Help with swing and drill recommendation

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Aug 2, 2011
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Hey there, I haven't been here in a while, but I am looking for some suggestions to help get my DD's swing going in the right direction. It looks to me like the swing is too long and the bat gets too far behind her. Can anyone suggest some T-drills to keep her from doing this? Thanks
 
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Nov 18, 2015
1,585
113
Random thoughts from a rec-ball coach/Dad:
- maybe she was rushed on this swing (it happens when you try to hold a phone in one hand, ball in the other, and still find the record button, and not move too much!), but I don’t see much load/coil going on.
- she does a good job of working her front arm up, which I think helps with her (IMO)...
- great barrel path - to my untrained eye, I don’t think she has a long swing at all - the barrel starts moving behind her as soon as she starts her swing, and her hands look like they stay “connected” to her rear shoulder for much of the swing. (Feeling the need to add - I really think this will get a lot of “there’s a lot to like”, “don’t need to change too much” type of comments - but my experience is with 6-10 YO’s - so anything is an improvement over what I usually see!

At some point just before contact, her bottom elbow gets a little too far ahead of her hips, making it look like she suffers from bat drag.

My suggestion, based on this video, and not really seeing what her legs are doing, is to keep everything the same, but get her hips around a little more. Looks like her belly button is facing 1B, rather than the pitcher.

If her hips open up more, but her hands (and elbows) take basically the same path, the “illusion” of bat drag may go away - her elbow would be staying near her right hip, and it may be more obvious that she’s much closer to swinging “out from” her body (good) than swinging “around” her body (normally not as good).


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Last edited:
Nov 18, 2015
1,585
113
I’m not seeing the leveling. It looks like she’s swinging up to the ball - what am I missing?


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May 3, 2014
2,149
83
Shawn is correct. Watch the knob. During the initial movement it does not turn to the ball (meaning the barrel doesn't turn) and instead turns up and subsequently the barrel levels.

Watch the barrel blur behind her here as it does not level but gets turned immediately.

rBfgxT.gif
 
Feb 3, 2010
5,752
113
Pac NW
Her bat is going along for the ride. When you "turn the barrel," there is some connection to the arms/hands/body--especially the top hand. Instead of just pulling the handle into the swing, connection is created by working/torqueing the barrel into the swing at "go." From there the barrel is mostly on cruise control.



TTB.JPG


It's much easier to turn the barrel when there is more stretch/load/coil. I don't see any of this. She kind of just swings straight from her initial stance. Have her throw some bats into a net or field and feel what it takes to really get it out there. To really get it flying, you'll feel the urge to load/stretch and torque. Remember this feeling and try to apply it to the swing.
 
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