Videos of my 10U DD taking cuts during batting practice, front toss from 20 feet,

[Makenzie's 10U dad]

as a 9 year old last year, she hit the ball WAAY better than this year, I'm noticing casting of arms, not hips,(rotation), last year she stayed inside the softball, with a short compact swing, this year, since we've been concentrating on pitching so much, her batting has suffered. When she does tee work, she looks great, soft toss same thing, she hit one ball this year that just about left the building around 175-180 feet, fence is 210'. She's grown probably 4 inches since last year, but she is skinny as a pencil. Strong to be so skinny, but those that KNOW hitting, would you please help a Dad Coach, that's about to go to state next weekend, get this swing corrected. Again, I can take any negative comments, I'm not a naïve parent. So, those that can see what she doing, lay it on me.
Warning slow hands, and slow hips, slow rotation


Makenzie trying to get her swing back - YouTube

 

[softballphreak]

She swings from top to bottom as opposed to bottom to top. The swing should start with the lower half.

One big plus she has is that she is a pitcher. She should be able to relate her pitching sequence to her hitting sequence. In other words, ask her to think about what it would be like to pitch using the upper half before the lower half. That's what she is doing with her hitting. She's swinging the bat ahead of her hips.

Use the "check swing" drill to begin with. It goes like this: Have her swing just like she is doing. When she finishes her swing, have her freeze at that point. Now, leaving her lower half where it is, bring the bat and shoulders back to where they started. Swing from that position. She will feel like a pretzel. You can use the tee, front toss, live pitch.

What this drill does quickly is giving them the feel of the lower half leading the swing. Once the lower half is leading, other things will fall in place so that you can start other fixes.

Be warned that this drill is uncomfortable (mostly awkward) but it has quick (within a couple days; couple hundred swings) results. Although it will make a noticeable difference quickly, it is just a start. Do it regularly until ...

 

[jbooth]

as a 9 year old last year, she hit the ball WAAY better than this year, I'm noticing casting of arms, not hips,(rotation), last year she stayed inside the softball, with a short compact swing, this year, since we've been concentrating on pitching so much, her batting has suffered. When she does tee work, she looks great, soft toss same thing, she hit one ball this year that just about left the building around 175-180 feet, fence is 210'. She's grown probably 4 inches since last year, but she is skinny as a pencil. Strong to be so skinny, but those that KNOW hitting, would you please help a Dad Coach, that's about to go to state next weekend, get this swing corrected. Again, I can take any negative comments, I'm not a naïve parent. So, those that can see what she doing, lay it on me.
Warning slow hands, and slow hips, slow rotation


Makenzie trying to get her swing back - YouTube

I've posted this many times, but here it is again. She needs to use her legs better and start the lower half first. She collapses/bends the front knee instead of bracing and pushing back to finish the hip turn.

Note in box 3 that his hips have turned and he is off of his back foot, yet the barrel and his hands have barely moved. The body must move the bat, not the arms. The swing is hips and hands. The arms just guide the bat.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Jim, in 'box 3' we have what is referred to as the "Torque Position" ... a pretty important position for the swing to pass through IMO. Perhaps a matter of semantics ... but looking at this girl's swing I feel it is important .... that is, rather than state that the hips have turned/rotated, I prefer the hips have "been" turned/rotated. In other words, there is a matter of the upper body resisting being turned as the rear upper leg drives the hip to "become" turned/rotated. That lack of resistance is
'one' of this girls issues.

Mack's Dad ... this isn't something that you clear up in a week. Hitting is more a process. Your daughter lacks a basic sound sequence ... and that, IMO, is where you need to start ... at ground zero ... start with the sequence. Right now you have a hitter that "spins", uses a "level swing approach", uses a "level shoulder approach", has a "bat drag issue", has a "hands level then swing issue", has a "gated swing issue", taps into an "inferior power source" ... ... ... and honestly, it's a mess that needs to begin with getting the basic sequence ironed out.

The attitude at this point shouldn't be so much to find a band-aide for an upcoming tournament ... but to begin a process of getting this swing healthy. Start with the basic sequence.

Forget about your recollection of her being an awesome hitter at age 9. Her swing back then may have been "effective" for a rec-level experience, but it was likely never good. Start from scratch ... and begin with the basic sequence.

 

[softballphreak]

Jim, in 'box 3' we have what is referred to as the "Torque Position" ... a pretty important position for the swing to pass through IMO. Perhaps a matter of semantics ... but looking at this girl's swing I feel it is important .... that is, rather than state that the hips have turned/rotated, I prefer the hips have "been" turned/rotated. In other words, there is a matter of the upper body resisting being turned as the rear upper leg drives the hip to "become" turned/rotated. That lack of resistance is
'one' of this girls issues.

Mack's Dad ... this isn't something that you clear up in a week. Hitting is more a process. Your daughter lacks a basic sound sequence ... and that, IMO, is where you need to start ... at ground zero ... start with the sequence. Right now you have a hitter that "spins", uses a "level swing approach", uses a "level shoulder approach", has a "bat drag issue", has a "hands level then swing issue", has a "gated swing issue", taps into an "inferior power source" ... ... ... and honestly, it's a mess that needs to begin with getting the basic sequence ironed out.

The attitude at this point shouldn't be so much to find a band-aide for an upcoming tournament ... but to begin a process of getting this swing healthy. Start with the basic sequence.

