Need help using a drill to teach extension and follow through
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FiveFrameSwing
Banned
Sean Casey talks about working on going "through" the ball .... giving himself a goal of hitting up the middle and staying "through" the ball.
I agree with poster FiveFramesSwing. The true full extension is a result; a by-product; rather than a pushing movement proper or a separate component. Sufficient bat barrel speed into and through the hitting zone (ideally, into the ball) provides the full extension of both arms as the bat literally forces the arms to follow its path. If a batter is able to roll the wrists or turn the hands or alter the bat path in any way by turning sideways prior to full extension, her bat is not moving fast enough.
Some drills/training implements that I use to introduce, influence, and ingrain extension include:
1) The trademarked Hitting Jack-It is a wonderful tool for this purpose - the added weight simply forces the bat barrel to continue on its path and the arms are along for the ride into extension. Use this on short front-toss or side toss or even full-range batting.
2) The hitter uses multiple tees, i.e., I have used up to 5 consecutive tees lined up in an approximate bat extension path then instruct the batter to hit all 5 balls before allowing the bat to change direction into the follow-through. This is sometimes best done in alternating slow-motion, then normal, fast-as-possible mode.
3) The Total Control Atomic Heavy Balls are excellent for this. The batter must literally "catch" the ball on her bat. If she does, she feels it instantly. If she does not, the spin and flight (or lack thereof) of the ball provides instant feedback.
4) Hitting a heavy, boxing/punching bag using proper connection at contact without the bat bouncing back or rebounding up, over or around teaches the hitter to drive the bat into and through the ball with maximal snap or pop. You can also hit a ball (use a softer ball, e.g. wiffle ball or spongy ball) off a tee with a heavy bag located behind (toward the infield) it so she must race into extension and hit the bag with force after contact with the ball.
5) I also use what I call a Ted Williams Torque Torture Trainer which is a system of rubber resistance bands connected to a bat that forces the hitter to move the bat with speed, force and violence into the hitting zone lest it be pulled into the ground or their body. It is excellent for hitters who tend to ease into the stroke, rather than exploding.
Extension is explosion through the ball caused by bat speed.
Some drills/training implements that I use to introduce, influence, and ingrain extension include:
1) The trademarked Hitting Jack-It is a wonderful tool for this purpose - the added weight simply forces the bat barrel to continue on its path and the arms are along for the ride into extension. Use this on short front-toss or side toss or even full-range batting.
2) The hitter uses multiple tees, i.e., I have used up to 5 consecutive tees lined up in an approximate bat extension path then instruct the batter to hit all 5 balls before allowing the bat to change direction into the follow-through. This is sometimes best done in alternating slow-motion, then normal, fast-as-possible mode.
3) The Total Control Atomic Heavy Balls are excellent for this. The batter must literally "catch" the ball on her bat. If she does, she feels it instantly. If she does not, the spin and flight (or lack thereof) of the ball provides instant feedback.
4) Hitting a heavy, boxing/punching bag using proper connection at contact without the bat bouncing back or rebounding up, over or around teaches the hitter to drive the bat into and through the ball with maximal snap or pop. You can also hit a ball (use a softer ball, e.g. wiffle ball or spongy ball) off a tee with a heavy bag located behind (toward the infield) it so she must race into extension and hit the bag with force after contact with the ball.
5) I also use what I call a Ted Williams Torque Torture Trainer which is a system of rubber resistance bands connected to a bat that forces the hitter to move the bat with speed, force and violence into the hitting zone lest it be pulled into the ground or their body. It is excellent for hitters who tend to ease into the stroke, rather than exploding.
Extension is explosion through the ball caused by bat speed.
#4. I disagree with . Even Bustos won't do this drill. It has been proven to hurt young girls wrists. Why do you want to do a drill that is not the natural way the hands move thru after hitting the ball?
FiveFrameSwing
Banned
SBF, I've heard girls complain of wrist pain when hitting the TCB balls.
I notice that Mike Trout often does not get full extension of his arms after contact. Any thoughts on this?
FiveFrameSwing
Banned
It isn't about getting extended that is important, but in getting through the ball.
In this video here Trout gets through the ball.
[SBFAMILY posted]"#4. I disagree with . Even Bustos won't do this drill. It has been proven to hurt young girls wrists. Why do you want to do a drill that is not the natural way the hands move thru after hitting the ball?"
I've done this drill with hundreds of young women, and probably a thousand young men. Not a single one has hurt their wrists, hand, arm or shoulder. I use it to readily identify the position of the body at contact with the ball, which is the most important aspect of the swing.
It is conceivable that a young player could suffer an injury doing this if they are unsupervised and out of position, i.e., doing the drill with inferior technique. Otherwise, it's a way to solidify, and freeze, the hitter at the contact position - and teach her the value of being the hammer and not the nail.
In addition, the snap/torque of the front side is paramount or the bat will rebound/ricochet; another valuable teaching point.
I'm all for game-swing-specific drills and full-range-of-motion movements but sometimes the actual "Hit" portion of the swing gets lost. This is a simple, tangible way to re-discover the importance of hitting the target square, with proper body positioning and an aggressive mindset.
I've done this drill with hundreds of young women, and probably a thousand young men. Not a single one has hurt their wrists, hand, arm or shoulder. I use it to readily identify the position of the body at contact with the ball, which is the most important aspect of the swing.
It is conceivable that a young player could suffer an injury doing this if they are unsupervised and out of position, i.e., doing the drill with inferior technique. Otherwise, it's a way to solidify, and freeze, the hitter at the contact position - and teach her the value of being the hammer and not the nail.
In addition, the snap/torque of the front side is paramount or the bat will rebound/ricochet; another valuable teaching point.
I'm all for game-swing-specific drills and full-range-of-motion movements but sometimes the actual "Hit" portion of the swing gets lost. This is a simple, tangible way to re-discover the importance of hitting the target square, with proper body positioning and an aggressive mindset.
