I hear you.. I was just curious, I know these swings will not lead to consistency in a game.
DD Swing
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I will take the girl on the bottom with of the three videos you posted. Her hips are “starting” to get it. Not there yet but....She will end up with better bat speed that is usable as she moves forward. 
Couple of things to consider after seeing that last video.
1. She is still very rotational after heel drop. Consider doing opposite field tee drills more than any other direction of hitting. When she does opposite field hitting…do not let her get a closed foot position (where she has the back foot further back than her front foot). Her feet in her stance should be perpendicular to the plate to slightly open.
Her hand direction will be more towards second baseman.
Keep working on the pattern of hip extension as soon as heel drop occurs while doing that.
2. Load pattern. This is very important. I see a little better rear hip control starting to happen. You want her to get her torso working with the hips. The red line here is just a red vertical thru the front hip after she loads (end of the clip).
Do the load pattern like Romero…. being specific about her posture here. Notice Romero's nose and front shoulder stay over the front hip and in her full swing she carries that position forward to launch.
Use what ever cue she gets…nose over front hip…front shoulder stays over front hip…head & shoulders stay over hips etc. But work the load pattern keeping that relation.
This will likely feel different for her. She is use to a feeling … both lower body and upper body on the back side during load…then a swing with both lower body and upper body all about the front side. She needs to feel the control of the lower body (pelvic, hip & leg) rear side and upper front side (front shoulder & abs) when she loads.
I will mention “hip bump” here. The little weight shift with a non-strider usually occurs by a hip bump. You can consider this a coil forward. Its doesn’t need to be a lot. But… be aware that her nose/head/shoulder ect…should make the same forward movement with the front hip when she does it. I wouldn’t mention this to her till she practices loading and keeping the body over the pelvis for a bit. It may happen automatically.
3. Progression of load. If you don’t have a hitting pod or balance pad consider getting one. Or a folded up yoga mat ect. Something that gives some resistance. Personally, I don’t like using wood.
In the mean time…consider having her do some loads….with a slightly open stance…and then some in her normal stance. Don’t over bake the open stance. She needs to still develop her hip muscles for control. My variable is the front foot can be from the center of the rear foot to back of the rear heel. Doing this adds a more rotational pattern for rear hip coil and control…working the muscles a little more.
Glad you like the running patterns. It not only helps drive home the point. It works the muscles for stability & control AND lets them run more correct patterns than bad patterns as they get it. Speeds up the process imo.
As others have said…focus on the process and the outcome will take care of itself. Good luck!
Couple of things to consider after seeing that last video.
1. She is still very rotational after heel drop. Consider doing opposite field tee drills more than any other direction of hitting. When she does opposite field hitting…do not let her get a closed foot position (where she has the back foot further back than her front foot). Her feet in her stance should be perpendicular to the plate to slightly open.
Her hand direction will be more towards second baseman.
Keep working on the pattern of hip extension as soon as heel drop occurs while doing that.
2. Load pattern. This is very important. I see a little better rear hip control starting to happen. You want her to get her torso working with the hips. The red line here is just a red vertical thru the front hip after she loads (end of the clip).
Do the load pattern like Romero…. being specific about her posture here. Notice Romero's nose and front shoulder stay over the front hip and in her full swing she carries that position forward to launch.
Use what ever cue she gets…nose over front hip…front shoulder stays over front hip…head & shoulders stay over hips etc. But work the load pattern keeping that relation.
This will likely feel different for her. She is use to a feeling … both lower body and upper body on the back side during load…then a swing with both lower body and upper body all about the front side. She needs to feel the control of the lower body (pelvic, hip & leg) rear side and upper front side (front shoulder & abs) when she loads.
I will mention “hip bump” here. The little weight shift with a non-strider usually occurs by a hip bump. You can consider this a coil forward. Its doesn’t need to be a lot. But… be aware that her nose/head/shoulder ect…should make the same forward movement with the front hip when she does it. I wouldn’t mention this to her till she practices loading and keeping the body over the pelvis for a bit. It may happen automatically.
3. Progression of load. If you don’t have a hitting pod or balance pad consider getting one. Or a folded up yoga mat ect. Something that gives some resistance. Personally, I don’t like using wood.
In the mean time…consider having her do some loads….with a slightly open stance…and then some in her normal stance. Don’t over bake the open stance. She needs to still develop her hip muscles for control. My variable is the front foot can be from the center of the rear foot to back of the rear heel. Doing this adds a more rotational pattern for rear hip coil and control…working the muscles a little more.
