Check Abby's Swing

[MountieSB]

One way to address the bat-lag/early elbow slotting would be to emphasize separation of the back elbow at toe touch (some people call it loading the hands or "walking away from the hands" at toe touch).

It looks like Abby starts slotting the elbow/decreasing the space between the back elbow and torso as the front leg is striding, when she should be increasing the space between the back elbow and torso during the stride. I use "get stronger at toe touch" as a cue to address this.

The elbow shouldn't start slotting/getting to connection until the front heel plants and the hips begin to start rotating. It will increase her power and improve the hand path.

 

[stv]

What about full extension @ follow through?
[video]http://groundup.hittingillustrated.com/softball/HittingClips/DenaTyson.gif[/video]

 

[batspeed]

MountieSB is right on, put it in words better than me but has hit the nail on the head. Well said.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

What about full extension @ follow through?
[video]http://groundup.hittingillustrated.com/softball/HittingClips/DenaTyson.gif[/video]

Follow through 'should' be a 'result' of proper use of the lower body ... inclusive of a 'thrust'.

The girl in this thread is 'out of sequence', doesn't use her lower body properly, is basically spinning, and finds herself using her arms to power her swing. Her lack of extension traces all the way back to an improperly powered swing.

 

[CPSBDad]

OK, so we have been working on her swing. Trying to be more balanced, rear elbow up, and more coil. She used to stride a little bit, but was recently told to lift front foot heel and drop it. She's told alot of things from too many people. Do you think she should get back to a stride? Here is a recent video.

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Thanx again.

 

[Immortal1]

CPSBDad, first I am NOT an expert - just another Dad trying to learn from the excellent contributors on this site. With that said, it appears that she starting to understand the move and not squishing the bug. The coil is better than just a static start. The rear elbow seems to be slotting nicely with the hips rotating ahead of the shoulders. I see the front foot rotating clockwise which I assume is helping "cock" the hips. Now to your question, will taking a bit of a step help weight transfer? With my DD it seems to have but I have seen many girls do well without an big stride. One thing I did notice is the lack of extension after contact. It seems the hands are rotating around the core after contact instead of extending out then following around. Again, this is just an some of the things I am learning with my DD. For her age I would definitely say she is ahead of where my daughter was in 12u. Best of luck and I'm sure the experts will chime in with some excellent advice.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

IM1 ... this is not "the move".

There is no appreciable coil.

The unload is initiated with external rotation of the front leg. The rear leg basically spins.

 

[obbay]

What may work for one hitter doesn't necesarily work for all, especially for a young player who's starting out.
Thanks for posting the clips, the following are my observations, use them if they help, ignore them if they don't.
She has improved a LOT since last spring! keep it going!

Re: Stride- it looks like without the stride the weight shift has been eliminated (Bad!) I like the negative move with the hands at the beginning (that's new) but go ahead and take the step. whatever feels right to her. I sometimes have girls start on one leg with their lead foot in the air and then step into the swing. Looks to me like she's losing a lot by not taking a step.

the inverted "V" of her forearms is flat at the start. I find it works better if they try to get closer to a 90 deg. angle between the forearms so the back forearm is up and the front forearm is down. Then as you turn into the pitch the rear arm comes down while the front goes up. the front elbow leads, higher than the hands which are higher than the barrel.

She should know that the front arm is pulling the bat, like pulling the cord to start a lawnmower. the bat should be in line with/an extension of her lead forearm. Try some one-handed swings (with a very light bat) to practice hitting off the tee with just the bottom hand. she can work on this and get the feel of it. she needs to get power from turning her body into it as well as "pulling the cord".

also. try having her stand in front of the screen in her batting stance only instead of holding a bat, hold a ball between her palms (hands flat). then with the batting motion turn and release the ball into the screen. mix it up a little, if she doesn't get it. try starting from one leg, step and throw(release). I don't think you can throw the ball well unless your arms go thru the right motion.

 

[SBFAMILY]

Have her throw a ball. Her hitting motion should look the same. First thing she needs to work on is weight transer and start with the lower body up. Need to fix that first before you over load her with the rest of the stuff she needs to work on. Next is finding a balance in the stance. Read some of hitters old posts on balance.

 

[CPSBDad]

Thank you again for your suggestions and feedback. The good thing is she is willing to learn more to be a better hitter. We've come a long way since last year. I'm a dad who knows very little about mechanics and I'm learning alot everyday now that I'm more aware. This is also benefitting my Little Leaguer too.

That said, we had to redo her throwing mechanics last year after someone pointed out she would suffer injuries later if not fixed. Basically, elbow slotted and throwing side-armed. Effective as she could throw to second from home easily--at 10/11 years old. Throwing mechanics fixed and now we are working on the swing. She was one of the best hitters for her age in our area. Coaches knew who she was and would instruct their team to move further out. And she did what she always did--hit the ball and get on base, usually a double or triple--part her hitting/running, and part the poor throwing of other teams chasing her around the bases. So, I've seen her in action and know there is great potential.

I see what many of you are saying about getting by at 10u and 12u with her currrent hitting mechanics. I've watch many of the model swings and have saved many to show Abby. She sat down with me yesterday and read through this thread and paid attention to comments and suggestions. She is willing to do more. I think we will put the stride back in. Pay more attention to the lower body initially and work our way up. I'll post more video later.

FFS--we go to Cannon Beach during spring break. Maybe stop my for some batting instructions on our way?!