PUSH the BAT or PULL the BAT

[FiveFrameSwing]

Rich you move up a spot from the first time it went around.
http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-hitting-technical/2388-reverse-hand-drill.html

IMO the drill didn't cure the issue with her struggle to obtain extension through contact and just beyond contact ... but it did help her obtain extension in her follow-through as the barrel was directed back towards the backstop.

 

[jbooth]

SL,

Pizza toss drill vs Cal Ripken bottom hand

does cal look like he pulling or using a wrist articulation to flatten the barrel as it is being thrown/turned into a backhand

The other drill looks like it builds a muscle memory that pulls the barrel around and then needs to pull off early...

Yes, i agree that the pizza toss would work but is it a path to where you would want a swing to go?

Cal is using ulnar deviation combined with a bit of supination. In layman's terms; his palm is facing down and he is cranking his little finger toward his forearm bone (the ulna). His forearm will twist a little bit also taking the back of his hand toward the pitcher. He starts the snap from his armpit, right after his body rotation starts.

The drill that the girl is doing, will encourage a follow through, but I'm not sure it's teaching a proper timing of the wrist action.

Cal is hitting that ball into the ground. If he wanted a line drive he would do the same action, but raise the front elbow and tilt the back shoulder more toward the ball.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Cal is using ulnar deviation combined with a bit of supination. In layman's terms; his palm is facing down and he is cranking his little finger toward his forearm bone (the ulna). His forearm will twist a little bit also taking the back of his hand toward the pitcher. He starts the snap from his armpit, right after his body rotation starts.

The drill that the girl is doing, will encourage a follow through, but I'm not sure it's teaching a proper timing of the wrist action.

Cal is hitting that ball into the ground. If he wanted a line drive he would do the same action, but raise the front elbow and tilt the back shoulder more toward the ball.

Bold above .... IMO it is this lead arm/wrist/hand action that leads to chicken wing swings and swings that lack extension. I don't consider the drill this girl is doing to be overly good in terms of the bottom hand action.

 

[RichK]

Rich you move up a spot from the first time it went around.
http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-hitting-technical/2388-reverse-hand-drill.html

That's funny....old folks like me don't have old Facebook posts to haunt us, just old DFP posts, lol

 

[Greenmonsters]

Actually, the top hand is the guide. It determines the ultimate path of the bat using the bottom hand as a pivot point as the front arm supplies power in the form of a pull.

Len

Interested in how this translates for an outside pitch that gets deep and hit to opposite field.

 

[Lenski]

The top hand has more vertical control (up/down) of the bat barrel. The front arm/hand provides an approximation but the top hand provides the necessary adjustments to make contact and guides the bat barrel to the ball, much like bunting.

Len

 

[redhotcoach]

Interested in how this translates for an outside pitch that gets deep and hit to opposite field.

Yeah...wonder about power to the ball....not just contact.

 

[Lenski]

The majority of the power is still coming from the front side.

 

[RayR]

You gotta work on your layman's terms....in real layman's terms he doing exactly what he says he is doing....he is backhanding the ball....

About 30 secs in - Cal says,

And so the sensation you want to feel is....like you are backhanding this ball right here. So, when put the bat in your hand your back hand the ball right in there

Cal is using ulnar deviation combined with a bit of supination. In layman's terms; his palm is facing down and he is cranking his little finger toward his forearm bone (the ulna). His forearm will twist a little bit also taking the back of his hand toward the pitcher. He starts the snap from his armpit, right after his body rotation starts.

The drill that the girl is doing, will encourage a follow through, but I'm not sure it's teaching a proper timing of the wrist action.

Cal is hitting that ball into the ground. If he wanted a line drive he would do the same action, but raise the front elbow and tilt the back shoulder more toward the ball.

 

[redhotcoach]

Interested in how this translates for an outside pitch that gets deep and hit to opposite field.

From Cindy Bristow (you know GM how I always include a video or info from a respected member of the baseball or softball world.)

Trying to Pull Everything – the other reason our hitters struggle with this pitch is that weaker hitters try to pull everything and that doesn’t work on an outside pitch. When poor hitters having twisting swings, where their chests pull their hands and their entire swing is moving sideways, it makes reaching out to get plate coverage extremely difficult. It’s hard, if not impossible, to hit the ball to rightfield when your chest is twisting into the 3rd base dugout. So having poor hitting mechanics is the other reason the outside pitch is so hard to hit.

5 Drills for Hitting the Outside Pitch « Softball Excellence

Merry Christmas GM!