Glad you like the running patterns. It not only helps drive home the point. It works the muscles for stability & control AND lets them run more correct patterns than bad patterns as they get it. Speeds up the process imo.
As others have said…focus on the process and the outcome will take care of itself. Good luck!
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Awesome Bobby, thanks for the detailed write up, appreciate it very much and I assure you she does as well.I will take the girl on the bottom with of the three videos you posted. Her hips are “starting” to get it. Not there yet but....She will end up with better bat speed that is usable as she moves forward.
Couple of things to consider after seeing that last video.
1. She is still very rotational after heel drop. Consider doing opposite field tee drills more than any other direction of hitting. When she does opposite field hitting…do not let her get a closed foot position (where she has the back foot further back than her front foot). Her feet in her stance should be perpendicular to the plate to slightly open.
Her hand direction will be more towards second baseman.
Keep working on the pattern of hip extension as soon as heel drop occurs while doing that.
2. Load pattern. This is very important. I see a little better rear hip control starting to happen. You want her to get her torso working with the hips. The red line here is just a red vertical thru the front hip after she loads (end of the clip).
Do the load pattern like Romero…. being specific about her posture here. Notice Romero's nose and front shoulder stay over the front hip and in her full swing she carries that position forward to launch.
Use what ever cue she gets…nose over front hip…front shoulder stays over front hip…head & shoulders stay over hips etc. But work the load pattern keeping that relation.
This will likely feel different for her. She is use to a feeling … both lower body and upper body on the back side during load…then a swing with both lower body and upper body all about the front side. She needs to feel the control of the lower body (pelvic, hip & leg) rear side and upper front side (front shoulder & abs) when she loads.
I will mention “hip bump” here. The little weight shift with a non-strider usually occurs by a hip bump. You can consider this a coil forward. Its doesn’t need to be a lot. But… be aware that her nose/head/shoulder ect…should make the same forward movement with the front hip when she does it. I wouldn’t mention this to her till she practices loading and keeping the body over the pelvis for a bit. It may happen automatically.
3. Progression of load. If you don’t have a hitting pod or balance pad consider getting one. Or a folded up yoga mat ect. Something that gives some resistance. Personally, I don’t like using wood.
In the mean time…consider having her do some loads….with a slightly open stance…and then some in her normal stance. Don’t over bake the open stance. She needs to still develop her hip muscles for control. My variable is the front foot can be from the center of the rear foot to back of the rear heel. Doing this adds a more rotational pattern for rear hip coil and control…working the muscles a little more.
Glad you like the running patterns. It not only helps drive home the point. It works the muscles for stability & control AND lets them run more correct patterns than bad patterns as they get it. Speeds up the process imo.
As others have said…focus on the process and the outcome will take care of itself. Good luck!
Can you clarify point 3 for me a little more, what am I doing with a balance pad? And how will this help.
Notes from the weekend, she had a tournament this weekend and it was only OK. She was way out in front of everything, no matter how hard they pitched. However she probably had her best 3 hits of the year, rocket line drives. I believe she was out in front of everything because she was loading into a more firm backside and not letting her upper body get over her back hip. I believe this led to less swaying action and she was getting to contact a lot sooner than before. I tried to teach her that she needs to wait a little longer because her pattern got shorter.. but I know this will take time. I don't mind she struggled a little, I think it's for the best in the long run
You and she are welcome!
Great….Glad she hit some solid ones! Hope she did this weekend and keeps doing so. That helps keep them motivated.
Timing can mess up the best of them and yes she will always need to work with timing as she gets more efficient in her swing. I think you have a good perspective on that. I would suspect her game swing is still more front side/hip flexor dominate at this point too.
This is a Hitting pod
blackmountainproducts.com
This a Balance pad (there are other kinds) I use both I show.
kbandstraining.com
The balance pad/pod is placed under the rear foot…and you practice the load movement patterns. This will help take her to another level of control. Working stability on an unstable object has all kinds of benefits. It not only builds up stability/control of the rear leg/hip…but it works the core muscles too… when she uses a good posture mentioned in the previous post.
The big thing when using the pad with someone that is hip flexor dominate….is to make sure she is rotating (transverse plane) the pelvis on the rear femur…. “from a open stance position & stable rear leg”…and NOT sinking into a more hip flexion position on the rear side….AND not letting them go to a high knee lift with the front side (activates hip flexors)…a few inches is fine.
