Out in Front

[Ken Krause]

I think a hitter needs to start 'loading' when a pitcher starts their movement/moving. A hitter needs to time the ball in air. Possibly if a hitter guesses or waits to long to start their 'load' I feel they may shorting up the loading process and need to rush. This may/ will effect them properly 'loading'. Either way it's 'timing' of the ball in the air.

I think we are in agreement on the need to avoid rushing the load and swing. A late load will definitely cause all sorts of problems. I always tell my students that the load and stride should feel like Sunday morning (non-tournament weekend). Slow and easy. Once the heel drops, it's Monday morning on a school day.

Just a difference of how to get there. If you know you're ahead, I'd rather see the hitter start later and maintain her normal rhythm than start too early and get "stuck" in the swing waiting for the ball to get be in the air. Or having to slow her swing down because she couldn't wait back long enough. This is on a pitcher who is consistently throwing slower than the hitter is used to, not a changeup which is a whole different animal.

Of course, if the swing is out of sequence (hands ahead of hips) that's a whole other can of worms.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

FFS...thanks...do I have it right - what I typed above? Loadweight back..then turn hip inward while ball is approaching batter...I want to get this right

DG, if I'm interpreting you correctly then yes. I'd describe it somewhat differently, but I can understand how someone else could describe it this way.

 

[DGoggin]

DG, if I'm interpreting you correctly then yes. I'd describe it somewhat differently, but I can understand how someone else could describe it this way.

Let me be more specific...when pitcher begins motion (or gets to top of circle)...then begin to load weight back to back leg but keeps hands at address position...then when ball is approaching or just leaving hand...turn front hip inward slightly while trying to decide to hit the ball or not...in the process, the hands move back and maybe up but not forced...then if she decides a good pitch...drop heel, drive back hip and launch swing...

Is this the right sequence of events in the proper order...I don't want to mess her up and it would appear if this is correct, then this is just a minor adjustment.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Let me be more specific...when pitcher begins motion (or gets to top of circle)...then begin to load weight back to back leg but keeps hands at address position...

Sounds about right. In the on-deck circle you will work on timing the pitcher. Common range to trigger on the initial loading/weighting of the rear leg will be with the pitcher at the 3-o’clock to 12-o’clock position (... in that 90-deg range ... being later than the 12-o’clock position is late IMO).

...then when ball is approaching or just leaving hand...turn front hip inward slightly while trying to decide to hit the ball or not...

This is where more input may be needed. During the pitcher’s release you want to be just beginning to move forward. It’s okay to be doing this slightly earlier than the pitcher's release. Doing this slightly later than the pitcher's release means that you are ‘late’ IMO.

You want to be ‘on time’ twice … the first time you want to be 'on time' so that you are beginning to move forward at the pitcher’s release … to do this you “time the pitcher” … then later you want to be ‘on time’ at impact, and to do this you “time the ball”.

...in the process, the hands move back and maybe up but not forced...then if she decides a good pitch...drop heel, drive back hip and launch swing...

Not forced … the feel will be that the forearms are semi-relaxed … it isn’t until late in the ‘move out’ that the hands will prep to ‘throw’ … and it will be the “working of the barrel” that will result in structure being built/established along the forearms … that “working of the barrel” would be the ‘swing launch’.

We could go around on your comment to “drive the back hip” … to me it is more a resistance and working against the rear leg … where hip rotation is more a ‘result’ … but I believe I understand where you are coming from, and I don’t wish to diverge.

Is this the right sequence of events in the proper order...I don't want to mess her up and it would appear if this is correct, then this is just a minor adjustment.

It’s actually quite simple … and if you know what you are doing the adjustment is fairly minor.

 

[DGoggin]

Sounds about right. In the on-deck circle you will work on timing the pitcher. Common range to trigger on the initial loading/weighting of the rear leg will be with the pitcher at the 3-o’clock to 12-o’clock position (... in that 90-deg range ... being later than the 12-o’clock position is late IMO).



This is where more input may be needed. During the pitcher’s release you want to be just beginning to move forward. It’s okay to be doing this slightly earlier than the pitcher's release. Doing this slightly later than the pitcher's release means that you are ‘late’ IMO.

You want to be ‘on time’ twice … the first time you want to be 'on time' so that you are beginning to move forward at the pitcher’s release … to do this you “time the pitcher” … then later you want to be ‘on time’ at impact, and to do this you “time the ball”.


Not forced … the feel will be that the forearms are semi-relaxed … it isn’t until late in the ‘move out’ that the hands will prep to ‘throw’ … and it will be the “working of the barrel” that will result in structure being built/established along the forearms … that “working of the barrel” would be the ‘swing launch’.

We could go around on your comment to “drive the back hip” … to me it is more a resistance and working against the rear leg … where hip rotation is more a ‘result’ … but I believe I understand where you are coming from, and I don’t wish to diverge.




It’s actually quite simple … and if you know what you are doing the adjustment is fairly minor.

thanks - will try this out and see how it goes

 

[Nunthia1914]

been playing fastpitch off and on for 50 years and I load when the pitcher goes into his windup. Depending on the trajectory of the ball in the first 20 ft and the speed I adjust my quickness and explosion from the load, my timing comes from my toe touch and my hand are back ready to fire that is unless I detect a ball movement pitch that probably will be a ball. What sometimes gets me is if they throw the movement then on that one pitch it comes in perfect strike without any movement when you don't expect it.

 

[Nunthia1914]

If I were playing the game again like I used to in the 90's I would not have much success hitting like you just described. You have to be pretty good at using a soft and hard focus to pick up the direction of the ball in the first 20 feet after release and sometimes the spin if the ball is not thrown fast enough. If the pitcher is telegraphing any of his or her pitches I try to recognize what pitch is thrown by hard focusing the release. I try to hit the low balls and lay off the high ones unless they are good at throwing low rises.