FiveFrameSwing
Banned
CO, you earlier wrote “Extension is due to a bunch of things”.
The truth is that it isn’t complicated ... and it need not be a mystery. You can attempt to explain these "bunch of things" ... that is if your true intent is to be helpful.
Simply think in terms of what causes ‘extension’.
Sure … one can see ‘extension’ in a swing and think to ‘directly’ teach it. They can attempt to teach a ‘late, active, last-ditch pushing effort’. That would be a mistake IMO … and it certainly isn’t the road that many here would advocate.
Extension could simply be thought of as having a relatively heavy object, such as a bat, traveling at a relatively high speed, that is fueled by the body’s core engine … such as the body’s rotation … in which a change in that engine’s angular force results in the momentum of the heavy object ‘disconnecting’ from it’s power source.
Failure to extend may simply be due to pitch location, … or it may be the result of an upstream issue that caused the barrel’s momentum to be less than it could be … and since momentum is simply ‘mass’ x ‘velocity’ … that simply means that the bat may be too light, or that the barrel’s velocity is less than ideal.
Testing out various bat weights is simple enough.
Given a fixed barrel mass, the issue is simply that of obtaining sufficient barrel velocity. Everything else being equal, greater barrel speeds will result in greater ‘resulting’ extension. Lack of sufficient barrel speed, IMO, is an upstream issue … well prior to ‘contact’ or ‘extension’. IMO, even pre-set conditions, which influence the resulting motion, will factor into barrel speed. Certain pre-set conditions not only influence whip mechanics, but can also favor thrusting like action, or actions which fuel the body’s main source of force generation … rotation … which influences resulting barrel speed. The “establishment” of “connection”, … not just being connected, which influences barrel speed, but also the “actions of connection”, along with the accompanying “early bat speed”, also factor into barrel speed. Swinging with a clean kinetic sequence factors into barrel speed. If you read my earlier post quoting Bobby Jones … then you will note that he touches on the concept of “launch & spend”, which also influences barrel speed.
Bottom line … extension should not be ‘directly’ taught … instead earlier actions upstream should be promoted, which in turn will influence the ‘result’ of the swing … and ‘extension’ is simply a ‘result’ of the swing.
Note that when Tewks first arrived here at DFP that he questioned those teaching extension. IMO, he never received a good answer. The main theme seemed to be that girls frequently didn’t extend, and so drills were being used to promote extension. The drill that was being advocated to promote extension (e.g., the Peavy/Lau type drill with the top hand reversed) works properly, IMO, when it is used to promote upstream mechanics … at least that is how I’ve used that drill. The Peavy/Lau drill in particular, can be ‘helpful’ or ‘harmful’ … depending on what is promoted to achieve the extension being sought. IMO those that use the drill to promote a late push are using the drill to the detriment of the hitter. Those that use the drill to promote “well timed” upstream actions, inclusive of upper/lower body timing issues, will enhance barrel speed and ‘extension’ as a ‘result’.
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