Hitting Mechanics - The Myths

[HYP]

I don't think I've ever seen a batter that just pushes their shoulder down. But, the shoulder coming down "naturally" IS a drop. I think the point here is that they shouldn't be told, "Keep your shoulders level."




I see a BIG problem with this. Swinging down to the ball from the shoulder is quite a different angle than what the path of the pitch is. That's quite a feat to be able to make such an abrupt change in the angle in time for contact to be through the ball in the right direction. The best hitters out there come into the path of the pitch from behind the ball with barrel turning.




Hmmmm. Kinda depends on what exactly you mean by barrel dropping. Given where the barrel starts, there's got to be a lot of barrel dropping for the barrel to come into the point of contact from behind the ball rather than the ole chopping down at the ball straight from the shoulder, which results in a lot of chipping of the ball.


I could be wrong, but it sure doesn't seem you're much of a believer in what most of the real hitting experts around here are telling us to be doing in terms of hitting mechanics.

They should not be trying to let the shoulder come down. If they do it will collapse. It will come down naturally and then it is not a drop or collapse. It wants to come down, you just resist it until the lower body wins.

So, are you saying the barrel doesn't go down to the ball? The swing thought is to take the barrel down to the ball. This will keep it loaded longer and allow the barrel to be released through the ball versus losing the barrel under the ball which 99% of youth hitters do.

The hands stay even with the rear shoulder in space. At contact the hands should not be below the shoulder line. What I mean, if you were to freeze contact and the stand straight up the hands would be close to shoulder height. There are exceptions. Your top hand is fighting to keep the barrel above the hands but as the hands turn over the barrel will naturally come down. You then release/throw the barrel down to the ball. Because you are not dropping your hands the barrel as it continues through will be on a slight upward angle.

I can tell you what a swing looks like. Yes, you do want a slight upward angle, yes the back shoulder does come down from it's starting point. I get all of that. Why do most if not all youth hitters miss below the ball when they miss? You have to learn to resist the natural to get the proper. If you do not you will over do the barrel drop, the shoulder coming down, the upward swing path. The fighting adds resistance which allows for a greater release.

 

[Doug Romrell]

While I don't think Cindy Bristow is the wherewithal for hitting mechanics, I think she does a pretty good job with her piece on Why Hitters MUST Drop Their Back Shoulder...

Why Hitters MUST Drop Their Back Shoulder « Softball Excellence

 

[FP26]

As for my own path...I'm farther down the road than some, and not as far as others. Mistakes have been made, and more will be made in the future. I try to learn a little more every day. Some days, I'm successful. Some, not so much.

This is sound advice in any path in life. I know some people outside this forum that could learn from this...

 

[HYP]

While I don't think Cindy Bristow is the wherewithal for hitting mechanics, I think she does a pretty good job with her piece on Why Hitters MUST Drop Their Back Shoulder...

Why Hitters MUST Drop Their Back Shoulder « Softball Excellence

Let me ask you a question. Do you teach your students to drop their back shoulders? Could "DROP" be a bad word or cue to some hitters? How about allow the rear shoulder to come down?

The point I was trying to make is a lot of the elite swings you see on TV from the best hitters in the world were taught on those cue and still use the cues today within their own swings.

 

[rdbass]

They should not be trying to let the shoulder come down. If they do it will collapse. It will come down naturally and then it is not a drop or collapse. It wants to come down, you just resist it until the lower body wins.

So, are you saying the barrel doesn't go down to the ball? The swing thought is to take the barrel down to the ball. This will keep it loaded longer and allow the barrel to be released through the ball versus losing the barrel under the ball which 99% of youth hitters do.

The hands stay even with the rear shoulder in space. At contact the hands should not be below the shoulder line. What I mean, if you were to freeze contact and the stand straight up the hands would be close to shoulder height. There are exceptions. Your top hand is fighting to keep the barrel above the hands but as the hands turn over the barrel will naturally come down. You then release/throw the barrel down to the ball. Because you are not dropping your hands the barrel as it continues through will be on a slight upward angle.

I can tell you what a swing looks like. Yes, you do want a slight upward angle, yes the back shoulder does come down from it's starting point. I get all of that. Why do most if not all youth hitters miss below the ball when they miss? You have to learn to resist the natural to get the proper. If you do not you will over do the barrel drop, the shoulder coming down, the upward swing path. The fighting adds resistance which allows for a greater release.

HYP,
Is that because the hitter over does the 'dropping' of the rear shoulder or drops the shoulder more than they should or needs too?

 

[Doug Romrell]

Let me ask you a question. Do you teach your students to drop their back shoulders? Could "DROP" be a bad word or cue to some hitters? How about allow the rear shoulder to come down?

The point I was trying to make is a lot of the elite swings you see on TV from the best hitters in the world were taught on those cue and still use the cues today within their own swings.

I want the shoulders to have roughly the same angle the bat and forearm has at contact. And, I think it's natural. I see nothing wrong with the word "drop" in this regard, as the should does drop from it's original height as the swing is goes into the point of contact.

Something similar to this... (sure isn't level shoulders)

 

[Doug Romrell]

HYP,

Are you trying to make the claim that "Don't let your back shoulder drop." isn't really a myth. If so, I disagree. If not, then I guess you're just arguing that it's a bad word for you and some others.

 

[HYP]

HYP,
Is that because the hitter over does the 'dropping' of the rear shoulder or drops the shoulder more than they should or needs too?

Yes and I believe it allows them to stay loaded longer without leaking energy.The rear hip his trying to suck it down. You fight it and then it gets released. If you don't fight it you are pushing and not releasing.

 

[Eric F]

I want the shoulders to have roughly the same angle the bat and forearm has at contact.

Something similar to this... (sure isn't level shoulders)
View attachment 5098

I tend to use the term "tilt" to encourage a proper barrel-shoulder angle of attack. With young ones, I talk about the rear side (between hip and armpit) getting "scrunched".

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

I want the shoulders to have roughly the same angle the bat and forearm has at contact. And, I think it's natural. I see nothing wrong with the word "drop" in this regard, as the should does drop from it's original height as the swing is goes into the point of contact.

Something similar to this... (sure isn't level shoulders)
View attachment 5098

Personally I wouldn't make that a direct goal so much as a 'result'.