Oh no! this might get ugly!
Back foot
- Thread starter Zwilley88
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- May 1, 2011
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Not that I can explain it, but I think "swing from the ground up" is something we regurgitate over and over so whoever we're working with understands just how important the lower half is. And...I say "we" because I know for a fact that I said it at least 9 times yesterday (9 lessons, 1 time per lesson). Totally get the back foot off the ground thing though. I teach them to drive off their big toe. Might be the worst thing to say, but that's how I get my point across.
I was watching the Elite Baseball guy the other day and he was saying that you apply pressure to your instep as long as you can and then when the back hip starts to rotate, the foot inevitably comes off the ground. He was saying that you really shouldn't have any flexion in your toes until you are "balancing up" after contact, on the follow through. Made a lot of sense to me.
- Sep 29, 2014
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Not going to get ugly because I'm just not one of those my way or the highway guys exactly why I bowed out of the whole "down to" discussion or a rotational/linear debate. There are elements of truth here and there, some cues work for some people and not others whatever....now that being said the non bearing weight on the back foot comment I might push back a little harder on because while you see very few players bearing a very little weight at contact it is the exception. as @dford42 mentioned your back foots job after contact is to get your balance back and stop you from falling over
@CobraAssist exactly we say this because it's a cue not necessarily mechanically 100% correct, your entire body works together as a machine you can't have your whole lower body firing forward pushing off and turning and just leave your upper body stationary they work together. That being you can recover from leaving your hands back too long and letting you lower body fire first there is no recovery if your hands go first and your lower half tries to catch up. See this sometimes with back and forth swings, since they slide forward a lot without actually firing the rest of the lower half they bring their hands along for the ride then when the back hip actually fires its to late since the hands have already gone.
@CobraAssist exactly we say this because it's a cue not necessarily mechanically 100% correct, your entire body works together as a machine you can't have your whole lower body firing forward pushing off and turning and just leave your upper body stationary they work together. That being you can recover from leaving your hands back too long and letting you lower body fire first there is no recovery if your hands go first and your lower half tries to catch up. See this sometimes with back and forth swings, since they slide forward a lot without actually firing the rest of the lower half they bring their hands along for the ride then when the back hip actually fires its to late since the hands have already gone.
- May 1, 2011
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Anatomically speaking, makes perfect sense. The way I explain it is off the inside of your big toe (same pressure, just different spot I guess). A little different, but totally get what you're saying. If I say "instep" to a 10-12 year old girl...I'm going to get some funny looks.
- Sep 29, 2014
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Again while technically it might have merit as a cue I think keeping your foot flat isn't the best. Flat doesn't usually mean exerting and force, athletically speaking we rarely want to be flat footed. Just thinking it could lead to a "handsy" type swing which is why we say from the bottom up because we want to emphasize engaging the lower half...but again your whole body works as one machine so working proper bat path versus getting lower body correct isn't an either or proposition you have to do both to be successful and a lot of times it's student dependent because if they are already doing something it might be a no teach versus a point of emphasis for someone who isn't doing something correctly to start with.
- May 1, 2011
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I would agree with you just from the point that so many of these kids take what you say in such a literal sense sometimes.
I am coaching 12U Rec. I've got 3 girls that keep their back foot down so long..... Well, it never moves. at all
. I've spoken to them about letting the foot move with the hips, so of course the first girls foot is now practically laces down when she finishes her swing. How do I get that foot to allow the hip rotation? Totally focus in pressure in the instep instead?
- Jun 8, 2016
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If you look at MLB hitters some anchor it throughout (Thome), some scissor, some go up on the toe and some (like Bonds at times) have the back foot come towards the plate. Like @rdbass mentioned, imo it is a no teach. Over the last few years, my DD has gone from not releasing it all like Sierra Romero used to in college to now having a slight scissor at times..I think there are more important things one should be focusing on.
