Hitter

[Mike]

I tend not to be too technical as I work with kids aspiring to take it to the next level. hitter

Guilty... At least now that you have armed me with so much knowledge. Seriously though, thank you for all your posts, you have given us a couple books worth that I would have paid $30 a piece for. I guess it is up to me to learn how to pass it on in a non confusing manner. Question, what order do you fix a swing. Say a student has nothing desirable, what is the order of importance, Stance, grip, lower half, upper half etc...? Also, I am sure it varies from student to student but when do you move to step 2, (damn got side tracked on here and burnt my brats) after you show her step 1 or after she gets it?
Thanks

Mike
p.s. I would love others take on this also, I just wanted to thank Howard.

 

[Hitter]

Guilty... At least now that you have armed me with so much knowledge. Seriously though, thank you for all your posts, you have given us a couple books worth that I would have paid $30 a piece for. I guess it is up to me to learn how to pass it on in a non confusing manner. Question, what order do you fix a swing. Say a student has nothing desirable, what is the order of importance, Stance, grip, lower half, upper half etc...? Also, I am sure it varies from student to student but when do you move to step 2, (damn got side tracked on here and burnt my brats) after you show her step 1 or after she gets it?
Thanks

Mike
p.s. I would love others take on this also, I just wanted to thank Howard.

Thank you Mike

We lay a foundation first by explaining balance and how to test for it and that we are stronger with our head down verses up. Then we teach throwing.A few months ago I introduced leverage by asking if they thought I could l lift them with one hand? No way coach I weigh 150 pounds! I talked about a mental model of what they think when I ask them that and explain what a paradigm is. I ask them if they know what the high jump is in track and field and most say yes and then I ask if they go over backwards or forwards? Backwards is always the answer and then I explain the Dick Fosbury story of how he was the first person to go over the bar backwards, the Fosbury flop! This I explain is a paradigm shift of a mental model of how something works in their mind. You would be amazed how it connects with them. I then get out a 2 x 4 and a small block of wood and explain leverage and they stand on on one end and with one hand I push and up they go! I weigh 314 pounds and I stand on the board and tell them to push on the board using two hands and up I go ! We connected. Then I point to their bat and say what is that and of course they say it is a bat and I respond it is a lever and how we grip the bat is how we can apply leverage to hit the ball.

We then show them how to use a $7 dollar hammer with each hand and we hold the bat differently in each hand. This lays the foundation upon how we build our hand path and what each hand does. Then we have a ball on a stick that fits into a 4 x 4 on the wall and they use a bigger hammer, about 22 inches long. If you have seen RVP this is the hammer Don uses as I made it for him. Them I have another one that is 28 inches and is weighted and now the hand path concept is expanded. We do a drill called face the fire and they can add the momentum and weight shift a little more. I do not like the walk up drill so we do not use it. Next is balance and weight transfer and we bring in the rope and keep building from there.

This should get you on course...

Thanks Howard

 

[SBFAMILY]

Let me just say , I have worked the hammer drill as explained by Howard with kids that have hit for years. When they learn to hold the bat correctly and use the wrists correctly. I let them hit off the T. Then you can see them look at you and the parent look at you, because they can hear for themself how hard they are now hitting the ball. That look that they give you says it all . My dd just attended a college showcase. She told me many college coaches asked her about her swing and complemented her . Howard laid the foundation and she is working hard practicing what he teaches.

 

[Nor10]

Can anyone provide some details on this hammer drill and how it is setup, performed, and steps of progression? What do we hope to accomplish with? Or point me to somplace thAt has exact step by step instructions? I am not 100% how it works?

 

[Hitter]

Can anyone provide some details on this hammer drill and how it is setup, performed, and steps of progression? What do we hope to accomplish with? Or point me to somplace thAt has exact step by step instructions? I am not 100% how it works?

NOR10

I built a nail simulator.....I used a car shock, black pipe etc and made one for vertical and the other for horizontal demonstrations. I have a lot of time on my hands so I tend to do things a little differently. The concept behind teaching especially our girls is most have never chopped a tree down or used a hammer. It is what I term neuro muscular skills most girls lack unless they played baseball with the boys at 5 or 6 years old. Most of the girls I have seen do not get started with fast pitch until they are 10 or older. I have tried to get the dads to let them drive 16 penny nails into the edge of a 2 x 4 secured in a vise however they always come up with an excuse not to do it. I took a 3/4 inch dowel rod and drilled a softball about 3/4 through and secured the softball with epoxy and a screw with a .25$ size washer so when you tap it with a hammer you can hear it verses the thud the ball makes when you hit it with a hammer. The dowel rod is about 36 inches long and you can stand it on one end so it is vertical and the ball end is up.

