Swing clip...what you like and don't about this swing

[Mark H]

Same swing. Probably seven frames. It's a long casting arm swing. She's a good athlete but she won't hit good pitching with this swing imo. She can stay where she is and hit as well as she's hitting against the pitchers she is currently facing or she can do a total swing makeover if she wants to hit good pitching at higher levels. No right or wrong since there is only so much time in the day and kids have many and varied goals.

 

[softballphreak]

Her back foot needs to be slightly more pigeon-toed; otherwise the hips will be somewhat restricted.
Her weight (back knee) appears to be over her back foot; her back knee needs to be inside her back foot.
Her hands need to be closer to her chest; that may help the casting Mark mentioned.
Her back hip needs to slightly lead her hands at heel plant. The hands are ahead of the hips in this clip; disconnected.
From what I see these should be relatively easy fixes.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

Some say there is no top hand tourque. I don't know but she seems to generate quite a bit as the bat seems to accelerate into contact using the top hand.

This is whip and not top hand torque (and it's pretty good at a glance).

 

[lhowser]

Same swing. Probably seven frames. It's a long casting arm swing. She's a good athlete but she won't hit good pitching with this swing imo. She can stay where she is and hit as well as she's hitting against the pitchers she is currently facing or she can do a total swing makeover if she wants to hit good pitching at higher levels.

I agree. this new camera has really helped me see what is going on. She has faced some very good pitching in summer ball. She had a great deal of success but she was often taking a two strike no stride swing that wasn't the best she can do. I just told her tonight after viewing this video that from heel drop this swing needs rebuilt. This week I am going to try to do some tee and soft toss video and look at it side by side with game footage. As Mark suggested earlier I think she falls back into an old pattern in game situations. Went 3/4 today but the pitching was very so so (Low 50's and pretty straight).

This is whip and not top hand torque (and it's pretty good at a glance).

Makes sense. I think she is covering a lot of swing flaws with nice hand adjustments. I am going to try to post video as we work through this thing. Your input is very helpful and i think it's educational for everyone with a DD that they are helping to improve.

 

[lhowser]

Here is DD off of tee from side and back. Some different characteristics that her game swing at front of this thread but a lot the same. I am looking at a few things. Back knee kind of set outside foot. Some sort of slight disconnection I can't quite put my finger on and maybe the back elbow down to much as part of first move? Also would like thoughts about weight transfer. What do you guys/gals see??

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[RayR]

The counter rotation is forcing an outside to in path. The tee is set up a little inside, but not enough to force this kind of hand path - or at least it shouldn't.

I would try some front arm hammer drills learning to stay inside. Get rid of the counter rotation.

It's not the elbow. The outside to in path will cause the rear shoulder to drop.

 

[Hitter]

Here is DD off of tee from side and back. Some different characteristics that her game swing at front of this thread but a lot the same. I am looking at a few things. Back knee kind of set outside foot. Some sort of slight disconnection I can't quite put my finger on and maybe the back elbow down to much as part of first move? Also would like thoughts about weight transfer. What do you guys/gals see??

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Learn to track the ball by looking forward into the net and using the eyes to the ball on the tee. We glue a piece of white rag inside the tee to promote head down during contact and want them to see the rag after they hit the ball.

Look at her top hand grip as it looks like the bat is buried in the back of the hand which limits her bat control. Even her wrist appears to be very rigid. As she is coming to connection the shoulders roll in too far. Much more than 3.5 inches will effect your vision with the right eye as a right handed hitter and you are not using both eyes equally. Because she is staring at the ball the entire time this would not cause issues until game time. It looks like there is little separation verses just rotating in too far verses just moving the hands rearward slightly would help with momentum.

Now look at the he back elbow...as it comes down to slot it appears the hand is ahead of the elbow pushing the bat.The rope drill would help her feel it more. She does not get to extension and you can see the lead elbow fold over. The hand over drill would correct this as most females have never felt nor understand what extension is in my opinion and once they understand it they know the difference and love it.

I like her stepping into the bucket and we do this all the time especially to start them off. When filming I like to be able to see the lead knee and ankle to make sure they land on the inside edge of the lead foot and that the knee is flexed. It appears the weight shift is not smooth and that may be because she is leaning back wards trying to keep too much weight on the back side in stead of allowing the weight shift to flow like water in a bottle.

You have done a great job and a few little things will make her even better in a short amount of time.

Thanks Howard

 

[lhowser]

Thanks for the input both MTS and Hitter. She is close enough to being good that I really hope to help her clean this swing up so she can be someone who can be counted on against the better pitching in her high school and age group. She is a Freshman this year.

Now look at the he back elbow...as it comes down to slot it appears the hand is ahead of the elbow pushing the bat.The rope drill would help her feel it more.

Howard, the rope drill is a front hand drill with the whip hit type device? Or what is it?
The hand over drill would correct this as most females have never felt nor understand what extension is in my opinion and once they understand it they know the difference and love it.
I have been using this with 10 year olds the last two weeks and just learning the benefit. If haven't done it yet with my 15 y/o DD but I think she is an ideal candidate.

It appears the weight shift is not smooth and that may be because she is leaning back wards trying to keep too much weight on the back side in stead of allowing the weight shift to flow like water in a bottle.

