Continuing on the Journey

[Cannonball]

OILF, for all the time I was a head coach in baseball, we threw medicine balls off of gym walls. We used them in so many ways that I had to purchase a couple of dozen 10 or 15 lbs balls. I purchased the rubberized balls. This was a part of our plyometric training program. We built core strength. Straightleg commented on my daughter's arms in post 34 of this thread. She did all that craziness. The particular program that I used was really a composite of what a couple of colleges do along with the Texas Ranger old manual. I had some players play in their system and so, came all off season to workout as well. OILF, I don't know or remember the level your dd is playing and I apologize for that. However, it would be almost impossible for her to play in a college program that doesn't do some of this core stuff.

 

[rdbass]

There is no way I am jumping in this hornet's nest, but to say that hitters regularly talk about hand position. I am not posting because I have no blog, video or desire to get into this detail about hitting. When I took my certification classes, I had to memorize all the words used about hitting and write them down, because my brain does not work that way, ie stopping at every batting position to analyze it.

However, I have idea why a change in hand position would necessarily mean a straight elbow. My last point is that all this throwing of things into the wall is bizarre whether medicine ball (pitching forum) or a tire, so forgive me for not knowing that was here. Good grief. If we did that to gym walls, we would be thrown out, never mind that most are padded now. Look at the paint coming off... There are easier ways to do that stuff.

But carry on.

I agree with you on the 'bizarre' things some hitters may do. The only 'throwing' I have DD do is throwing the barrel at the ball.

 

[Eric F]

However, I have idea why a change in hand position would necessarily mean a straight elbow.

From the blog...

I move my hands back toward the catcher, which results in almost total extension on my front arm, approximately 6 inches behind my head.

 

[drc9805]

fballchgup, looking very nice! If you can get her to this point vs. live pitching then she will be on her way!!

 

[rdbass]

Too be fair:

 

[Rocketech1]

OILF, for all the time I was a head coach in baseball, we threw medicine balls off of gym walls. We used them in so many ways that I had to purchase a couple of dozen 10 or 15 lbs balls. I purchased the rubberized balls. This was a part of our plyometric training program. We built core strength. Straightleg commented on my daughter's arms in post 34 of this thread. She did all that craziness. The particular program that I used was really a composite of what a couple of colleges do along with the Texas Ranger old manual. I had some players play in their system and so, came all off season to workout as well. OILF, I don't know or remember the level your dd is playing and I apologize for that. However, it would be almost impossible for her to play in a college program that doesn't do some of this core stuff.

Note a core strength story but my DD was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to take some hitting instruction at UCLA and one of the things that surprised me was that in one of the hitting stalls, they still had a tire hanging from the ceiling that they would hit into. I tried it just for fun and it actually hurt my wrists for a few seconds. Didn't seem like a good drill to me but DDs hitting instructor always talked about how she got power from having "firm wrists"?

 

[fballchgup]

fballchgup, looking very nice! If you can get her to this point vs. live pitching then she will be on her way!!

drc, thank you. That is our goal this winter. It is a very challenging and sometimes frustrating process, but you know what they say, "if it was easy...."

 

[drc9805]

If you get an opportunity to post a video of her hitting even if it's front toss then that would give her and you a much better idea of where she's at..IMO

Hopefully she doesn't lose anything but a moving ball just seems to make it a lot harder!

 

[fballchgup]

Got some video doing front toss with some tcb's last night. The swing does change a little from the tee swings, although i think we are getting closer. Interested to hear what people think we need to work on.

tcbfronttossnov2013 - YouTube

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

A bit of slack in the system ... the hands could be engaged earlier.