Hips

[redhotcoach]

Most think about a lower half, and an upper half. Most believe the lower half goes first or before the upper half. The hips are the bottom of the upper half, so hips do not fire, they resist firing.

 

[pstein]

Are the hips firing the cause, or the result of a good swing. In other words is it a teach or no teach?

You resist rotation, and get rotated as a result.

 

[Lenski]

You won't get any criticism from me. Some people just don't get their lower half involved. The pivoting action across the pelvis during the launch phase should run up the spine. The torque across the pelvis is the primary source of power for the swing.

 

[SCDad]

Are the hips firing the cause, or the result of a good swing. In other words is it a teach or no teach?

It is both a cause and result of a good swing.

I like the use of the term "hip fire". Technically some will disagree with this term, and they may be correct. However the term is only a communication term to get a player to change for the better. If the player responds correctly to this term in her swing, it is not wrong.

As a Dad, there have been countless times I have tried to adjust my players swing. It was only after a coach described the exact same thing to her, using different words, did she make an effective positive change.

I like hip "pop" more. When done correctly and timed within the swing, it is almost imperceptible at live speed. The quicker, the better and the more powerful.

I have had numerous disagreements with hitting instructors over this issue. Many want exaggerated hip movement. When initially starting with DD almost all want more hip action. It is not until I can show them a slow motion video of her swing, can they see the hip movement is indeed quick, tight, and powerful. They then leave it alone.

It helps when the ball explodes off the bat. But many hitting coaches seem to want to take a very good swing, and somehow make it "better". When their focus should be more of teaching the good hitters the mental part of the game, and teaching the poor hitters better mechanics.

 

[rdbass]

You resist rotation, and get rotated as a result.

Most think about a lower half, and an upper half. Most believe the lower half goes first or before the upper half. The hips are the bottom of the upper half, so hips do not fire, they resist firing.

The rear leg drives as the hip resists rotating/rotation.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

I hate "squish the bug" but have resorted to that once in a while for someone who absolutely will not involve the hips.

I dislike this as well.

I don't resort to "bug squishing". I dislike the notion so much that I forced myself to find other ways to achieve the objective.

Frequently when I see a hitter with improper rear leg and hip action I'll ask them questions to see if they understand the notion of "hips before hands" .... "hips leading the way". Generally they believe they do. I'll ask if they are trying to fire their hips ahead of hands ..... and frequently they say they are. At that time it isn't uncommon for a parent to speak up and say that they, their coaches, and prior HC have tried for years to get the hip rotation in the girl's swing .... that it has been a huge source of frustration ... and that it has been going on for years.

These girls are physically trying to fire their hips .... yet their hip action is poor.

In one session ..... simply by working on "not working on rotation" ... by actually supplying "resistance" to that rotation, they find that rotation is very doable and natural.

I'll start off by having them perform an overhand throw .... starting off sideways. After a few throws I'll ask them to pause after completion of their throw. I'll then ask "did you become rotated?", and the answer is generally "yes". I'll follow up and ask, "but did you TRY to become rotated?". The answer is always "no".

With that the seed is planted that proper rotation is a "result", not a forced action, and that if we do things correctly that rotation will occur without forcefully focusing on trying to rotate.

The more some hitters attempt to force 'rotation', the more they struggle to achieve that rotation in the batter's box. I've had some hitters come to me struggling with this for years ..... and the parents will literally apologize to their kid afterwards telling them they are sorry for making rotation so difficult for them by trying to force rotation to occur.

It is when they abandon 'trying' to rotate ..... and understand the resistance of the upper body .... and the turning/throwing of the barrel against that resistance .... that rotation becomes natural, effortless and supportive of the goal.

After a session on rotating, by not trying to rotate, I'll ask a kid after a good swing ..... "did you try to rotate on that swing?" .... they say "no". I'll ask .... "did you become rotated on that swing", and they say "yes". They then follow up with .... "I became rotated by trying not to rotate".

There is a lot to be gained by learning "resistance" to rotation ... and how this makes actual rotation more natural and supportive of the goal.

Yeager has it correct ....

 

[pstein]

Generally, the more you try to force rotation, the worse things get. I believe that Yeager's dislike of words like "rotation" stem from the fact that a lot of hitters over rotate.