Elbows

[Mark H]

If you watch the girls while they bat usually the first thing they do is drop their elbows when they swing. Elbows down also helps when they hit against faster pitchers.

Front elbow needs to be in the swing plane during most of the swing.

 

[Mark H]

Ifyoubuildit, take a look at the hitters siggy has put up on this link Mark posted before. Which ones do you not see starting with their front shoulder down? I'd say they all do it.

I was at a clinic over the winter with Deb Hartwig. She showed video of Lisa Fernandez superimposed over Albert Pujols. Both had similar swings, and both were front shoulder down. I think those are some pretty good examples.

You tell a kid front shoulder down and IME they are going to often counter rotate the torso away from the pitcher when if fact most of the appearance of the shoulder down/turned away from the pitcher is loading of the shoulder complex/scaps with the torso remaining close to square to the plate.

 

[blatour]

everyone has their own opinion on the elbow position but basesall is not the same as softball so they are in different positions. i took my daughter to Jennie Finch's pitching camp and she took hitting with Crystal Bustos. She says that the front elbow has to be as high as the girls highest STRIKE to hit the rise, baseball throws down hill, thats why the front elbow is lower.

 

[Mark H]

Nope. Swing is the same. Ball angle through the zone difference is miniscule. Candrea came around to the same conclusion on his new materials with Right View. This has been covered thoroughly. The baseball swing is different from the fp swing is the thinking that gave us 1-0 extra inning games as a regular fare. Let's don't go back there. Hit like these female hitters. Siggy's Hitting Clips - ImageEvent