10U DD swing

[SBdad]

How does she throw? When I see no stride or weight shift it is a red flag they probably do not throw well either. Show us her throwing and it may help someone else also.

Teach her how to get balanced by bending at the waist first and softening the knees next.

Set up off the tee...use a home plate and a tee so there is a reference point for her to measure off from. We do all our tee work from the back corner of home plate and measure off with the bat on the outside corner of the plate and our lead foot at the knob of the bat. When we stride we want to land even or slightly behind the tee. None of our kids use a no stride and we do not force that on them it is their choice. It comes from throwing as they feel more momentum and it is a no brainier for them. Some coaches have actually stated the girls are too stupid to learn this until they are older. I say the coaches are too stupid to learn how to teach it as I have girls at 8 that can use it!

The elbows are too high for me and I would like to see more separation rearward. This is a good time to add the hand over drill and it is in another thread along with the face the fire drill. Also have her look forward as if there is an actual pitcher in front of her and then track the ball to the tee.

This should give you something to work from for now.

Thanks Howard

Howard, when you say stride, do you mean take a big stride or just a short step to get the momentum going forward? I think with a longer stride, a younger person may start lunging and have a timing issue. JM0
Also, this girl needs to open up front foot more when swinging. This will help her get more hip action and have a better follow through. Your thoughts?

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[Hitter]

Howard, when you say stride, do you mean take a big stride or just a short step to get the momentum going forward? I think with a longer stride, a younger person may start lunging and have a timing issue. JM0
Also, this girl needs to open up front foot more when swinging. This will help her get more hip action and have a better follow through. Your thoughts?

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I agree we teach stride and if I did not feel momentum was important we would not teach throwing first. I have younger girls 9 and 10 that play baseball with the boys and they tell me the boys do not want to play with me because I throw too hard. It makes me laugh when I hear that!

Make sure when working on a stride that your stance width is not narrow as this will cause lunging also. Again if you get them in their stance to throw only with a bat ask them to load by simply cocking their lead foot under them a little and pick up their foot and they should simply move forward a little if the weight was inside their back leg and not over it. This is exactly why I do not say drive off the back leg! They will learn when they need more. Would you allow your daughter to drive 120 MPH just because the car is capable of doing it or teach her how to control the car first? This is why I detest all the crap with MLB swing patterns as they are kids and are learning how to shift their weight. I saw films of Don Mattingly on ESPN that his father took when he was 10 and it certainly did not look like when he played as a pro.

Stand in front of her lead shoulder and get her stance and ask her to load and take your hands and brace yourself and hold her shoulder and ask her tp pick up her lead foot off the ground and you are either holding her up or she is leaning backwards!

Pretty simple when you think about it and if you explain in front of a mirror that the shape between her legs resembles a pyramid and that transferring her weight inside her back leg allows her to pick up the front leg and step forward a little. Make sure she steps so she lands on the inside edge of the lead foot enough so the baby toe can be moved a little or as Crystls say wave to the pitcher with the little toe and make sure the lead leg is slightly bent or flexed.

Next how far should the front foot be turned towards the pitcher? Stand belly button to belly button with her and have her stride. Now hold her shoulders and have her point her toe towards the pitcher and ask her to turn her shoulders as if trying to hit a ball. They will be no power and you will be able to hold her shoulders from moving. Now close the foot up so the toe is pointed towards the second basemen normal playing position and try it again. You should now feel her struggle trying to move her shoulders and if you point o her lead hip she will tell you she feels it in her lead hip now. Then point it back towards the pitcher and she will tell you she can no longer feel it! We have found 45 degrees is about correct. I have done this with some very powerful men and made them look very weak and they advocated stepping open to CLEAR THE HIPS AND TURN ON THE BALL! It is too funny to see these big boys be humble!

Thanks Howard

 

[Mark H]

I certainly don't have a problem with striding if it doesn't crash the system as it introduces some complexity. At the same time, taking away the stride for awhile can be an effective teaching methodology. Also, momentum can be produced without striding. Michelle Smith for Stanford and Albert Pujols being examples.

 

[Hitter]

I certainly don't have a problem with striding if it doesn't crash the system as it introduces some complexity. At the same time, taking away the stride for awhile can be an effective teaching methodology. Also, momentum can be produced without striding. Michelle Smith for Stanford and Albert Pujols being examples.

Was looking for an example a little closer to non pro! AP strides about 3.5 inches however and not an easy thing to teach I may add. I worked with a group of 10U with the Cincy Static last year and by year end they did pretty well and the trick was getting the coaching staff to learn how to teach it and the parents to buy into it. It is a journey not a quick fix for sure! The pitching at 10U is not that great so getting something to hit was not easy however at one point the team batting average was .366.

This winter they are on the same page and looking even better. I feel very strongly that teaching how to throw first is huge in their gaining an idea of what their bodies can do and what it feels like to feel momentum. They understand they can throw harder and hit harder and that is a plus. I have never taught a no stride, or bring it in later as an add on and have had the little ones doing it with no problem Mark. Come over to the dark side Luke and feel the force....

Because of my location and working with Crystl they see and hear how she did it as a kid and it goes a long way to give them confidence when they meet and train with her not only at clinics but one on one. Then when we say remember how Crystl showed you this and they know they can do it.

My back ground just does not let me take no for answer, just because they are girls as it makes me more determined to show them they can! And I am not saying you are even implying that however I hear it from the male coaches all the time at every level of the game. They are girls and do not understand weight shift and over stride and I say lets see what we can do as I do not feel this is rocket science and it is a game and not life or death and I like a challenge anyway. I like what one parent said I taught her how to crawl and walk coach! Lets not go backwards lets teach her how to jog and run just like they do the boys!

Thanks Howard

 

[Mark H]

Was looking for an example a little closer to non pro! AP strides about 3.5 inches however and not an easy thing to teach I may add.

Thanks Howard

Sometimes he no strides and sometimes he strides. Then there's Baggie with a reverse stride. Go figure. I too have no difference between the way I teach boys and the way I teach girls. I have no problem with not using no stride as a teaching tool. Whatever works. Here's a no strider non pro. Photo 1 of 16, Fastpitch