My son's swing. What am I not seeing?

[FeelGoodChicken]

Added a slow mo link

If you watch too much video you tend to miss thing, atleast I do. So it's time to ask for help from more trained eyes. This was taken a couple of days ago. The pitches were low/medium inside. Thanks for taking the time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V95-gLzLi6E


Slow Motion Link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYboQWEHb7g

[LAball]

bat drag. He starts with the bat trapped behind his head.

[AltaLomaStorm]

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm114/cbrcanyoncrver/chicken.gif
I have posted a couple clips below of Bonds and Ortiz to show to your son. I see your son stepping and just turning. I would like to see some initial stretch (loading of the upper half) as shown in both swings. Notice how both Bonds' and Ortiz appear to elbow or "poke" an imaginary person behind them. This will help with the second issue I see, little or no separation. Top and bottom halves are opening at the same time. I sent you a pm.
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm114/cbrcanyoncrver/Bonds18.gif
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm114/cbrcanyoncrver/1q22ox.gif

[AltaLomaStorm]

The pitches were low/medium inside. Thanks for taking the time.
I made the .gif of his second swing as the pitch location looked a little more up than the previous pitch.

[Swing Coach]

there is minimal bat drag...start his elbow back higher and this may take care of itself. Once again, I see a lack of extension after contact. Teach him to hit "through" the ball...opposite field etc.

SC

I did not coin the phrase, "You have to get off the merry-go-around" but it makes sense here.

[FeelGoodChicken]

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm114/cbrcanyoncrver/chicken.gif
I have posted a couple clips below of Bonds and Ortiz to show to your son. I see your son stepping and just turning. I would like to see some initial stretch (loading of the upper half) as shown in both swings. Notice how both Bonds' and Ortiz appear to elbow or "poke" an imaginary person behind them. This will help with the second issue I see, little or no separation. Top and bottom halves are opening at the same time. I sent you a pm.
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm114/cbrcanyoncrver/Bonds18.gif
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm114/cbrcanyoncrver/1q22ox.gif


Will return the PM. Work blocks photobucket but will look later at home. I have shown him lots of videos and still frames.

[FeelGoodChicken]

there is minimal bat drag...start his elbow back higher and this may take care of itself. Once again, I see a lack of extension after contact. Teach him to hit "through" the ball...opposite field etc.

SC

I did not coin the phrase, "You have to get off the merry-go-around" but it makes sense here.

The first post in this tread mentions the bat drag. I don't see a lot of it either. The extension through the ball is something we have not worked on yet, mainly because I'm not sure how to go about teaching that. suggestions?

[FeelGoodChicken]

This will help with the second issue I see, little or no separation. Top and bottom halves are opening at the same time.


Question: Isn't this a point of debate on this board?

[AltaLomaStorm]

Question: Isn't this a point of debate on this board?
Don't know. However, I have yet to see a high level swing where there was no separation.

[Baseball gLove]

The first post in this tread mentions the bat drag. I don't see a lot of it either. The extension through the ball is something we have not worked on yet, mainly because I'm not sure how to go about teaching that. suggestions?

I agree that there is minimal bat drag. I would have him work on keeping the bottom hand elbow bent slightly longer for better connection. To get extension I tell the kids to turn hips then fire the hands to the field they are hitting at (while staying on top and inside the ball). Inside pitch, fire the top hand at the SS. Pitch down the middle, fire the top hand at the pitcher. Outside pitch, fire the top hand at the 2nd baseman.

[Baseball gLove]

Don't know. However, I have yet to see a high level swing where there was no separation.


There is some separation, but not to the extent of separation I'm looking for from a pitcher. My verbal cues are hips then hands.

[FeelGoodChicken]

Baseball Glove
I too would like to see more seperation and we'll work on that.


To all

My main question is what is the root cause of him not hitting the ball solid? Sometimes he'll lean back, get under the ball, and at times, top the ball. Out of the 25 pitches in this at bat, 15 percent were solid hits, getting all of the ball. What can I do to fix this?

[TDS]

Get stronger, Have him hit with a light weight dognut. This will force him to have better control of the barrel.

