Rear hip drive vs. spinning

[mth03]

I'm new here and work with a youth boys team. Love this site, great information. i am seeing a big problem with a few of our boys when teaching them to get the hips rotating. many of them just seem to spin out and others actually straighten out on the back leg. I've tried to cue them to drive the rear knee inward, but wondering if any of you have some other cues or drill to help.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Hitter]

I'm new here and work with a youth boys team. Love this site, great information. i am seeing a big problem with a few of our boys when teaching them to get the hips rotating. many of them just seem to spin out and others actually straighten out on the back leg. I've tried to cue them to drive the rear knee inward, but wondering if any of you have some other cues or drill to help.
Thanks in advance.

Not everyone may agree however I have had some kids really struggle with this...

I put a concrete block on the edge of the back foot. Then I attach a elbow brace around the knee cap with a piece of surgical tubing attached to it and they load and go to toe touch and hit a ball off the tee.

Now I apply a little tension at about 45 degrees as a right handed hitter, so the cord is pointing towards were the second base man normally plays prior to their load phase and as they go to toe touch the slight amount of pressure gets them to feel the weight shift and drive off the back foot toe and they clear the brick.

After a few swings they get it.

The main issue is flex in the front knee and usually it is not an issue in the boys and is more of an issue with the girls.

Another way to get them to feel it is to ask them to stand against the break as described and throw a ball and they WILL not squish the bug or spin out.

Now ask them to repeat only this time have them take the lead hand index finger and interlock it with the baby finger of the top hand and hold the ball in the top hand. Some refer to this as a golf grip.

Explain to them, slow to load, soft to step on a flexed front knee and they are going to throw the ball while both hands are linked together just like they are hitting and point out the back elbow will lower as they throw and in my opinion within two throws they will not spin out!

Then put them on a tee with the block on the outside edge of the foot..

Please let me know how it works.

Thanks Howard

 

[mth03]

Coach, I didn't have surgical tubing and used a theraband instead. It worked okay, but i couldn't quite get enough tension in the theraband to get them to "feel" it. I will try to use a light jump stretch band next session.
With my own son, who is guilty of spinning, I tried a cue of get your back foot shoe laces to the ground and it seemed to help. Obviously I would not want him to to do this, but he did get his rear hip involve more with that cue. Would a cue like that possibly have any negative effects?

 

[Hitter]

Not everyone may agree however I have had some kids really struggle with this...

I put a concrete block on the edge of the back foot. Then I attach a elbow brace around the knee cap with a piece of surgical tubing attached to it and they load and go to toe touch and hit a ball off the tee.

Now I apply a little tension at about 45 degrees as a right handed hitter, so the cord is pointing towards were the second base man normally plays prior to their load phase and as they go to toe touch the slight amount of pressure gets them to feel the weight shift and drive off the back foot toe and they clear the brick.

After a few swings they get it.

The main issue is flex in the front knee and usually it is not an issue in the boys and is more of an issue with the girls.

Another way to get them to feel it is to ask them to stand against the break as described and throw a ball and they WILL not squish the bug or spin out.

Now ask them to repeat only this time have them take the lead hand index finger and interlock it with the baby finger of the top hand and hold the ball in the top hand. Some refer to this as a golf grip.

Explain to them, slow to load, soft to step on a flexed front knee and they are going to throw the ball while both hands are linked together just like they are hitting and point out the back elbow will lower as they throw and in my opinion within two throws they will not spin out!

Then put them on a tee with the block on the outside edge of the foot..

Please let me know how it works.

Thanks Howard

By putting a little tension on the cord as the back heel lifts it will feel natural as the knee cap is moving forward and the hips will thrust and rotate. Make sure the front knee is flexed and they are on the inside edge of the foot.

Also explain as the front heel is going down the back heel lifts, Sue Enquist calls this the Elvis move however they probably never heard of Elvis!

It usually only takes a few times.

Thanks Howard