Swing Critique Please

[caseyd123]

Gentleman,
This was taken today, this is one swing though I took about 100 today. Problem areas I personally see are:

* Front foot open too far upon landing
* Lead Arm Chicken-wings a little at contact

I'd like to hear some of your opinions as I haven't had much experience evaluating my own swing. I'm just going off of what I've learned from Yeager when I watch it.

Any help is greatly appreciated coaches!

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r75/FuegoKidd/th_Feb22BP.jpg (http://s141.photobucket.com/albums/r75/FuegoKidd/?action=view&current=Feb22BP.flv)

[DukeK]

Nice swing. The only comments I would have is that your hands might be a bit high and your bat head too flat at load. This causes you to drag the bat behind you and for your swing to be totally level and downward through your follow through.

Should look more like this:

http://i390.photobucket.com/albums/oo343/johnpav_photos/Hitting/AAA_mannyswingplane.gif

[FiveFrameSwing]

http://groundup.hittingillustrated.com/hitting/delme/Feb22BP.gif

[caseyd123]

Thanks FFS. What can I do differently when posting to make the video show up like you did?

DukeK, I think you're absolutely right. I'm looking through my other swings right now and seems like I have that problem consistently...I'm finishing with the barrel at the middle of my back

-CD

[FiveFrameSwing]

Thanks FFS. What can I do differently when posting to make the video show up like you did?

DukeK, I think you're absolutely right. I'm looking through my other swings right now and seems like I have that problem consistently...I'm finishing with the barrel at the middle of my back

-CD

You nailed it!

You are trapping the bat barrel behind your head and this gives you no option but to drag the bat.

http://groundup.hittingillustrated.com/hitting/delme/Feb22BP_TrappingBarrel.gif

p.s.
To answer your question ... you basically need web hosting storage ... I use the HI's web storage. After that you press the "insert image" option when you post here at BBF, or elsewhere, and provide the link to the file.

[caseyd123]

Thanks coach! I have always had a hard time trying to do a proper load without wrapping excessively like I do here. Do you think that if i simply keep my bat head and barrel more vertical it will do the job? I guess what I'm asking is, is the wrapping problem a shoulder problem or a hands problem? I remember in one of Dr. Yeager's DVDs he mentions a cocked wrist, is this to avoid what I'm doing here?

Thanks so much coaches Duke and FFS

P.S what is a five frame swing?

[DukeK]

caseyd123,

I see your video is already in a photobucket account. To get your video to show up like in FFS's post you need to convert it to an animated gif file and post the direct link.

[Drill]

Teach him which is his power hand, he is letting his bottom hand dominate which slows his swing down and loop his bat. Do some top hand drills with barrel of the bat going directly to the ball and keeping your hand inside the ball.

Target ball on the inside or low to middle inside of ball. Have him pen point thread or deformity on that part of ball which helps in focus. for instance: when you pitch do you look at the whole back stop area or the catchers mitt. The smaller you can pen point an area the more focus your mind has. Just watch your timing because you will get Quickness and preciseness. again T work.

Lets face it we cannot stand there all day and go through body contortions and get to the ball fast and accurately. Go to the ball as fast as you can along with the most power and you know where your power sources are, legs in lower body and top hand, your bottom hand makes you go in the right direction.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Get a small bat or choke on the bat to where it is comfortable to swing with the top hand only.

This drill will also promote getting the lower body weight shift into the inside of the front foot, because he needs all the power he can muster to swing the bat with one hand. This is a good check point drill to see if lower body and upper body are working together.

T work,
T work,
T work,

drill

[Mark H]

You are unloading/starting to swing the bat early and without ever really loading the scap, or to use the "new" terminology, the "poke". Would someone point him to the videos recently showing this? Then you start to come around the corner pretty good till you start to do some of this. http://imageevent.com/siggy/hitting/analysis;jsessionid=1bnqg8gtr1.tiger_s?p=17&n=1&m=20&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=9 Instead of this. http://imageevent.com/siggy/hitting/olympic?p=9&n=1&m=24&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=9 I'm sure someone can bail me out here with a video of a MLB hitter. Perhaps one of those clips from above? I'd also like to see a clip of you hitting something waist down.