If you use a balance pad… have her work the pattern with a more narrow stance.
One of the benefits you may see is …she may want to start having an open stance in her normal setup as time goes on…because she will be feeling the control she has. My experience is that many of them do and it is a good thing for them imo.
Sometimes its not that they don’t want to change something because its their comfort zone (although that happens a lot)….its because they “can’t” change it physically. With her hips unlocking and her gaining stability (motor control)….She will get to where …. “she can” change it if she so chooses… because she can control it. Again..I wouldn’t mention it to her…just run the patterns correctly …and see if she starts doing it on her own.
Does your team do exercise or does she on her own? The minimum I would have her doing is below with a focus on all of them on stabilizing the lumbopelvic-hip using glutes. Starting with basic movements of each and progressing them. It doesn’t take long at the end of a hitting session/practice to run thru them. 2-3 sets…6-8 reps…3x week is usually sufficient.
Planks https://www.active.com/fitness/articles/30-day-plank-challenge
Dead Bug https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a19968278/dead-bug-exercise/
Bird dog https://fitnessreloaded.com/bird-dog-exercise-variations/
Glute Bridges https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a25781391/glute-bridge-move/
Clams https://www.temporun-dpt.org/wod/glute-exercise-progression-non-weightbearing
Keep up the work!
Great….Glad she hit some solid ones! Hope she did this weekend and keeps doing so. That helps keep them motivated.
Timing can mess up the best of them and yes she will always need to work with timing as she gets more efficient in her swing. I think you have a good perspective on that. I would suspect her game swing is still more front side/hip flexor dominate at this point too.
This is a Hitting pod
Balancing Exercise Stability Pods - Black Mountain Products
Professional grade fitness balance pods. Sold in 2 Packs or Set of Five. Measures 6.25 inches wide by 3.25 inches tall. Made with durable studs for ultimate stability and grip. Used to improve stability, balance, strength, and flexibility. Black Mountain Products offers full lifetime warranty.
blackmountainproducts.com
This a Balance pad (there are other kinds) I use both I show.
Kbands Training Balance Disk
The Kbands Balance Disk is a great training tool used to enhance body control. The Inflatable Balance Disk can be used by athletes of all sizes.
kbandstraining.com
The balance pad/pod is placed under the rear foot…and you practice the load movement patterns. This will help take her to another level of control. Working stability on an unstable object has all kinds of benefits. It not only builds up stability/control of the rear leg/hip…but it works the core muscles too… when she uses a good posture mentioned in the previous post.
The big thing when using the pad with someone that is hip flexor dominate….is to make sure she is rotating (transverse plane) the pelvis on the rear femur…. “from a open stance position & stable rear leg”…and NOT sinking into a more hip flexion position on the rear side….AND not letting them go to a high knee lift with the front side (activates hip flexors)…a few inches is fine.
If you use a balance pad… have her work the pattern with a more narrow stance.
One of the benefits you may see is …she may want to start having an open stance in her normal setup as time goes on…because she will be feeling the control she has. My experience is that many of them do and it is a good thing for them imo.
Sometimes its not that they don’t want to change something because its their comfort zone (although that happens a lot)….its because they “can’t” change it physically. With her hips unlocking and her gaining stability (motor control)….She will get to where …. “she can” change it if she so chooses… because she can control it. Again..I wouldn’t mention it to her…just run the patterns correctly …and see if she starts doing it on her own.
Does your team do exercise or does she on her own? The minimum I would have her doing is below with a focus on all of them on stabilizing the lumbopelvic-hip using glutes. Starting with basic movements of each and progressing them. It doesn’t take long at the end of a hitting session/practice to run thru them. 2-3 sets…6-8 reps…3x week is usually sufficient.
Planks https://www.active.com/fitness/articles/30-day-plank-challenge
Dead Bug https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a19968278/dead-bug-exercise/
Bird dog https://fitnessreloaded.com/bird-dog-exercise-variations/
Glute Bridges https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a25781391/glute-bridge-move/
Clams https://www.temporun-dpt.org/wod/glute-exercise-progression-non-weightbearing
Keep up the work!
Thanks Bobby, this is really awesome stuff here!You and she are welcome!
Great….Glad she hit some solid ones! Hope she did this weekend and keeps doing so. That helps keep them motivated.
