10yo Maddie

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

May 24, 2013
12,458
113
So Cal
Please share when you guys figure out how to get game swings to match practice swings. In my DD's last AB this Sunday her swing had everything wrong in it that we are trying to improve. It was awful! We go to our fields cages yesterday and just as we're starting the University team shows up in the cage right next to us. I wanted to disappear as I could see this might be embarrassing. She calmly keeps her hands up and is turning the barrel better than she ever has and lines almost everything to the back of the net. Why oh why couldn't it be in her game AB's!

In that situation, I would have my DD pause, remember how the swing felt, swing again, hit again, repeat... Then, try to duplicate that swing feeling on-deck and in the box. Repeat, repeat, repeat...
 
Mar 19, 2009
946
93
Southern California
I'm seeing some similar issues with my high school team. I'm in my 3rd year of a 5 yr plan and hitting is the focus this year, both mental and the physical approach. One player that comes to mind, we changed her swing at16yr.old but very motivated. She was in a tough way mentally, so we did 3 mental exercises i've used with excellent results over the years. Once she was in a good mental state , she was more receptive to learn, we worked on her swing. Dry swing, tee work, front toss, progression. She struggled when we got to the front toss (timing issue). I told her the goal was not to hit the ball, but to have the same confident swing she has off the tee. Thats when it clicked and she started crushing the ball. Timing, focus, and its ok to swing and miss help. tough to learn during a game situation. Just my journey, Thanks and good luck , Mike
 
May 24, 2013
12,458
113
So Cal
I'm seeing some similar issues with my high school team. I'm in my 3rd year of a 5 yr plan and hitting is the focus this year, both mental and the physical approach. One player that comes to mind, we changed her swing at16yr.old but very motivated. She was in a tough way mentally, so we did 3 mental exercises i've used with excellent results over the years. Once she was in a good mental state , she was more receptive to learn, we worked on her swing. Dry swing, tee work, front toss, progression. She struggled when we got to the front toss (timing issue). I told her the goal was not to hit the ball, but to have the same confident swing she has off the tee. Thats when it clicked and she started crushing the ball. Timing, focus, and its ok to swing and miss help. tough to learn during a game situation. Just my journey, Thanks and good luck , Mike

Good stuff, Mike!
 
May 24, 2013
12,458
113
So Cal
An excerpt from tonight's backyard hitting session with foam "mojo balls"...


Our focus was on turning and launching with the hands staying at the rear shoulder. She did a good job (IMO)...until a moving ball shows up (last swing). This pattern repeated every time. The habit of loading down and back continues to be our nemesis. As I see it, my best bet is to keep reinforcing and repeating the correct load pattern ("rock the U", up and back) until it's her habit. I also see that her rear elbow isn't coming up as high as I would like to see.

Despite the mechanical flaws, she did crank this ball into the neighbor's yard, which is a pretty good poke for the balls she was hitting. Later in the session, she hit a couple into our front yard (directly over our house) that were pretty impressive.
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,019
0
Portland, OR
What is the purpose of this swing drill here?

dowcg1.gif



Do you see it as part of this here?

dq1zro.jpg
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,019
0
Portland, OR
EricF, just out of curiosity, do you believe the overhand or sidearm throw should restrict elbow extension ... or is that something you reserve for throwing the bat head?
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,019
0
Portland, OR
I look at the clip below and I ask myself .... what are you teaching your daughter? .... why are you teaching your daughter this? .... do you truly believe what you are teaching matches up with video of how the better hitters swing a bat? .... do you really want what is being demonstrated here to end up in your daughter's game-like swing?

if5uvb.gif


What I see in the above GIF is a bit odd .... something that no one would likely do unless they were instructed to do so .... something that looks like the teaching of turning the barrel around the rear forearm fairly late in the swing.

I hope you realize this is wrong, and that if you are teaching it that you'll give it a second thought.

The barrel turn, that is 'perpendicular' to the barrel, and 'around' the rear forearm, takes place at the start of the swing ... basically where your daughter is NOT turning the barrel.

99mjh5.gif


Turning the barrel in this manner retains the Vee-like angle in the rear arm (Power-Vee). This is why your daughter's retention of the rear arm angle is maintained so long into her swing.

Lost in the understanding is the transition from turning the barrel 'around' the rear forearm to turning of the barrel 'along' the rear forearm .... which is when extension takes place. You wouldn't begin turning the barrel 'along' the rear forearm, as the extension would result in casting ... yet you do in essence cast into the ball ... because the turning is no longer 'around' the rear forearm, but instead 'along' the rear forearm.

Extension occurs before contact is made. That is, the Power-Vee relationship from 'launch' to the 'RVP Connection Point Position' will NOT be maintained to 'contact'. Instead the rear arm will lengthen .... extend. This extension is nothing more than a continued direction of the barrel that is now ALONG the rear forearm as opposed to AROUND the rear forearm. That is, the direction of the barrel continues, but the relationship to the rear forearm transitions. The 'release' through contact is ALONG the rear forearm, not AROUND.

2h83afb.gif


You don't continue to turn the barrel AROUND the rear forearm all the way to contact.

The barrel is first turned AROUND the rear forearm and released ALONG the rear forearm.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
42,880
Messages
680,166
Members
21,599
Latest member
Clawdog
Top