When to start the load.

[Eric F]

Come on rdbass... Stride out to toe touch on every pitch? Really? I know you say you like sitting in the back of the class but are you sure you have been in the right class?

For the 10U set (even 12U), yes, every pitch. It's about being mentally loaded, as well as physically.

 

[NoonTime]

For the 10U set (even 12U), yes, every pitch. It's about being mentally loaded, as well as physically.

I hear you. Just giving rdbass some grief for the "what" he said to do every pitch... Not that doing "something" on every pitch is a bad concept.

 

[Eric F]

I hear you. Just giving rdbass some grief for the "what" he said to do every pitch... Not that doing "something" on every pitch is a bad concept.

I'm curious what SPECIFICALLY you have an issue with in RDB's comment.

 

[NoonTime]

I'm curious what SPECIFICALLY you have an issue with in RDB's comment.

What I specifically called him out on in my original post. Stride out to toe touch on every pitch. You tell a kid to make sure to stride to toe touch on every pitch and I'll bet you every last one of rdbasseses's shrimp rolls that they have an independent front leg reaching out, hands loading back against that front leg, fire the hips with the hips, waist separation, push swing.

Really I was just poking at rdbass towards the tail end of an 8 hour end of thanksgiving holiday weekend drive home . I'll bow out now, hit me up at that other place if you want to continue.

Cheers,
NoonTime

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

EricF ... I suspect Noon supports moving forward (e.g., FbC) on every pitch ... and pretty much timed to the pitcher's release.

 

[Eric F]

What I specifically called him out on in my original post. Stride out to toe touch on every pitch. You tell a kid to make sure to stride to toe touch on every pitch and I'll bet you every last one of rdbasseses's shrimp rolls that they have an independent front leg reaching out, hands loading back against that front leg, fire the hips with the hips, waist separation, push swing.

Really I was just poking at rdbass towards the tail end of an 8 hour end of thanksgiving holiday weekend drive home . I'll bow out now, hit me up at that other place if you want to continue.

Cheers,
NoonTime

IMO, the important thing is not about getting to toe touch on every swing, but about actually getting the process started for real, right up to the point of "stop" when the pitch is recognized as out of the zone. I definitely agree that focusing on getting to touch could be misleading to young hitters.

Poking RDB, however, is totally acceptable. Beware of the shrimp rolls!!

EricF ... I suspect Noon supports moving forward (e.g., FbC) on every pitch ... and pretty much timed to the pitcher's release.

I suspect the same. I want to make sure that it is also clear for anyone else who might be reading.

 

[NoonTime]

Just an aside. In the Bautista video that everyone likes on the changes he made to his swing, he stated start slow and early. He did not say load slow and early. He didn't say anything about loading.

 

[rdbass]

On September 10th, 2009 (according to a feature story from Sports Illustrated) Bautista was sitting in the clubhouse before the game with teammate Vernon Wells, who suggested that Jose start his swing even earlier – ridiculously early. Thinking it was worth a try, Bautista went up to bat in the second inning and, as he said, it felt like he started his swing before the pitcher even released the ball. But to his surprise, it was a solid hit – a double – and later in the game, using the same technique, he got a home run.

Noon, what am I missing? Looks like he was ready to hit the ball if it came down the middle.

 

[NoonTime]

I don't know rdbass... What are you missing? What did you start with? Have you retraced your steps?

 

[rdbass]

Thanks. Yeah, I walked out the room.