critique my 9yo DD swing...

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Jun 8, 2016
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Ha, every season is better than the previous, I was mostly commenting on the irony of it all. This season feels different though as our playing time has been so compromised that everyone will be judged on a really small body of work (basically one tournament July 1 and PGF nationals) when reconfiguring the team. DD really likes where she is and we're both working hard to stay there. FIngers crossed!
I know I say this all the time (and I am sure every time I say it @Work=wins cringes :LOL: ) but what does her swing look like when a ball is being thrown at her? IMO the tee work one does needs to be done with sole purpose of correcting swing flaws which are identified in a live ball swing. Also depending on the kid, sometimes it might be better to do the tee work with a purely goal oriented approach e.g. it looks like you are hitting off the tee on the field so identify goals which would be difficult to obtain with her current live ball swing flaws and have her work on them e.g. can she consistently hit hard line drives over F4's head on outside pitches,etc. This approach seems to work well with my DD since she doesn't like me talking so I just give her a goal and have her try to obtain it. Might not be the quickest way to fix things but sometimes, like I said depending on the kid, it the most pain-free approach :p
 
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Jan 6, 2009
6,591
113
Chehalis, Wa
I know I say this all the time (and I am sure every time I say it @Work=wins cringes :LOL: ) but what does her swing look like when a ball is being thrown at her? IMO the tee work one does needs to be done with sole purpose of correcting swing flaws which are identified in a live ball swing. Also depending on the kid, sometimes it might be better to do the tee work with a purely goal oriented approach e.g. it looks you are hitting off the tee on the field so identify goals which would be difficult to obtain with her current live ball swing flaws and have her work on them e.g. can she consistently hit hard line drives over F4's head on outside pitches,etc. This approach seems to work well with my DD since she doesn't like me talking so I just give her a goal and have her try to obtain it. Might not be the quickest way to fix things but sometimes, like I said depending on the kid, it the most pain-free approach :p

I think there are hitters who can produce their swing off a tee.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
I think there are hitters who can produce their swing off a tee.
Not saying there are not (well I guess my comment did sound like I was saying that but that wasn't the intent)..but he hasn't shown a live ball swing recently so..I mean unless you are playing t-ball the goal is to hit a moving ball right? ;) She is older so it is likely that her live ball swing and tee swing are fairly consistent. At the younger ages (like my DD) it seems the moving ball/tee swings tend to vary more due to a variety of reasons.
 
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Oct 13, 2014
5,471
113
South Cali
I know I say this all the time (and I am sure every time I say it @Work=wins cringes :LOL: ) but what does her swing look like when a ball is being thrown at her? IMO the tee work one does needs to be done with sole purpose of correcting swing flaws which are identified in a live ball swing. Also depending on the kid, sometimes it might be better to do the tee work with a purely goal oriented approach e.g. it looks like you are hitting off the tee on the field so identify goals which would be difficult to obtain with her current live ball swing flaws and have her work on them e.g. can she consistently hit hard line drives over F4's head on outside pitches,etc. This approach seems to work well with my DD since she doesn't like me talking so I just give her a goal and have her try to obtain it. Might not be the quickest way to fix things but sometimes, like I said depending on the kid, it the most pain-free approach :p
[/QUOTE]

Not disagreeing. I like tee swings to show intent. I like toss swings to see timing. They both are beneficial. I think as kids get older the two swings tend to match up,
 

fanboi22

on the journey
Nov 9, 2015
1,138
83
SE Wisconsin
ezgif-com-optimize-2-gif.14309

The above is where this journey started for me on this forum asking for help. She's 9yo in this simple gif and posted in APR 2016.

DD has a VERY stubborn style in her swing, I've often tried changing it (especially in the beginning) but there's features that just refuse to go away. About 1.5 or 2yrs ago, I've agreed to focus on her approach to the at bat and let the mechanics be what they need to be to ensure balance and smooth movements.

The following two clips are DD breaking in a new 2005 (!) DeMarini Phenix 33 -8 during tee work. First video is Mid-High Inside and second one is Mid-High Outside (her favorite pitch location).

