Suggestions for improving extension

[Magglio36]

Hello everyone,
There is one thing that I have been working on for a couple of weeks with my coach. I am working on extension through the ball. Sometimes at bat I do extend through and other times I don't. I am working to make extension consistant. Any suggestions to help would be appreciated. Thanks
Lori

 

[jimginas]

Tee drills from your back knee, front leg firm..... takes the lower body out so you can concentrate on contact, then extension........

A TEE drill I use is from her back knee and front leg out front - firm.......to have the batter go thru definitive motions: Contact (NOT FULL extension yet, though close), THEN extension so her barrel is pointing toward the pitcher (notice the V from you bat barrel to your shoulders), then follow thru or release. KEY is top hand that on contact is PALM up, stays STRONG through contact and extension and does NOT ROLL over until your follow through or release.
Be patient and do this SLOWLY 30+ times, so you can see and FEEL what you wrists and arms should feel like, then speed it up progressivelyso you become fluid. Would be GREAT for you to do this 2-3X a day for 5-6 days a week, and I'm pretty confident that within 2-3 weeks (maybe 4-5 weeks), you'll see positive results. Takes time to make a new muscle memory/habit, but you'll have more power on contact and more opportunities to make contact.

 

[go4fpsb]

Hello everyone,
There is one thing that I have been working on for a couple of weeks with my coach. I am working on extension through the ball. Sometimes at bat I do extend through and other times I don't. I am working to make extension consistant. Any suggestions to help would be appreciated. Thanks
Lori

Terms can be confusing so I am taking extension as the point after contact and the bat is pointing at the pitcher but before the wrists have turned over if you do turn your wrists over. I will throw this drill out and let others comment on it because I've seen it and used it a little but I am not convinced of its worth. It simply is throwing the bat towards the pitching rubber. I take the batter to the outfield where they aren't going to hit anyone with the flying bat, have them swing and when they get to extension they let the bat fly. The theory (I guess) being good extension towards the pitcher will have the bat fly straight away. Again would like to know if any one else uses this drill or if it seems useful for what Lori is looking to accomplish.

 

[Mark H]

Extension is a result, not a teach. The ball is gone by that time. Focusing on extension is misplaced imo.

What do you see in this clip relative to the extension you are looking for? http://imageevent.com/siggy/hitting/olympic?p=9&n=1&m=24&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=9

 

[SBFAMILY]

One knee drill: Use a pad and place it on the ground so the hitter can kneel on their back knee and then have them extend their lead foot forward so they can get balanced. We take the legs out of it so we can focus on just what the hands are doing or not doing.

I use this drill to help stop the wrist roll and finishing below the shoulder. As you lower your hand to soft toss from the side, they move their hands rearward or separate and as you begin to toss the ball they bring the back elbow down to slot and lead with the front elbow pulling the bat from behind their head hitting the ball with a flexed lead arm elbow and then go to extension, roll out and over with the wrists and finishing over the shoulder.

The hitters who have been taught to swing down on the ball or level are prime candidates for this drill. The back slappers and ones that finish below the shoulders are also in need of this drill. Remember to have them point the bat at the pitcher for extension if the ball in going up the middle and not to roll the wrist at all until they point the bat towards the pitcher…short to the ball and long through it. If they are pulling the ball it will be towards the shortstop and for opposite field towards the second baseman’s playing position

Again so there is no confusion the only reason we are pointing the bat towards the pitcher is because we are hitting the ball up the middle. Extension direction will happen based on the balls depth in box and position to the plate.

We take the legs out of this drill just to focus on the hands and elbows and extension. Remember to drop the elbow into the slot as you are pulling the bat from behind your head and that the elbows work as a unit so they stay what some term as connected.

Also focus on your wrist release as you should be driving the ball up the middle. You will hear a sharp sound if you hit the ball exactly perpendicular to the front edge of home plate. If you hear a thud sound you are either early or late with your wrist release.






Think of when I used the example of the person who does Tai Chi and that their motion never stops or pauses, they just change direction, so do not separate the hands and stop just change direction as the person who is soft tossing releases the ball.

