Length of stride in achieving good stretch & fire

[CoogansBluff]

Been working on my daughter's strech-and-fire/walk-away-from hands technique on the good advice of a couple of the best hitting minds on this board.

Does the following make sense:

My daughter has perhaps a wider-than-normal stance, not much stride. In trying to get her to get separation between hands and front hip in the stride (aka stretch, walk-away-from-hands), she wasn't getting any conspicuous stretch. She claimed she was and argued with me about it, but I think video evidence would support me on that.

OK, so I tinkered and had her narrow the stance and take a longer stride - from maybe 2-3 inches to 10-12 inches. Now, I see stretch ... hands and hips separate.

I realize that you can achieve stretch from no stride, but in DD's case, the stride seems to help her 'get it.'

Any thoughts on this, or the art of teaching a player to walk away from hands?

 

[softballphreak]

Been working on my daughter's strech-and-fire/walk-away-from hands technique on the good advice of a couple of the best hitting minds on this board.

Does the following make sense:

My daughter has perhaps a wider-than-normal stance, not much stride. In trying to get her to get separation between hands and front hip in the stride (aka stretch, walk-away-from-hands), she wasn't getting any conspicuous stretch. She claimed she was and argued with me about it, but I think video evidence would support me on that.

OK, so I tinkered and had her narrow the stance and take a longer stride - from maybe 2-3 inches to 10-12 inches. Now, I see stretch ... hands and hips separate.

I realize that you can achieve stretch from no stride, but in DD's case, the stride seems to help her 'get it.'

Any thoughts on this, or the art of teaching a player to walk away from hands?

Feels like to me if you want stretch with no stride the hands have to "walk away" from the feet instead of vice versa. If that makes sense.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Feels like to me if you want stretch with no stride the hands have to "walk away" from the feet instead of vice versa. If that makes sense.

Does make sense. Thanks.

It seems easier for my daughter to attain stretch w/ a longer stride, but am I playing w/ fire by messing w/ her stride? Guess it depends on the player's comfort level. I also wonder/worry if a longer stride requires better timing and might be a tradeoff of a little harder to square the ball but more power when you do. That's another subject, though.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

A ‘stride’ is not needed to have a sufficient ‘stretch’.

Be careful when teaching a ‘stride’ directly. All too often a hitter takes steps backward when a stride is directly taught. The only stride I wish to see is that resulting from the loading of the rear leg.

Below is a ‘no-stride’ type swing … with plenty of ‘stretch’ prior to the additional dynamic stretch associated with the launch.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Thanks, FFS. That was my concern. Just seems that the mechanics of getting the stretch w/ small/no stride is tougher to master, or to get the feel, but we're just getting started w/ it, so we'll continue to experiment.

btw, while I have you, something you wrote me months ago that I dredged up - you believe that the stretch-&-fire is the #2 most important thing in generating power for the HLBB swing. ... What is #1? The proper use of the hips?

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Thanks, FFS. That was my concern. Just seems that the mechanics of getting the stretch w/ small/no stride is tougher to master, or to get the feel, but we're just getting started w/ it, so we'll continue to experiment.

btw, while I have you, something you wrote me months ago that I dredged up - you believe that the stretch-&-fire is the #2 most important thing in generating power for the HLBB swing. ... What is #1? The proper use of the hips?

Close ... but not actually the hips, so much as the legs ... with the focus placed on the rear leg.

 

[jbooth]

Been working on my daughter's strech-and-fire/walk-away-from hands technique on the good advice of a couple of the best hitting minds on this board.

Does the following make sense:

My daughter has perhaps a wider-than-normal stance, not much stride. In trying to get her to get separation between hands and front hip in the stride (aka stretch, walk-away-from-hands), she wasn't getting any conspicuous stretch. She claimed she was and argued with me about it, but I think video evidence would support me on that.

OK, so I tinkered and had her narrow the stance and take a longer stride - from maybe 2-3 inches to 10-12 inches. Now, I see stretch ... hands and hips separate.

I realize that you can achieve stretch from no stride, but in DD's case, the stride seems to help her 'get it.'

Any thoughts on this, or the art of teaching a player to walk away from hands?

It's more about loading the hands, than the stride.

Look at Adrian's shoulders. His hands don't move toward the catcher much, but as he strides his hands move in toward his armpit. He is stretching the posterior (backside) fibers of his front deltoid (shoulder muscle), and the anterior (frontside) of his rear deltoid (shoulder muscle). Most kids do not do this. You need to get the hands loaded, which means get them in toward the armpit and toward the back of the armpit. It is a small move but, it locks the hands to the body so that when the torso rotates, the hands move. There is no slack.

Pro players simply tell themselves to "keep the hands back" as they stride out. If you don't make a move to keep them back, the deltoids don't get stretched and the hands will tend to move with the stride, instead of staying back, which creates the separation you're looking for, between hip and hands.

Summary; load the hands as you stride. Or, if you have no stride; load them as you shift to the front foot.

Here is an exaggerated technique that shows what I mean. Look at how his front shoulder muscle gets stretched as he loads his hands up and back, as he pushes forward. All pros get this done, just not all in the same manner.

 

[iMlearning]

I went to a very good hitting coach about a month ago with my DD, he is also a college coach. He said the same thing that 5 frame said. He said don't worry about the stride, just worry about getting a good load. When my DD switched to a new team a year ago, they tried to get her to stride, and it reaked havoc on her. She went back to a no stride and has been on a great streak.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

To clarify ... I'm not saying there is anything wrong with a stride ... just that a stride should be the 'result' of loading of the rear leg ... and that technically, one does not have to stride to realize a stretch or a SnF launch of the barrel.

In a sense, the 'stretch' is simply the continued winding of the body ... stare at the above clip long enough and you will hopefully see that.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

I went to a very good hitting coach about a month ago with my DD, he is also a college coach. He said the same thing that 5 frame said. He said don't worry about the stride, just worry about getting a good load. When my DD switched to a new team a year ago, they tried to get her to stride, and it reaked havoc on her. She went back to a no stride and has been on a great streak.

I honestly believe the focus should be on the loading pattern ..... and way too often, those that focus on the stride end up negatively effecting the loading pattern. The 'stride' IMO should purely be the 'result' of how one loads. There is a lot to be said for a good Fwd-by-Coil no-stride swing ... very good base to return to ... if not live with.