I'm really digging seeing the progression (or in some ways lack of) of a young player growing into a 14yo, still trying her best to smash the ball.




Ernie, i don't have much of a leg to stand on as far as suggesting others what to do. But, even though being on a technical thread, i think being more practical i would try to follow some of the advice that eFastball has given in the past(and i am using my own words for it). I think he suggests to do in front of a mirror, but if you are watching, just have DD stride into her launch position. When she does this make sure there isn't any downward slot of back arm. Hold the position with rear elbow/upper arm horizontal. I see your DD starting to slot the elbow a few frames before toe touch. If i do slow motion i see it more clearly, probably 15 degrees or so of drop.

My DD had (has) this same problem that she starts to move rear elbow too early. It starts to slot and then gets ahead of the hands and causes the bat drag. I actually see more of that in your DD's outside swing.

I have always had confusion with the scap load, so i have been trying to have DD focus on the coiled forward move and keeping hands locked into her shoulder position. When i try that personally it actually 'feels' (for you Mud) like i am loading the scap because you are actually taking the slack out with the stretch in the move out. I don't think it is really a forced move.

In any case, if you can get her to practice getting into the launch position without dropping the rear elbow, i think that helps the sequence in that it will allow the core(hips...whatever) to drive first and create that separation. I have tried to have my DD keep hands in a static position relative to the shoulders and it has seemed to help.

The last thing i noticed with my DD was that sometimes, even if her timing was ok, she would drop the back elbow (slot) without moving the barrel at all. This, IMO, is the essence of the TTB discussion, if the barrel keeps locked with the wrist orientation, it will turn as the elbow slot happens, if you don't keep that wrist/barrel orientation, the elbow will slot and the barrel will not turn, but instead it will drop behind shoulder creating drag.

Now there are alot more things in the posture and other movements i have not even begun to fix with my DD. I just feel that what i described above is the main thing your DD is missing. JMHO.

Good luck, she looks strong and determined.
 
Jan 6, 2009
6,591
113
Chehalis, Wa
Mia’s barrel path is different for the 2 swings, actually there’s a big difference.

On the inside location the barrel doesn’t drop behind her body. On the outside pitch it drops behind her and she swings up.

I’m going too redo the side by side with the inside location as well. I think the Lindor swing is a little inside.
 
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fanboi22

on the journey
Nov 9, 2015
1,138
83
SE Wisconsin
Mia’s barrel path is different for the 2 swings, actually there’s a big difference.

On the inside location the barrel doesn’t drop behind her body. On the outside pitch it drops behind her and she swings up.

I’m going too redo the side by side with the inside location as well. I think the Lindor swing is a little inside.
I agree, and though they are slightly diff swing paths, I do believe the same thing is happening. Tho not as much as, as you correctly indicated with the inside swing.

After you mentioned this, i went back and looked at both swings. It is more pronounced with the outside swing because of also dropping rear elbow before toe touch and dropping the barrel, but the lack of immediate barrel 'turn' confused me. I think it is the lack of elbow to elbow separation. With the inside swing, the barrel seems to be pulled by the top hand and the bottom hand stays 'dead' and allows the rear elbow to slot without any progress by the front elbow. I think someone talked about grips in a prior post and i think that may help keep the bottom hand locked in an orientation that it will help keep elbow separation and not cause as much arm bar. I think this would help both swings as i believe this contributes to excessive arm bar, along with my second comment below. (edit: with my DD i try to have her keep the angles of the wrist to the barrel with both hands at launch, find the path and then release (whip) to contact, but i think this is my 'hold on for dear life' philosophy for the hands.)

They both also are allowing the upper body to leak forward after toe touch instead of keeping a more 'leaned back' posture which hurts the ability to get the barrel into a deep path. The hands then drift away from the body before and right at the start of launch. This along with the elbows isn't allowing a deep path and too much arm bar.

Again, this is just from a guy trying to learn for his own DD as well and just trying to find an easy way to describe what he sees. Good luck and bombs away.
 

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