Lafayette ... any comments on their hitter's mechanics?

[Stever]

I understand what your saying, but the analogy isn't quite the same. Tennis power is in the use of the wrist, not to mention the bouncy ball and spring loaded racquet. They hit the ball the hardest when serving, when they are on their toes, standing vertical.....its the wrist snap, not a SnF example.

I think its cool that ULL can make their mechanics work successfully, but I don't feel this is the best way. Now if I start seeing it in MLB then I will stand corrected

One of the shots that changed tennis was the open-stance forehand. Andre Agassi was among the first that made a weapon of it. It allowed tennis players to cover more court since they don't have to cross over their feet, but what made it possible was the ability to generate power with the shot. Perhaps the new rackets helped in the regard.

Also, the open forehand is especially effective against hard serves. As powerful as rackets and the players have become, notice that it's the baseliners and service-returners who have thrived for the most part post-Sampras. I propose that the open forehand has a lot to do w/ it.

Point being, it's kinda similar to what we're talking about here.

View attachment 4065

View attachment 4066

Well, maybe I could've found some bigger pictures.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Stever, I admit that these girls are subsidized with light bats ... that said, I'll have the girls performing SnF and the 45-deg SnF drills over the winter with -3 & -2 wood bats ... and they prove to be quite capable.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

With a shift and swing/forward by coiling, it would of been way out. This is an all hands swing. This is a 45 degree SnF without the stretch, but the barrel turn and hands are great.

With the bats they use all you have to do is hit it on the barrel. This is why this swing works. I believe with better mechanics it will allow you to slightly miss squaring it up and it will still carry. With this swing she squares it up and it doesn't go over.

Simply getting the barrel turn correct will have a hitter squaring a lot of balls. Add to this a healthy underlying SnF base, and hitters will launch quite well.

 

[bullethead]

I understand what your saying, but the analogy isn't quite the same. Tennis power is in the use of the wrist, not to mention the bouncy ball and spring loaded racquet. They hit the ball the hardest when serving, when they are on their toes, standing vertical.....its the wrist snap, not a SnF example.

I think its cool that ULL can make their mechanics work successfully, but I don't feel this is the best way. Now if I start seeing it in MLB then I will stand corrected

Your comment re the tennis analogy is simply incorrect maybe at certain levels tennis is a wrist flick or a tippy toes wrist flick with a bouncy ball - too funny. Keep trying until u can crank a serve or smash a topspin forehand - then let me know what's going on in your racquet side leg, hip back etc

 

[lhowser]

One question I have is - Is this swing vunerable to low, outside drop action? I suppose they could still just spray the ball to right field.

 

[CoogansBluff]

I understand what your saying, but the analogy isn't quite the same. Tennis power is in the use of the wrist, not to mention the bouncy ball and spring loaded racquet. They hit the ball the hardest when serving, when they are on their toes, standing vertical.....its the wrist snap, not a SnF example.

I think its cool that ULL can make their mechanics work successfully, but I don't feel this is the best way. Now if I start seeing it in MLB then I will stand corrected

I wasn't saying that this is the best way to hit a softball, or the best way to generate power. I was just comparing the open-stance forehand mechanically to what the LaFayette hitters are doing. When using the 'open-stance' SnF drill (45 degree SnF), it's similar to that tennis shot. In demonstrating it to my daughter, it felt very similar to me. I've swung more tennis rackets than bats, so that drill came easy to me. In tennis, you're hitting top spin, so your hands are in a different position at contract. Also, the open-stance forehand isn't more powerful than a closed forehand. It's just more powerful than people thought it could be. It demonstrates the power in the hips and in the rotational aspect of the tennis swing. I don't think people 30 years ago believed that it was a viable shot for power, but with the more modern rackets, it has became pretty potent.

 

[redhotcoach]

I agree CB. The most powerful tennis players stretch and fire. The gif of Nadal snf around his rear hip socket has been around the net for awhile. I have found that if you have 10-15 girls, it takes about 9-14 different ways to get them to understand and feel the stretch. So whatever it takes!

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

One question I have is - Is this swing vunerable to low, outside drop action? I suppose they could still just spray the ball to right field.

Watch the catcher on this pitch ... outside, but not quite as low as it could have been.

The ball just barely cleared the fence ... but was gloved back into play.

The majority of the non-slappers on the Cajuns' team appear to use this 45-degree open stance. As a team they have hit 85 HRs this year, which I believe would rate them high in terms of home-run hitting teams.

Those that routinely perform the 45-degree hitting drill know that it certainly doesn't lack power.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

p.s.

The Cajans rank in the top ten nationally in terms of home-runs.

 

[rdbass]

I agree CB. The most powerful tennis players stretch and fire. The gif of Nadal snf around his rear hip socket has been around the net for awhile. I have found that if you have 10-15 girls, it takes about 9-14 different ways to get them to understand and feel the stretch. So whatever it takes!