Just some discussion: What are your top 3 absolutes that you try to teach all hitters

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Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
Hey 5, when I talk sequence I’m referring to working from the ground up (tension in legs at foot plant, front hip begin to work rearward, back knee pinches forward, all while upper body is still resisting). Is this what you consider good sequence ?

Good question.

Within the context of my post I was referring to 'sequence' as the basic starting sequence during the 'move out'.

Below are some video segments of the basic starting.

Some terms used to describe this are ... "walk away from the hands", "forward and prepare-to-throw", "forward as the torso prepares to pull", "separation", "pullback against a forward moving hip", "forward-by-coiling", "forward and stretch", "forward as we take the slack out of the torso", "forward as we take the ball out of the glove","forward as we place the hands on the bookshelf", etc.

A fundamental of getting in sequence is that the rear hip gains ground as the rear arm prepares to throw (sidearm throw). More accurately, the 'move out' takes place as the torso prepares to do its part in launching the swing.

Example ... red lines show forward movement of the rear hip, green lines show top hand movement:
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Notice how there is a greater movement forward with the red line (rear hip) than with the green line (hands). Brooke (girl above) has in a sense "walked away from her hands".

We want to master this portion of the swing sequence. When this portion of the swing is mastered then we will say that a hitter is "in sequence".

Another example (... this one without a stride):
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Cabrera as an example:
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Crystl Bustos as an example:
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Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
... continued

Barry Bonds as an example:
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Let's look at some professional swings without the lines being drawn in.

Your players should be able to look at these swing and see the action in the swing without the assistance of the 'red' and 'green' lines being drawn.

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Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
.... continued.


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This "walking away from the hands" action will occur during the "reading of the pitch".

Your players are 100% responsible for mastering this. They need to be the one's to accept ownership for their progress.
 
May 21, 2014
155
28
For me, hitting is geometry and sequence.

So my top 3 are:
1. setup
2. connected
3. contact

everything else is a subdivision of those 3 concepts and can be added to as the hitter progresses.
 
Apr 20, 2018
4,581
113
SoCal
Please explain where the 'tension' is and when it is created. What is resisting, and when? What is 'connected' to 'what'?

Tension is in glute and hamstring. The knee is resisting turning and staying inside ankle (creates) the tension in the glute. And the hands and the shoulder are connected.
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
Tension is in glute and hamstring. The knee is resisting turning and staying inside ankle (creates) the tension in the glute. And the hands and the shoulder are connected.

Yes on the 'glute'.

The 'knee' does not resist.

The 'hands' and 'shoulders' are connected via the arms. That is the case for many fortunate humans ... regardless of whether or not they are swinging a bat. I don't believe that was the 'connection' that EricF was speaking of, but he wouldn't give a description, so perhaps that is what he meant.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Yes on the 'glute'.

The 'knee' does not resist.

The 'hands' and 'shoulders' are connected via the arms. That is the case for many fortunate humans ... regardless of whether or not they are swinging a bat. I don't believe that was the 'connection' that EricF was speaking of, but he wouldn't give a description, so perhaps that is what he meant.

Keeping it short...I believe in a connection between the hands and the rear shoulder through tension in the scap, connecting the hands to the rotation of the shoulders for a portion of the swing.
 
Aug 20, 2017
1,474
113
What do y’all teach on the negative move? Most elite hitters compress front hip and back while posting up on firm back side. My experience on teaching hip compression (coil), is that most girls will over rotate upper body. I’ve tried to teach back butt check to Pitcher during negative but that has resulted in entire front side turning toward catcher too much. May be a non teach. I’ve focused on simply sinking back knee to post up against firm backside on pitcher movement and getting into legs. What y’all think?
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
What do y’all teach on the negative move? Most elite hitters compress front hip and back while posting up on firm back side. My experience on teaching hip compression (coil), is that most girls will over rotate upper body. I’ve tried to teach back butt check to Pitcher during negative but that has resulted in entire front side turning toward catcher too much. May be a non teach. I’ve focused on simply sinking back knee to post up against firm backside on pitcher movement and getting into legs. What y’all think?

My preference is for the hips and shoulders to rotate back together (about the same amount) during the move out.
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
Keeping it short...I believe in a connection between the hands and the rear shoulder through tension in the scap, connecting the hands to the rotation of the shoulders for a portion of the swing.

Interesting. A connection between the 'hands' and the 'rear shoulder' through tension in the 'scap'. I appreciate that description. I would have been more impressed if you spoke of a connection between the 'hands' and the 'lower body' via the creation of tension in the rear 'scap'.

Many folks speak of a connection of the 'hands' to the rotating 'torso' via the lead-arm. You speak of the rear-arm.

Here's my 'feel'.

During the 'torso-twitch' ... i.e., the start of the main-engine ... many call 'hips' (but that is incomplete IMO) ... both shoulders undergo a sort of 'fusion'. The rear shoulder, which was relatively loose, goes into a semi-retracted state. That is important ... otherwise you'll develop 'pushers' ... and we want 'pullers'. The rear-arm basically remains 'short' ... as in a 'Vee' orientation ... it 'loops' ... many refer to that as a forearm-engine ... some refer to as a 'hand-engine' ... but it is really just an arm-action that is equivalent to the start of a side-arm throw. In this way the lower core causes the rear shoulder to go into a semi-retracted state, and is 'connected' to the 'top-hand' ... via two-engines ... a torso-engine connects the lower-core to the rear shoulder/scap, and the side-arm throw mechanic (remaining short) gives an 'attachment' of the top-hand to the shoulder. Two independent engines give a sort of 'attachment' ... 'connection' if you will ... of the top-hand to the lower body.

Take note that as the torso twitches that the lead shoulder jumps up ... an action that is being resisted ... and this leads to an 'attachment' ... 'connection' if you will ... of the bottom-hand to the lower core. It is this action that many, including Buster, credit a connection of the 'hands' to the 'lower body'.
 

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