starsnuffer. Discuss hitting deflated objects with young girls with Marc or any trainer. The impact on the wrist can do damage. I will try to show you some pictures of some kids that got hurt doing this from another site.
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- Jul 26, 2010
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That's good info. Are you saying that hitting heavy bags and tires is good but deflated volleyballs is not, or are you saying hitting anything of a weight more substantial then a normal softball is bad?
-W
We do not hit basketballs or volleyballs or tires. It puts way too much stress on the shoulder, elbow and wrists. Keep in mind we are working with females and in most cases young females. They are some studies on this and I will try to post them for you. You want resistance for bat speed and follow through to extension not an almost stopping motion that using basketballs cause and getting them to extend through and finish over their shoulder.
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I use a pool noodle attached to a batting tee to illustrate the path of the ball. I show the girls how you want the bat to get into the path of the ball and have a head-on collision with it. I show them that you don't want to swing the bat in a manner such that it will chop down or cut across the path of the ball. This setup also lets me demonstrate the idea of a long contact zone, not the short zone that you get when you cut across the path of the ball. I then explain what is meant by the plane of the swing and how it should match the path of ball. For actual practice I attach wiffle balls to the noodle in a way that makes them swing on plane. The whole setup comes apart and it should because it frequently gets blasted by bad swings.
Only when their swing mechanics are locked in correctly. Doing this drill with poor swing mechanics can do more harm than good, because it becomes about hitting the peas rather than learning to swing the bat. I'm working with a girl this year who would collapse her back side precisely because "Uncle Johnny" used to take her out and do that. She's much better now, and hitting the ball better too.
So a right handed hitter is hitting backhands with the left hand correct? (playing like a left handed tennis player)
R
RayR
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RH hitter using bottom hand only (left hand) standing from the right side. It is just a bottom hand swing using a tennis racket. Trying to turn the racket netting into the ball....if they hit with the edge of the racket they are pulling the knob and pull the front shoulder out...
First attempt is correct, second one is not what we want
First attempt is correct, second one is not what we want
FiveFrameSwing
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- Oct 25, 2009
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Hitting deflated volleyballs and basketballs off of a tee is not very dangerous for kids around 14 and up. Depending on physical condition, of course. That holds true for both sexes.
Tossing the deflated balls is another story. But even then the biggest danger is the bat ricocheting off the ball into the knee on inside pitches. I would recommend against front toss for that reason.
I have found punching bags to be very beneficial. The kids need to be taught that they are coming to point of contact only (no attempt whatsoever to follow through; not even a little). One of the bags I use is a 25-lb. free-swinging bag.
One of the drills I use with that bag is to have the kids move the bag just by pushing against it while the top hand is holding the bat like an oar-lock while the bottom hand manipulates the bag. Kind of like the hammer effect. Harder to explain than demonstrate.
Do be alert to the kids complaining of it hurting when they hit the deflated balls or the bags; if they are swinging wrong it can definitely hurt. But this is true of many drills.
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