DD K Hitting advice

[OutInLeft]

Ok so here goes nothing! She knows I'm posting this here to help her improve her swing. This is my DD's third year playing 10u rec and first spring on a travel team. She moved up early as an 8 year old because the coach pitch just wasn't fun for her anymore. Both years (8 and 9) she made the little league all star team. Last year they actually made it quite far to the nj state finals placing third before getting eliminated by the 10U Robbinsville team. Yes the younger team from the organization that won the little league softball world series.
As a hitter shes had her moments but is never consistent and can go into a long funk for lack of a better term. Last season her demise was always swinging over the ball. But she was able to battle it during the post season run and could hit mid 40's pitching consistantly. She took a month off and decided to try out for her first travel team for the fall. She did make the team but in a relatively short season of maybe 15 games went hitless.
Fast forward to now and in the winter workouts her swing had been going down hill. Hitting well with soft toss but in the cage swinging under every pitch with and uppercut and steadily getting worse the more she practiced.
After finding this site we went to work a little bit changing a few things. I built a tanner tee and a back stop and finally have made it outside a few times a week when the weather allows for us here in the north east.
Weve changed her stance to point with both feet in a little and hands around her ears. Working upper and lower hand drills on the tee and trying to let the hips start the swing followed by the shoulder and hands. But most definitely a work in progress lol. Im going to try and post a new video every few weeks to show you her progress from everyones input. I've learned alot just in the short time i've started following the site! Thanks in advance!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CAk4oSHEq4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jen7wBoe0kY

 

[straightleg]

On her tee swing.
Maybe set the tee a little lower. Have her look at the pitcher. Start her swing and don't stop it or have pauses.
Haver her tract her eyes down to tee and hit. Let the swing pull the head out.

I would just start with something easy like that.



SL

 

[Eric F]

Her swing pattern is all-back/all-forward, which is not ideal. What we want to see is the hands coming up and back as she is striding forward, and coiling with the back hip during the move out.

For starters, have her get used to the feeling of her hands and front foot going in opposite directions (lots of dry swings to understand the feeling without worrying about hitting a ball). Try having her think of getting separation/stretch between her hands and front foot, so the foot is landing as her hands are at the maximum up-and-back position.

Here's an example of a hitter getting separation...

Once your DD gets that pattern happening better, read up on hip coil.

 

[OutInLeft]

The pause in the swing was a cue we used to have her feel her bag leg loaded up some. Were going to eliminate that now that she has that feel since we certainly dont want that to become a habit.

 

[OutInLeft]

Right now we have her hands starting just below her ear. Would it be more beneficial to start them lower to bring the hands back as shes stepping forward so her hands dont wind up to high. Definitely can see the seperation in the gif.

Her swing pattern is all-back/all-forward, which is not ideal. What we want to see is the hands coming up and back as she is striding forward, and coiling with the back hip during the move out.

For starters, have her get used to the feeling of her hands and front foot going in opposite directions (lots of dry swings to understand the feeling without worrying about hitting a ball). Try having her think of getting separation/stretch between her hands and front foot, so the foot is landing as her hands are at the maximum up-and-back position.

Here's an example of a hitter getting separation...

Once your DD gets that pattern happening better, read up on hip coil.

 

[Eric F]

Right now we have her hands starting just below her ear. Would it be more beneficial to start them lower to bring the hands back as shes stepping forward so her hands dont wind up to high. Definitely can see the seperation in the gif.

Show her the gif and talk to her about getting separation. Let her take that info and see how she applies it to her own swing.

Another thing to watch out for is how far her weight is shifting back. We want the hitter loading against the rear side (coiling into the rear hip) rather than a linear shift over the rear side. Watch her rear foot while she's loading. If her foot is rolling on to the outside edge (towards the backstop) and/or her knee is getting outside her foot, her weight is shifting to far.

 

[OutInLeft]

Ok guys we tried adding a few things and I think we may be moving a little too fast lol. We worked on what was suggested some but outdoor practice time here in NJ sucks with the weather and it seems with trying to add a little back while moving forward she forgot about her hips. Im hoping this weather gets better so we can just get in even 15 minutes a day. Im posting a vid below of how things have changed some. I realizes theirs pauses in her swing were going to take them out before they come a habit its more of just a tool to help her realize the steps. another thing, her bat head frequently drops below her hands and she swings under alot of balls. is this the cause? and what drills can help? We do one handed tee drills with both hands and I'm having her focus on nails to to the sky. Is this good or bad?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WixWNiWpeY

 

[straightleg]

https://youtu.be/-7295jQaoAw
Here is my daughter doing a slow motion sequence.


SL

 

[Eric F]

Ok guys we tried adding a few things and I think we may be moving a little too fast lol. We worked on what was suggested some but outdoor practice time here in NJ sucks with the weather and it seems with trying to add a little back while moving forward she forgot about her hips. Im hoping this weather gets better so we can just get in even 15 minutes a day. Im posting a vid below of how things have changed some. I realizes theirs pauses in her swing were going to take them out before they come a habit its more of just a tool to help her realize the steps. another thing, her bat head frequently drops below her hands and she swings under alot of balls. is this the cause? and what drills can help? We do one handed tee drills with both hands and I'm having her focus on nails to to the sky. Is this good or bad?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WixWNiWpeY

Having the barrel below the hands at contact is not a bad thing. Looking at video of the best hitters, we see the hands above the ball at contact, unless the ball is very high in the zone. The "nails to the sky" cue gets used frequently by coaches who want to see the bat parallel with the ground at contact. Pursuing that goal can lead to a DBSF (Drop the Barrel and Swing Flat) pattern, which is not ideal, and will be a problem against fast pitching.

Hands above ball..

It appears to me that she still doesn't understand how to feel getting separation between the hands and lead foot, and how to create stretch around her rear hip. This is understandable. It's a complete change of feeling from what she has been doing.

I think some time doing the Happy Gillmore/walk-through drill might be very helpful for getting her movement pattern headed in a better direction. Focus on the separation and stretch on the last step.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

https://youtu.be/-7295jQaoAw
Here is my daughter doing a slow motion sequence.


SL

Do you believe her swing at normal game speeds resembles this demonstration?