discovered "how not to use their top hand improperly" .... and that perhaps avoiding such a swing poison in one's real swing would be something to go after.

These two swings use a different power source IMO. They also use a different pivoting action ... one which is potentially harmful to good swing mechanics.

tjintx said:

Nice pictures? Any words you want to add? Do you think those 2 swings are the same? Do those 2 swings use the same power source? Do those 2 swings have the same pivot point? Please clarify why you think the RHD leads to the swing on the left.... Thanks

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I think the 2 swings are almost the same. Both launch the barrel rearward. Both have a 'turning of the barrel to the ball'. Both have stretch around the rear leg/hip. Both have a 'pulling' of the rear side resistence. Both have a 'load'. Both use the same power source.

Please clarify why you think the RHD leads to the swing on the left....

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Because in this set up,RHD, the body is giving the 'goal' of 'turning the barrel'. I believe this is the only thing her hands could do but, 'turn the barrel to the ball'. I also believe the swing on the right did lead to the swing on the left.
I'm not saying the swing on the right is exactly like Bustos swing but, it is pretty close. There are other things in the swing on the right that doesn't match but, that has been discussed before.
I was asking you what Do you think was the purpose of the RHD?

What's a good drill(and I know you folks like drills) that would be a better investment of time. Post #29

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This drill?

Since you like words. I know it is a drill but, if this is the drill then I don't like the drill. I see most DD's swings posted on this site doing the same swing, 'around' there bodies/quick left turn/hook.. Not sure I would like to teach/practice a drill where that seems to be the goal/purpose. At least if and when RHD drill is performed corretly it will have the hitter swinging 'out from' there bodies. Which I want as the goal.

I love the drill. I use it at every single practice. It reinforces staying connected through rotation, getting fully extended at contact, maintaining a long hitting zone. Etc etc etc....
But it be fair, this is only a drill and should be done as only a part of the routine, and in moderation. Use it to fix a number of issues, like: casting, disconnected rotation, early barrel release, bat wrapping, or wrist rolling.