weight shift forward- drop barrel-drag through zone epidemic

[JJsqueeze]

I had a great day of softball yesterday. Watched our community 10U team play a game while by DD had game warmups, then watched DDs 12U game, then watched lil DDs TB org work out for 10u-14u.

I had been watching swings all day and I saw the same thing over and over. Shift weight forward, drop bat, drag through the zone. I must have seen this swing in 75% of the kids I watched yesterday and I watched a lot of kids yesterday. What I did not see or hear was one coach giving any cues or indication that they see this as a problem or giving any cue to fix it.

I have only been looking at hitting form a technical side like this for a couple of weeks, but I'm just a little surprised that this particular pattern is so common and even more surprised that since it is so common that it is not better known and more coaching isn't going into fixing it. Seems like as long as they make contact everyone is happy.

Does this match what most of you all see in girls 8-11? If so, how and why is this not coached better? We all know to coach that you run through first base, how do we not all know the basics of a decent swing? is it because there is too much technical argument so no-one knows who to believe and a lot of us just ignore hitting because we don't want to be wrong? This really got my attention yesterday because I realized that I have never seen ANY good hitting coaching on any team. Just drills and reps and some basic stuff like foot position, I have never seen a coach identify this pattern and work with a team or a girl to fix it.

 

[Eric F]

I see the same thing. Same swings and same lack of action from coaches. I think a big part of it is that most rec league coaches don't take the time (make the effort) to actually learn what happens in a good swing, and then figure out how to teach it.

I'm in the situation right now of trying to help my DD's 10U team improve their hitting. It's definitely a challenge to fit meaningful instruction into the limited practice time we have, but I'm starting to see small glimmers of hope with a few of them. One of the biggest challenges is that every kid processes the same information differently. For those who are not athletically coordinated, learning the complex sequence of movements involved with throwing and hitting can be a lengthy process.

 

[rdbass]

Most bat draggers at an earlier age, against slow pitching seem to hit the ball far. Some dads/coaches mistake that for future success and a good hitter based on results. That same swing at the 12u, 14, ect will not hold up against fast pitching. Since being on this site I can and do not look at the swing in the same way I have in the past. My DD's 16u team has 2 'bat draggers' on her team. Alot of strike outs. Indentify and fix 'bat drag' as soon as possible with the correct hitting sequence.

 

[straightleg]

Its hard to give a team a hitting lesson. Everyone has different levels and process information differently.
I would pick 3-5 hitting drills that promote good mechanics and have it work into their swings with out over coaching them



SL

 

[PEPPERS]

Its hard to give a team a hitting lesson. Everyone has different levels and process information differently.
I would pick 3-5 hitting drills that promote good mechanics and have it work into their swings with out over coaching them



SL

I am used to teaching to a team, I go through basics with the team and then break them down in small groups according to skill level to work on details.

Seems to work for me.

 

[stiksdad]

JJ most coaches simply do not know how to teach, a lot of people can look at a swing and say wow thats an awesome swing. I have been instructing hitting for over a dozen years and still find something new each week, most of it is garbage, and a lot of the rest is far to technical for the average coach to try an understand, only fools like us keep chasing the perfect swing. There is just so much bad information out there readily available that it has to be terrribly confusing to someone who is just trying to help their own kid, and further more connecting the dots is a constant struggle, you may understand one portion of the swing but not be able to teach a kid how to perform another part, its a tough business but far to many so called experts take advantage of unsuspecting parents and never really help the players and in some cases actually set the player up for further failure, ok I am off my soap box now. But we all know its true.

 

[rdbass]

For the dads. Trust me it is in your best interest to learn as much about hitting for your DD/DS. Coaches may mean well but, may not have the time to correct hitting flaws. The info is here on the site. Hopefully you will find it and use it? JMHO.

 

[JJsqueeze]

I can't wait to get my next team and start experimenting. I think it is possible to take a team and get them out of this pattern. They won't wind up with perfect mechanics, but avoiding this particular pattern seems doable and I think it sets them up down the road to have a much better chance of being taught the sequence in detail.

 

[softballphreak]

I can't wait to get my next team and start experimenting. I think it is possible to take a team and get them out of this pattern. They won't wind up with perfect mechanics, but avoiding this particular pattern seems doable and I think it sets them up down the road to have a much better chance of being taught the sequence in detail.

There will usually be parents telling their kids to just smile at the coach and do it the way you already know how. Of course, most of the time you will not be aware of it.

 

[JJsqueeze]

There will usually be parents telling their kids to just smile at the coach and do it the way you already know how. Of course, most of the time you will not be aware of it.

damn bummer maker...keep it positive. This is doable. I am going to get before and after vids of each girl and repost next year. This is getting done...