Hitter

[ifubuildit]

Mike

If they do this right when hitting the nail it will be driven into the board with just a couple of direct hits on the head of the nail. I use about a 2 - 3 inch nail and a 2x4 for my students. Just them understanding the "Feel" of using the elbow for leverage and the wrist unhinging will translate not only to more speed but a better understanding of how the wrist should unhinge. Its pretty funny to watch their face when they drive that nail into a board after just a couple of hits.

Its one of those moments when you can see the confidence just rise in what they are capable of doing with the right method. That translates well when you hand them a bat and say go create that same feeling with this in your hands. More often than not you will see a noticeable change in bat speed. You will hear a noticeable change in the sound of the bat striking the ball, and she will feel a new freedom when the wrist release.

Hope that helps in response to your question.

Dana.

 

[Mike]

Hope that helps in response to your question.

Dana.

Yes it does.

Its pretty funny to watch their face when they drive that nail into a board after just a couple of hits.

talk about a light bulb moment.

Hitter: Remember the bottom hand grip for us is different than the top and we want it in our bottom hand further than the top.

not sure I understand the bottom hand grip yet

By holding the hammer so the thumb does not over lap the index finger

Both hands or just the top?

Also, they should do reps with both top and bottom hands seperately. Should they start/swing the hammer as they would a bat...? I dont want to overcomplicate this, it seems grip and wrists unhinging are the main goal. We will keep working on it.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[PEPPERS]

Mickey Mantel in the off season and before his professional baseball career swung a sledge hammer and pick ax in a coal mine, at 509 and 185 lbs he hit some mammoth home runs. The steroid guys have yet to hit balls as far as he was reported to have

YouTube - Mickey Mantle Demonstration batlikeapro.com


YouTube - Mickey Mantle

I grew up on a farm and my dad had me spend a large portion of my free time on the business end of a bush ax and sling blade. I could but a charge in a baseball and softball and still can hit good for an old guy, I’ve told many a kid that the way I learned to swing was pushing a sling blade or bush ax through a clump of grass, you learn quickly the proper leverage to get through a stubborn bush or large clump of grass.

How about the deflated basket ball drill, do you think this drill helps?

 

[SBFAMILY]

No , Howard and Dana have both posted on here we do not use it. We feel girls can injure the wrists. Plus why would you hit anything that does not allow your swing to continue after contact correctly?

Below is Howards post on this subject:

....We do not do this drill as it causes way too much stress in the shoulders, elbows and wrists. Crystl does not even do this drill and she could arm wrestle Statman and Ringer and beat them. We also do not hit tires or heavy bags or rubber tubes. We want them to think to the ball and through the ball and not stopping however feel the powering through the ball. The wrists, elbows and shoulders take a real shock when doing these drills. Crystl demonstrated nicking a light weight karate bag but not hitting to the point of stopping her swing.

At the NFCA Ralph Weekly (UT) showed hitting a 15 inch rubber tube and you could see the hitters faces frown like it was hurting to do it. At lunch wit about 15 other coaches present at the table I asked if anyone did this drill or hit basketballs....everyone said no not unless you want to have shoulder problems.

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.

We use a progression drill of soft tossing a tennis ball, hard ball, regular softball and a weighted softball weighing 10.8 ounces and then repeat. We also do a one knee drill to accomplish this.

I will not name the team BUT you know who you are...that did the basketball drills and I was working with three of their girls and all were complaining about their back shoulders hurting them and I turned around and ask the coach what they were doing as to throwing mechanics and he hung his head down and said it was not from the throwing mechanics...OK so what is it from....we were hitting basketballs! I told him you know better than that and why would you want to harm a young girls arm!

The one coach who had not worked with me before took it upon himself when the other coach who knew better was not there to try it out on the girls!

 

[Hitter]

Yes it does.



talk about a light bulb moment.



not sure I understand the bottom hand grip yet



Both hands or just the top?

Also, they should do reps with both top and bottom hands seperately. Should they start/swing the hammer as they would a bat...? I dont want to overcomplicate this, it seems grip and wrists unhinging are the main goal. We will keep working on it.

Thanks,
Mike

Mike

The bottom hand grip we teach is holding the bat where the fingers meet at the palm of the hand and then close the thumb over the index finger a little. I think you understand the top hand now. By hitting the end of the bat or knob you are getting them use to doing horizontally what you taught vertically. I actually take the bat (old one) and allow the bat to slip through my hands as I hit it with the hammer and then hold it horizontally and hit it for a visual. Then doing the drills one handed gives them the feeling of what we will be doing using a bat. The reason I want them to feel the wrist possibly for the first time is that when they use a bat the sweet spot is further away and the control to bat lag will be more pronounced because of the difference in the length of the bat. Longer lever more leverage and that is why we don't talk about THT or forearm swivel as they do not have the wrist strength or forearm strength to accomplish it and we still hit the ball over 200 feet.

