Tinsley, 8

[Eric F]

So who is to say the action is in the back leg, hip or lower torso/back (arching the lower back)?

To get my rear leg to react the way I see in video of top hitters, I feel the action happening in the upper leg and hip socket. Pivoting on the ball of the foot does result in the same action.

All that said, trying to teach that to an 8yo is probably not realistic.

 

[So Cal Seth]

To get my rear leg to react the way I see in video of top hitters, I feel the action happening in the upper leg and hip socket. Pivoting on the ball of the foot does result in the same action.

All that said, trying to teach that to an 8yo is probably not realistic.

But some of us are suckers and are trying any way ; )

 

[Shawn]

To get my rear leg to react the way I see in video of top hitters, I feel the action happening in the upper leg and hip socket. Pivoting on the ball of the foot does result in the same action.

All that said, trying to teach that to an 8yo is probably not realistic.

Yeah all the kids were taught to squash the bug and a little swing level thrown in there. The metrics show the swinging level as well as the video. Tinsley is the only one who is negatively affected by squash the bug and I don't think it will be very hard to break the movement pattern. I think she is a fast learner, or at least I hope she is a fast learner.

 

[Eric F]

Yeah all the kids were taught to squash the bug and a little swing level thrown in there. The metrics show the swinging level as well as the video. Tinsley is the only one who is negatively affected by squash the bug and I don't think it will be very hard to break the movement pattern. I think she is a fast learner, or at least I hope she is a fast learner.

One phrase I've used with littles when trying to break the bug squish is "let the bug go free!". Show them how the leg action pulls the heel up to let the bug fly away. "Drive the rear knee towards the front foot" can be a helpful cue, too.

 

[Shawn]

Eric,

She is doing what you don't want as a bug squashier, she keeping the body stacked over the back leg/foot. I think getting the core/center out in front of the back foot will have positive results.

 

[Shawn]

Eric,

We spread her out a little and got the hips more forward. The squashing the bug is still there, although it is a huge improvement compared to the joints being stacked. She's in her bathing suit bottoms so I'm not going to post her swings this week.

 

[Shawn]

Here are 3 hitters who are just getting started. They played at 10u C for the most part last season. I consider these swings as the jumping off point. They did work hard on their pitching this off season and not so much on their hitting. This off season we will work on hitting as well. It was just the case that they were going to the be the pitchers for a new team and their first experience of travel ball, so everytime my niece called me over she wanted to work on pitching (my niece was the coach for their team). They did learn how to pitch in one off season and during the season.

Next time I'll get live toss as well. Just went with tee today.

Eric,

I think when I showed her to get the hips more out in-front, the hips are more forward now although she now has the head to far back. The head isn't over the back hip in this swing, compared to the clip I showed you.

 

[clemenslee1]

One phrase I've used with littles when trying to break the bug squish is "let the bug go free!". Show them how the leg action pulls the heel up to let the bug fly away. "Drive the rear knee towards the front foot" can be a helpful cue, too.

That's the one that made the most sense to my DD. I also try not mentioning the back foot at all. That way her focus, doesn't stay on the foot. Rather make all the focus on her rear knee.

 

[clemenslee1]

Something that might help change her thinking. Is to tell her that we are not trying to spin in a circle to swing the bat around the ball. But we are trying to take a straight line through the ball. Kids at here age see a MLB player or college play swing the bat and in their mind they think that person is basically holding on to the bat and spinning in a circle. So what do they do? They hold onto the bat and spin in a circle. When that is not really what the swing does. Hope this helps.