more video to analyze

[lhowser]

I've got a few 10U's dealing with drag and casting with live pitching. This...

When she starts the bat head moving, the forearm of her top arm should loosely pinch against the bicep of her top arm. The forearm and bicep should remain pinched as her hands begin to turn the corner.

Sounds like a great tip/cue worth exploring

 

[Mike]

I am saying teaching tilt is the wrong way to go about it. You have to hit the best pitchers where ever they allow you to hit it at. teaching tilt is counterproductive to a high average with power swing. Tilt is more of a result of ground forces being applied during the swing by the elite athlete not something they are trying to do. simply an action of force.

Either I disagree or I don't follow. All of the good swings I see from a couple of 10-uers up to the most elite swings out there have some degree of tilt. The degree of tilt depends on pitch location. Some players can just do it, and some have to be taught. How do you suggest a hitter go after a middle to low pitch? Not trying to be a smart a$$, I just don't follow.

Mike

 

[ifubuildit]

I am saying teaching tilt is the wrong way to go about it. You have to hit the best pitchers where ever they allow you to hit it at. teaching tilt is counterproductive to a high average with power swing. Tilt is more of a result of ground forces being applied during the swing by the elite athlete not something they are trying to do. simply an action of force.

So your thinking is that gravity is going to put them in this tilted position as they go into footplant?

 

[SBFAMILY]

Mike, working with hitter this weekend. We have found most do not soft toss correctly from the side. They tend to soft toss at the hands and do not let the kids load correctly. We move our hand down to allow them to load and toss it in front of the plate, in the zone we wish them to work on. Same issue we have with many that use pitching machines. They use one ball and then struggle to feed it correctly, throwing off the hitter's timing.

 

[Mark H]

I am saying teaching tilt is the wrong way to go about it. You have to hit the best pitchers where ever they allow you to hit it at. teaching tilt is counterproductive to a high average with power swing. Tilt is more of a result of ground forces being applied during the swing by the elite athlete not something they are trying to do. simply an action of force.

I don't really think there's any sport that doesn't involve getting in the universal athletic position. Yes you hit the ball where it's pitched. Part of that is postural adjustments imo. I can't say what a hitter I don't know is trying to do but rather what they are doing. At least that part of what they are doing that is viewable on video. If they already look like the hitters in the clips one through eight, great. I see a lot of kids standing straight up. Often even encouraged to stand straight up. Those have to be taught and encouraged to look more like the hitters in clips one through eight ime.

 

[Mike]

What Mark said. I would add this. Maybe tilt is the wrong word, tilt the wrong direction is bad. How about inward lean. Alot of kids start in a good position, but stand up during the swing. They need to be taught to maintain the inward lean all of the way through. It has helped my kids so far.

SB,
That makes sense. But I still prefer front toss, more of a tracking thing I guess. I will try it though.

Mike

 

[mrslug01]

I think we get hung up on words at times here. I understand the use of the word tilt because of how O'leary explains it on his website. Regardless of what it's called, if it allows a player to get to a pitch, not drop the bat head and keep the bat parallel to the sholders, it's a concept worth teaching. There are two ways to get to a low outside pitch. Throw the bat at it (bad) or stay connected and tilt (good) to get it. I don't think it's natural to everyone and can be taught.

 

[Hitter]

I am saying teaching tilt is the wrong way to go about it. You have to hit the best pitchers where ever they allow you to hit it at. teaching tilt is counterproductive to a high average with power swing. Tilt is more of a result of ground forces being applied during the swing by the elite athlete not something they are trying to do. simply an action of force.

Balance is balance in my mind and it is not posture or just tilt. Do you tell your hitters to get postured? Do you tell them to get tilted? Ground force reaction happens as a result of being able to get your body into the proper sequence on time with whatever your movements are you are trying to perform.

We explain to our students they must be balanced first to enable them to get to a good athletic position for toe touch and the other movements involved to complete our swing. Once you have reached toe touch and for sake of argument the heel was planted in a manner that the weight was on the ball of feet, you could field from this position, throw, hit or run. Yes, they will be balanced differently once they start their movement however shouldn’t we start with our body in a controlled and stable position? The students should feel the differences of what feels right and wrong in my opinion and that momentum is being created just like we demonstrated when learning how to throw a ball. As we stride our weight is shifting and the hands are going rearward slightly and ask if they can feel it. Yes, I understand there is a difference in dynamic and static balancing and I like to think a gymnast is a pretty good example especially when sticking their landing.

Bending at the waist first and then softening the knees next, keeping the knees towards the toes seems to put them in a balanced state. We get them to feel it by pushing gently on their chest and back alternately and look for them to not be rocking back on their toes or heels. It should feel good. The girls balance differently than the boys because the spine is more erect in the girls for child bearing weight adjustments in the pregnancy. We tell our girls no butt no balance. To test that it only works one way soften the knees first and then bend at the waist and they will loose their balance. The kinesilogist term it sequential core loading and the certified trainers term it hip hinge angle. Many players at the elite level prepare differently as to posture, bat waving, high leg kicks…they pretty much all look the same at toe touch. We tell our kids just be you and not to try and emulate all the players moves and develop your own style while learning the mechanics of the swing.

Thanks Howard

 

[Mark H]

Bending at the waist first and then softening the knees next,

Agreed.


.

 

[HittingGuru]

Balance is balance in my mind and it is not posture or just tilt. Do you tell your hitters to get postured? Do you tell them to get tilted? Ground force reaction happens as a result of being able to get your body into the proper sequence on time with whatever your movements are you are trying to perform.

When responded I was thinking in terms of shoulder tilt. Not a balanced core as hitter is discussing. It appeared that some were wanting an upper cut swing. that is what I thought I was responding to.