Practical Hitting Drills Progression & Checklist

[Doug Romrell]

Indiana,

Fantastic information. I've copied it, but will definitely trim it down--simplify it. I'm one of those nuts who wan't fewer drills. You've given me some ideas. Thank!

 

[Doug Romrell]

FFS, do you think using the split grip and focusing on the hand action you describe would help someone to get the feel?

Split the Difference – One thing you can do with any hitters that are struggling with this whole concept of using both hands together is to split their grip on the bat. It’s something that Michael Lotief, at University of Louisiana Lafayette has his hitters do in order to speed up and strengthen their swing, and he’s had tremendous success doing it. By having the hitter’s split their hands even ½ an inch apart on the bat it helps the hands act separately from each other, something the hands are much more used to doing. Players aren’t used to holding the bat this way so it will feel “weird” at first. But have your players try it for a practice and see if they can overcome the weirdness of it and start using their hands better and increase their bat speed.

Interesting!

Would the players who use this grip tend to slide that top hand to the bottom on as they turn the barrel into the point of contact?

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

FFS, do you think using the split grip and focusing on the hand action you describe would help someone to get the feel?

Split the Difference – One thing you can do with any hitters that are struggling with this whole concept of using both hands together is to split their grip on the bat. It’s something that Michael Lotief, at University of Louisiana Lafayette has his hitters do in order to speed up and strengthen their swing, and he’s had tremendous success doing it. By having the hitter’s split their hands even ½ an inch apart on the bat it helps the hands act separately from each other, something the hands are much more used to doing. Players aren’t used to holding the bat this way so it will feel “weird” at first. But have your players try it for a practice and see if they can overcome the weirdness of it and start using their hands better and increase their bat speed.

Yes Knight, that is the purpose of the split grip drill ... To allow a focus on the different functionality of each hand.

 

[tjintx]

If I give the bottom hand the role of finding the ball, and simply use the top hand to pull the barrel around, then I find zero need to think in terms of maintaining a triangle … it simply happens … it is a result.

So to answer your question (bolded above) … what I do is simply use my bottom hand to find the ball and use my top hand to pull the barrel around.

Turn the barrel … and the angles that you speak of being maintained … will ‘be’ (as in referring to a ‘result’) maintained.

I disagree, your simplified just turn it with the top hand and direct with the bottom hand has not "to date" answered the question of HOW to turn the barrel. It lacks focus in the proper place to deliver centripetal to centrifugal transfer. That's why so many are confused about it still. Some people have used homemade PVC connectors to try to feel it. The connector will be felt in the elbows which is the wrong place. What I offered was a way to feel in the hands what turning the barrel is and you countered with same answer that no one yet understands. I know what you are saying but it does not give the right feel to someone who does not know how to turn the barrel.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

I have addressed centripetal to centrifugal recently ... Multiple times even. If folks are confused then they'll ask questions ... I don't see folks as overly shy in that regard. I continue to advocate that one does not need to focus on the triangular relationship if they are simply taught how to turn the barrel ... In which case the forearm relationship becomes a result. The physical act of turning the barrel establishes the relationship.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-hitting-practical/17474-looking-drills-keep-shoulder-opening-up-3.html#post218352

 

[Doug Romrell]

http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-hitting-practical/17474-looking-drills-keep-shoulder-opening-up-3.html#post218352

There's so damned much wonderful information on this site, is there a technology on the horizon to link up my brain to download it all?

 

[Indiana's DH]

Two thoughts I had when reading through today's replies:
I explained the meaning of turning the barrel to the girls by showing them the Pro Hammer. When you hold the Pro Hammer in your stance, the hitting surface is facing 90 degrees away from the pitcher. Obviously it has to turn 90 degrees into the path of the pitch at the start of a swing. Turning your hands from "palm forward and palm back" in the stance to "palm up and palm down" at contact is turning the barrel. Doing it as quickly as possible separates the hitters from poor to good to great. This explanation worked with the girls.

Second - the split grip drill. We use it to feel the turning of the barrel and it helps the batter to turn the barrel more quickly. The girls like the way it feels, but they also feel like a split grip decreases their power. From my own experimenting, I agree. So - we talk about using a little bit of split grip with 2 strikes. Not as much as Lotief teaches, but 1 to 2 fingers worth. The girls like it, and it does make them better contact hitters. We use the split grip in practice so they are well used to it.

 

[vdubya]

Two thoughts I had when reading through today's replies:
I explained the meaning of turning the barrel to the girls by showing them the Pro Hammer. When you hold the Pro Hammer in your stance, the hitting surface is facing 90 degrees away from the pitcher. Obviously it has to turn 90 degrees into the path of the pitch at the start of a swing. Turning your hands from "palm forward and palm back" in the stance to "palm up and palm down" at contact is turning the barrel. Doing it as quickly as possible separates the hitters from poor to good to great. This explanation worked with the girls.

FINALLY!! Someone used the phrase 'turn the barrel' and actually described what the hell the phrase means! Whether or not this is generally agreed upon DH, praise to you for explaining this, rather succinctly, in plain ole english. There are many of us on here who gave up on getting any real explanation of 'turn the barrel' long ago when it became apparent that the only way to describe what the phrase means is by showing a gif of a player and saying "See. Turn the barrel." You are the first to make any sense of that phrase IMO. Thanks again for letting the secret out!

 

[CoogansBluff]

I explained the meaning of turning the barrel to the girls by showing them the Pro Hammer. When you hold the Pro Hammer in your stance, the hitting surface is facing 90 degrees away from the pitcher. Obviously it has to turn 90 degrees into the path of the pitch at the start of a swing. Turning your hands from "palm forward and palm back" in the stance to "palm up and palm down" at contact is turning the barrel. Doing it as quickly as possible separates the hitters from poor to good to great. This explanation worked with the girls.

I wonder if hitting wiffle balls with a tennis racket (using the frame of the racket) would work for this. Considering that the ProHammer is about $120.