[caseyd123]

Drill,
I definitely see what you mean. I felt that too as I swung I could feel my bottom hand being more active than my top hand.

Mark,
I have practice in about 2 hours and will post some swings to show my adjustments and I'll include a waist down pitch. My dad tends to throw high pitches but today my coaches will be throwing BP so I should have a better range of pitches. Just for future reference, when i post vids here should I post the ones of belt-high pitches? I had like 100 swings on my camera to choose from to post here, how should I choose which one to post? Thanks...

-CD

[Chris O'Leary]

Just for future reference, when i post vids here should I post the ones of belt-high pitches? I had like 100 swings on my camera to choose from to post here, how should I choose which one to post? Thanks...

At a minimum, it should be a pitch that would be called a strike in a game.

Too many BP pitches are up out of the strike zone (and really shouldn't be swung at).

[wogdoggy]

You are unloading/starting to swing the bat early and without ever really loading the scap, or to use the "new" terminology, the "poke". Would someone point him to the videos recently showing this? Then you start to come around the corner pretty good till you start to do some of this. http://imageevent.com/siggy/hitting/analysis;jsessionid=1bnqg8gtr1.tiger_s?p=17&n=1&m=20&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=9 Instead of this. http://imageevent.com/siggy/hitting/olympic?p=9&n=1&m=24&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=9 I'm sure someone can bail me out here with a video of a MLB hitter. Perhaps one of those clips from above? I'd also like to see a clip of you hitting something waist down.





You are unloading/starting to swing the bat early and without ever really loading the scap, or to use the "new" terminology, the "poke".

sometimes you just crack me up man!!!! that's beautiful :laugh:laugh:D

[Mark H]

Mark,
I have practice in about 2 hours and will post some swings to show my adjustments and I'll include a waist down pitch. My dad tends to throw high pitches but today my coaches will be throwing BP so I should have a better range of pitches. Just for future reference, when i post vids here should I post the ones of belt-high pitches? I had like 100 swings on my camera to choose from to post here, how should I choose which one to post? Thanks...

-CD

I'd post ones you think are representative of your game swing at pitches in the zone.

[Mark H]

You are unloading/starting to swing the bat early and without ever really loading the scap, or to use the "new" terminology, the "poke".

sometimes you just crack me up man!!!! that's beautiful :laugh:laugh:D

Sometimes you have to poke a little fun.

[caseyd123]

Ok guys,
This was taken today. It went for a 340 ft homer over the left field fence in practice (my first homer in a long, long time). Anyways, today i was trying to make a conscious effort to incorporate a "tip" toward the 1B dugout during my load to avoid the major wrapping and bat lag i had yesterday. I see myself tipping here but i still see some wrapping. I also don't see a really strong top hand and think that maybe my bottom one is still being more active. One thing i did like seeing was that I was finishing somewhat higher than yesterday.

Thoughts on this new swing? Thank you so much!

-CD

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r75/FuegoKidd/th_Feb23BP.jpg (http://s141.photobucket.com/albums/r75/FuegoKidd/?action=view&current=Feb23BP.flv)

P.S. Sorry, i still dont have the software to change to a GIF. And this was shot in 60 FPS but stupid iMovie only works in 30 FPS and it converts it from a .mov to a .dv so the quality is worse than the 60 FPS HD i shot it in... I think im going to need to get quicktime pro

[Drill]

Ok guys,
This was taken today. It went for a 340 ft homer over the left field fence in practice (my first homer in a long, long time). Anyways, today i was trying to make a conscious effort to incorporate a "tip" toward the 1B dugout during my load to avoid the major wrapping and bat lag i had yesterday. I see myself tipping here but i still see some wrapping. I also don't see a really strong top hand and think that maybe my bottom one is still being more active. One thing i did like seeing was that I was finishing somewhat higher than yesterday.

