Drills to improve hitting sequence

Cannonball said:

"Squash that bug hard?" Really? Look at around 1:07. The young man is actually starting to do the rotation correctly and this instructor stops him. Look at the back knee driving inward. Had the guy kept his mouth shut, the kid would have rolled over onto the side of the front toes and then onto the tip of the toes. Instead, he has him squash the bug.

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Absolutely, "squash the bug" is obsolete. If the feet are kept about shoulder width apart instead of the big stance he has, it will isolate the hips. That is the purpose of the drill. If that is the focus (the hips) it can be a useful tool. I have used it with older and more advanced athletes who have difficulty incorporating the hips into their swing. It is useful if done correctly with the right biomechanical focus.

Softball Tutor said:

Perfect. Exactly what I was saying. You could also put a ball behind the back foot heel and have them hit the ball with their heel to reinforce the pivot.

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Are you saying that the hitter should pivot on the ball of the rear foot?

SweetWeapon said:

Actually, there are many ways to improve. Some of them that one must learn about are the dry swing drill, sequence tee drill and the reverse sequence drill. These are relevant in a softball hitting drills swing development.

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Any examples?

Eric F said:

Are you saying that the hitter should pivot on the ball of the rear foot?

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Softball Tutor said:

If the feet are kept about shoulder width apart instead of the big stance he has, it will isolate the hips. That is the purpose of the drill. If that is the focus (the hips) it can be a useful tool. I have used it with older and more advanced athletes who have difficulty incorporating the hips into their swing. It is useful if done correctly with the right biomechanical focus.

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In my much more limited experience (working 90% with 8YO and younger), I've found the opposite of the bold above to be much more common. (Disclaimer - I haven't watched the video yet). In my rec league, hitters who stand in the box with a narrow stance (b/c to me, shoulder width on a 6-7-8 YO girl is still narrow) are much more likely to swing with just their arms, and use their hips minimally, if at all. This is why I'll encourage a no-stride, wider stance for many beginners, as a way to get them to engage their hips more, to feel their weight shift off of their back foot. If the player doesn't have the type of swing that looks like they're trying to punish the ball, a narrow stance leaves them flat footed throughout the swing.

Again - you've been coaching much longer and at higher levels than me, so I'm working with a limited sample size. Or maybe I'm misinterpreting the meaning of "isolate the hips"? Interested in hearing more of your thoughts on this (and any clarification on the hitting the ball with their heel).

If nothing else, this thread looks like it's brought several new (or at least infrequent) posters out from hiding!

Softball Tutor said:

Perfect. Exactly what I was saying. You could also put a ball behind the back foot heel and have them hit the ball with their heel to reinforce the pivot.

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I actually use a cinder block and have their back foot "Climb the ladder" as I put it.

go4um said:

I can see how this drill might some value for a 8u newbie but it seems to promote out and around with spin action instead of inside out with drive action. At least that what I've seen when I see players actually doing it.

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I think you are being kind.

I can't recall seeing this drill performed in a manner that is good for a developing hitter. If you have an example then please post it.

Cannonball said:

"Squash that bug hard?" Really? Look at around 1:07. The young man is actually starting to do the rotation correctly and this instructor stops him. Look at the back knee driving inward. Had the guy kept his mouth shut, the kid would have rolled over onto the side of the front toes and then onto the tip of the toes. Instead, he has him squash the bug.

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I laughed at that part. The kid was actually using his core ... and the instructor robbed him of it. Way to ruin a kid!

Softball Tutor said:

Perfect. Exactly what I was saying. You could also put a ball behind the back foot heel and have them hit the ball with their heel to reinforce the pivot.

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The number of ways to ruin a hitter is virtually unlimited.

FiveFrameSwing said:

The number of ways to ruin a hitter is virtually unlimited.

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And they're all featured in hitting instruction videos on YouTube.