Forget about your recollection of her being an awesome hitter at age 9. Her swing back then may have been "effective" for a rec-level experience, but it was likely never good. Start from scratch ... and begin with the basic sequence.

This image (box 3) is the position I want the batter to start from in the "check swing" drill.

 

[softballphreak]

I've posted this many times, but here it is again. She needs to use her legs better and start the lower half first. She collapses/bends the front knee instead of bracing and pushing back to finish the hip turn.

Note in box 3 that his hips have turned and he is off of his back foot, yet the barrel and his hands have barely moved. The body must move the bat, not the arms. The swing is hips and hands. The arms just guide the bat.

This image really should be a Sticky for Swing Sequence.

 

[inde53546]

Check swing drill seems similar to the torque drill Epstein teaches. Is that right?

 

[softballphreak]

Check swing drill seems similar to the torque drill Epstein teaches. Is that right?

Yep. The only difference I think is the swing starts with the bat on the deltoid. Back in the early days of fastpitch in our area some of the girls were taught to swing this way in games. Supposedly because they couldn't swing as fast as the boys. So much for that theory!

 

[Daddy O]

Yep. The only difference I think is the swing starts with the bat on the deltoid. Back in the early days of fastpitch in our area some of the girls were taught to swing this way in games. Supposedly because they couldn't swing as fast as the boys. So much for that theory!

Had a freshman lead the varsity team this year with a swing that resembled this. She batted .544

 

[Makenzie's 10U dad]

Jim, in 'box 3' we have what is referred to as the "Torque Position" ... a pretty important position for the swing to pass through IMO. Perhaps a matter of semantics ... but looking at this girl's swing I feel it is important .... that is, rather than state that the hips have turned/rotated, I prefer the hips have "been" turned/rotated. In other words, there is a matter of the upper body resisting being turned as the rear upper leg drives the hip to "become" turned/rotated. That lack of resistance is
'one' of this girls issues.
I have all my girls moving something because, I'm a firm believer in that you cant hit from static, (no movement), My DD over exaggerates most things I suggested the toe tap, just as timing mechanism, not to swing like there is no tomorrow. I told her to move her hands or hips a little bit, to help her stay loose and relaxed and you see once again, exaggeration, of the swing. What is the "proper fastpitch hitting sequence. I've told them a thousand times, especially my DD inner third, middle third, outer third is the same swing, with the outer third we have been constantly trying to make them let the ball get deeper and that same swing will hit pissers to right field if rightly, or left field, if lefty. We will face a lefty who look to me to throw a basic rollover drop and she lives on the outer 3rd, they beat us 3-2 in a drop dead tournament, which I will never ever play in again, we had runners and 2nd and 3rd, with our best hitter up with only one out and we was the home team and the time ran out so we just lost. What videos are out there or if any of you guys have anything on fast pitch hitting, please email me at kevinlasiter77@gmail.com. IN all reality she is just 10 and I'm proud of her if she goes 0-4 or 4-4 if she is loving what she is doing. She is not the practice player, and drives me crazy because I see her make plays, and I forget she's 10, but I've grown to expect those plays out of her, I still congratulate her, when she makes a great play, but she is a monster at 5 out of the 6 infields spots, excluding catcher, but her work ethic is the only thing from her being great back behind the plate. She has a hose for an arm overhanded, she just has to hit, so tear down her swing, somebody please email me how to do this. Any drills or any "GOOD" youtube clips or something to get her going in the right direction. Tonight I had her doing lead arm off the tee, switch knees and arm, then on both knees, then up on their feet, then repeated doing soft toss. We are a genuine rec league team all-star team, we had 22 kids to choose from, we are playing in District Asa in south Arkansas, starting Friday night, then starting Wednesday we start state babe ruth, and then we are going to regionals in Houma, LA. These girls aren't very good but My DD throws strikes with above average velo for around here and and a pretty good change against 10 years olds. She will hit 41-43, then change up is like 26-29. 3 more legit all-stars, catcher, ss, and 1st or 3rd depending how she is acting that day. Any way guys, thanks for all the advice, and wish us luck in the asa district, we are probably going to get hammered, but I want them to have all the experience they can get now, then go to babe ruth state, we will compete for the top two spots in that easy. and my ultimate goal is to play in Houma, LA in regionals, once in a lifetime experience for these girls in south Arkansas. Sorry for the book I wrote. One more thing, if anybody wants to donate to our league, or knows someone that loves girls softball, give them my email address, we will have a Tax I.D. number, so you can use it as a tax right off. you clear up in a week. Hitting is more a process. Your daughter lacks a basic sound sequence ... and that, IMO, is where you need to start ... at ground zero ... start with the sequence. Right now you have a hitter that "spins", uses a "level swing approach", uses a "level shoulder approach", has a "bat drag issue", has a "hands level then swing issue", has a "gated swing issue", taps into an "inferior power source" ... ... ... and honestly, it's a mess that needs to begin with getting the basic sequence ironed out.

The attitude at this point shouldn't be so much to find a band-aide for an upcoming tournament ... but to begin a process of getting this swing healthy. Start with the basic sequence.

Forget about your recollection of her being an awesome hitter at age 9. Her swing back then may have been "effective" for a rec-level experience, but it was likely never good. Start from scratch ... and begin with the basic sequence.

What is the basic sequence of hitting a softball, feet, hands, lead with hips, not hands, stay short and compact power v, no separation between back elbow and rib cage, head still all the way through the swing?