10U DD Game Swing

[CobraAssist]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAa8GO9D83A&feature=youtu.be

9yo DD hits a ball up the middle for a single. Hit pretty solid, but really looks like she's swinging up on the ball, which is something that is relatively new. YouTube Caption says: "Doesn't put the most beautiful swing on this one, but it was effective either way." Truer words have never been spoken. So here's what I'm seeing:

BAD

1. Whenever she takes her hands back, she takes them back low (below the level of her shoulder).
2. After contact, it looks like she kind of shuts down her swing instead of extending through contact.
3. It looks like she almost strides backward a little bit.
4. Watches the ball the whole time she's running down the line.

GOOD

1. Tracking the ball really well.
2. Like the back foot off the ground at contact. Really looks like she's driving instead of just spinning.
3. Really getting good at keeping her hands inside the ball, and hasn't been locking her left arm prematurely.

This was her 5th game of the day. Finally got a chance to get my phone out and video an AB. Had to miss the last game, but we had a 1 hour break in between game 5 and 6. Changed her hand position and had her start with them back and above her shoulders and told her to just go from there. Wife said she hit a laser beam line drive into left center for a double, and another line drive right at the second basemen that got caught for the last out of the game. I'm thinking having her hands there from the start really changed her hand path and might fix the uppercut. Going to do some tee work tomorrow, so we'll see how it looks. As always, she loves the feedback, so don't hold back.

Thanks in advance,

Josh

 

[Mr T]

Not a bad swing. Love the precision contact, obviously talent there.

I had a girl on TB that swung pretty much exactly like this. If you can step frame by frame you will see a strange thing where the bat doesn't move at contact for 2 frames, then just goes way upward with the right hand rolling.

The thing with the girl I coached is she too had this sort of good hand-eye and what they are both basically doing is blocking the ball. I worked with this girl and got some very good results in drills but limited success as it takes a willingness to fail. They may not succeed at first in games and will want to resort back to blocking the ball.

She is throwing her arms forward and the bat is dragged into the zone and held there to block the ball in a sort of glorified super-bunt. She needs to learn to really throw the barrel.

 

[rdbass]

On this swing your DD may have been a little early. Sometimes when your early with a swing the bat is pushed into contact. You are correct she is not extending after contact. The pitch was a high ball. Your DD hands may have dropped alittle in the bat lag position. After your DD turns the corner(behind her shoulder) her hands are even with the ball instead of being above the ball. So, in order for the bat to strike the ball the bat must now go up. Maybe because she has been instructed to finish her swing high over the shoulder. The bat strikes the ball on the bottom as the bat goes up trying to get on plane with the ball. Result ground ball. Need to work on extension most girls her age and even older finish there swings at contact. They collasape there arms/hands. Try the reverse hand drill for extension. Take a look at when your DD is in her stance and ready to hit she then shifts/moves her whole body up and replants her feet. Something to ask her why she did that on this 1 swing. If someone said as she was batting to move up ok, then tell them to stop that.

 

[CobraAssist]

Here is her swing in May - MagSwing Part 2 - YouTube

We were working really hard because she was struggling bigtime. She started crushing the ball towards the end of June and on into July. Then the team took a month off and we went on vacation. DW wanted to give DD a break from softball so we jumped on a plane and left gloves, bats, and the rest of her gear back home. I've been working like crazy (like, a real job, not softball related) since we came back, so we haven't had a ton of time to get busy just her and I. Take a look at her swing from May and see if that's a pretty good foundation to build on. Plenty of extension in that swing I promise.

 

[softballphreak]

Notice in the second video how far out front the ball is. It's too far out front. It should be about centerline of her body. Notice in the first video how far out front she reaches for point of contact. The ball needs to be deeper in both videos.

Reaching for the ball causes her to be disconnected (arms out front away from her body). At POC her rear elbow should be near her side.

When working from a tee or other fixed POC keep the ball in deep. Hips lead and as soon as the hands start to move, throw the barrel at the ball.

Practicing with the ball too far out front WILL cause reaching during live pitch.

 

[SBFAMILY]

Some good comments, but read my post on a 9 year old swing above.

 

[alexander58]

All in all, this is a very good swing. I've seen a lot of older girls who love to swing the bat that well. The hard part is taking it to the game.

 

[CobraAssist]

I would have to agree on the "taking it to the game" part, but that can be avoided. I keep telling DD and DD's teammates....it's all about muscle memory. 50 swings. 50 throws. Fifty SOMETHING a day. Get it to where the act of swinging a bat or throwing a ball feels natural and almost like it's a part of you. Then, when gametime comes, it won't be difficult to replicate. That's my thought anyway.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

 

[Mr T]

Some good progress Cobra, keep going and good luck