You will discover when you hand the hammer to your daughter that they will look awkward when attempting to use it. Most grip the hammer so tight the hammer head will not come down and be flush to the ball. Because we have already covered leverage they understand the forearm is a lever and the elbow and the wrist are hinges. Most try to use the forearm and very little bending of the wrist. So I hold their wrist and help them so they feel the hammer head being used. They try it and get that look of I get it and can feel it! We point out in the top hand we want the bat/ hammer to be held so it lays across the finger pad of the index finger and the thumb is pinching against the index finger. In the bottom hand we want the hammer/bat to be held where the fingers join at the palm of the hand and the thumb will be on top of the index finger. Have a person hold the ball on a stick horizontally and then you demonstrate using only the top hand, the elbow lowers into the slot the hammer/ bat goes rearward and the elbow is stacked exactly under the hand and we take the knob forward and release the hammer head too the ball. We line up off home plate at the back corner and hold the ball in the middle of the plate about 2 to 3 inches in front of home plate. Notice where the elbow is when you hit the ball. If you are holding the hammer as suggested there will not be any restrictions felt in the wrist and you can back up the wrist and simulate nailing the ball so they get use to the feeling in the wrist. Try to hit the screw holding the washer so it will click when they get it correct. Now try it with the lead hand using the suggested grip and point out the elbow is leading and the knob of the hammer is leading the elbow inside the path of the ball and then release the hammer head to the ball and see if it is flush. If not see it they started their tilt and turn soon enough or the they went to bat lag too soon or too late. The elbow will be up and the hammer head will be below the elbow. As with a bat elbow is above the hands and the bat head is below the hands at a slight angle depending upon the pitch. I have made a 22 inch mallet that has what I term a memory stick in the bottom hand grip under the grip it self. I used a plastic coat hanger and ground it down flat and increased the radius so you can feel it in the bottom hand. This is what lines up the mallet face to the ball. You will have to move them off the plate a little more. Then I have a hammer I made for Don Slaught that he used with the Tigers and it is 28 inches to the center of the mallet or the sweet part of the bat and has an aluminum shaft.In your case I would get an old bat and find the sweet part of the bat using a hammer so it pings its loudest and then use a colored electric tape and begin to show them the suggested grip and see how they do with the bat. The tilt and turn and rotating as needed really gets the concept of bat lag and when to release the bat barrel to the ball with the wrist. The visual of keeping the elbows working as a unit while the leading with the knob of the bat helps their understanding of the hand path improve. I even took and cut off the outer third of the ball so they would only think hitting the inside of the ball. Hitting the outside of the ball would be hitting around the ball so just cut it off and say it is not there.

For my more advanced hitters I have taken batting machine balls and cut off the ends of the ball so there is about an 1.5 inches of ball left or like a thick hockey puck. We place that on the tee and hit it. They must be perfect when doing so or the ball will twist or spin off verses driving it by hitting it squarely. Makes a good visual especially if they are casting out.

Thanks Howard

 

[tom.guerry]

nice pujols clip showing grip and swivel.

you can blow this up in quicktime.

notice he does not line up the doorknockers and see the top hand thumb and index finger pinch position.

 

[Mike]

Thanks Howard,

I got the hammers out the other night with the kids. I let them tap and bend nails for a bit then went over grip, and showed them how to take a full swing and unlock the wrists. They regripped and tried it again and the nail actually went in instead of sideways. Targeting was a little off but they got the genaral Idea. Then I gave them a bat and showed them how to grip it as you described, they got to contact and I pushed on the bat with both grips and they felt how stronger they were with the new grip. They have always been told to keep the bat handle out of there palms, but have never felt why until now. I think I will get lighter hammers for them, they were struggling with the heavy ones with one hand. Correct me if I am wrong but the point of this is to get them to understand grip and how to unlock there wrists right?

Thanks
Mike

 

[ifubuildit]

Mike

I am not hitter but your not wrong. That is the point of getting them to use a hammer. It is more about what they "Feel" doing that exercise. The manner in which the wrist unhinge and the freedom of that movement then applied to the principles of swinging a bat.

Most young females do not as Howard states know what its like to feel a wrist unhinge.

Take care,

Dana.

 

[Hitter]

Thanks Howard,

I got the hammers out the other night with the kids. I let them tap and bend nails for a bit then went over grip, and showed them how to take a full swing and unlock the wrists. They regripped and tried it again and the nail actually went in instead of sideways. Targeting was a little off but they got the genaral Idea. Then I gave them a bat and showed them how to grip it as you described, they got to contact and I pushed on the bat with both grips and they felt how stronger they were with the new grip. They have always been told to keep the bat handle out of there palms, but have never felt why until now. I think I will get lighter hammers for them, they were struggling with the heavy ones with one hand. Correct me if I am wrong but the point of this is to get them to understand grip and how to unlock there wrists right?

Thanks
Mike

Yes! Yes! Yes! Thank you for trying it! We feel this simple neuro muscular skill is missing especially with the girls. Remember the bottom hand grip for us is different than the top and we want it in our bottom hand further than the top. By holding the hammer so the thumb does not over lap the index finger the bat/ hammer head will level out or square up to drive the nail or ball and you will hear a click when it is the ball. Now hold an old aluminum bat on the barrel and use the knob of the bat as a nail. Show them how the back elbow lowers and they tilt over slightly and open their chest towards the pitcher a little. As a cue, we call the clavicle notch, the V under your chin where your neck starts our third eye, to get them to track the ball with their third eye so they will open a little more or possibly for the first time. I would leave out all the crap about forearm swivel, top hand torque etc. as you bring the hammer forward just focus on the elbow lowering and the hands leading the hammer and opening the chest/ third eye and release the hammer head to the knob of the bat.

Now show them a down the middle pitch with the bat, then outside and then inside and keep pointing out the knob of the hammer is inside the path of the ball. This is why we attached a softball on a 3/4 inch dowel rod.

The lead hand....separate rearward and then the lead elbow makes a good first move forward of 2 to 4 inches knob of hammer leading the elbow and release the hammer head to the knob of the bat. Point out where the elbows are in relationship to the hammer head. I use ball peen hammers and Harbor Freight usually has 5 hammers of various sizes for under $10 dollars. The claw hammers get caught in the clothes and hair and finding light weighted ones is more difficult.

Thanks Howard

 

[Mike]

Thanks Dana,
They should eventually be swinging the hammer harder and harder right? Do they start from a position that they would with a bat, or are they just "swinging a hammer"?