Once you get this down super slow motion hitting balls off the tee and up the middle and then a little faster and let them build confidence. Then introduce them to the hand over drill for extension. This drill has added at least 20 feet minimum to all our hitters. This is a label attached to the girls, they never get extended and they roll their wrist. Grip is a reason to roll the wrist and now that should not happen. Now extension will be the light bulb moment when you hear them hit harder with the lead hand than before using both hands!

Thanks Howard

 

[Hitter]

Mickey Mantel in the off season and before his professional baseball career swung a sledge hammer and pick ax in a coal mine, at 509 and 185 lbs he hit some mammoth home runs. The steroid guys have yet to hit balls as far as he was reported to have

YouTube - Mickey Mantle Demonstration batlikeapro.com


YouTube - Mickey Mantle

I grew up on a farm and my dad had me spend a large portion of my free time on the business end of a bush ax and sling blade. I could but a charge in a baseball and softball and still can hit good for an old guy, I’ve told many a kid that the way I learned to swing was pushing a sling blade or bush ax through a clump of grass, you learn quickly the proper leverage to get through a stubborn bush or large clump of grass.

How about the deflated basket ball drill, do you think this drill helps?

TSW said he hit telephone poles....he was built for it and it shows him using an axe. The axe does not offer the shock to the shoulder hands and wrist like hitting a telephone would or basket balls, volley balls etc. The blade of the axe allows the axe to cut as it slows down from inertia and friction. You will see them struggle at contact based on the individual when hitting basketballs. I know certified trainers and doctors that say no to this drill as it puts too much stress on the shoulder, wrist and elbows. I do not even use a heavy bag as I want them thinking to the ball and through the ball. Getting that feeling of hitting a heavy bag to me communicates a stop feeling verses powering through. I use a tennis ball, then a hard ball, then a regular softball and a weighted pitching ball 10.8 ounce and then repeat and each set is a cycle. When they hit the weighted ball they do not stop however it offers resistance however not enough to cause injury as the trainer knows exactly what we do.

I had a younger team I was working with and they all were complaining of the their shoulders hurting. I joked and said what are you doing hitting basketballs and they all nodded in agreement.

Thanks Howard

 

[PEPPERS]

TSW said he hit telephone poles....he was built for it and it shows him using an axe. The axe does not offer the shock to the shoulder hands and wrist like hitting a telephone would or basket balls, volley balls etc. The blade of the axe allows the axe to cut as it slows down from inertia and friction. You will see them struggle at contact based on the individual when hitting basketballs. I know certified trainers and doctors that say no to this drill as it puts too much stress on the shoulder, wrist and elbows. I do not even use a heavy bag as I want them thinking to the ball and through the ball. Getting that feeling of hitting a heavy bag to me communicates a stop feeling verses powering through. I use a tennis ball, then a hard ball, then a regular softball and a weighted pitching ball 10.8 ounce and then repeat and each set is a cycle. When they hit the weighted ball they do not stop however it offers resistance however not enough to cause injury as the trainer knows exactly what we do.

I had a younger team I was working with and they all were complaining of the their shoulders hurting. I joked and said what are you doing hitting basketballs and they all nodded in agreement.

Thanks Howard

Thanks Howard on the BB drill, we have been told to use this drill, but I was thinking the same thing that it gave the wrong muscle memory of driving through the ball.

The had over drill is that like the cross hand drill that Crystal shows in the rolling your wrist video on youtube?

 

[Hitter]

Thanks Howard on the BB drill, we have been told to use this drill, but I was thinking the same thing that it gave the wrong muscle memory of driving through the ball.

The had over drill is that like the cross hand drill that Crystal shows in the rolling your wrist video on youtube?

Yes. However I like the follow through created by pulling the bat out of the top hand. Both work however I like seeing the lead hand finishing higher over the shoulder.

There are some colleges that still use this drill at their clinics and we do not for the reasons stated.

Thanks Howard

 

[Erik]

Getting that feeling of hitting a heavy bag to me communicates a stop feeling verses powering through.


Thanks Howard

Hitter,


IMO using a heavey bag/football blocking dummy is very useful in developing a hitters swing.. I find many hitters have to learn how to get to contact and the Heavey Bag helps. I understand and agree powering through is important and safty is important when using the bag.



EL

 

[straightleg]

Hitter,


IMO using a heavey bag/football blocking dummy is very useful in developing a hitters swing.. I find many hitters have to learn how to get to contact and the Heavey Bag helps. I understand and agree powering through is important and safty is important when using the bag.



EL

Eric

Could you explain why you use the heavy bag and what you look for in the swing

Thanks
Straightleg