WE do a drill termed the hand over drill to get the hitter to feel extension better .If they are really bad at rolling the wrist Take the top hand and turn it upside down (top hand thumb is pointing down). As we lower the back elbow to hit think pulling the bat out of the top hand as we make contact and use the lead elbow to pull the bat and the bat will go to extension and they will finish over the back shoulder and high. After about 5 swings put the top hand back on the bat normally and you will hear and see more bat speed and the bat path will improve.

JIMGINAS . I think we are talking the same drill.

 

[Mark H]

SB,

Are you defining extension here as whip/wrist uncocking/the bat moving from perpendicular to the lead arm forearm to near parallel? When I hear people asking about extension I'm thinking follow through and or power V type thinking.

 

[mrslug01]

I hear what Mark H is saying and I personally only want to talk about extension after contact. I hear too many coaches talk about extension at contact we should lose that terminology. My DD's team went to a clinic at a DI college and the coach was showing extension at contact and I had to walk away. I think this website does a great job of showing proper position at contact and the Power V AFTER contact. ChrisOLeary.com - Pain : Change : Innovation (and Baseball)

 

[SBFAMILY]

As stated before extending the bat head will be in the direction based on the balls depth in box i.e opposite field the bat head may be towards the second baseman's playing position or first baseman's as a right handed hitter or towards the pitcher if up the middle or towards shortstop or the third baseman's playing position if being pulled.

Contact is contact and extension is not contact as it happens after the ball is struck. The lead elbow is usually some what flexed and is not straightened out or extended and the back elbow may look L shaped somewhat or palm up and palm down with the hands or that feel of the hands behind the bat. Many female hitters give up on the ball at contact and stop/ let up/ give up/roll their wrist or even let go starting with the baby finger and ring finger of the top hand coming off first and after they finish they hit their back and you will see the index and thumb are the only thing holding the bat etc. they do not hit the ball squarely and some of it is do to the type of grip they use as to having the bat too far back in the top hand or the thumb is tightly clasped over the index finger preventing the bat from whipping and allowing the wrist to be used effectively. We also see the hitters that line up their finger knuckles, exactly tend to roll their wrist at contact in lieu of allowing the top hand to be a little loose and the bat moving in their top hand. It is difficult with the bat in the back of your top hand to have the hands stay behind the bat effectively. Try it your self by getting into what ever contact position you choose and have some one push gently backwards on the end of the bat and see if you can hold them back as the hitter. Then try different grips or with the thumb locked on top of the index finger on the top hand or with your head level or down as if tracking the ball.

Then go to a field and do the hand over drill i.e. with the top hand turned upside down and as you pull with the lead arm elbow making what we term a good first move of about 2 to 4 inches see if your girls especially do not hit the ball further with one hand verses two! You may be surprised after 5 swings and then when they use both hands they will hit it much farther because now both hands and elbows are more connected at contact. When you see the bat hit the shoulders finish just above the shoulders or go directly over their back most likely something happened at or during contact to cause it. Look especially for the lead arm elbow not making a good first move or the rolling of the wrist. We are not talking about why the ball was a grounder or a pop up stay on extension and where the bat finishes is a clue to what you did possibly at contact. Why because the focus on extension and the feeling of coming to the ball and through the ball and never stopping. After teaching both boys and girls for 20 years we as males do not know how or why they balance the way the females do or why their front leg does not flex like ours, or why leverage eludes them and momentum is alien to their body however it can be taught and they can learn. Keep it simple and leave the scaps etc out of it so the Mom and Dad can grasp it and get the hitter to see it, feel it and fix it.

If you think this is crazy, those of you who have a son and a daughter tell me who makes the most noise coming down the stairs? Have a girl jump up in the air and land and then have a boy do it and see who makes the most noise? Why?

 

[MendozaBusta]

Extension thru contact is a good thing. It means you've done some things well in the swing. Focusing on hitting thru the ball and getting the PowerV and finishing your swing is a good thing.

 

[SBFAMILY]

mrslug01: Looking at O'Leary site, I get what he is saying, but disagree on how or what he calls it. Looking at the same swing in RVP, we do not call it Rotational hitting. Not do we call it Linear Hitting, but a combination of both. As Mark likes to say look at the frames . The Picture he uses showing Linear with a concrete tool, is one of the worst hitting devices on the Market. That is one area I agree with him. It is interesting on how he describes a swing and how Don Slaught describes the same swing.