I've haed you say this before. Could you copy and paste your explanation of the water flow drill with the bottle to help with transfer. I very much want the little ones I am working with to understand this.
Howard...I'm up in NE Ohio but I may show up on your doorstep one day.

 

[Hitter]

Thanks for the input both MTS and Hitter. She is close enough to being good that I really hope to help her clean this swing up so she can be someone who can be counted on against the better pitching in her high school and age group. She is a Freshman this year.

Howard, the rope drill is a front hand drill with the whip hit type device? Or what is it?
The hand over drill would correct this as most females have never felt nor understand what extension is in my opinion and once they understand it they know the difference and love it.
I have been using this with 10 year olds the last two weeks and just learning the benefit. If haven't done it yet with my 15 y/o DD but I think she is an ideal candidate.
I've haed you say this before. Could you copy and paste your explanation of the water flow drill with the bottle to help with transfer. I very much want the little ones I am working with to understand this.
Howard...I'm up in NE Ohio but I may show up on your doorstep one day.

Howard, the rope drill is a front hand drill with the whip hit type device? Or what is it?

No it is not just the lead hand. Yes you could use the WhipHit however a large diameter rope will do that is knotted on one end.Set a tee up with a ball that should be hit up the middle first and have her measure off from home plate. Have her hold the rope and you stand where the catcher sets up. Have her load and stride and separate her hands rearward a little. Now put a little tension on the rope and observe what her elbows are doing in slow motion as she starts her swing. Did the lead elbow move forward about 2 to 4 inches? Did the rear elbow start to lower as the lead elbow went forward? Where are the hands going? Over home plate? Towards the second baseman's playing position? Hopefully they are going inside the path of the ball!

As this is happening did her chest/ shoulders begin to open or are they basically still closed? Too closed equals too linear! As her elbows begin to work as a unit staying connected we should start to see tilt and turn and this depends on the location of the ball so in this case we want the belly button to be opening towards the pitcher and the shoulders a little more turned . Now at this point we are going towards bat lag were the knob is leading the elbows and the rope is straight back towards you and she is pulling forward as this drill is some what static and no momentum or centripetal force is being generated. The concept is for you to be able to help direct the path of the hands and where the shoulders/ elbows should be so she can feel what it is you are saying. Doing this in front of a mirror really brings it home as to see it, feel it and fix it! Repeat a couple more times and let her move her elbow in close to her back hip and you and her will feel a loss of power. Move it away a little more and you will feel her get the power back again. So much for keep the elbow close to the hip as it bleeds off the power.

Now set the tee up for an outside pitch. Then the teaching point here is we are learning to rotate as needed and our belly button is the indicator of how far our hips will turn/ rotate and how our elbows work as a unit and the knob of the bat/ rope is leading the elbows so the path of the hands are going inside the ball and we release or unhinge the wrist early because the ball is an out side pitch.

Cut off an old bat handle and make it about 14 inches long and put a rubber cord or rope on it and then they can feel the wrist unhinge more so than just with the rope.

The hand over drill works better than anyone gives it credit for. Most male instructors take for granted the girls understand extension and they do not. A lot of people talk about it and yet still do not see how to teach it or get them to feel the difference. Straightleg found this drill and initially I did not like it until I kept trying it on kids that had just run into a brick wall about feeling it. I even had them throw the bat into the net!

Take a half full or have empty bottle of water depending on how you view the world....lay it in your hand horizontally and have the hitter put their hand under yours so they can feel the water shifting from one end to the other. Now load or tilt the bottle so the water shifts towards the catcher and then you control when it goes positive towards the pitcher. Do not allow the water to slush forward out of control. You are in control of how your hips shift the weight. Now let them try it so they get the idea. Point too the hips with each hand and explain this is where the water is and we want your hips to flow like the water. I will sit in a chair and have them face towards me with their belly button and they load and stride and we position them on their inside edge of the lead foot. Sometimes it helps to have them take off their shoes and they can see how the foot MUST be positioned so the baby toe can be off the ground and the knee is flexed. Now gently hit their lead leg thigh area and they will wiggle and move a little when you slap the thigh. I tell them it should feel like jello does on a plate...you can feel the jello wiggle. Now firm up the leg or straighten it out and slap the thigh again and you and her will feel how rigid it is. Now learn to stride and flow like the water and do not stop your weight shift learn to control it! As Bruce Lee said, "Become the water my friend!"

As to coming to visit....you have the best hitting instructor in the world in Akron right now....Crystl Bustos! Do not waste 4 hours coming to see me as she is the real deal!

Thanks Howard

 

[softballphreak]

She is too much on the backside from the very start and it gets worse as she swings.

The knee is over the back foot; it should be inside the back foot. I call it the Bambi look when done right.

Her upper body is leaning rearward; it should be centered between her legs.

As she swings she continues to lean away from the ball; an upward-type lean. There is a cue called "Smell the ball." In other words get your head down on the ball.

She is pushing with her rear foot; the hip should be pulling that foot similar to what a pitcher does. It should be pulled with the hip, not the chest.

Not sure what her bat weighs but even if it's not too heavy, I would recommend a light bat (20-21 ounces) until she can whip her game bat the same as the light bat.

Lastly, I can't tell in the clip, are her knocking knuckles aligned. It appears they are in a choke grip. If so that will slow her whipping the bat also.