Front Toss

[Towny9]

Same here minus the professional part (although he did pitch in college)

Such a big advantage to get to see that regularly.

Funny story about hitting off your dad. Robinson Cano won the HR derby and he had his dad pitch to him. That’s the first time I had ever seen that at an MLB HR derby. While I was watching that my brother calls me and says. “You watching this HR derby? How is it fair that Cano gets to have his dad throw to him? Everyone hits well off their dad! Even bad hitters hit well off their dad!” So funny but so true.

 

[Towny9]

Are you saying not to coil where the load turns into the swing?

Even Walt said in his book that at a certain point the upper and lower are going in opposite directions.

I don’t know who Walt is.

I’m saying off a tee you can get away with larger, more exaggerated movements that you can’t get away with when the ball is moving (especially at speed). Your tee swing should mirror your game swing is all I meant.

 

[Towny9]

Because they do very little tee work if any at all, that's why it's all over the map and nothing like how they swing when they go to a tee. Tee work in general when done properly and the million drills you can do with it, will absolutely correct form and build dicipline if the coach/instructor knows what to build on and correct. Tee work shouldn't be just done here and there and when you feel like it. You can work on every single weakness a hitter has off the tee, because you can break it down better to rid bad habits.

I also don't agree with lack of core strengt and coordination at 10 years and up, below yes, but not at 10 up...It normally is the parent knows no better, and wants to buy the bat that lasts 3 years. The single biggest issue I see in general, before you even have a kid start swinging, is a bat that is not correctly sized and weighted. Barrel control needs to happen and that starts with a properly sized bat.

My comment about the younger kids and core strength was more in reference to the big leg kicks and loads you see kids do off tee but not in the game. I don’t like teaching young kids the same size load/leg kick you see grown men (or women do). Most MLB players didn’t hit with the same size load when they were younger (and not as strong). Mike Trout and Bryce Harper come to mind. Neither hit with anywhere near the leg kick they do now compared to when they were younger.

 

[pattar]

Don't get me wrong, live pitching and a stong front toss game is always needed...but live timing is one thing, not fixing fundamental issues with good timing does no good! It's easier to work on weaknesses and expose issues on a tee, then use said drills to work on ridding bad habits. You are correct though, if someone just sets up a tee and just starts swinging with zero point, you get zero gain. Tee work is sooooooo good in seeing weight distribution, footwork, balance, weight dumps, tilt issues, extension issues, bat wrapping, casting, etc. I want these corrected one at a time, because if you try to see all and fix all outside of tee work, it's an insane mess. Start tee work with certain drills doing to contact swings first, to extensions, to full swings on tee...multiple drills that you want to focus on, then you move to front toss, etc...and the hitter can feel and make adjustments better as well when missing. AGAIN, it matters that whoever is helping the player knows some basic fundamental tee work drills and what they can do, along with what to look for in correcting any issues. I mean, I'm not even getting into sidway tee work, the flat bat work you can do on them, mini bat tee work, and the pipe drills, etc.

You sold me. Where do I sign up for the Billy Ball tee work instructional videos

 

[Rolling Hard]

I don’t know who Walt is.

I’m saying off a tee you can get away with larger, more exaggerated movements that you can’t get away with when the ball is moving (especially at speed). Your tee swing should mirror your game swing is all I meant.

I think it is ok to have a slightly exaggerated tee swing. More counter rotation, more float, more whip. I want the on deck swings to mirror the in the box swings.

 

[Towny9]

I think it is ok to have a slightly exaggerated tee swing. More counter rotation, more float, more whip. I want the on deck swings to mirror the in the box swings.

Slightly exaggerated is ok. Very exaggerated would be ok if the player is seeing enough realistic game like bp with spin, speed, and movement to go with it. If the exaggerated tee swings represent a majority of their swings and most of the other swings are front toss that doesn’t resemble game conditions (usually no windmill while a coach sits on a bucket) I think that is where the issues come in. My issue isn’t with the tee exactly, it’s when the tee becomes a majority of the swings (which is a reality for some kids) then they need to be more game realistic is all.