Looking for advice - see video

[rdbass]

Bat Drag vs. Bat Lag
Many people use the terms Bat Drag and Bat Lag interchangeably when, in truth, they are opposites.

As I explain in my piece on Bat Drag vs. Bat Lag, Bat Drag is the sign of a serious, but common, problem with the swing while Bat Lag is a normal and necessary component of a swing and the sign of a powerful swing.

Albert Pujols in the Bat Lag Position
The frame above shows Albert Pujols just coming out of the Bat Lag position, with the barrel of his bat lagging behind his hands and pointing back at the catcher. Notice that Albert Pujols' back elbow is at his back hip. As a result, his hands are connected to and rotating just ahead of his back shoulder.

Bat Drag
In contrast, in the pictures above and below, which show what hitters with Bat Drag look like at the Bat Lag position, notice how their back elbows have slid forward of their back hips and how their hands are rotating in line with their shoulders instead of ahead of their back shoulders.

That is a problem because it will change where, when, and how the barrel will whip through the strike zone.

Copied from Chris O'Leary's site
Helping the dad see if his DD has Bat Drag.

 

[jbooth]

sballdad,
Do you see your DD as having bat drag? Here is what it is:
What Bat Drag Looks Like
What happens during Bat Brag is that, fairly early on in the swing, the hitter's back elbow will get well ahead of their hands. That is what you can see in the picture below:

Bat Drag
In the worst, and most problematic, cases of Bat Drag, the hitter's back elbow, rather than staying near their rear hip, will slide well forward of their back hip.

Bat Drag
The result is that, at the Point Of Contact, the hitter's back elbow will be well ahead of their hands, their back elbow will be well forward of their back hip, and their back upper arm will be almost horizontal rather than nearly vertical.

Why Bat Drag Happens
The most common problem that you see in younger baseball and fast pitch softball players, and some older ones as well, is that they try to do too much with their arms and don't get the rest of their body involved.

When they throw, they throw with just their arms, using a motion that is commonly referred to as, "Throwing like a girl." When they hit, they stay upright, adjust with their arms, and drop their hands.

The same basic thing happens in a hitter with Bat Drag.
Instead of powering their swing with their entire body, they power their swing with their arms.

As they try to swing with their arms -- and because their back arm is usually their dominant arm -- their back arm and top hand overpower their swing. That causes their back elbow to slide forward as it tries to get to a position of leverage, putting the hitter in a position of Bat Drag.

Why Bat Drag is Problematic
Bat Drag is problematic because it can change the timing, sequencing, and plane of the swing.

Bat Drag changes where, when, and how the bat head starts to whip; it delays the whipping of the bat head. That lengthens the swing and forces the hitter to make contact with the ball later and farther out front than is typical. That can also reduce the force with which the barrel whips through the point of contact and keep the hitter from hitting the ball as hard as they could.

Bat Drag creates a swing that is sometimes very powerful but that is always very long; too long to catch up to a good fastball. As players get older (e.g. older than 11 years old or so) the result of a swing with Bat Drag is occasionally lots of powerfully hit foul balls and/or hits to the opposite field. However, in many cases the result of Bat Drag is simply lots of swinging strikes.

In the case of many kids that I know, Bat Drag can turn a 5th grade, .500-average power hitter into a 6th grader who struggles to get one weak hit per game.

All of what you stated above is true, but I would add one thing.

Bat Drag, is called that because the hitter is dragging the bat with the arms, especially the rear arm. The rear elbow gets out in front and the hitter then pulls on the bat, similar to pulling on a rope that is tied to something that he wants to drag forward.

Bat drag, is a pulling of the bat, instead of a throwing of the bat. A dragger does eventually, sort of, throw, but as you said, it happens way too late.

 

[rdbass]

I agree with you Jim. I also agree with FFS and RHC. I wanted to help this dad and others whose DD's have bat drag and hit the ball well untill the face faster pitchers. They hit the ball well/good against 'slower' pitching. Then when they face fast pitchers they struggle. They get a good hit now and then but, still struggle. Learn to use the hands. Learn to 'turn the barrel' or learn to 'throw the bat' at the ball. Just learn to use the hands.

 

[jbooth]

I agree with you Jim. I also agree with FFS and RHC. I wanted to help this dad and others whose DD's have bat drag and hit the ball well untill the face faster pitchers. They hit the ball well/good against 'slower' pitching. Then when they face fast pitchers they struggle. They get a good hit now and then but, still struggle. Learn to use the hands. Learn to 'turn the barrel' or learn to 'throw the bat' at the ball. Just learn to use the hands.

Yes, bat draggers can hit slow pitches quite well. But, they won't do well on the fast pitches, or certain locations.

 

[sballdad]

I do see the bat drag in the live hitting more so than her hitting off of the tee. She actually hits fast pitchers much better than slow pitching as she is typically ahead of it or on her front foot.

We can do throw the bat drills, but an others you guys would recommend?

 

[softballphreak]

I do see the bat drag in the live hitting more so than her hitting off of the tee. She actually hits fast pitchers much better than slow pitching as she is typically ahead of it or on her front foot.

We can do throw the bat drills, but an others you guys would recommend?

Did you try the drill I recommended in post 18? I don't see how you can have bat drag doing that drill.

 

[sballdad]

Not yet...are you saying to try and use a one handed bat or just using a short bat with both hands so they have to wait for it to get in on them before swinging?

 

[softballphreak]

Not yet...are you saying to try and use a one handed bat or just using a short bat with both hands so they have to wait for it to get in on them before swinging?

One-handed (top hand).

But that is an option to the drill. Using a regular bat is fine for the drill. Most important to remember is the starting position: hands up and back; and hips forward. Maintain the hips forward—don't reset the hips after every swing.

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[sballdad]

softballphreak, here's video of my dd doing this drill. Wanted to get you thoughts to make sure she is doing it correctly. Thanks again for all the help.

 

[softballphreak]

softballphreak, here's video of my dd doing this drill. Wanted to get you thoughts to make sure she is doing it correctly. Thanks again for all the help.

Looks good. However, she should start each swing where she is at 0:07 point in the video. Each swing starts from that position, without resetting anything except the hands. It's not a regular swing, in that sense. Have her exaggerate the hips—belly button should be facing the pitcher before she even swings. With the hands back and up.

If she feels comfortable in that position she is probably not doing it right.