Hitting Off the Front Foot

[Twan]

I'm getting constant criticism for hitting off my front foot. I have trouble keeping my weight back, and the curveball is pretty hard for me to hit. What can I do to keep the weight back?

[jbooth]

I'm getting constant criticism for hitting off my front foot. I have trouble keeping my weight back, and the curveball is pretty hard for me to hit. What can I do to keep the weight back?

Turn from the backside as your "go" trigger. Don't step, and then try to time when to swing. When it's time to swing, drive the backside hip, and let that movement push your front foot forward. The foot will land before the hands go at the ball.

When it's time to swing; think "hips, hands", don't step forward as you read the pitch. Read the pitch, and then swing. And, swing from the backside.

[FiveFrameSwing]

Would this be analogous to common phase "keep the weight back"?

I'm assuming you mean that one loads their back leg (negative move), and maintains a loaded back leg until swing initiation. The sequence would be something like load the back leg, separate (Rudy's term for reaching forward with the front leg while moving the hands back) ... while maintaining the load in the back leg, followed by shift & throw.

By recommending not stepping forward, I'm assuming "reaching" is okay and that the intent is to maintain the loading of the back leg ... correct?

[ipitch]

I'm getting constant criticism for hitting off my front foot.

Perhaps you could tell them that some guy named Hank Aaron hit off his front foot.

[Jake Patterson]

I'm getting constant criticism for hitting off my front foot. I have trouble keeping my weight back, and the curveball is pretty hard for me to hit. What can I do to keep the weight back?
Few (Very few) pros hit off their back foot. Go to the thread Clips Pics and Sites and take a look.

Keeping the weight back is not bad advice as long as the person telling you that understands when the weight should be back and when it should be transferred forward.

[virg]

I'm getting constant criticism for hitting off my front foot. I have trouble keeping my weight back, and the curveball is pretty hard for me to hit. What can I do to keep the weight back?

One thing at a time-
Q: are you hitting okay or not? if you are hitting, who is critical?
[I'm getting constant criticism for hitting off my front foot]
[I have trouble keeping my weight back,]
[the curveball is pretty hard for me to hit.]


It isn't clear if your problem is real, or imagined by someone else. There are valid and useful front-leg styles. What are the questions, clearly stated, one at time. Until you get specific you're likely to get any and every tip in the world.

[GFK]

Are you getting fooled on offspeed / curveball such that your center of gravity is over your front foot?

[Mark H]

I'm getting constant criticism for hitting off my front foot. I have trouble keeping my weight back, and the curveball is pretty hard for me to hit. What can I do to keep the weight back?


If you would post a video of your swing lots of people could give you good advice on here. Otherwise, we are all using the SWAG method to diagnose and treat your problem, if in fact it IS a problem.

[BC227]

When I played, I used to get duped by curveballs all the time due to my inability to keep my weight back on offspeed pitches. One coach finally worked with me on a drill that I felt really helped me and may or may not help you.

The drill goes like this:

- You need one other person because it is a soft-toss drill
- This person will be on a knee a few yards away from you and start to deliver you soft toss from the side as you take full swings and hit the ball into a net, fence, etc.
- Have the tosser toss them pretty fast with little trajectory so you have to react quickly to turn on and hit them
- After doing this for a little bit, the tosser can 'fake' throws
* If its a coach tossing to you, this is a great way to see how a hitter is reacting to an incoming pitch and see any hitches they have in their pre-swings. The hitter can be "loading" when this happens, but should not have already transferred their weight forward.
- The tosser then continues to toss quick pitches, but can also mix in slow, higher arching pitches
* This is where the real learning comes in. Good hitters will be able to keep their weight back, even if they have already taken their small load step and wait for the slower pitch to fall into the strike zone before turning on the ball and transferring their weight forward.
- The tosser should continue to try and mix all three types of throws, quick, fake, & slow, to try and teach the hitter proper balance and patience.

I hope that is comprehendable. But the point is, that good hitters can control their weight shift and can "sit-on" the offspeed like curveballs and changeups and not be fooled out onto their front foot (thereby losing all their power), but still "catch" fastballs by reacting and quickly turning on them.

Once again, I hope you understood all that. If I'm reading you correctly, I feel as though you were in a similar position as I once was, and I got pretty good at sitting on the offspeed without getting onto my front foot - a lot having to do with this drill.

[virg]

I'm getting constant criticism for hitting off my front foot. I have trouble keeping my weight back, and the curveball is pretty hard for me to hit. What can I do to keep the weight back?

Are you making clear, clean, early visual pickup At Release? Deal with first things first!

[ctandc]

Do you mean that you are hitting weak end of the bat grounders on off speed pitches? This just means you swinging early, and are way out front on off speed pitches.

Simply practice, in BP, letting everything (including fast balls) get deeper to you before pulling the trigger.

[FiveFrameSwing]

When I played, I used to get duped by curveballs all the time due to my inability to keep my weight back on offspeed pitches. One coach finally worked with me on a drill that I felt really helped me and may or may not help you.

The drill goes like this:

- You need one other person because it is a soft-toss drill
- This person will be on a knee a few yards away from you and start to deliver you soft toss from the side as you take full swings and hit the ball into a net, fence, etc.
- Have the tosser toss them pretty fast with little trajectory so you have to react quickly to turn on and hit them
- After doing this for a little bit, the tosser can 'fake' throws
* If its a coach tossing to you, this is a great way to see how a hitter is reacting to an incoming pitch and see any hitches they have in their pre-swings. The hitter can be "loading" when this happens, but should not have already transferred their weight forward.
- The tosser then continues to toss quick pitches, but can also mix in slow, higher arching pitches
* This is where the real learning comes in. Good hitters will be able to keep their weight back, even if they have already taken their small load step and wait for the slower pitch to fall into the strike zone before turning on the ball and transferring their weight forward.
- The tosser should continue to try and mix all three types of throws, quick, fake, & slow, to try and teach the hitter proper balance and patience.

I hope that is comprehendable. But the point is, that good hitters can control their weight shift and can "sit-on" the offspeed like curveballs and changeups and not be fooled out onto their front foot (thereby losing all their power), but still "catch" fastballs by reacting and quickly turning on them.

Once again, I hope you understood all that. If I'm reading you correctly, I feel as though you were in a similar position as I once was, and I got pretty good at sitting on the offspeed without getting onto my front foot - a lot having to do with this drill.


Nice post!