Making contact toward the Handle

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Feb 4, 2009
112
18
Hello,

17yo DD has been making contact more toward the
Handle of the bat lately. Don't have access at the time
To any video. She's typical a very good hitter with lots of power

We work on hitting middle/bottom half of the ball however the HS
Coach constantly has them do top of the ball drills

Would appreciate any suggestions to get her back to the sweet spot
Of the bat?

Thanks
 

rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
83
Not here.
I'm guessing with out video. Sounds like 'casting', swinging around the ball or arm bar. Don't think it has anything to do with hitting the top, middle, or even the bottom of the ball. Again, I'm guessing......
 
Mar 1, 2016
195
18
Could be that she’s standing closer to the plate than she should. It’s easy to get too close or too far away over time without anyone noticing if she just moves 1/8” a day. DD lays the bat on the ground with the end cap on the opposite corner of the plate and then aligns the base of her big toe on her front foot with the knob. Not every time, but often. Keeps the sweet spot over the plate very well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Chris Delorit

Member
Apr 24, 2016
343
28
Green Bay, WI
Casting is the over extension (away from the core) of the arms to contact, predominately with the lead arm (arm bar). It's a mechanical flaw in the upper body mechanics that affects the ability to keep the hands in a contact position inside of the ball. It can also be promoted by weak resistance in the front foot plant that results in sloppy knees and excessive weight transfer into the front side prior to contact. An example is as easy as being fooled on a change-up. As rdbass already pointed out, your hand path is taken around the ball, or outside of the ball to contact. So, there'll be a greater probability of handle hits, especially on inside pitches.

How about some tee work? A couple of drill suggestions that may help...

1) Tee position located both inside, and middle deep plate within the zone.
2) Tee placed very close to a wall, positioned similar to above.

Where she can focus on hitting the ball through the barrel and between the gaps.

It's a process of training the arms to stay more compact to the core to develop that short to and long through arm movement to contact. The front side pulls down short to the middle/frontside core, being led by a natural 45 (ish) degree elbow bend. On the backside, the rear elbow is driven forward into the backside core. After contact the long through is the extension, or double extension of the arms to finish.

Check out YouTube, as there's probably a library on casting for you to search through.

Chris
 
Last edited:

rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
83
Not here.
What causes casting?

Just read this on another site. Sums up 'casting'.
letting the hands get away from the body too early.

When (Tony) Gwynn says "knob to the ball", he's not advocating what you see the rec coach teaching... That's how most non-hitting savants interpret it. What Gwynn is conveying is direction. If the pitch is on the outside, the knob will start more toward the oppo batters box. If the pitch is an inside fb, the knob will start more toward the pitcher. Knob to the ball.
Posey_laf_combo_big.gif
 
Last edited:

ArmyStrong

Going broke on softball
Sep 14, 2014
87
8
Pacific NW
Casting is the over extension (away from the core) of the arms to contact, predominately with the lead arm (arm bar). It's a mechanical flaw in the upper body mechanics that affects the ability to keep the hands in a contact position inside of the ball. It can also be promoted by weak resistance in the front foot plant that results in sloppy knees and excessive weight transfer into the front side prior to contact. An example is as easy as being fooled on a change-up. As rdbass already pointed out, your hand path is taken around the ball, or outside of the ball to contact. So, there'll be a greater probability of handle hits, especially on inside pitches.

How about some tee work? A couple of drill suggestions that may help...

1) Tee position located both inside, and middle deep plate within the zone.
2) Tee placed very close to a wall, positioned similar to above.

Where she can focus on hitting the ball through the barrel and between the gaps.

It's a process of training the arms to stay more compact to the core to develop that short to and long through arm movement to contact. The front side pulls down short to the middle/frontside core, being led by a natural 45 (ish) degree elbow bend. On the backside, the rear elbow is driven forward into the backside core. After contact the long through is the extension, or double extension of the arms to finish.

Check out YouTube, as there's probably a library on casting for you to search through.

Chris

DD does this when we need to get her to stop "jamming" herself. Her problem is arm-barring. The tee work described above really works. I usually put contrasting colored athletic tape around the sweet spot of the bat to see whether she is "barreling" it. Videoing from above using a smart phone really shows whether she is getting it right.
 
Sep 17, 2009
1,637
83
On the handle on *inside* pitches? Issues with inside pitches is often the hands moving early and forward in space. If bat path isn't 'deep' due to that kind of move the hitter doesn't have time and space to get the hips through and barrel to the ball on inside pitches, they essentially 'jam' themselves...just a thought.
 

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