Batting clip for review

[ralanprod]

Background...

I've been fairly hands off with regard to hitting instruction for my 10yo this season. He hit the ball well, both for average and power. Since I had enough other hitters to worry about, I figured I'd wait until after the season to start working with him again. My main instruction this season was, "Hit the ball hard somewhere". It seemed to work.

He's previously been through an Epstein clinic and DVD's, so he knows the concepts and terminology of rotational hitting - even if he doesn't apply them all the time.

The clip was taken at the local indoor cages. The machine is a "Pro-Batter Experience" set for 60 MPH fastballs. He's moving into the Bronco (11/12) division in the fall, so I expect he may see some pitchers that can hit that speed - but probably not many. The view isn't the best - it is taken from the side, but through one cage and into his, so the netting is a little distracting.

What stands out most to me is that he has too much of a backward lean, and isn't bringing his weight forward off the back foot. (Probably an Epstein artifact)

He also doesn't seem to be loading his torso much, which may be in response to trying to keep up with the pitch speed - not really sure.

Any opinions on other things to have him work on?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ5TRVPEd2w

[songtitle]

Need slo-mo, but when he loads, his back shoulder should go up and front go down.

[ralanprod]

Need slo-mo, but when he loads, his back shoulder should go up and front go down.

I see what you are saying. I'm curious if that will have an effect on his weight transfer. It may cue him to bring more weight back before launching the swing.

The feeling I get is that his weight starts too far forward, and therefore can't shift properly with the end result being reduced power and increased balance issues.

I'll play around with the video editing software and put together a few slo-mo swings.

[jbooth]

Background...

I've been fairly hands off with regard to hitting instruction for my 10yo this season. He hit the ball well, both for average and power. Since I had enough other hitters to worry about, I figured I'd wait until after the season to start working with him again. My main instruction this season was, "Hit the ball hard somewhere". It seemed to work.

He's previously been through an Epstein clinic and DVD's, so he knows the concepts and terminology of rotational hitting - even if he doesn't apply them all the time.

The clip was taken at the local indoor cages. The machine is a "Pro-Batter Experience" set for 60 MPH fastballs. He's moving into the Bronco (11/12) division in the fall, so I expect he may see some pitchers that can hit that speed - but probably not many. The view isn't the best - it is taken from the side, but through one cage and into his, so the netting is a little distracting.

What stands out most to me is that he has too much of a backward lean, and isn't bringing his weight forward off the back foot. (Probably an Epstein artifact)

He also doesn't seem to be loading his torso much, which may be in response to trying to keep up with the pitch speed - not really sure.

Any opinions on other things to have him work on?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ5TRVPEd2w

His lower body looks very good, his arm, hand and bat movement on the upper need a lot of work.

Flattens the barrel before swinging, drops the hands, takes the hands at the ball among other things.

[DukeK]

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/lk2500/j521big1.gif

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/lk2500/j521big2.gif

[ralanprod]

Duke - thanks for the views.


Flattens the barrel before swinging, drops the hands, takes the hands at the ball among other things.

He's always had the issue with the hands dropping. I worked with him on high tee drills a little before the season began to try to break him of the habit. I'm not sure that's the best approach, but it's all that came to mind at the time.

[songtitle]

Actually in slo-mo, it looks like his shoulders are good.

His swing may not be always going with the plane of the ball. Generally, your hands should go from shoulder to shoulder.

[Drill]

His lower body looks very good, his arm, hand and bat movement on the upper need a lot of work.

Flattens the barrel before swinging, drops the hands, takes the hands at the ball among other things.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/lk2500/j521big1.gif

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/lk2500/j521big2.gif

Agree with Jbooth,


Watch his hands drop in the clip.


I would start from the bottom up. Find a good instructor and get a t for home practice

Have him work on set up, load, stride.

next lesson I would get a tee ball bat and have him do some one handed drills to make sure he is loading and striding correctly and taking the bat barrel to the inside of the ball. Of course there is a lot more to the swing than what I said, rear elbow and front elbow and staying connected. But at least you will get the basics of a good swing with a good instructor. Plus it will save you money in psychiatric appointments for yourself

do top and than the bottom hand. At this time the instructor will correct what he is doing wrong.