Thoughts on this new swing? Thank you so much!



Ah nice to see all the moves work together, very nice weight shift and turn. Uniforms work outs you made the team. Good for you, my suggestion would be to continue with T work working on your top hand. Its very obvious you got power, to improve on directional power just remember to do the top hand drill in your work out routine. (using the top hand to the ball one handed drill). With your power and quickness work on outside to inside pitches using the top hand drill, I see no reason you should not be in the top of the lineup. You know your hot zones in the batters box, now you can improve your hitting zones, because you will get quicker.

(Doing T work) Target ball on the inside or low to middle inside of ball. Pen point thread or deformity on that part of ball which helps in focus. for instance: when see pitcher pitch do you think he looks at the whole back stop area or the catchers mitt. The smaller you can pen point an area the more focus your mind has. This will help you pick up the ball faster when you have live pitching.

Warning: Just watch your timing because you will get Quicker and more preciseness in your swing. Remember T work. If you can find a small LL bat that would be good for the top hand drill.

Lets face it we cannot stand there all day and go through body contortions and get to the ball fast and accurately. Go to the ball as fast as you can along with the most power, you know where your power sources are, legs in lower body top hand and timing the upper and lower body together. Just remember the bottom hand makes you go in the right direction. Top hand power. Practice starting slow and working faster so you can feel your lower body get in time with your upper body, doing the top hand drill, never let your upper body get ahead of your lower body. Working on down the middle pitches first than after you get your timing down, work on inside pitches and out side. Finish it off with some full swing and extending through the ball.



IMHO,

drill


PS look real close to at your team mate walking behind watch him look up just as he heard the ball come off the bat.

[Mark H]

Better. Less push. I'd still like to see something on a pitch down in the zone.

[caseyd123]

Here, I think i got the GIF going...

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r75/FuegoKidd/feb23bp-1.gif

[Chris O'Leary]

Here, I think i got the GIF going...

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r75/FuegoKidd/feb23bp-1.gif

You could argue that you're on the edge of drag, with your hands getting behind your back elbow.

You also lunge a bit. You need to wait for the ball to come to you rather than trying to go get it. Were you taught to attack the ball?

[caseyd123]

Chris, I was taught weight completely on back foot, stride with weight on back foot and squish the bug. After watching Yeager's stuff I have tried to establish a weight shift

[Chris O'Leary]

Chris, I was taught weight completely on back foot, stride with weight on back foot and squish the bug. After watching Yeager's stuff I have tried to establish a weight shift

This is common advice (just a second ago I replied to an e-mail from a guy who was taught the same thing) but isn't what major league hitters do.

What's funny is that Epstein teaches this as a cure for lunging yet you are still lunging.

[benz99]

Please don't say squish the bug, no arc to the catcher with the barrel, fails the mouse test, thanks pronk

[caseyd123]

I think you missed what I was saying chris. I was TAUGHT weight back but have abondoned it after watching Yeagers video where he specifically states against it. I am now on to trying to create a weight shift.

Mark, here's a low pitch :sigh:

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r75/FuegoKidd/223lowpitch.gif

[Chris O'Leary]

I think you missed what I was saying chris. I was TAUGHT weight back but have abondoned it after watching Yeagers video where he specifically states against it. I am now on to trying to create a weight shift.

I can see that.

However, that fact is that you've got a major problem with lunging that you've got to fix before anything.

Were you taught to swing level to the ground?

Lunging is one thing that people do to try to adjust up and down while still swinging level to the ground.

However, it doesn't work. You've got to learn to wait for the ball to come to you and to tilt.

[caseyd123]

Yes, you're right about the level swing. A lot of instructors influence i believe led to me being bottom hand dominant as evidenced by my lack of top hand power. I see what you're saying with lunging. I think what I'm doing is trying to ditch the sit back style and go for a weight shift but am overdoing it which leads to me lunging hence, i need to find a common ground...

[Chris O'Leary]

Yes, you're right about the level swing.

I thought so.

