Advice on getting hips all the way around.

[jryan15]

Hi all!

DD and I have been spending a lot of time lately working on stretch and fire and upperbody resistance. (BTW - Thanks so much to all of you for the great posts and topics!!!)

One area that both of us are struggling with is getting that last 10 to 20 degrees of hip turn in the swing. When I swing the bat, I almost feel like my front side is hanging me up a bit. I experimented with trying to stay a little more closed on the front side to see if I can drive enough around to roll my front foot over like some of the high level peeps do. I don't know if I'm scared to let it roll, or if I'm just not thrusting enough. Now that I think about it some more, I guess it could even be lack of enough tilt or maybe too much weight on the front foot.

With regard to DD, she is ending up with a lot of bend in her front knee. I feel like more hip turn will pull her around and straighten the front leg up, but I'm not getting through. When I bring it up to her, she just starts manually straightening it out. I wonder if maybe a wider base or more stride would help.

Any comments or advice would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Hi all!

DD and I have been spending a lot of time lately working on stretch and fire and upperbody resistance. (BTW - Thanks so much to all of you for the great posts and topics!!!)

One area that both of us are struggling with is getting that last 10 to 20 degrees of hip turn in the swing. When I swing the bat, I almost feel like my front side is hanging me up a bit. I experimented with trying to stay a little more closed on the front side to see if I can drive enough around to roll my front foot over like some of the high level peeps do. I don't know if I'm scared to let it roll, or if I'm just not thrusting enough.

With regard to DD, she is ending up with a lot of bend in her front knee. I feel like more hip turn will pull her around and straighten the front leg up, but I'm not getting through. When I bring it up to her, she just starts manually straightening it out. I wonder if maybe a wider base or more stride would help.

Any comments or advice would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

This is one of those areas where the knowledge of 'resistance', and a goal of 'turning the barrel', can be the cure.

 

[softballphreak]

Hi all!

DD and I have been spending a lot of time lately working on stretch and fire and upperbody resistance. (BTW - Thanks so much to all of you for the great posts and topics!!!)

One area that both of us are struggling with is getting that last 10 to 20 degrees of hip turn in the swing. When I swing the bat, I almost feel like my front side is hanging me up a bit. I experimented with trying to stay a little more closed on the front side to see if I can drive enough around to roll my front foot over like some of the high level peeps do. I don't know if I'm scared to let it roll, or if I'm just not thrusting enough. Now that I think about it some more, I guess it could even be lack of enough tilt or maybe too much weight on the front foot.

With regard to DD, she is ending up with a lot of bend in her front knee. I feel like more hip turn will pull her around and straighten the front leg up, but I'm not getting through. When I bring it up to her, she just starts manually straightening it out. I wonder if maybe a wider base or more stride would help.

Any comments or advice would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

"Manually" straightening the knee is fine. But like FFS is alluding to, you need to understand the cause and effect.

 

[jryan15]

Hi FFS, thanks for the quick response.

We've been working on bat path and turning the barrel backwards, but no doubt have a ways to go. I definitely need some video...

When you mention resistance are you referring to lower back resisting the turn of the rear leg or are you referring to upper body resistance such as not loading and turning the barrel until after the rear leg has started to uncoil?

My focus with DD has been lower body resistance. DD is still loading her barrel as she is loading her rear hip. By loading I mean that she is IR'ing rear arm as she is hip cocking.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Yes ... the resistance in the rear lower back area, as the rear leg drives, with a goal of turning the barrel, will generally clear up the issue you described.

 

[coach james]

Your body can only move in any direction as quickly as it can stop, meaning that when she is in the rotational phase, her body will slow its self down to prevent injury due to an underdeveloped left side. (Stabilizer muscles)
Solution: core and lower back exercises to build muscle and flexibility, with heavy focus on obliques.
Result: greater range of motion, quicker rotation, and stronger bat through contact.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

In one of Yeager's videos he alluded to concept that rotation is enhanced ... made quicker and more efficient, when it is resisted.

As for the front leg ... whether you are a strider or no-strider ... give it the role of catching your swing.

 

[jryan15]

Your body can only move in any direction as quickly as it can stop, meaning that when she is in the rotational phase, her body will slow its self down to prevent injury due to an underdeveloped left side. (Stabilizer muscles)
Solution: core and lower back exercises to build muscle and flexibility, with heavy focus on obliques.
Result: greater range of motion, quicker rotation, and stronger bat through contact.

Very intriguing comment. I know that DD needs some work in the obliques. Poor balance has affected pitching accuracy. We've being working them out a little lately (planks, situps, twisting crunches). We will put a little more focus into our efforts here. Thanks!

By the way, I see that you're a central Indiana guy. Any particular team affliation? We're new to travel and DD is playing with the 12u team out of Greenwood this season.

 

[rdbass]

Hi FFS, thanks for the quick response.

We've been working on bat path and turning the barrel backwards, but no doubt have a ways to go. I definitely need some video...

When you mention resistance are you referring to lower back resisting the turn of the rear leg or are you referring to upper body resistance such as not loading and turning the barrel until after the rear leg has started to uncoil?
My focus with DD has been lower body resistance. DD is still loading her barrel as she is loading her rear hip. By loading I mean that she is IR'ing rear arm as she is hip cocking.

Upper body resisting and loading tighter, scap/rear arm pull back as the rear leg IR. Then 'turn the barrel'. Hips then will/can pull the hards/arms and barrel.

 

[jryan15]

I'm trying to understand the cause and effect. Just trying to get more help reading the tea leaves. My bigger need for understanding is how to trigger a more powerful response from the lower body. Is it just a factor of practice or do I need to put more emphasis on thrust?

I am also questing a bit about the mental portion of activating the lower body. Should DD and I focus on rear leg IR to turn the body or should it be abduction (I think) to turn the knee in and the upper body follows? I believe that we should be max'ing out IR as part of loading against a firm rear leg. I just don't know if our mental cue should be to try and turn the leg in or if we should be thinking of driving the knee down and in. Regarding lower body explosion, should be be thinking of explosively turning the hips around the rear leg, or should we be thinking explode the rear leg?

Sorry for all of the questions. I'm just trying to understand what's going through the mind when adding power to the swing... Does the rear leg lead the hips, or does leading with the hips serve the purpose. Thanks!