Preparing the Body to Stride

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Oct 13, 2014
5,471
113
South Cali
I don't consider the move out to be a reaction to a negative move ... to me a negative move is simply the preparation for a move out. The move out is relatively slow and controlled.

‘ you go back to go forward ‘ is what I mean when I want a reactive forward move. As opposed to a 50/50 stance and just a forward move.
 
Aug 20, 2017
1,475
113
I Feel comfortable teaching the move out (stride), I want to understand better the mechanics of what y’all teach for the move back prior to the stride. It’s difficult to stride slowly unless the body feels prepped to stride. Negative move, the move back is what I’m looking for. I’ve taught various things for this but I want something that can be repeated easily and consistently. I appreciate all the responses!
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
Just curious of how some of you guys teach the body preparation to stride. Post up against back leg, compress front hip against back hip, back butt check to Pitcher? What has worked best in your experience? Most MLB hitter seem to post backside as they bring front knee towards belly button but I don’t see much front knee towards belly button in Fastpitch. Could be totally off on that

Really comes down to the individual.

For some hitters there is no need to make mention of a negative move. In fact some are unaware of their negative move and will only become aware of it if you point it out to them.

My policy is not to coach the negative move if I find the negative move supportive. In fact, often refining the positive move will have a hitter naturally enhancing their negative move.

Some hitters have a horrible negative move and need help ... sway, scrunch, into, over sitting, quick pulse, etc. Some need to be introduced to an 'against' or 'around' feel, and the binding/resistance that brings the body forward.
 
Apr 11, 2015
877
63
I Feel comfortable teaching the move out (stride), I want to understand better the mechanics of what y’all teach for the move back prior to the stride. It’s difficult to stride slowly unless the body feels prepped to stride. Negative move, the move back is what I’m looking for. I’ve taught various things for this but I want something that can be repeated easily and consistently. I appreciate all the responses!
I think if you get a good understanding of what it is you're looking for in the weight movement/distribution within the body on the move out, then I believe working backwards from there with each individual's style will better tell you what you're going to need to teach (or not teach) to each of your hitters. JMO...OMMV.
 
Oct 13, 2014
5,471
113
South Cali
CB,

I try to get a forward move through a negative move. For me it’s about keeping a hitter balanced in their negative move all the way through their positive move.

This is where I see amateur player(s) become unbalanced by either getting out of their ‘frame’ of balance and staying back to much OR a player not ‘staying’ in their ‘frame’ long enough and getting forward without control. Both leading to timing issues but in truth it’s balance that they don’t have which directly effects timing. The goal is balance all the way through the sequence with timing. Hard to do and imo not taught enough.

In fact grossly undertaught. It gets labeled as ‘style’ quite often. A mistake imo.

What I mean by this is most coaches skip the fundamentals of the sequence to get to the ‘fireworks’ of the sequence.

Balanced actions negative and positive is the goal imo. Getting the torso to move in space from one place to another on time is how I go about it.

https://twitter.com/hyattcraig/status/1069805359974371328?s=21

Here’s Cano with a negative move that gets him positive. His knee is pulled towards his midline for balance(timing).So his stride is ‘reactive’. His torso is moved forward because of his negative move. Not because of his momentum. The positive(momentum) was a result of the negative. From here if Cano was to far back or to far forward his timing would be off. Why? Because of the instinctual preservation of the body.

Here’s a clip of Chamberlain with a reactive stride as well. She starts open, then her lead leg gets closer to her midline as she strides.

https://twitter.com/thehittingvault/status/1090010400052002817?s=21


When the body is out of balance, the goal changes from ‘hitting’ to instinctual preservation. Hitting becomes a secondary goal. Not good when your timing window is minuscule. This is how I see it. Others may differ.
 
Jan 6, 2009
6,591
113
Chehalis, Wa
giphy.gif


What is back and what is forward?

BTW, I really like the small knee lift in this clip, Griffey had the same small knee lift.
 
Oct 13, 2014
5,471
113
South Cali
giphy.gif


What is back and what is forward?

BTW, I really like the small knee lift in this clip, Griffey had the same small knee lift.

Nice clip. His COM gets back while his ‘frame’ gets forward. His COM catches up at foot down(balanced and torqued at this point imo). Glaus is set up for the torso engine to power his swing at this point.

I think the knee lift is dictated by a hitters balance, rhythm and timing. A no teach if balance is achieved in the negative move. Opinions may vary.
 
Jan 6, 2009
6,591
113
Chehalis, Wa
Nice clip. His COM gets back while his ‘frame’ gets forward. His COM catches up at foot down(balanced and torqued at this point imo). Glaus is set up for the torso engine to power his swing at this point.

I think the knee lift is dictated by a hitters balance, rhythm and timing. A no teach if balance is achieved in the negative move. Opinions may vary.

Yeah you could say the coiled position is at toe touch (launch position). There isn't any fancy negative move. The negative move and positive move blend together.
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
Folks ... if you turn on your feel sensors you will see that the 'negative move' does not cause the 'positive move' ... there is a transition taking place. For many that transition occurs naturally. For hitters with a faulty negative move, that feel needs to be established.
 

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