What you have come up with is a perfectly logical to the solution of how to adjust up and down while still swinging level to the ground.

It's just not what the best hitters do.


I think what I'm doing is trying to ditch the sit back style and go for a weight shift but am overdoing it which leads to me lunging hence, i need to find a common ground...

I think that's a good starting point.

Just having you torso vertical like Pujols would be an improvement.

http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Hitting/Images/Hitters/AlbertPujols/AlbertPujols_2006_HomeRun_031.jpg

[caseyd123]

just to clarify chris, am i lunging on both the HR swing and the low-pitch swing? Or are you simply stating that my adjustment to the low pitch is a lunge?

Thanks

[Chris O'Leary]

just to clarify chris, am i lunging on both the HR swing and the low-pitch swing? Or are you simply stating that my adjustment to the low pitch is a lunge?

You're lunging to a degree on both clips, but more on the low pitch.

There was a fair amount of luck involved in your HR swing, so you still need some work.

[1chapterahead]

casey,
If you were taught to stay back and swing level, what would you imagine your swing would look like if the pitch is down?

[Mark H]

You could argue that you're on the edge of drag, with your hands getting behind your back elbow.

You also lunge a bit. You need to wait for the ball to come to you rather than trying to go get it. Were you taught to attack the ball?

On the edge of drag is fine if he's quick enough. Anyone count frames yet? Yeah he needs to get the contact point back between his feet which will encourage him to keep better posture but the swing is a LOT better.

[Mark H]

I think you missed what I was saying chris. I was TAUGHT weight back but have abondoned it after watching Yeagers video where he specifically states against it. I am now on to trying to create a weight shift.

Mark, here's a low pitch :sigh:

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r75/FuegoKidd/223lowpitch.gif

Yeah that's not better. Check these. http://imageevent.com/siggy/hitting/analysis;jsessionid=8fllcp2i01.lion_s

[Mark H]

Here, I think i got the GIF going...

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r75/FuegoKidd/feb23bp-1.gif

What's the frame rate on this clip?

[Chris O'Leary]

What's the frame rate on this clip?

QuickTime says 60.

[FiveFrameSwing]

These comments are without reading the entire thread and is meant as quick response to a PM.

I’m seeing some improvement with the timing which appears to have improved separation.

Still seeing the bat being trapped somewhat in the neck slot. See video below. I believe the reason MarkH asked to see a low pitch is because this sort of trapping action can result in a hitter having a tendency to “pull off the ball” or “take a hard turn left” from this position (where the frame is paused). Hitters with this tendency generally have a hard time getting to the low/away pitch.

http://groundup.hittingillustrated.com/hitting/Videos/feb23bp-1_trapping.gif


Compare this to the orientation of the bat barrel, in the launch position, for the clip below.

http://groundup.hittingillustrated.com/hitting/Videos/agonzoside_pause_at_launch.gif

[caseyd123]

Alright guys thanks for all your help. Today I will be working on keeping the barrel vertical and deepening my point of contact to between the field. I will keep you guys posted with more clips after practice tonight.

-Casey

[Mark H]

QuickTime says 60.

Thanks. Which means the one swing is pretty freakin' quick.

Casey,

Move the contact point back between your feet and you are ready to have a whle lot of fun. At least on high stuff. ;) Honestly I would think that one clip must be your athletic great hitting twin compared to your other clips. Hang onto what that swing felt like while you work on letting the ball come a little deeper. Work on transferring that to the low stuff after that feeling and that swing is easy for you to reproduce. Don't underestimate what you did there. Move the contact point in one frame and it's a five frame swing at 30fps and not that far from working into a four and a half frame swing referencing common 30fps video. Four is world class. Five will get you a lot of fun in college.

[caseyd123]

So a five frame swing means that from toe touch to contact point there are 5 frames at 30 FPS?

[Mark H]

From heel plant to contact, or, in a non standard swing, from first movement of the bat head into the swing plane till contact.

