Collapsing front elbow

[clemenslee1]

Yes, then she uses her hips and shoulders to swing. Common for younger kids and some people teach it close to that. I'm not a tech guy but if you stop her swing the second before the barrel starts going forward her hands are in front of her stride foot. Big time push swing. If her shoulder and hips go really early a push swing is the only way she can hit the ball. I personally like to stretch, stay square, and turn the barrel from the catchers feet . I tell my DD to point the purple thing at the catcher and turn the barrel to hit the ball with the purple thing (Power Carbon with purple thing on it). Son has a Cat 8 and tell him to hit it with the cat. Get some funny looks.

I would say part of that is tee placement as pointed out by Efastball above, but I still see what you saying.

 

[RichK]

Notice that her shoulders are coiled inward (good) but her hips are already open (bad)

efastball, I love the detailed feedback you provide for young hitters.

Just one question: you seem to always emphasis keeping the hips closed at 'foot strike.'

Doesn't the best hitter of all time land (rear leg) coiled but (torso) starting to open? Isn't doing so a contributor to achieving max stretch and separation?

 

[julray]

Maybe this tool will help?


I know for my own DD it had helped of late. Funny thing is she developed a bad blister on her lead hand, so I asked her to pick up this tool and only work with back hand/arm. After only working with her back hand, her front looks good as well when using this tool. Also her body seems to reacting properly, supporting the hands. It promoted turning the triangle and teaches hitters how the bat pivots around the hands.... IMO anyway. I tried it as well, felt good, quick hands

 

[clemenslee1]

Maybe this tool will help?


I know for my own DD it had helped of late. Funny thing is she developed a bad blister on her lead hand, so I asked her to pick up this tool and only work with back hand/arm. After only working with her back hand, her front looks good as well when using this tool. Also her body seems to reacting properly, supporting the hands. It promoted turning the triangle and teaches hitters how the bat pivots around the hands.... IMO anyway.

I've seen one of these before. Do you know the dimensions of the pvc for this.

 

[julray]

efastball, I love the detailed feedback you provide for young hitters.

Just one question: you seem to always emphasis keeping the hips closed at 'foot strike.'

Doesn't the best hitter of all time land (rear leg) coiled but (torso) starting to open? Isn't doing so a contributor to achieving max stretch and separation?

Wondering the same thing actually.. see a lot of hitters just starting to open their hips up prior to foot strike.. Donaldson seems to like this action to create maximum stretch..

 

[efastball]

you seem to always emphasis keeping the hips closed at 'foot strike.'

Doesn't the best hitter of all time land (rear leg) coiled but (torso) starting to open? Isn't doing so a contributor to achieving max stretch and separation?

Thanks for pointing this out. Let's talk about toe touch and heel plant.

You want to coil inward as you stride forward. And hold this as long as possible. Then an inch or two before toe touch, the front leg begins to straighten (not saying here that it straightens), and the hips will be roughly even (not open) at toe touch - for most hitters as I will explain below.

For hitters that first land on their toe (which is 70% or more), they begin to open their hips beyond 'even' during 'heel drop' - the phase from toe touch to heel plant.

For hitters that first touch ground with their heel, you will notice like Bonds they begin to open their hips just before landing. [I personally think this is slightly less optimal than toe touchers, since heel touchers are opening in mid-air on one leg. If you are on steroids this is not a problem. Of course if a kid already swings well like this I would not change this since 20% or so MLB hitters do this]

So, at heel plant, both types of hitters will be in roughly the same position.

The OP's hitter first touches ground with her front toe.

 

[julray]

I've seen one of these before. Do you know the dimensions of the pvc for this.

Not sure if this is optimum, but the one I made for my DD is;

 

[clemenslee1]

Not sure if this is optimum, but the one I made for my DD is;

View attachment 14763

Thanks

 

[efastball]

If you want to learn to stride with the back leg, keep the rear heel down as long as possible, and stride until the rear leg almost fully extends. (It's the same in baseball pitching as well).

 

[RichK]

Thanks for pointing this out. Let's talk about toe touch and heel plant.

You want to coil inward as you stride forward. And hold this as long as possible. Then an inch or two before toe touch, the front leg begins to straighten (not saying here that it straightens), and the hips will be roughly even (not open) at toe touch - for most hitters as I will explain below.

For hitters that first land on their toe (which is 70% or more), they begin to open their hips beyond 'even' during 'heel drop' - the phase from toe touch to heel plant.

For hitters that first touch ground with their heel, you will notice like Bonds they begin to open their hips just before landing. [I personally think this is slightly less optimal than toe touchers, since heel touchers are opening in mid-air on one leg. If you are on steroids this is not a problem. Of course if a kid already swings well like this I would not change this since 20% or so MLB hitters do this]

So, at heel plant, both types of hitters will be in roughly the same position.

The OP's hitter first touches ground with her front toe.

Tks. My take is that toe touch/heel plant aren't positions to worry about as distinct things -- they are an outgrowth of teaching positions in 'slow-mo' more than something hitters need to worry about at real-speed. Action is in the rear leg/hip and the front foot catches it.

I also believe your rear hip stays coiled as the torso opens with the leg driving -- that creates the most stretch and along with a rearward launched barrel is really the only way to create maximum separation and hips before hands. My two cents, FWIW