BUT your son will have to work on it at home. Just because you lay you cash down does not mean that his swing will magical improve with out practice on your sons part.



IMHO,

drill

[songtitle]

drill,Watch his hands drop in the clip.

Please explain. I don't see his hands "dropping". His hands are at his shoulder at toe touch, then he takes his elbow down to hip where it belongs.

His swing looks pretty good overall. (unlike some I've seen)

[Drill]

Please explain. I don't see his hands "dropping". His hands are at his shoulder at toe touch, then he takes his elbow down to hip where it belongs.

His swing looks pretty good overall. (unlike some I've seen)

sorry you can not see hands drop, been looking at swings a while and sometimes it just stands out to me.

go to hitting instructor and ask him please, to hard to correct swing on internet.


IMHO,

drill

[songtitle]

sorry you can not see hands drop, been looking at swings a while and sometimes it just stands out to me.

go to hitting instructor and ask him please, to hard to correct swing on internet.


IMHO,

drill

Oh boy, another bragger. Please just try to help out us humble beginners. At what point in the swing do his hands drop? It's not that complicated is it?

[Coach G]

Ayone else besides me see a little bat drag????

[Drill]

Oh boy, another bragger. Please just try to help out us humble beginners. At what point in the swing do his hands drop? It's not that complicated is it?


Thanks for the slam (another bragger) which is your opinion. I would be making a lot of bucks for some MLB club if I was that good. But a lass I respect your opinion if thats what you want to call me.

Hold your pencil eraser up to the screen and put it on his hands. Watch where his hands start out. I wish I knew how to put it into my swing analysis software for you and kite tail a line of his hands for you.

Every time my son (a catcher) sees this fault he is calling time out to tell the pitcher to throw high fast balls. The batter will never catch up to the pitch with this swing fault. Proven fact if he does make contact he will hit high pop ups most of the time in the infield.


love always,

drill

[songtitle]

The batter will never catch up to the pitch with this swing fault. Proven fact if he does make contact he will hit high pop ups most of the time in the infield.


OK, now we are back on track. I see him bring his elbow down to his hip (as is normal with rotational) where he would definitely be susceptible to missing high cheese just above the strike zone. But he should be able to hit anything at the top of the zone.

Are you saying he should not bring his elbow down (which brings his hands down)?

Thanks.

[Drill]

OK, now we are back on track. I see him bring his elbow down to his hip (as is normal with rotational) where he would definitely be susceptible to missing high cheese just above the strike zone. But he should be able to hit anything at the top of the zone.

Are you saying he should not bring his elbow down (which brings his hands down)?

Thanks.

Never got off track but if you said I did that is your prerogative. If you put the eraser on the screen at the beginning of his swing I am seeing his hands are starting out to high. If you look closely you will see his rear elbow height does not change until he brings his hands down to where they should start out. This is wasted time and slows the swing down. Proper set up is needed before he even starts the swing.





IMHO,

drill

[ralanprod]

Never got off track but if you said I did that is your prerogative. If you put the eraser on the screen at the beginning of his swing I am seeing his hands are starting out to high. If you look closely you will see his rear elbow height does not change until he brings his hands down to where they should start out. This is wasted time and slows the swing down. Proper set up is needed before he even starts the swing.

IMHO,

drill

I see what you are saying. I think he is starting with the hands high in response to me previously telling him that he keeps dropping his hands. He's still dropping them - just from a higher start point. I need to get him to work on starting at the proper height and not dropping from there.

As for the high fastballs - yep it's a problem for him. He's been fortunate in that most of the pitchers he has faced cannot bring it hard enough to throw it past him - but that won't last for long. When I throw BP it is the pitch he has the hardest time hitting - usually he swings under the ball or pops it up.

[DukeK]

Get the bat slotted correctly and it will help with the dropping the hands, he has to drop them to get the bat unwrapped from behind his head and then drag it around and behind his body.

He's also squishing the bug a bit and doesn't have very good separation.

Go here and read my reply as well as the others:http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=89543