He describes exactly what we found to be a key to success for Maddie - head over the rear hip.
The middle frame is heel-down. Some may consider that to be "shifted". However, the dynamic balance is still over the rear hip.
Teaching the high level pattern
- Thread starter Mike-Coach-Q
- Start date
Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch
Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.
He describes exactly what we found to be a key to success for Maddie - head over the rear hip.
The middle frame is heel-down. Some may consider that to be "shifted". However, the dynamic balance is still over the rear hip.
As Papi explained,
Like I said.. you guys can preach this nonsense til the cows come home. I don’t care. Just don’t lie and say it’s what the best do.
Funny how you guys all resort to sarcasm. Pretty telling where you guys stand in this discussion.
Is that’s what you see here? It seems the hips and head stay centered and get forward or ‘cough’ shift pressure early. And it’s backwards from what you said and the hips ‘catch up’ to the head. you do realize the swing is 3D right? HLP wants the tilt before heel down right? Are you sure you know the HLP?
Edit: sorry maybe you do know the HLP.. maybe Maddie didn’t listen? Wouldn’t be the first time a teenager didn’t listen to their parents.
You've sure spent a lot of time flinging crap around in this thread for someone who doesn't care.
I stand in the same place I always have. What Mike teaches worked for my DD, and what I see in her swing looks a whole lot like what I see in elite hitters. I feel pretty strongly that Mike's instruction was significant in helping her get to that point. Do you ever find it puzzling how all that "nonsense" managed to produce a good result? How could that be?? While you might not agree with the methods or mechanical concepts Mike uses, he is an excellent instructor, and somehow that "nonsense" continues to help his students reach their goals.
The jury is still out. Playing division whatever High school softball and playing in college are not the same. You’re so eager to crown Mike a winner? Why? High school softball? Come to the aid of another night shift blunder. He spouts off w no real evidence etc. do you not see the pattern yet? Frustration at night. All alone in his thoughts, then he lashes out. Can’t explain a word what he coaches but we should just believe and pretend not to think? I have asked many great questions that have been answered w sarcastic remarks.I’ve been more than patient. He doesn’t have any answers or doesn’t know how to answer my questions.. you call it crap bc you don’t like people testing your beliefs. I even left it alone, but he started again and again. Go back and read.
Is the truth crap now? News to me!
With Maddie, we proved again and again that working over/behind the rear hip was critical for her. When her head got ahead of her rear hip at any of these 3 checkpoints, things didn't go well. This specific swing is on the border of getting too far forward at toe-touch (left frame), but she moves into a better position as the swing develops.
Are you under the belief that the concept of "one-legged" hitting means the front foot doesn't touch the ground until after launch?
I will remind you again that Mike was Maddie's hitting instructor, not me. She and I certainly discussed hitting mechanics from time to time, and as the years went on, I grew increasingly impressed with her body-awareness and the depth of her understanding. The feeling of a good swing for her is centered around the rear hip/leg.
About a year ago, I asked Maddie about the concept of getting the front foot down and pulling with the front leg (I believe that's what you've advocated. Maybe I'm wrong.) She was an immediate and emphatic "No. That's not right." Maybe that works for the hitters you instruct, but it's definitely not part of Maddie's pattern.
Pulling the front leg? That leg pushes. It what aids the tilts of the torso. In any good hitter. Look at your dd swing and you will see the same thing. Head is centered. Torso doesn’t tilt until the foot gets down. That’s when the back hip comes through not anytime before. The closer your dd got to 2 legs the better she got.
I judge Maddie's success on her hitting against pitchers her age who are currently on the rosters of D1 teams, while playing HS and 18U TB. I would have loved to see her continue to develop for another 4 years, but that's not the path she chose for herself. I'm a fan of Mike because he's an excellent instructor, a good person, and has become a good friend in the process.
The "crap" is your continued insistence that you are the sole owner of truth in hitting mechanics, and anything that doesn't match your beliefs is "nonsense".
Last edited:
I don’t claim anything.that’s your frustration showing. You can’t get around the fact that HLP or Mikes version or maddies or your eyes dont match up w what the best do and then claim it does. Keep that out of the thread and I wont say a word. I just dig deeper and want to understand more than you. And I’m the bad guy? Haha. Playing victim as a grown man is cowardly. And pretty common place around here lately. Grow up gents.
