Bat drag

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Nov 22, 2019
297
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At what age do kids tend to stop leading with that elbow and dragging the bat?

it’s been really difficult to get my daughter not to do it. But she pitches, and in watching video most of the 10-U girls I’ve seen do the same thing.

Second question, when is it time to buy an expensive bat? Even with flawed mechanics my daughter has suddenly started hitting well against some of the “decent” pitchers around here. Do I wait for a certain age or for better hitting mechanics? Will these composite bats take that line drive to the outfield and now have it roll to the fence? Is the difference that significant?
 
Oct 26, 2019
1,375
113
to your second question - as much as I hate to admit it, the bats make a noticeable difference in similarly hit balls.

disclaimer: a $300 bat won’t fix a .10 cent swing.
 
Apr 2, 2015
1,198
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Woodstock, man
[I will update this post as I read later comments and see her video in order make sure my patented Bat Drag Fix is complete:)]

Bat drag is a fatal flaw.

Buying a bat makes Little Janey feel better this year, and makes her very sad later.

Fix the bat drag. It's an urgent issue. It's the No. 1 thing to fix.

How to fix bat drag for free: (edited to clarify and add specifics after viewing later posts)
1) dry stride in a mirror to toe touch
2) Master coiling hips and shoulders 45 deg AS YOU GO FORWARD, not as you go backward
3) Make sure you stride with the back leg, and make sure you land with a bent front leg, and the hips are level
4) then, master taking elbow back like a bow
6) then, master make sure the rear forearm is flat/level at toe touch (it doesn't really matter where the elbow/forearm is in the stance, and it is sometimes counter-productive to start level)

She can learn this in a few days. Stop everything else.

Then in cages/game make sure she begins her stride sometime as/before pitcher releases the ball

Then start hitting bombs

posey-coil-stride-catcher-view.gif


Edit: Even doing everything above, there is still one thing a person can do and screw every thing up. I don't want to muddy up this thread any more though. Maybe I should make a youtube (but I would have to wear a disguise).
 
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Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
Bat drag is a fatal flaw.

Buying a bat makes Little Janey feel better this year, and makes her very sad later.

Fix the bat drag. It's an urgent issue. It's the No. 1 thing to fix.

How to fix for free:
1) dry stride in a mirror to toe touch
2) Master coiling hips and shoulders 45 deg
3) then, master taking elbow back like a bow
4) then, master make sure the rear forearm is flat/level at toe touch
5) start hitting bombs

She can learn this in a few days. Stop everything else.
I am shocked you responded to this...:p
 
Nov 22, 2019
297
43
Bat drag is a fatal flaw.

Buying a bat makes Little Janey feel better this year, and makes her very sad later.

Fix the bat drag. It's an urgent issue. It's the No. 1 thing to fix.

How to fix for free:
1) dry stride in a mirror to toe touch
2) Master coiling hips and shoulders 45 deg
3) then, master taking elbow back like a bow
4) then, master make sure the rear forearm is flat/level at toe touch

She can learn this in a few days. Stop everything else.

Then in cages/game make sure she begins her stride sometime as/before pitcher releases the ball

Then start hitting bombs

Thanks. We’ve done tee work over and over with focusing on hitting the inside of large balls (like volleyballs) to right center as well as with softballs, and she gets that nice inverted triangle from the side view. But in games that knob of the bat still goes up. It seems like 10 year old really struggle with this.
 
Apr 2, 2015
1,198
113
Woodstock, man
Thanks. We’ve done tee work over and over with focusing on hitting the inside of large balls (like volleyballs) to right center

That's exactly the wrong thing to do to fix bat drag. Bat drag results in the bat head not getting past the hands at contact. This results in lots of balls hit oppo. So the more you hit oppo, you are reinforcing the bat drag.

Stop Everything you are doing.
 
Oct 26, 2019
1,375
113
That's exactly the wrong thing to do to fix bat drag. Bat drag results in the bat head not getting past the hands at contact. This results in lots of balls hit oppo. So the more you hit oppo, you are reinforcing the bat drag.

Stop Everything you are doing.
Yea - I would approach it the opposite. Throw tennis balls at her front hip and have her pull them. If the bat head doesn’t get out front they will hit her (hence the tennis ball suggestion).
 
Feb 25, 2020
953
93
I think it has more to do with the load. Of the top hand arm specifically. It should be very similar to throwing. When throwing, young kids who don't get any External rotation pulling back tend to drop their elbow under the ball to try and create it. Or push it.

Scap load accomplishes this in the swing.
"Elbow up" is meant to accomplish it but often doesnt. This is hard to explain to a kid. Maybe If you ask them to stand square to the plate and then with just their arm wave to someone to their right(with just their moving their arm). Then put the bat in their hand and pull the elbow up/back a tiny bit. It's almost impossible to drag when the arm is already in that position in load. Some kids may be so mobile that it's hard to do.
 
Nov 22, 2019
297
43
That's exactly the wrong thing to do to fix bat drag. Bat drag results in the bat head not getting past the hands at contact. This results in lots of balls hit oppo. So the more you hit oppo, you are reinforcing the bat drag.

Stop Everything you are doing.


That's exactly the wrong thing to do to fix bat drag. Bat drag results in the bat head not getting past the hands at contact. This results in lots of balls hit oppo. So the more you hit oppo, you are reinforcing the bat drag.

Stop Everything you are doing.


Maybe the bat drag is the wrong flaw, as she's pulling everything, including outside pitches. I'm sure there are multiple flaws, but it's the bat dipping leading with the elbow that I'm most concerned about. We had some video done with the guy from Texas that does the top hand therapy stuff, and that was the drill he gave us to try to hit through the ball vs around the ball.




 
Apr 2, 2015
1,198
113
Woodstock, man
You need video from the first base side. 'Bat drag' means the hands are behind the back elbow.

But, I can tell from this you need to do as I suggested.
1) She waits until the ball is halfway before she 'strides' (it's way, way too late then - the front foot MUST be down when the ball is halfway - .400 sec for pitch, .200 sec for 'swing')
2) When she strides, she opens her hips, when she should be closing them.
3) This almost always causes bat drag

Please stop doing 'drills' to fix this. It will just make it worse.
 
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