Stopping at contact

[BrianTx01]

My DD's high school coach absolutely insists that they stop at contact. This is absolutely contrary to everything I have ever heard about hitting. Is this some new fad that I haven't heard of before?

 

[Cornbread]

As a drill to help with bat path, we will do some stop swings. We don’t stop at contact but we try to maintain palm up/palm down actually stopping with the hands and barrel at shoulder level. Hitters that use a lot of shoulder rotation (spinal rotation) get the barrel going left (for a righty) too early. Also, many hitters will allow hands to go all the way down to their hips (hands leveling with ball). Typically those that have been taught knob to the ball. We will do stop swings out of a 45 degree stance on side toss and front toss. It helps with the feel of addressing the two issues above. Not sure if that’s what your DDs coach is doing or not. Never seen a drill where you actually stop at contact. I don’t see any benefit in doing that.

 

[Rolling Hard]

I like stop at contact drill to illustrate to the hitter that they have to let outside pitch get deeper and catch the inside pitch a little more out front. So identifying an inside and outside early and timing them up accordingly. I saw an Alabama player at home during Christmas break a few years ago doing it with her dad at the park. She was an absolute stud. Maybe a dozen front toss pitches.

 

[BrianTx01]

I have definitely seen the drill were they stop at contact. Her coach is actually insisting that they stop at contact during the game.

 

[Lance Steckler]

assuming that there is no 'error in translation", i know of no logical reason to issue this type of hitting edict in games. SMH

 

[Cornbread]

I’ll add that it would take a massive amount of hand strength to actually stop at contact. Have seen some drills using a lite bat or pvc pipe with wiggle balls to stop at contact. Might want to ask the coach what the purpose of doing it is.

 

[FB Fool]

we do a drill where she stops at extension. We will do this when she is cutting the ball.

 

[RADcatcher]

I have definitely seen the drill were they stop at contact. Her coach is actually insisting that they stop at contact during the game.

It can be a helpful beginning developmental tool. And a tool with developed players against a challenging pitcher situation.
*Because purposely controlling what the body & bat are doing can create better mental to physical control instead of just swinging away and letting bad habits do their thing.

Basically players can either swing wildly. Or they can swing in a form that has less room for boogering it up.

For instance even at top tier levels there are batters who will not use their full swing in certain challenging pitcher game situations and they will condense their swing to have more control with it.

 

[RADcatcher]

we do a drill where she stops at extension. We will do this when she is cutting the ball.

helps Define bat angle approach to the ball and where bat and body is at contact.

 

[PJR202]

I’ll add that it would take a massive amount of hand strength to actually stop at contact. Have seen some drills using a lite bat or pvc pipe with wiggle balls to stop at contact. Might want to ask the coach what the purpose of doing it is.

My daughter was bad about this until recently, but she didn't stop so much as that she loosened her grip and killed the energy off the barrel.