10 Year old DD Swing Feedback

[bullethead]

You're addressing symptoms. Until you or her hitting coach show her the basic movement pattern of a SWING that underlies all of these little check points you are focused on you will keep treading water. Give her the big picture first, then come in with the tweaks. If I told you to go pick up the heaviest bat you could find and throw it as far you can, what would you do? If I told you to pick up a bale of hay and throw it as far you can - what would you do?

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

I just realized that was a bad example, her hitting coach was having her preload..for a drill. the biggest thing I see, and the reason the bat is sloted how we have it, is she constantly drops the back elbow, and we have been unable to correct it. Looking for ideas ;/

http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-hitting-technical/22701-10-year-old-dd-swing-feedback-3.html#post306456

http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-hitting-technical/22701-10-year-old-dd-swing-feedback-4.html#post307202

http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-hitting-technical/22701-10-year-old-dd-swing-feedback-6.html#post308553

http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-hitting-technical/22701-10-year-old-dd-swing-feedback-6.html#post308574

 

[straightleg]

I just realized that was a bad example, her hitting coach was having her preload..for a drill. the biggest thing I see, and the reason the bat is sloted how we have it, is she constantly drops the back elbow, and we have been unable to correct it. Looking for ideas ;/

High tee...and /or
Flexible connector device....For the feeling of maintaining correct elbow spacing during the swing




SL

 

[stickpile39]

High tee...and /or
Flexible connector device....For the feeling of maintaining correct elbow spacing during the swing




SL

still waiting for you to make these available to us SL!

 

[straightleg]

Someone posted a flexible connector device that you could swing with. Cant seem to find that post. I have a homemade on that looks similar to that one. Works great if you need to show someone the feeling elbow spacing.

What ever you need stickpile, at your service...



SL

 

[Shawn]

You know the high back elbow isn't 100% a must. Regardless, even with a low elbow, it shouldn't lead during the "shift".

Even with the pre-loaded position and the no stride there is a shift of the center/hips. The shift should be loaded against, stride goes forward, hands go back, walking away from the hands. She has some shifting, although she is slotting the back elbow during the shift. The hands stay back during the shift, but she doesn't load the scaps during the shift.

Try the walk up drill, even as a no strider, to learn positioning of the body/joints. The open stance drill works just as well, which can be done as a no stride, which is done by closing up and then shifting. Do the open stance with a stride as well. Start with the hands infront of the back shoulder in any drill or as a drill with her current swing, where movement of the joints helps create awareness of body parts. With the hands forward infront of the chest the back elbow should have to move back "against" the shift to load the scaps.

Look at that last swing and see the back elbow leading the hands into the strike zone. You "can" see this poor position in real time. Correct her everytime she does it.

 

[Shawn]

Even with the no stride there is linear movement, shifting, the swing starts as you sit into rotation, not before. She is slotting and shifting, when she should be loading the back scap, walking away from the hands (which includes the back elbow). No stride works the same as a stride, still has a shift, still have the upperbody going back as the stride/shift goes forward.

 

[Shawn]

Yes hips moving out. When loading the pelvic/back hip, the hips will move out. There is some turning to go forward, coiling with the hips during the shift.

It should happen naturally, load the back side/hip, and the center moves out to relieve the load.

As Hank Aaron said in his book, coil correctly and the swing will unwind with lightening speed.

She has some shifting even with the no stride, the problem is she slotting/swinging during the shift.

 

[Shawn]

Don't forget to simplify her current swing doing % drills. Perform the swing at 50%, 60%, etc., effort level while doing the movements correctly.

 

[Shawn]

define shift....what is shift...hips moving out first?

I look at the swing simply as a whip/flail action. The hips/upper legs are like the whip handle, the swing is coil and uncoil. Some things Mike Epstein was correct with, less is more when it comes to the swing. There is a natural flow of energy in and energy out. I use that term allot, energy in and energy out. There should be a natural change of direction happening, hips start to coil followed by the upperbody and then a change of direction first in the hips and followed by the upperbody.

Given these ideas, there are two things I focus on hip/pelvic loading and scap loading, and then the unloading of both. Technically you shouldn't have the back elbow leading if there is natural coordination and rythym/tempo in the swing. The back elbow shouldn't move forward and down during the shift, unless there is a break down in the natural coordination.