New hitting theory

[ifubuildit]

Tewks,

I frequent this site because there are people who want help and want to talk in a civil manner about hitting. In short they have no AGENDA.Other than to help the people on here understand how to hit better using methods that while may at some times seem unconventional will lead to a young player having that AH HA moment you and others like to use on other sites. It is your kind of post above that leads to confrontation. We have managed to avoid that kind of thing on this board for the most part.

We are all entitled to an opinion. Lets not get personal and accusatory here as has happened on many other boards across the net. Its not worth it in the long run. It really serves no purpose.

Dana.

 

[Hitter]

This is a high level swing. Surely everyone can see the difference between what this hitter does and what Bush does. The key to the entire high level swing is how the back elbow gets lowered without the hands dropping or the hands moving towards the pitcher.

This hitter has a hand pivot point. Bush does not. Clear as day. Two totally different swings.

For me and speaking for no one else...this is exactly why most that coach girls miss the hand over the elbow verses hands in front of the elbow and what it looks and feels like...see it feel it and fix it. The poster child for most is AP and since I work with a lot of girls I would rather use Crystl Bustos. Most coaches can not even explain how to get balanced or test to see if the player is balanced correctly and then someone claims posture is balance and I scratch my balding head and wonder why we do not understand how to get a female to use their legs!

As to the kid in the video and if it was a drill or not...it appeared through front toss he was being encouraged as it was a good swing not a drill. BM did exactly what he does offer an opinion and backed it up with his thoughts which look very credible to me. It appears he has no agenda other than helping to clarify. The bleed over of baseball to softball needs to factor in who they were taught by and their understanding of how the female body functions verses the male. If AP spoke on what he feels is important to him you may want to come to a clinic and ask Crystl yourself what she thinks and why she does it the way she does verses this ping pong exchange of different boards being right or wrong and the insane way they represent their views of daring each other out to support their positions. The kids, parents and coaches want to learn and when it gets down to a personal agenda they will find another source of information as they really do not want to hear it in my opinion.

Thanks Howard

 

[Wellphyt]

Thanks BM.
This kid has a nice swing and is making good progress, see for fuller examples:

YouTube - cartersball's Channel

But remember Mark's warning about cues, if the instructor does not understand how the swing works, there will likely be misunderstanding.

When I first saw Richard demonstrate this drill I didn't care for it. But, I did some experimenting in hopes of figuring out what Richard was trying to accomplish with the drill. If you turn your shoulders around your rib cage (without turning your waste), and do this movement from that position instead of out in front, you will have a much better understanding of the movement that Richard is trying to teach. Viewed from that perspective, the movement is the key to the high level swing and developing a hand pivot point.

I still don't care for the drill as performed here, as I believe it may lead to barrel dumping. I'm having a lot of success teaching the same movement from Epstein's #1 position, preferably with the student in front of a mirror so they can see the movement. From this position the movement is being picked up by the girls no problem, and with no bad habits. The transition with my daughter was amazing. Her comments we're; "My swing feels a lot smoother". Her push and bat drag gone. We don't talk about the hips leading the hands anymore, because when you get the bat head started correctly like the pros, the hips lead automatically.

 

[Tewks]

When I first saw Richard demonstrate this drill I didn't care for it. But, I did some experimenting in hopes of figuring out what Richard was trying to accomplish with the drill. If you turn your shoulders around your rib cage (without turning your waste), and do this movement from that position instead of out in front, you will have a much better understanding of the movement that Richard is trying to teach. Viewed from that perspective, the movement is the key to the high level swing and developing a hand pivot point.

I still don't care for the drill as performed here, as I believe it may lead to barrel dumping. I'm having a lot of success teaching the same movement from Epstein's #1 position, preferably with the student in front of a mirror so they can see the movement. From this position the movement is being picked up by the girls no problem, and with no bad habits. The transition with my daughter was amazing. Her comments we're; "My swing feels a lot smoother". Her push and bat drag gone. We don't talk about the hips leading the hands anymore, because when you get the bat head started correctly like the pros, the hips lead automatically.

Every swing has a hand pivot point. When it is done properly, the pivot point is effecient - it doesn't move. This will get that "effortless power" feel. The two words I usually get are effortless and easy. It usually comes with a smile, laughter and giddiness. That is the AHA.

 

[MVLA Softball]

Tewks,

I frequent this site because there are people who want help and want to talk in a civil manner about hitting. In short they have no AGENDA.Other than to help the people on here understand how to hit better using methods that while may at some times seem unconventional will lead to a young player having that AH HA moment you and others like to use on other sites. It is your kind of post above that leads to confrontation. We have managed to avoid that kind of thing on this board for the most part.

We are all entitled to an opinion. Lets not get personal and accusatory here as has happened on many other boards across the net. Its not worth it in the long run. It really serves no purpose.

Dana.

Well stated!

Tewks, you mentioned that you go to the BBF forum. You probably know that one of the hottest threads on that forum was started by someone questioning, "Why are we discussing hitting here at all?" His point was that discussions at BBF "are basically useless since every thread ends in personal accusations and threads closed."

Tewks, in reading your comments in this and other threads of this forum, it is clear that you have knowledge to offer the rest of us. Welcome.

 

[Tewks]

Well stated!

Tewks, you mentioned that you go to the BBF forum. You probably know that one of the hottest threads on that forum was started by someone questioning, "Why are we discussing hitting here at all?" His point was that discussions at BBF "are basically useless since every thread ends in personal accusations and threads closed."

Tewks, in reading your comments in this and other threads of this forum, it is clear that you have knowledge to offer the rest of us. Welcome.

Thanks for the welcome MVLA. I really look forward to posting here as I've been having hitting debates with my next door neighbor who runs a top softball team in the area. (He contests that the BSB and SB swings should be the same... and then does the complete opposite!) I hope I can be honest about things without getting banned! I am not looking for a fight. But if video, words and feel don't add up, I'll speak up and say why in detail specific to the content. If that is too confrontational and personal, I may not fit in here. =)

I troll BBF but do not post for the same reasons you mentioned.

 

[SBFAMILY]

Sounds like many of us left or will not post on BBF anymore.

 

[Mark H]

Sounds like many of us left or will not post on BBF anymore.

The stench got to be too much. Track that smell down it all tracks back to one guy.

 

[Tewks]

Tewks.

When I look at that little boy doing the dance with the bat back and forth with the wrists, I think you might hurt his wrist or pull something in the arm. I would have a pediatrician look at that movement.

If you want some tip and rip in your swing, I think you could find a better way.

When you dump the barrell straight to the ground like the little boy is demonstrating, I can see that might work on low balls to a certain age. I just think it will hurt you in the long run when pitching gets better and they pitch you up and in or anything high in the strike zone.



A small amount of tip and rip could be a good thing. Some thrust with the hips at the right time can be a great thing. The dumping of the wrists to start the swing is the part I just dont see at all in a high level swing.


Straightleg

He is creating a pendulum. Early without pull or drag. The point between his hands becomes the fulcrum. When the proper top hand/forearm action is applied to this, the barrel does not dump. It whips toward the point of contact on plane. The dumping of the barrel is getting the feeling of starting the pendulum early. The plane of the pendulum is not being taught. That is the next step in the progression.

Now add that hip thrust and AHA. It really is that simple. Please try it.

 

[asurock]

Wellphyt...you have a PM