grip

[Hitter]

When you guys study elite hitters, do you find the same thing Chris did or no?

Don and I did a video conference where he could telestrate from his home in Rolling Hills via his laptop and AP was one of the few he found doing it (lining up the knuckles) and the reasoning was to elevate the back shoulder elbow higher to put more tension on the shoulder to aid in the quickness of getting the bat on plane sooner. He showed Luis Gonzales releasing the bat to the finger tips during contact and a few of my girls like that feeling. None of the girls had a problem with the top hand index finger pad placement of the bat where the index finger looks like a hook. The insider bat even has this feature on it. Most on TEAM USA did this to some degree. Leah O'Brien Amico is who Crystl credits for showing her.The funny thing is some of our dads who are in the building trades said that is how they hold a hammer with the index finger and thumb not touching or over lapping.

Thanks Howard

 

[SBFAMILY]

This may sound funny, but that is one of the first things we do at any clinic. Teach kids to swing a hammer. We have a ball mounted on a stick. If you put pipe wrap on the stick and let them hit a ball pen hammer to the ball, it will slide in your hand. Just one of the many tools we use. I'm sure Gerry -Staightleg. ( just sent you a Pm on ofc) can attach a picture.

 

[bosoxfan]

I've heard the swing the hammer thing several times on here now and am having a tough time getting a visual. Is it that the girls only use their arms to swing the hammer?
Is the proper way to swing a hammer to go from wrist cocked to flat? I'm not even sure that makes sense how I wrote it but I can't think of another way.

When you teach the girls are they hammering down to the floor from a kneeling position?

 

[Hitter]

I've heard the swing the hammer thing several times on here now and am having a tough time getting a visual. Is it that the girls only use their arms to swing the hammer?
Is the proper way to swing a hammer to go from wrist cocked to flat? I'm not even sure that makes sense how I wrote it but I can't think of another way.

When you teach the girls are they hammering down to the floor from a kneeling position?

Get a 2 x 4 and turn it up on its edge and put it in a vise. Start a 16 P nail in about 1/2 inch. I would use safety glasses. Now try to have her drive the nail and see if she bends the nail or actually hits it flat and can drive it. A good rule of thumb is about 4 to 5 strikes with the hammer and it is flush.

Now lets break it down...what did she look like doing this? Little baby whacks or trying hard to hit it? Explain to her from the elbow to the wrist is a basic lever and the elbow is a hinge and the wrist is a hinge. Now put your hand around her hand and use more wrist and less lever action so she can feel the weight of the hammer head release to the nail. Most females do not understand this and the dads are to blame for it. Hold the bat / hammer in the top hand as you would an actual hammer, so the thumb does not clamp over the index finger of the top hand and the hammer can move un restricted when you unhinge it.

I do not buy into the forearm swivel and what other see verses reality is up to that person or how they teach and our data is the students success.

We first teach using the hammer vertically and then horizontally. You can do it with an old bat and use the knob as you would a nail. Hold the bat at a slight angle of 8 to 12 degrees and have them think elbow, hand, knob of bat and hands inside the path of the ball and unhinge or release the head of the hammer to the knob of the bat. At first they will try to be to rotational so focus on the hammer head staying on the knob of the bat. With the bottom hand the elbow will be above the release point of the hammer head and the grip is lay the hammer across the area where the finger join at the palm of the hand and the thumb may be over the index finger lightly but not tight or clamped down. Again start elbow knob/ hand and release the hammer head to the knob of the bat.

You should notice as you are hitting with the hammer that the shoulders are rotating and turning and you are trying to adjust to the plane of the pitch or knob of the bat as you do this drill. Now put both hands on the hammer and try it and immediately put a bat in their hands and make sure you move the bat you are hitting further away so they are not jammed up.

Thanks Howard