[caseyd123]

From heel plant to contact, or, in a non standard swing, from first movement of the bat head into the swing plane till contact.

Ok thanks mark. I just checked and it looks like I'm at 11 or 12 frames on the 60 FPS so i'm at a 5.5 or 6 frame swing?

[Mark H]

I give it 11 so that's a 5.5, BUT, take a full frame out for the extra time it took you to go so far out in front and get the ball. Make contact deeper when/where you should have and you are down to either 4.5 or 5 frames. You have a chance to be very good. Find that swing feel again and repeat it. A lot. If all you do is use it to hit high stuff in high school you will still have a lot of fun. After it's second nature, we'll talk about how to take that same swing down to the knees.

[Mark H]

IOW, to try to make it more clear, you performed a five frame swing, but the ball wasn't there yet so you kept swinging forward till the ball finally got there. That extra time added the frame.

[caseyd123]

gotchya. i'm not going to transfer blame because that's not me but i think once games start my timing wont be soo damn early. honestly, our coaches throw live from like 40 ft and throw pretty slow. of course, thats no excuse for me not to work on getting the timing of their pitching, i just think i will have better timing once i am consistently seeing 80's and above fastballs
thanks for all your help coaches

[BoardMember]

gotchya. i'm not going to transfer blame because that's not me but i think once games start my timing wont be soo damn early. honestly, our coaches throw live from like 40 ft and throw pretty slow. of course, thats no excuse for me not to work on getting the timing of their pitching, i just think i will have better timing once i am consistently seeing 80's and above fastballs
thanks for all your help coaches

More to think about...........

Uni-load.......Your hands/shoulders are not working against your legs/hips.......Very little separation......Very little Stretch......Very draggy launch.......

http://i40.tinypic.com/s6kc2q.gif

The position of your hands WAY behind your elbow at launch causes drag.......

http://i41.tinypic.com/2ziszr9.gif

[caseyd123]

BM,
I noticed in another thread you posted a this gif of Derek Lee. I tried to model my swing after his just so I could get the weight transfer/stride working much like you mentioned in that thread. Going back after reading your post, I realized his back elbow is behind his hands at launch while mine is either even or in front. Would consciously stressing to keep the back elbow behind the hands fix this drag problem? Today in practice i tried to improve 2 things a) keep bathead vertical and b) let the ball get deeper. I failed to improve on both but am wondering if starting with my elbow further back will help. On my swings its like I'm taking my back elbow to the ball instead of my top hand right?

http://i43.tinypic.com/295dzzq.gif
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r75/FuegoKidd/feb23bp-1.gif
Thanks for your input

-Casey

[BoardMember]

Keep your top hand in front of your elbow from load to launch. Otherwise said as, get your elbow up and behind your top hand during the load. The top hand should be closer to your rear shoulder then your rear elbow when the slot begins.........

Then, when you slot, your elbow may "catch" your hands, but never pass them..........

Notice the rear elbow is behind the hands when slot begins.........

http://i41.tinypic.com/29c9qux.gifhttp://i41.tinypic.com/wjz7n6.gif

You have lost the ability to leverage the connection to the shoulder turn.............


BM,
I noticed in another thread you posted a this gif of Derek Lee. I tried to model my swing after his just so I could get the weight transfer/stride working much like you mentioned in that thread. Going back after reading your post, I realized his back elbow is behind his hands at launch while mine is either even or in front. Would consciously stressing to keep the back elbow behind the hands fix this drag problem? Today in practice i tried to improve 2 things a) keep bathead vertical and b) let the ball get deeper. I failed to improve on both but am wondering if starting with my elbow further back will help. On my swings its like I'm taking my back elbow to the ball instead of my top hand right?

http://i43.tinypic.com/295dzzq.gif
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r75/FuegoKidd/feb23bp-1.gif
Thanks for your input

-Casey

[BoardMember]

Your barrel is flattening because the rear elbow is just "folding under the hands" toward 1st base instead of into your side...........which flattens the barrel too early...........

http://i40.tinypic.com/s6kc2q.gif

Lee's elbow is "slotting into his side" toward the pitcher...........Your's is "folding under the hands toward 1st base" because your top hand is too far behind your elbow.............

http://i43.tinypic.com/295dzzq.gif

See the difference?

