Likes and Dislikes

[Wellphyt]

Here is some hitting practice from yesterday, I will post a game swing in a little while, comments please.

Have her do this drill while keeping her front foot closed as she strides. The front foot should automatically open some just before toe touch. When she opens up her front foot early like she does in this clip, she leaks the coil. She gives up the coil way to early.

Report back.

 

[#14's_Dad]

Hi softballphreak and wellphyt,

Thanks for your input, I will try the drill wellphyt described. I hope she can understand what she needs to do and will report back.

Thanks again!

 

[Mr T]

I like her swing a lot. There are high schoolers who are near the best on their team with swings like these, at least when I was a kid. I agree with some of the comments. Very nice balance and separation during the stride. The front foot is a tiny bit strange and exaggerated.

Using her body very well. Again, she's made it to a very good place. Should get a decent amount of power and make good contact with this swing. Like many kids this will probably occur on middle to inside pitches, and her big hits will be pulled. That's because contact is made so far out in front.

Agree with other comments: get the hip, then torso rotating, keeping the hands back just a fraction of a second to get to the next level. That gets you a little more power and allows her to hit outside pitches.

 

[Jim]

Very, very good swing. Very good rhythm and timing within her swing. Good balance with a quiet head.

I would however have her stay on her legs a bit more through contact and after. She tends to come up off of her lower half a bit that causes a loss of strength and also can cause the barrel to get a bit too flat too soon in games (fouling fastballs back rather than squaring them up).

She basically should have some more flex in her back knee through and after contact.

There is a drill that she can do that will help this if done correctly. "Down to the knee drill" Have her hit balls as normal, but just after contact is made have her slowly (extremely slowly) sink down into her legs until her back knee is touching the ground. make sure she keeps the finish position of her bat with her hands as she very slowly kneels down to the ground with her back knee. It is extremely important that she goes straight down with her knee and does not drift forward with her body as she goes down.

It's a great balance drill as well as a drill to help hitters stay down on their legs through contact.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Jim ... interesting drill description ... one that I've used with some success to assist with hitters that tend to "grow" during their swing.

Let me share another approach to the same issue.

Instead of "uncoiling" with the "rear hip" first ... instead "uncoil" with the "rear leg" first. That is, the "rear hip" will still be "internally rotated" as the "rear leg" begins to "uncoil" ... and with that sequence I've more quickly addressed this particular issue. Just something to consider ... to me, the issue is simply a sequence issue involving the use of the legs and hips.

 

[Jim]

Jim ... interesting drill description ... one that I've used with some success to assist with hitters that tend to "grow" during their swing.

Let me share another approach to the same issue.

Instead of "uncoiling" with the "rear hip" first ... instead "uncoil" with the "rear leg" first. That is, the "rear hip" will still be "internally rotated" as the "rear leg" begins to "uncoil" ... and with that sequence I've more quickly addressed this particular issue. Just something to consider ... to me, the issue is simply a sequence issue involving the use of the legs and hips.

Very true. Many of the hitters that I've seen "grow" during their swing are actually trying to "use" their legs more. Counter productive when done the wrong way.