11 YO DD hitting

[mdgtoothy]

Last year. Swinging all with arms, serious bat drag.

This year. Appears to me that she is more fully using her lower body. I like the slight closing of the front hip as she initiates.

Please let me know. I have my own theories as to where to focus (connection on every swing, but we are still working on it).

This forum has been a great help to us (OK, me) over the winter.

Thanks

PS Video is about 1/2 speed.

 

[straightleg]

Looks like hip and hands go back together and forward together in her swing

I just like this sequence from this video. Hips forward hands back.
This will help down the road getting her hips to lead the swing.

Alot of snow where I live



Straightleg

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Wish you didn't do the "half speed" video ... makes it a pain to do a detailed analysis.

In any event ... technically she is 'dragging' the barrel. The hand based drills that MTS reviewed will improve 'connection' and remove the 'bat drag' issue.

If you post a follow-up clip then it would help if the pitch was 'head-on soft-tossed' rather than 'side soft-tossed'. Hard to tell if part of what I see is an artifact of hitting from a "side soft-toss" drill. If you post an actual speed swing, then I'll create a GIF for people to view frame-by-frame.

 

[go4fpsb]

Just out of curiosity, what is the length and weight of her bat and how tall is she?

Straightleg, I feel your pain concerning the snow. I hope we don't have another snow total like last Feb. The palm trees in the background make me jealous.

 

[SBFAMILY]

She is looking at you tossing instead of having her eyes toward the pitcher and then picking the ball up as it comes in. This might be why she does not have her head down at contact. Grip. Read the post by FSS and pictures he posted. This will not allow her to have power at contact. It would appear the bat is between her thumb and first finger by watching where her thumb is on the bat.

 

[RayR]

toothy,

The girls I teach/coach have been progressing using this drill for releasing the back foot and working on the bottom hand....both are connected issues IMO....

First we work off a ramp using the bottom hand only....the thought is to try and back hand the ball and let the back foot drag down the board....

Then we do the drill on flat ground

This would be my first step...as part of getting the front elbow pointing more down like my student....instead of out like your daughter....the front arm ends up too high and the barrel can easily loop below the hands too early....

 

[Wellphyt]

Wow! One of the few kids you'll see at this age hitting from a relatively balanced position. IMO, this is a great swing for an 11yo. Please, what ever you do, don't mess up her hip action. IMO her hip action for this age is as good as you will see, boy or girl. Check out her back foot in the first swing; she is doing "The Move". Whether she does it naturally or she learned it, isn't important. Just don't coach it out of her.

She is counter rotating her upper body a little too much on a horizontal plane. The correct action will result in the front shoulder turning more down and in rather than around. Easily fixable. The bat looks a little too big. IMO the goal at this age should be on maintaining proper form and less about how far to hit the ball. A lighter bat will also allow her to take more quality swings during batting practice.

The barrel gets a little too flat prior to shoulder rotation. IMO this is a sync issue and can be easily fixed.

I would keep working on her sequence by working on her overhand throw. This approach should insure that you don't accidentally coach the hip action out of her. Be careful of static drills. I'm not saying you shouldn't use them, just be careful as they can easily mess up her hip action.

You are kind of in a tuff spot, because if you are not careful you can easily go backwards from here. Be careful!! She's only 11 so you have plenty of time.

 

[RayR]

Well, I agree there is the potential for some serious lower body action but right now the top and bottom are not playing nice...I think you are agreeing in this by advising on the OH throw....the bottom hand is pronating and keeping the upper half back too long as the barrel dumps out behind her...working on the bottom hand to keep from pronating will allow the bottom half to really drive the swing more forward....and you won't see as much rearward falling back after contact....watch her head...her balance is not what it could be....her swing can become so much more effortless by just making a small change with the hand action....

 

[SBFAMILY]

mts: Like you drill. Slaught was using something like this under the back foot.

 

[RayR]

Thanks SB,

The girls love it and it really seems to get things going in the right direction much quicker...

I just saw Slaught in person last weekend, but he did not mention this....but I liked what he had to say regardless....really interesting stuff on the front leg using Manny as an example....I think coming off the ramp trains the front leg to accept the shift....and then be able to get into the front leg a little longer on an off speed pitch...

mts: Like you drill. Slaught was using something like this under the back foot.