[BoardMember]

I hate to overwhelm you but........Take a look at the rear knee at plant.......

Your's is still WAY behind your rear hip at plant...........

These guys rear knee is working under the hip by plant.......

http://i43.tinypic.com/295dzzq.gif

http://i40.tinypic.com/2jd04yq.gif

http://i39.tinypic.com/wlaix0.gif

http://i42.tinypic.com/2czopbs.gif

http://i40.tinypic.com/s6kc2q.gif

Because your rear knee is outside your rear hip too long, lateral tilt of the shoulders cannot occur in time to create an angular plane.........It's forcing you to swing down to level.........Instead of down to up...........

IMO, if you fix JUST these two things.......you'll be on a great path (pun intended!).......

1.) Get the elbow behind the hands before slotting/launch begins.......

2.) Get the rear knee working under the rear hip sooner so the shoulders can laterally tilt as they turn to create a better angular path to contact........Your rear knee should "chase" your front knee open........

[caseyd123]

BM,
Not overwhelming...i appreciate that a TON! Thank you!

-CD

[wrstdude]

I give it 11 so that's a 5.5, BUT, take a full frame out for the extra time it took you to go so far out in front and get the ball. Make contact deeper when/where you should have and you are down to either 4.5 or 5 frames. You have a chance to be very good. Find that swing feel again and repeat it. A lot. If all you do is use it to hit high stuff in high school you will still have a lot of fun. After it's second nature, we'll talk about how to take that same swing down to the knees.

How many frames do you have this swing @?

http://xs536.xs.to/xs536/09092/hr2vsomaha779.gif

[Mark H]

Boardmember is a great asset to listen to. He has given you some details to work on a problem I would have approached visually using Englishbey's cables and contact point constraints but always listen to anything Boardmember has to say. Still, don't lose sight of the fact you are showing good quickness in that one clip and should be encouraged by that.

[Mark H]

How many frames do you have this swing @?

http://xs536.xs.to/xs536/09092/hr2vsomaha779.gif

I suggest you start your own thread for this question rather than risk hijacking this one.

[caseyd123]

Ok guys I have a game at 4 today and made a film review sheet for me to look at after the game to check up on my swing. These are the questions I'm reminding myself to ask myself while i review the film, anything I'm missing?...

1. Is my top hand in front of my back elbow from load to launch? Is my elbow up and behind my top hand during the load?

2. Is my back elbow folding under my hands toward first base or is it slotting to my side toward the pitcher? If it is folding, my top hand is probably behind my back elbow and my barrel is probably trapped behind my neck again.

3. At plant, is my back knee working under my rear hip or is it behind my rear hip?

Thanks for all the help!

[HYP]

Ok guys I have a game at 4 today and made a film review sheet for me to look at after the game to check up on my swing. These are the questions I'm reminding myself to ask myself while i review the film, anything I'm missing?...

1. Is my top hand in front of my back elbow from load to launch? Is my elbow up and behind my top hand during the load?

2. Is my back elbow folding under my hands toward first base or is it slotting to my side toward the pitcher? If it is folding, my top hand is probably behind my back elbow and my barrel is probably trapped behind my neck again.

3. At plant, is my back knee working under my rear hip or is it behind my rear hip?

Thanks for all the help!

Don't forget, Is my upper loading as a unit with my lower. You want your upper to be loading against your lower going forward.

[caseyd123]

HYP, what would I look at to check that? I'm a little unsure of what exactly I'd be looking for...

[HYP]

HYP, what would I look at to check that? I'm a little unsure of what exactly I'd be looking for...

Look to see if your hands are moving back to the launch position as your lower body is moving back.

You want your hands to be moving to the launch position as the stride foot is moving forward.

Look at the clip of HG above. Notice how his hands are moving up and back as the front foot is reaching forward.

