One Piece of Technical Advice

[MVLA Softball]

Stay connected...turn the hip and hands together.

I am in complete agreement with lhowser.
If I had more opportunites to teach than just the one allowed under this threads rules, after the players have the muscle memory of staying connected, I'd advance to hips first. But if I only have one shot at giving advice, more advancement would be achieved with teaching staying connected.

 

[tom.guerry]

if you can throw, you can hit

 

[WinThemAll]

"Squish the bug!"

Hahaha Just kidding!

LOL!

We started our winter group hitting lessons last night and I told the group "to stop squishing bug! It's dead already!" ;-)

 

[SBFAMILY]

MTS and Tom both hit it on the head. Those are the two biggest areas I work with. I would go with grip as another techincal area that leads to many other issues.

 

[Ken Krause]

I'd have to go with staying connected (hips and hands) too. I think it encompasses a lot (but not all) of the main concepts of good hitting. If the hips and hands maintain somewhat of a connection, the hips have to be turning so at least it's not an all-arms swing theoretically. Then again, if you do that but drop the hands you've negated any advantage you've gained.

So simple, yet so complicated...

 

[Bishop]

"Squish the bug!"

Hahaha Just kidding!

Oh yeah. You're fired. We'll mail your last check soon.

 

[ArmWhip]

I would say 'forget the level swing' and then explain and demonstrate that the swing plane is titled like the rings of Saturn. The idea of the level swing promotes dropping the hands and bat head leading to bat drag. I deal with a lot of beginners and bat drag is far and away the number one issue thanks to the well meant fatherly advice to 'swing level'.

 

[lhowser]

I'm not sure about this "if you can throw...you can hit" as advice for most kids. There are far to many factors with hitting and I know a number of 16 year olds that have guns and hitting technique is terrible...likewise One player I know in particular has a slugging percentage over .600. She is not over weight...just strong and really knows how to transfer her whole body into the ball. Anything middle of the plate has a 50/50 chance of going out. Runs like a deer. She did not make varsity as a freshman because since she was 11 she cannot understand (under several coaches) the sequence of throwing.

 

[RayR]

Hands do hold the bat...

Playing around with a grip and hand action right now that I might have to change my answer to. I want to see how some of my girls handle it before making a decision on it. It sounds awfully close to what Wellphyt talks about in terms of the rear upper arm action...

MTS and Tom both hit it on the head. Those are the two biggest areas I work with. I would go with grip as another techincal area that leads to many other issues.

 

[tom.guerry]

if you can throw, you can hit.....

it works for Howard

and me

WE CAN SHOW YOU SOME DRILLS AND JUST DO THEM, DON'T WORRY ABOUT WHY THEY WORK


HAHAHAHAHAHAHA (SARCASM)