Been A While - Need Some Advice

[CobraAssist]

IMHO
I wouldn't be too concerned with the drift. She's not on her front leg yet and it's her way of timing the pitch. Consider it her "leg kick". Once she plants her front heel, the drift stops, head movement stops, and her swing starts.
If I'm seeing it correctly, she's better on pitches that are up because she gets her bat on plane early. She hits down on the lower pitches...she doesn't get the head of the bat into the ball path until contact.
Stretch a twine with a bungie cord at the end (for forgiveness) between two points to simulate the pitch plane. Make it a low and away pitch. Have her match her bat path to the twine (pitch plane). Swing away! When she's on it correctly, the twine will hardly bounce.
Works good for all pitch locations.

I'm in agreement that once the heel plants the head stops. The issue with the drift is when she drifts too far...which always creeps it's head in at some point, and we have to fight it for a couple of weeks. Really going to try and get away from it. She DESTROYS pitches up in the zone. But, we were working last summer on getting to balls down in the zone with a little more consistency. Here are a couple of swings from the summer right before it kinda went to hell. One of them up in the zone and one of them down. I feel like she got on plane much better on these swings.

 

[Rolling Hard]

"before it kinda went to hell. "

To say the least. Those swings were killer.

 

[Bobby Shirer]

I'm in agreement that once the heel plants the head stops. The issue with the drift is when she drifts too far...which always creeps it's head in at some point, and we have to fight it for a couple of weeks. Really going to try and get away from it. She DESTROYS pitches up in the zone. But, we were working last summer on getting to balls down in the zone with a little more consistency. Here are a couple of swings from the summer right before it kinda went to hell. One of them up in the zone and one of them down. I feel like she got on plane much better on these swings.

Drifting too far could be a result of starting the forward move too early and the need to keep forward momentum. I suggest she spend the time on deck timing when she'll start her forward move, like Bautista does in these videos.

 

[CobraAssist]

Drifting too far could be a result of starting the forward move too early and the need to keep forward momentum. I suggest she spend the time on deck timing when she'll start her forward move, like Bautista does in these videos.

So, for the most part, she's always been a foot down early and then transfer onto her front side (drift) with it already down. It has been very effective, but there are times when she gets way out on her front side. If you notice the other 2 videos I posted above, we were trying to get away from it. Definitely going to continue to try and do so whenever she gets back. Her on-deck routine (which I don't have video to post) is actually pretty legit.

 

[Bobby Shirer]

So, for the most part, she's always been a foot down early and then transfer onto her front side (drift) with it already down. It has been very effective, but there are times when she gets way out on her front side. If you notice the other 2 videos I posted above, we were trying to get away from it. Definitely going to continue to try and do so whenever she gets back. Her on-deck routine (which I don't have video to post) is actually pretty legit.

Be careful. I've seen many a coach eliminate power generating movement from elite swings and wind up with an average swing. Practice wildly varied pitch speeds..... keep the drift and also keep her from getting her head out over her front side. I used to mix in a high arc slow pitch to mine every now and then. She learned to "sit into" the front side and while waiting for the pitch.
Or go to the Donaldson/Bautista big slow leg kick. But that's a pretty big change.

 

[CobraAssist]

Be careful. I've seen many a coach eliminate power generating movement from elite swings and wind up with an average swing. Practice wildly varied pitch speeds..... keep the drift and also keep her from getting her head out over her front side. I used to mix in a high arc slow pitch to mine every now and then. She learned to "sit into" the front side and while waiting for the pitch.
Or go to the Donaldson/Bautista big slow leg kick. But that's a pretty big change.

No way the Donaldson/Bautista thing is going down. I can assure you. She likes being down in her legs too much, and to do that big of a leg kick would change her eye line too much for her liking. The "sit into" the front side is where the foot down early/drift thing came from in the first place. Was working on her ability to hit offspeed because as she grew in reputation, she started getting a healthy dose of it. The drift was something she just started feeling, so she went with it. The issue became her head getting way out over her front side. Where we were at before the injury I felt was a good place. The moment they let her start swinging, we're gonna see what happens. Her not being able to swing a bat for so long has just eaten her up, so I definitely just want her to enjoy it for a little bit. Gonna buy a bucket of pearls, take her to the field, and just let her drop bombs until her heart is content.

 

[TDS]

Foot down early is fine as long as it's dynamic.. If the weight shifts across the pelvis to her front leg she will be in trouble.

Worse is when hitters attempt to be perfect with there timing for all pitches vs beating the pitcher to the hitters spot for the fb.

 

[CobraAssist]

Foot down early is fine as long as it's dynamic.. If the weight shifts across the pelvis to her front leg she will be in trouble.

Worse is when hitters attempt to be perfect with there timing for all pitches vs beating the pitcher to the hitters spot for the fb.

Have an example of weight shifting across her pelvis onto her front leg. I MILDLY understand what you're saying. A visual would help immensely.

 

[TDS]

Have an example of weight shifting across her pelvis onto her front leg. I MILDLY understand what you're saying. A visual would help immensely.

It's basically hitters who shift the weight to the front leg and then attempt to swing.. Most hitters who do it end up lunging.

 

[CobraAssist]

It's basically hitters who shift the weight to the front leg and then attempt to swing.. Most hitters who do it end up lunging.

Got it. Makes total sense. Thanks for the visual dude.