[BoardMember]

Look to see if your hands are moving back to the launch position as your lower body is moving back.

You want your hands to be moving to the launch position as the stride foot is moving forward.

Look at the clip of HG above. Notice how his hands are moving up and back as the front foot is reaching forward.

The uni-load is what the red connected lines represent in my clip.

The distance should be separating (widening) during the stride, instead of remaining consistant though the stride..........

http://i40.tinypic.com/s6kc2q.gif

[wogdoggy]

The uni-load is what the red connected lines represent in my clip.

The distance should be separating (widening) during the stride, instead of remaining consistant though the stride..........

http://i40.tinypic.com/s6kc2q.gif



man your good ...lotsa great tips for this young man :clapping

[caseyd123]

thanks BM. Just lost a tough one to a team we should have beaten, I went 1-4 but couldn't get any video. will have some more of practice tomorrow. my first 2 ABs i K'd up swinging. I was super tight and nervous (1st varsity game ever) but when i settled down I hit my single solid to RF and then was just early on a flyout to left.

I was wondering, how do I calibrate the inside/outside pitch when I hit off a tee? Prior coaches have said to hit the outside pitch at the depth of the back foot, the inside pitch at the depth of the front foot and the middle pitch at crotch depth. are these good landmarks?

Again thank you all so much you have helped me a TON

[QWERTY12345]

One more thing you might want to look at is your head movement. Compare your head movement to MLB hitters. Your head almost seems to jerk back and down to the point where you can't see the ball anymore.
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r75/FuegoKidd/feb23bp-1.gif
Head movement is one of the most important yet overlooked parts of hitting.

[FiveFrameSwing]

3. At plant, is my back knee working under my rear hip or is it behind my rear hip?

Or as Yeager would say ... to ensure that this move takes place the hitter should feel as if the back knee is pressing the front heel into the ground.

[BoardMember]

thanks BM. Just lost a tough one to a team we should have beaten, I went 1-4 but couldn't get any video. will have some more of practice tomorrow. my first 2 ABs i K'd up swinging. I was super tight and nervous (1st varsity game ever) but when i settled down I hit my single solid to RF and then was just early on a flyout to left.

I was wondering, how do I calibrate the inside/outside pitch when I hit off a tee? Prior coaches have said to hit the outside pitch at the depth of the back foot, the inside pitch at the depth of the front foot and the middle pitch at crotch depth. are these good landmarks?

Again thank you all so much you have helped me a TON

Well, I wouldn't say those are competely accurate.

First of all, what most hitters and coaches don't take into consideration when setting a tee location is the hitters NATURAL distance from the plate.......And natural stride length.........

For example, someone who climbs on the plate with a big stride certainly requires a different tee setup then someone who likes more room with a short stride...........So consider your natural setup and stride when deciding tee locations.........

I crack up sometimes when I see coaches on a tee station leave the tee in the same spot on inside pitches on hitters with completely different plate coverage and stride length, without adjusting them to the tee......

Someone who likes more room off the plate can afford a deeper contact point for the inside.........And certainly requires a deeper contact point for the outside.....

The opposite is true for plate huggers...........

I personally like to think about hitting the outside off the rear hip vs. the rear foot. The middle at the front hip, and the inside at the instep of the front foot.......

[soceric]

Here, I think i got the GIF going...

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r75/FuegoKidd/feb23bp-1.gif

Casey, IMO your swing could be on the verge of being very good with a couple of tweaks. Your current swing has very little leverage, because your not sequenced well. Your launch position isn't achieved in a very good way. What I would suggest to you is that you do some hand separation drills, or stride separation drills. What you want to happen your hands to fall back to their launch position as you stride forward. This sequence in important, and the timing is important.

There is a sequencing drill that I call "contact to contact" that I think would be good for you to feel the sequencing in an exaggerated way.

