What role if any does "bat wrap" play in turning the barrel?

[inde53546]

How does one get a proper hinge angle. Rick P mentioned cocking the wrists, how so? Any thoughts on this....

 

[redhotcoach]

How does one get a proper hinge angle. Rick P mentioned cocking the wrists, how so? Any thoughts on this....

My personal thoughts. I do think that is a good thread going on at bbd...Five showing some good passion and fight. That being said, IMO it is being over thought. I don't think about hinge angle.

Ray...your inbox is full.

 

[iMlearning]

I really like this question as it relates to a lot of things in hitting. ... Does a longer stride provide more power at the risk of less accuracy? (See Babe Ruth.) Does more stretch & fire (hands/hip separation) provide more power at the risk of less accuracy?

I know that my DD has experienced far more extra-base hits, but also is much more likely to strike out, since adding some of these features to her swing. Would it be proper for a hitting coach (or hitter) to tweak some of those things to find the most productive mix of power and accuracy?[/QUOTE]

IMO it is exactly the job of the hitting coach and or the hitter the tweak these things, individualize if you will to find the best mix for the the hitter. Cookie cutter NOOOO. This ^^^^ is what I think of when I here the term " take ownership of your swing". TJ

I don't know the exact quote said to me but it was something like...once she has the ingredients, let her bake the cake.

 

[PEPPERS]

Originally Posted by CoogansBluff

I really like this question as it relates to a lot of things in hitting. ... Does a longer stride provide more power at the risk of less accuracy? (See Babe Ruth.) Does more stretch & fire (hands/hip separation) provide more power at the risk of less accuracy?

I know that my DD has experienced far more extra-base hits, but also is much more likely to strike out, since adding some of these features to her swing. Would it be proper for a hitting coach (or hitter) to tweak some of those things to find the most productive mix of power and accuracy?

IMO it is exactly the job of the hitting coach and or the hitter the tweak these things, individualize if you will to find the best mix for the the hitter. Cookie cutter NOOOO. This ^^^^ is what I think of when I here the term " take ownership of your swing". TJ[/QUOTE]

I have had the privilege of learning from some of the top hitting coaches in college, professional softball players and other dedicated coaches one of the themes from most coaches adhere to is “minimize movement to maximize performance.”

IMO when you add extra movement to a swing, such as a long stride or add an extra long stretch and fire, you reduce the chances of being on time and having a solid impact with the ball. Having said that kids that are very athletic can overcome the extra movement more than the average player and IMO most of the kids playing are average or below in their athleticism.

When we work with kids we work towards the goal of being able to hit the best pitching a kid will face being it a pitcher in the 60’s or the 30’s depending on age. We want the kid to have success on the field which is being on time to the ball with a solid impact, as success breeds success.

 

[PEPPERS]

Originally Posted by CoogansBluff

I really like this question as it relates to a lot of things in hitting. ... Does a longer stride provide more power at the risk of less accuracy? (See Babe Ruth.) Does more stretch & fire (hands/hip separation) provide more power at the risk of less accuracy?

I know that my DD has experienced far more extra-base hits, but also is much more likely to strike out, since adding some of these features to her swing. Would it be proper for a hitting coach (or hitter) to tweak some of those things to find the most productive mix of power and accuracy?

IMO it is exactly the job of the hitting coach and or the hitter the tweak these things, individualize if you will to find the best mix for the the hitter. Cookie cutter NOOOO. This ^^^^ is what I think of when I here the term " take ownership of your swing". TJ

[/QUOTE]

I have had the privilege of learning from some of the top hitting coaches in college, professional softball players and other dedicated coaches one of the themes from most coaches adhere to is “minimize movement to maximize performance.”

IMO when you add extra movement to a swing, such as a long stride or add an extra long stretch and fire, you reduce the chances of being on time and having a solid impact with the ball. Having said that kids that are very athletic can overcome the extra movement more than the average player and IMO most of the kids playing are average or below in their athleticism.

When we work with kids we work towards the goal of being able to hit the best pitching a kid will face being it a pitcher in the 60’s or the 30’s depending on age. We want the kid to have success on the field which is being on time to the ball with a solid impact, as success breeds success.

 

[CoogansBluff]

IMO when you add extra movement to a swing, such as a long stride or add an extra long stretch and fire, you reduce the chances of being on time and having a solid impact with the ball.

I can't argue that. But the coach that I referenced doesn't understand stretch and fire or loading the hands and thinks any movement designed to attain that is 'extra movement.' His model is door-knocker grip, elbows on a table in the stance and straight to the ball, no S&F or coil forward.

 

[MountieSB]

I don't see teaching stretch & fire as extra movements. There are really only two parts to the swing: load & unload. Loading includes coiling & stretching which are done nearly simultaneously, and then there is the unload, which is the firing or releasing of that load when turning the barrel into the ball. There are obviously refined movements for each of these, but I agree with keeping it simple.

 

[redhotcoach]

A length of "stride" (move out is more accurate) in a good "striders" swing is a matter of timing. You tell a "strider" that starts slightly too early to get that foot down and wait?

There is no such thing as extra long snf. If you excessively stretch, then you are not stretching correctly.

The pathetic obsessions of softball coaches with the styles in a swing, like stride, no stride, tip, no tip, and etc. is just that, pathetic. Name me some of these "can't do in softball" that the softball coaches preach about, and I bet you can find a top hitter in the model swings thread that does it.

 

[redhotcoach]

Why the difference in move out "stride length" in these 2 swings?

TIMING

I will say though...chances are...with softball hitters...all levels...: if they have a lot of movement, they probably don't have a good swing.
BUT those college and hitting coaches tend to make a lot of general statements that high school and youth coaches walk away with as absolutes. A local high school coach (who admits hitting isn't really his thing) told me that his dd's D1 program took away her stride (this year freshman). I assumed she started toe touch or something. So I got to see her hit a few weeks later...she stood flat footed, swung with her arms, and spun her back side trailing...you know "cause you gotta get them hips through."

I would say that this site and other net sites has done 100 times more for softball hitting in about 5 years then has been done in the last 20 years. We have 10 year old girls with awesome swings and parents that know more about hitting then D1 head coaches.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Just as the earlier advice to get the foot down earlier removes athleticism, so does the removal of movements that are actually sound movement patterns.