Help with my daughters swing

[Steve Huff]

Need some suggestions with my daughters swing. She started taking lessons once a week back in November and has improved a ton from where she was. She is 14. Thanks in advance!

IMG_0172-1.m4v - YouTube

She is taking lessons from someone teaching linear hitting technique. There is debate here about this vs. rotational, so you have to be careful who you listen to and who might disagree with this technique. I do agree about the front heel, but she just needs to consciously let it set, remind her after each swing! The front leg resistance is consistent with the technique. I teach rotational, can teach linear, and in fact I incorporate some linear into my skill set. But beware what you take from here. Everyone for the most part is knowledgeable, but they have their preferences. She looks pretty good to me.

 

[redhotcoach]

I copy what I have learned from UF, UCLA, Alabama, and a hand full of other colleges at coach's clinic. The resounding comment from everyone of them is "I believe there is a linear weight shift followed by a rotational swing."

 

[dadof3girls]

Yea Huff is spot on, with the rotational v linear technique comment. That decision is where it starts.

 

[Steve Huff]

I copy what I have learned from UF, UCLA, Alabama, and a hand full of other colleges at coach's clinic. The resounding comment from everyone of them is "I believe there is a linear weight shift followed by a rotational swing."

Yes, and that is 75% of what I mean by the combination. The issue this dad has is knowing the difference so that when he gets advice he can sort it out. It isn't going to do him any good to start muddying the lessons with two different techniques. What I think is best doesn't matter! What I teach doesn't matter. I was coaching in Denmark this year and asked what they were learning from other coaches. The Association said, "linear". So I taught them linear. I went to Croatia a month later and they learn Rotational, so I taught my method of Rotational which has the linear shift, absolutely not "squishing the bug". I feel we can really do more harm than good by promoting OUR prejudices rather than observing her skill set within this family's chosen opportunity.

 

[softballphreak]

Yes, and that is 75% of what I mean by the combination. The issue this dad has is knowing the difference so that when he gets advice he can sort it out. It isn't going to do him any good to start muddying the lessons with two different techniques. What I think is best doesn't matter! What I teach doesn't matter. I was coaching in Denmark this year and asked what they were learning from other coaches. The Association said, "linear". So I taught them linear. I went to Croatia a month later and they learn Rotational, so I taught my method of Rotational which has the linear shift, absolutely not "squishing the bug". I feel we can really do more harm than good by promoting OUR prejudices rather than observing her skill set within this family's chosen opportunity.

IOW, he's more or less asking this forum to critique his DD's coach?

I do agree for sure with shockcoach that the tee is way too far out front; no matter what the style is. I would also work on her loading (coil) and separation. Swing action looks good.

 

[Steve Huff]

IOW, he's more or less asking this forum to critique his DD's coach?

"Need some suggestions with my daughters swing. She started taking lessons once a week back in November and has improved a ton from where she was."

I am not trying to be an SA, softballphreak, but I think your English is different than my English. I see, asking for suggestions on how to improve his daughter's swing. Just saying! I can see 15 pages of suggestions now.

For example to be specific about what I am talking about. In linear hitting they teach the batter to get the barrel in the hitting plane or zone early. Is the coach having her set up farther from the tee to encourage this? I don't know. The tee is set up in the middle of the plate, for hitting up the middle, and she is hitting up the middle. So is there a functionality in this setup? I don't know. But I hesitate to start critiquing negatively about something I don't know about. Also, does the coach want to introduce separation yet?

Within the context of what she is learning, I don't see any big mechanical issues. She has only had a few lessons, and I think she is looking pretty good. Is it incomplete? Yes! But the coach knows something! There are two specific things I see right now that I could mention, but I need more information before I chime in.

Mike Candrea: USA Softball - Hitting Drills - YouTube

Notice Andrea Duran's distance from the tee in this linear drill. She may be too far behind the tee a little, but she is about the same distance as Duran. Then again, is the coach trying to get her to extend more? If the dad tells me a few things, I might be comfortable weighing in. Such as, is this the finished product? Has the coach mentioned another phase for learning?

 

[RayR]

It would help to know what she is being taught....

Is she a pitcher as well....the back leg action resembles a move by a pitcher.....front heel never plants.....the back hip never drives through almost like she is being taught not to....

Tee looks OK for position.....I think the hand path looks a little loopy - working too downward....but that could be due to the lack of lower body action...

Can you film her doing this drill? I would be surprised if she didn't improve quite a bit just by putting some Yee lower body action in her swing....

Need some suggestions with my daughters swing. She started taking lessons once a week back in November and has improved a ton from where she was. She is 14. Thanks in advance!

IMG_0172-1.m4v - YouTube

 

[garyt]

Thanks for everyones help. This site is great.

Yes she is a pitcher. They teach a combination of rotational and linear if that is possible. They produce their own DVD with instruction and drills and both terms are specifically mentioned.

This is not the finished product. He wants more explosion from her core/hips but we have really been working hard on her bat path and palm up palm down and tilt of the shoulders. Like I said she had such a bad habit of dragging the bat across and finishing around her waist so a lot of improvement there.

 

[softballphreak]

Sounds like the coach is doing what you want. So the only suggestion I have is to trust the coach. I agree with Steve that outside advice can muddy the water.

The only real issue I have with the video is the tee being too far out front. Too much practice at that position makes a kid reach too far out front for live pitches.

 

[RayR]

Thought so about the pitching.....linear and rotational are overused terms that don't mean much if you can't hit....lol

Try the Yee drill....trust me...