Liv's swing 11 yo

[fballchgup]

Liv is starting to get some better looking swings off the tee. Last night ,however, was our first time in the cage with front toss in a couple weeks and although there was some improvement, the old "drop and drag" crept back in a lot.
Just wondering if I should stick with tee work for a bit longer and work muscle memory or keep the front toss sessions in to check progress?

 

[RayR]

Neither do I - if it makes sense I try it out - if it works then I use it....

I have tried more cockamamie things then I care to remember....read all the books that seemed to make sense and even some of those didn't make sense....the more you try and turn a ballistic movement into broken down positions the worse the swing gets....palm up / palm down is a position....it is not an action.....stiff wrists is a position....

That's just it, I don't follow one particular "guru" or method. I don't come from anywhere in particular. I've seen more hitting videos and read more books than I care to remember. I was fortunate enough to know, play both with and against, and be introduced to various MLB players. I never received more than a "book money" scholarship offer. I'm nobody special.

 

[HYP]

Liv is starting to get some better looking swings off the tee. Last night ,however, was our first time in the cage with front toss in a couple weeks and although there was some improvement, the old "drop and drag" crept back in a lot.
Just wondering if I should stick with tee work for a bit longer and work muscle memory or keep the front toss sessions in to check progress?

IMO, the front toss is fine but the cues have to be right. Slow her down. Don't let her work at 100% during front toss. Tell her 60%. Also, couple cues that may help. Try, reach to the sky. Barrel directly to the ball. Also, tell her to be late. She drops and drags because she is early. Tell her to not think about swinging but loading. Loading the whole time and be late. Barrel directly behind the ball. It is a throw of the barrel and not a swing.

Rambling, yes but hopefully something makes sense.

 

[nanotech14]

Liv is starting to get some better looking swings off the tee. Last night ,however, was our first time in the cage with front toss in a couple weeks and although there was some improvement, the old "drop and drag" crept back in a lot.
Just wondering if I should stick with tee work for a bit longer and work muscle memory or keep the front toss sessions in to check progress?

My dd and I did a rotation. We start off on the tee, hit 15 balls, 15 soft toss and then live hitting with me pitching 15 balls to her. We were doing this in sets of 4. It allowed us to work on things on the tee, take it to soft toss and to do checks, with what she worked on off the tee and then move it to live pitching.

 

[RichK]

reach to the sky.

Hyp, what does this cue mean? TKS

 

[HYP]

Hyp, what does this cue mean? TKS

For me it just forces the hands up, above the ball. Many kids take the hands down to the ball. If they take the hands down and the barrel down. They end up dragging or chopping through the ball or hitting below the ball. The hands start down but then level out. The barrel continues down. If you keep the hands up and take the barrel down to the ball. The barrel will eventually start up and travel the path of the ball. The barrel will not go down forever if the hands stay above the ball but if the hands go down the barrel will continue down.

Cue I use is stay inside and reach for sky.

Does that help or make sense?

 

[fballchgup]

jan4,2013 - YouTube

Clip from last night's tee work. Barrel path seems a little better to me but still not quite there yet. Need to get a little more stretch before the fire i think.
(Let me know if video does not work, i will try again.)
Thanks

 

[RayR]

Pretty awesome improvement!

Next step is to help her figure our how to get the barrel to ball quicker....her hands are way ahead of the barrel at contact.

Watch the slowed down frames - the back leg is still spinning which causes a wider, more circular hand and barrel path

See if she can work the lower body more like it would when throwing a ball

Or (I know it's not fair to use a baseball player, but watch his legs - the way his front thigh bulges as he transfers his lower half)

One catch phrase used recently (Hyp?) is that it should seem like the rear hip is catching and pulling the hands forward....In Ryan Braun you can see this....it is awesome goal to shoot for....

Here is another hitter - the front thigh is bulging from the weight being transferred - the rear hip grabs the hands...

 

[fballchgup]

Thanks for the feedback MTS.
Is it a lineal "hip bump" or "bulge" forward and then turn we're going for?

 

[RayR]

Tell you what - get up and make an imaginary easy throw....pay attention to what you lower half does....

Everything should feel directional....if you are throwing to spot in front of you - your body movements should be directed in front of you.....body parts will rotate as necessary....same with hitting....ball is coming at you from the pitcher - your body movements should be directed forward....

But, as you think of hip bump - think of the front hip leading the front knee as you stride whether it is a throw or swing....done correctly you should be coiling your hips as you stride. Your front hip may not ACTUAL lead the front knee - but it should FEEL like it...

You can play around with this cue - make it long and slow like a baseball pitcher windup - or make it tight and quick like you need to make a quick throw across the diamond to get a speedy runner....

Just remember when doing this - that there needs to be an internal clock that lets you know when the front foot has to reach out to catch yourself from falling...

Front hip leading knee

One more note - the more you can get into an athletic position (hips and knees and ankles bend a little) the easier it is to get the front hip ahead of the front knee due to the angles you create from getting into an athletic position....stand up straight and tall and this turns into a hip slide which is not what we are after...