need help/advice on DDs hitting, 2nd year 10u

[Eric F]

Pulling??? I hope I am right! Direction? Around her spine towards CF??

Is she at Purdue or Iowa?

Pulling is correct. Pulling rearward (although it's a little bit more complex than that). The pulling of the back contributes to the hip getting thrust forward, and contributes to shoulder rotation.

Iowa.

 

[rdbass]

Further explanation would be appreciated.

I know its off the tee, but I like her HS swing better

I'm sure. Both swings are good and are progressions towards a HL swing.

 

[rdbass]

Swinging with the back involves 'pinching' the scap and holding until 'launch' of the swing.

 

[rdbass]

 

[Rolling Hard]

What do you call this drill? Feet 90 degrees rotated and hitting off the tee. Who likes it and who doesn't?

 

[rdbass]

It's a form of the SNF Drill( stretch and fire).

 

[rdbass]

SNF:

 

[julray]

Swinging with the back involves 'pinching' the scap and holding until 'launch' of the swing.

Hi, not trying to be a smartass, actually probably sound much more like a dumbass, when does the 'launch' of the swing occur. I always wondered when the 'unpinching' of the scap occurs?

 

[rdbass]

I hope this helps:

The scap plays a huge role in a rearward barrel turn. It must clamp down and not move. It's relationship to the spine must not give. The power of the leg gets to the barrel through the scap/spine junction. If you are loose there or if you actively push the scap forward you cause a power leak. The energy you've built up in your First Engine will not reach the barrel. It will bleed. It will dissipate throughout the torso and never reach the barrel. The scap can not move forward. If it does you are launching 'out of' the load instead of 'into' the load. The feeling at the scap/spine junction is similar to bending a piece of plastic between your hands and then releasing one end. The plastic bends then snaps forward when released. Your leg turns your torso and it whips through the scap/spine junction when the scap is held back. This is where the 'gears' engage. This is where the overlap is felt. This is what causes the missing frames.

I use the phrase 'scap circle' a lot to describe the overlapping feeling of the two engines at the scap/spine junction. The scap does not move but as the torso laterally tilts and as you tighten the top of your torsion spring, you can feel pressure working down the scap/spine junction. It feels like a circle to me because of the two movements. It is the point of the gear image above where the two gears engage. That scap circle feeling creates a timing window that is easy to control. You can launch early in the circle to hit a fastball....or....you can delay the launch slightly as you continue to circle. The key word is circle. The overlap of the great hitters is not a load back in order to unload forward. It is a continuous circular action. The barrels arc is circular. You allow it to continue on around the arc in a high level swing. You do not take it back in order to take it forward. It continues 'around'. And it is that 'around' nature of the swing that leads to all the benefits of the high level swing. It leads to a suddenness of launch. And it leads to improved adjustability. It allows the hitter to get deeper into the swing without making a commitment. It allows a controlled running start. It is, simultaneously, BOTH load and unload. It is the seamless overlap. Seamless meaning the change from load to unload is not a redirect or a separate movement. It is not taking it back then taking it forward. It is simply continuing the current movement around the arc.

 

[rdbass]

The time between the decision to swing and the actual launch of the swing is a HUGE problem for amateur hitters and many pros. The need to reset or move to a different position, other than the one they were in when they made the go decision, before they can actually launch, is a career ender. Pitchers exploit that. Below are two clips of two different kids executing the Command Drill....

What do you see? Well you see JUST the launch of the swing. There is no reset necessary before launch. There is no movement to a different position after the decision to go and before launch. How do I know that?

I know that because there is another person involved. There is a coach that is giving them the Command to swing. Each of these kids get into their best loaded launch position....max.....they preset it.....and hold it....and then wait for a go Command from their coach. Upon hearing the Command, they launch. And if they have slop in their swing it will instantly show up. 100 out of 100 will fail in their first attempt. Slop has shown it's ugly head for every first timer I've worked with.

NOTE: I said they had to 'hold' their load. To execute a high level swing, you have to learn to continually pull back with your back, against your leg, creating a torsion spring-like load, and continue to wind it even though the range of motion has already been reached. You must have continual loading that includes no movement. And it is this continual loading without movement that leads to the seamless overlap. It leads to the ability to turn the load into the swing. This is the best stretch, the final stretch, which most never achieve. Most reach range of motion limit and stop stretching. There's much more available if you learn how to do it.

Most load back to push forward. You must learn to load AROUND so the swing just continues on around. There is no back that requires a forth. There is just AROUND. The load is 'around' and the unload is just continuing on around.