[Baseball gLove]

I don't like saying throw X (insert elbow, hands, knob, etc.) to the ball. But to keep my 9 year olds front elbow bent until contact I tell him to throw his front elbow to the ball, then hands inside the ball. It allows him to keep better control and connection. As he is turning the bat wants to pull away. I tell him once he turns let the hands fly.

[Dakai]

I'm not a batting guru, but I am seeing his weight ending up on his back foot.I would say, if it were one of my boys, that he should follow through and make sure his weight ends up on the front foot. We teach the batter to drag the back foot so they are reminded to transfer their weight.

[FeelGoodChicken]

I'm not a batting guru, but I am seeing his weight ending up on his back foot.I would say, if it were one of my boys, that he should follow through and make sure his weight ends up on the front foot. We teach the batter to drag the back foot so they are reminded to transfer their weight.


I'm not either but am willing to listen to opinions. I see weight on the back foot after point of contact. I've add a slow motion link to the first post and here

SLOW MOTION
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYboQWEHb7g

[FeelGoodChicken]

Get stronger, Have him hit with a light weight dognut. This will force him to have better control of the barrel.

He is not very strong. For now would a lighter bat be better. I think the one here is 20oz and 31in. Or would the same weight but shorter bat help more.

SLOW MO link added to first post.

[tip184]

What is bat drag? I forgot from before.

[Swing Coach]

guys...all good tips, however this boy will never hit the ball hard unless he understands to hit through it. Imagine if he were trying to chop down a thin tree with an axe...there would be very little force straight through the tree and it would take him about 20 tries.

You work on this by hitting a heavy bag to get the feel of hitting through something hard...if you don't have a bag, then work on him helicoptering the bat at the pitcher..if you are inside, have him helicopter the bat straight into the net. It has to go straight. Hold the barrel of his bat and have him swing slo-mo through contact, resisting as you go so he can (at the end) feel his hands taking the bat through contact.

This is not a difficult fix once you understand it.

SC

[FeelGoodChicken]

Swing Coach,

That I understand and I see that clearly on the video. We can work on that.

[TDS]

FeelGoodChicken,

He is not very strong. For now would a lighter bat be better. I think the one here is 20oz and 31in. Or would the same weight but shorter bat help more.


I would say no to the lighter bat. Have him swing the bat with a dognut in front of a mirror so he can learn how to control the bat using the larger muscles and transferring the energy to the bat. The extra weight will force him to use the stronger muscles to control the momentum transfer to the bat.

[Mark H]

guys...all good tips, however this boy will never hit the ball hard unless he understands to hit through it. Imagine if he were trying to chop down a thin tree with an axe...there would be very little force straight through the tree and it would take him about 20 tries.

You work on this by hitting a heavy bag to get the feel of hitting through something hard...if you don't have a bag, then work on him helicoptering the bat at the pitcher..if you are inside, have him helicopter the bat straight into the net. It has to go straight. Hold the barrel of his bat and have him swing slo-mo through contact, resisting as you go so he can (at the end) feel his hands taking the bat through contact.

This is not a difficult fix once you understand it.

SC

I think what I hear you saying is he is creating the whip late and ineffectually by pushing his hands forward. Your bat throwing/helicoptering and the heavy bag are certainly ways to attack this. He doesn't know how to get off the merry go round as some would say it.

[Drill]

He is arm baring big time.


Remember if you work on the arm bar you will have to work on timing again.


He has a good lower body move



drill



Find a good hitting instructor only if your son wants to put the time into practice.

[rkbenn]

I think what I hear you saying is he is creating the whip late and ineffectually by pushing his hands forward. Your bat throwing/helicoptering and the heavy bag are certainly ways to attack this. He doesn't know how to get off the merry go round as some would say it.

I agree, no whip till well after contact.

[randy]

he never releases the bat head.

[Mark H]

Yeah though you have to create the forces AND avoid negating them with a push in order to have a bathead that wants to be released.

[hitforaverage]

I'd have a look at the amount of head movement in his swing. His eye level changes what looks like about 6-8 inches (vertically) from start to finish. Compare that to the Ortiz clip. It's harder to see/track the ball with that amount of head movement.

I'd suggest getting his front foot down a little earlier, with a softer landing while keeping his weight back (as he does already). Other than that, it looks like a pretty good swing.

[Mark H]

I disagree.