Opening too much NEED HELP

[redsoxfan45]

11/22/2012 16:25:42
Hey everyone! I am working with this girl. I have tried different drills to correct this swing but she continues to not make any improvements. I notice that she over torques her body when she starts her swing also. Any ideas on drills that can help correct this would be really appreciated!! Happy Thanksgiving.......


http://www.coachseye.com/4BEc

 

[Ken Krause]

Moved this thread because the OP is looking for practical help, not a technical explanation.

First of all, I think the girl is making a good effort to turn on the ball and swing. She just doesn't feel how to keep the front side in and drive around it. I'm sure to her it feels like she's turning properly.

Try this as a start: Have her stand at the plate as she normally wood, then have her swing her leg around so her foot ends up in front of the plate. That will give her the feel of rotating around the front side rather than spinning at the center.

Then ask her to show you how she throws. She should again drive the back side around the front side rather than spinning. (If she doesn't, teach her how to throw first!) Put a ball in her top hand, have her stand in a batting stance with both hands up, then tell her to throw the ball as she normally would. That may help her gain the feel of it. I usually find when I show them what a throw would look or feel like with a center spin they get what they're supposed to do.

Sometimes I will take my glove or a bat and put it on the back side of their front hip and have them start their swing. The idea is to keep the front hip in place so the back hip has to drive in and around. If they're spinning they usually have a difficult time keeping their balance. With this one, though, you have to be careful in how you do it. Best to have a parent present, and if possible have the parent do it instead.

One last one is to set a ball on a tee close to even with her front hip and have the player press her hand against her back hip. She then has to rotate and grab the ball off the tee without losing contact with her back hip. You can see an example of that drill here.

Hope that helps. Again, it's important for the player to be able to feel what it's like to do what you want her to do. Focus on that rather than lengthy and complicated explanations.

 

[softballphreak]

Another good tee drill is to place a tee deep in the zone (near the back hip) and hit balls to right field. Tell her to hit the inside of the ball, not around the ball.

This will feel very awkward. She (and probably you) will have the feeling that it's not right or can't be done. Do it anyway. Gradually move the tee more toward the pitcher, say, near the center of her stride, then to just inside the lead foot. Always hitting the inside of the ball in every position of the tee.

Most of the tee work should be done deep for now. It's not as much fun but it's very important to learn to get the bat around deep in the zone.

Right now she's reaching for the ball; trying to hit it too far out front. Let it come in deeper, inside of front foot to center of body.

She also needs a better position at the plate. Center the body to the center of the plate. This will be important at games.

 

[go4um]

Not sure whether it's the mat or her shoes or just her swing but it looks like she's trying to swing on ice. Either way, the result is she is twisting/spinning the back leg...getting no help from the lower body in moving the bat so she probably has to swing with shoulders. I'm thinking she would look much better if the back foot and knee were more stable so the leg could actually help the hip drive and weight transfer transition.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Not sure whether it's the mat or her shoes or just her swing but it looks like she's trying to swing on ice. Either way, the result is she is twisting/spinning the back leg...getting no help from the lower body in moving the bat so she probably has to swing with shoulders. I'm thinking she would look much better if the back foot and knee were more stable so the leg could actually help the hip drive and weight transfer transition.

Good assessment IMO.

 

[RayR]

See if she hit to the opposite field. Start off on a tee and then progress to hitting off easy front toss...then see if she can hit to certain fields on demand (you call the field before the pitch).

 

[jbooth]

11/22/2012 16:25:42
Hey everyone! I am working with this girl. I have tried different drills to correct this swing but she continues to not make any improvements. I notice that she over torques her body when she starts her swing also. Any ideas on drills that can help correct this would be really appreciated!! Happy Thanksgiving.......


11/22/2012 16:25:42

She is twisting on top of the back leg while the front foot is up, which makes the front hip and foot move away from the plate. After she coils and weights the back foot, she should think more of just pushing the front foot down, rather than turning the hip out. When you push from a coil, the hip will turn as the front foot weights, rather than before it gets down.

She also is swinging down at the ball because her bat is almost horizontal when she takes it at the ball. It should be angled up more. Her front arm is high also, and that causes her to have to take the bat down. The front elbow should be a bit lower. It will lower when she changes the bat angle. The barrel should arc down around the hands, not be pulled down by the hands going down at the ball.