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Jan 6, 2009
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Chehalis, Wa
Shawn, yes the hands need to be free to get into the best position to whip and barrel up.

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Does anyone think the hands make a hard right hand turn in this clip?
 
Jul 29, 2013
1,199
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Scap retraction....Make the action of drawing back a bow. Can you feel your shoulder blade (scapula, scap) pinch toward your spine? That's the move we are talking about.
OK, just to complicate it a little more...... is it a retraction of the scap or a extension of the front arm across the chest? (arm bar) to move the bat to the side of the body away from the pitcher (right side for right handed hitters)
Think about it, are we really loading the scap so we can then release the load into some movement? What does retracting the scap actually accomplish as a "load"? It's not stretched so it can then snap back with a contraction. What does it accomplish to contract a muscle and then relax it? Doesn't a contracted muscle actually limit movement?
Scap load????? Think about it!
How does that contraction and release affect other parts of the swing?
Can we actually contract a muscle and have it "snap back"?
What's this mean as far as, for instance, "coiling into a hip joint"?
Do muscles compress and then a rapidly extend or decompress like a spring?
How do muscles really move body parts? Don't all muscular movements involve a concentric contraction with a counter balancing eccentric relaxation of the opposing muscle?
Hmmmmm?
 
Oct 13, 2014
5,471
113
South Cali
Turning the barrel isn't four definitions but rather it is a term that is often applied incorrectly. It is actually only one movement that involves pronation to supination of the wrist. No radial or ulnar deviation or wrist flexion. They are low level moves.
One thing I find with TTB is the adjustability isn't so important as other movements because it is such a fast move that it can be delayed until the correct bat path can be determined. One of the benefits of really fast swing is that speed eliminates the need to commit early and removes the necessity of mid swing adjustments.
BTW the ajustabilty is in the plane %oo5&

I think it's defined as a "push" swing but the barrel certainly does get dragged until it turns to contact.


I really don’t know where to begin .. nvm. Ok Bobby.
 
Jul 29, 2013
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You said back shoulder release earlier. The hands are at the midline as the barrel finally comes into plane. Much different than your description.
I don't know that I've ever referred to shoulder release? Help me out.

IMHO the camera angle makes it appear that his hands are at midline but if you try this out, you may see it differently. If the back arm is bent more than the front arm, is it possible to have the hands at or past the midline of the chest, toward the front side?
 
Jul 29, 2013
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Keep in mind that the swing works out from the rear shoulder, not around the torso. This was a huge revelation to me the first time I understood it.

Look at any good hitter. Watch the location of their hands in relation to their body. It is not until well after contact that the hands cross the centerline of the body in front of the chest. The entire swing happens on the right side of the body, working out from the rear shoulder.
I like to teach that the arms never cross the center line but extend from the back side, let's say right side for a righty, after turning completely and then the back side is toward the field and extension is rightward toward the field. Moving the hands across the chest should only happen when a pitch is misjudged and usually results in a less than optimal swing.
 
Jul 29, 2013
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Do you think Altuve is ‘torquing’ the handle here?



I don’t mind a ‘tip’ of the bat away from the arc. I don’t teach it. But i think it’s a nice running start and preload to the ‘load’ of the barrel aka radial deviation. A tighter arc of the barrel if you will. Needs to be done during retraction of the scap to be effective imo

I really would chalk that up to style though. Or advanced ‘hands’. Jmo.


Gotta step in here because I need to clarify your terminology. Do you really mean radial deviation as in flexion of the hand toward the radius bone? Or are you referring to pronation/supination of the wrist joint?
 

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Oct 13, 2014
5,471
113
South Cali
Gotta step in here because I need to clarify your terminology. Do you really mean radial deviation as in flexion of the hand toward the radius bone? Or are you referring to pronation/supination of the wrist joint?



There’s a good view of radial and ulnar deviation during launch and release. Supination/pronation happens during release of the barrel not before.

Another really late release.. geez. Low level Joey! Low level!

 
Oct 13, 2014
5,471
113
South Cali
I don't know that I've ever referred to shoulder release? Help me out.

IMHO the camera angle makes it appear that his hands are at midline but if you try this out, you may see it differently. If the back arm is bent more than the front arm, is it possible to have the hands at or past the midline of the chest, toward the front side?



How about this one?

Notice when the barrel actually picks up speed. Not during the time behind him, but as the hands come forward with the wrists radial deviated? Just sayin.

One more key note... if your turning the barrel behind you for speed, but the core is still counter rotated what is Tre leveraging his swing against to create his ‘early’ barrel speed during the turning of the barrel? He’s not. Notice the barrel pick up speed after the core has turned forward and the hands have moved forward.

That’s early barrel speed pro style. With an adjustable release. It is hard to achieve. You must be balanced for the core to power your swing. Not an easy task. You must be in sequence as well. It is much much harder to achieve these mechanics. They are not for hitters that don’t truly want to get better at their craft.
 
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Jan 6, 2009
6,588
113
Chehalis, Wa


How about this one?

Notice when the barrel actually picks up speed. Not during the time behind him, but as the hands come forward with the wrists radial deviated? Just sayin.

One more key note... if your turning the barrel behind you for speed, but the core is still counter rotated what is Tre leveraging his swing against to create his ‘early’ barrel speed during the turning of the barrel? He’s not. Notice the barrel pick up speed after the core has turned forward and the hands have moved forward.

That’s early barrel speed pro style. With an adjustable release. It is hard to achieve. You must be balanced for the core to power your swing. Not an easy task. You must be in sequence as well. It is much much harder to achieve these mechanics. They are not for hitters that don’t truly want to get better at their craft.


I like his attack posture and downhill shoulder angle at launch. Attack posture being the head more over the front hip and downhill shoulder angle being the shoulders tilted downwards or the front shoulder lower then the back shoulder.
 

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