This is how you do it. First... do it off of a tee, or short toss. Get set in the box like you are going to hit, and now just put your bat out like your telling the pitcher where you want it. Out off of the front hip. Now leave it out there, and start your stride. The key here is that you don't move the bat until your center of gravity starts to move forward. As your CG moves toward the pitcher, then you move your hands to the launch position. Get to the point where you get your hands to the launch position just at or slightly after your stride foot lands, and your Hips are fully leveraged. Experiment with this, and you will begin to feel the direction your swing needs to progress. You can tone down the loading mechanism after you feel what you need to do, and you learn the sequencing between your hands and hips.

Best of luck.

[MSandman]

This might help too: Loading Sequence (http://members.cox.net/sandmanbaseball/Loading%20Sequence.htm)

[caseyd123]

Sandman the only thing I have a problem with is the lead arm at 90 degrees at plant. According to Yeager, the lead arm should be extended to at least 145 degrees at plant as that shows the proper body segment separation. That link did clear things up for me as i believed i was supposed to load everything at the same time...

[FiveFrameSwing]

Sandman the only thing I have a problem with is the lead arm at 90 degrees at plant. According to Yeager, the lead arm should be extended to at least 145 degrees at plant as that shows the proper body segment separation. That link did clear things up for me as i believed i was supposed to load everything at the same time...

IMO the right-angles drawn in red are incorrect. This seems to be the case of someone trying to promote a position that isn't backed up with the photos that they are showing.

http://www.groundup.hittingillustrated.com/hitting/delme/LoadingSequence.jpg

[MSandman]

My point is that to protect against prematurely barring the lead arm, focusing on trying to maintain something closer to 90 degrees (as opposed to 180 being completely straight).

FiveFrame, are you suggesting that the 3 players in the graphic are closer to Yeager's 145 than 90? I suggest they might be somewhere in the middle, but closer to 90.

[Rydell]

Your problem is not a lunge ! You slightly reverse pivot during your load, which in turn gives a lunge look.

3 issues in your swing

1) REVERSE PIVOT-allow your front leg to move towards your midsection area during the load.

2) ANGLE OF ATTACK- Through the impact zone, your attack is fractionally downwards or too level to the ground. You want to be swinging through the impact zone slightly upward. You will probably feel like its very upward, just video it to make sure. If you could practice some hitting balls slightly UPHILL at a park, this would help a lot. Also...FINISH HIGH

3) BAT GET TOO FLAT- your bat during foot plant get too flat, you want to stand it up a little during your transition.

Work primarily on # 1 and 2. By improving your reverse pivot, it will also help #2.

Hope this helps, BOB

[BGriff34]

Watch for your upper-body drifting forward. Stay over your back leg a little more. Definitely got a little bat drag going on. Keep your left wrist cocked back and bat head evelevated.

[caseyd123]

IMO, if you fix JUST these two things.......you'll be on a great path (pun intended!).......

1.) Get the elbow behind the hands before slotting/launch begins.......

2.) Get the rear knee working under the rear hip sooner so the shoulders can laterally tilt as they turn to create a better angular path to contact........Your rear knee should "chase" your front knee open........


As I take more and more BP and watch it this becomes more and more obvious. So I was thinking tomorrow I would spend a day in the cage just doing the walk-up tee drill only using my top hand until both of these are fixed.

is this a sound plan of attack or is there something different i should be doing? I'd really like to get these two problems hammered down but so far theyve been a byotch...

[FiveFrameSwing]

My point is that to protect against prematurely barring the lead arm, focusing on trying to maintain something closer to 90 degrees (as opposed to 180 being completely straight).

FiveFrame, are you suggesting that the 3 players in the graphic are closer to Yeager's 145 than 90? I suggest they might be somewhere in the middle, but closer to 90.

Let me be clear.

IMO, a recommendation of maintaining a 90-degree angle in the lead arm is a bad idea.

[FiveFrameSwing]

As I take more and more BP and watch it this becomes more and more obvious. So I was thinking tomorrow I would spend a day in the cage just doing the walk-up tee drill only using my top hand until both of these are fixed.


I have my players perform this drill 6 days/wk.