Timing can mess up the best of them and yes she will always need to work with timing as she gets more efficient in her swing. I think you have a good perspective on that. I would suspect her game swing is still more front side/hip flexor dominate at this point too.
This is a Hitting pod
Balancing Exercise Stability Pods - Black Mountain Products
Professional grade fitness balance pods. Sold in 2 Packs or Set of Five. Measures 6.25 inches wide by 3.25 inches tall. Made with durable studs for ultimate stability and grip. Used to improve stability, balance, strength, and flexibility. Black Mountain Products offers full lifetime warranty.
This a Balance pad (there are other kinds) I use both I show.
Kbands Training Balance Disk
The Kbands Balance Disk is a great training tool used to enhance body control. The Inflatable Balance Disk can be used by athletes of all sizes.
The balance pad/pod is placed under the rear foot…and you practice the load movement patterns. This will help take her to another level of control. Working stability on an unstable object has all kinds of benefits. It not only builds up stability/control of the rear leg/hip…but it works the core muscles too… when she uses a good posture mentioned in the previous post.
The big thing when using the pad with someone that is hip flexor dominate….is to make sure she is rotating (transverse plane) the pelvis on the rear femur…. “from a open stance position & stable rear leg”…and NOT sinking into a more hip flexion position on the rear side….AND not letting them go to a high knee lift with the front side (activates hip flexors)…a few inches is fine.
If you use a balance pad… have her work the pattern with a more narrow stance.
One of the benefits you may see is …she may want to start having an open stance in her normal setup as time goes on…because she will be feeling the control she has. My experience is that many of them do and it is a good thing for them imo.
Sometimes its not that they don’t want to change something because its their comfort zone (although that happens a lot)….its because they “can’t” change it physically. With her hips unlocking and her gaining stability (motor control)….She will get to where …. “she can” change it if she so chooses… because she can control it. Again..I wouldn’t mention it to her…just run the patterns correctly …and see if she starts doing it on her own.
Does your team do exercise or does she on her own? The minimum I would have her doing is below with a focus on all of them on stabilizing the lumbopelvic-hip using glutes. Starting with basic movements of each and progressing them. It doesn’t take long at the end of a hitting session/practice to run thru them. 2-3 sets…6-8 reps…3x week is usually sufficient.
Planks https://www.active.com/fitness/articles/30-day-plank-challenge
Dead Bug https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a19968278/dead-bug-exercise/
Bird dog https://fitnessreloaded.com/bird-dog-exercise-variations/
Glute Bridges https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a25781391/glute-bridge-move/
Clams https://www.temporun-dpt.org/wod/glute-exercise-progression-non-weightbearing
Keep up the work!
Also from a previous post you mentioned;
"I will mention “hip bump” here. The little weight shift with a non-strider usually occurs by a hip bump. You can consider this a coil forward. Its doesn’t need to be a lot. But… be aware that her nose/head/shoulder ect…should make the same forward movement with the front hip when she does it. I wouldn’t mention this to her till she practices loading and keeping the body over the pelvis for a bit. It may happen automatically. "
I don't know why, but this just clicked. Her hip movement is getting better, but I think she's thinking about creating stretch incorrectly. She his progressing with her lower body and hips and keeping her entire upper body back..no wonder her lead arm is not lengthening at heel plant. Why did it take me so long to see this?? Furthermore I believe this is causing her to lose a lot of power, issues with head tilt, inefficient use of her core.. basically what a lot of you guys have been trying to tell me.. when she was 12 she had a flawed swing, but she managed to progress her upper body with her lower, but it was all back, all forward she was still generating more power.
Also we travelled to a tournament in the US this weekend, she had a bit of a rough weekend. For 14u in the US the rubber is 43', in Canada we play at 40'. The pitching was not very good this weekend, with her new changes implemented she was way way out in front, popping balls up or weak hits off the end of the bat. However she made the adjustment as the weekend went on and started hitting the ball better... just a little too late to minimize the damage already done. If anything, it was a good lesson on patience and sitting back and timing the slower pitches.
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Just wanted to revisit this thread and post some of my DD's swings from a while back. I believe back then she was on a better track then where she is now..sorry for the bad quality
This is my favorite swing of her using her lower body.. I am not sure what I said or what we did that resulted in this, but I wish I knew, lol. Maybe it was a cue to drive her back knee down towards the front foot? Al most like she's got Elvis knees,
Overall I believe this is one of her better swings.. I feel we have regressed quite a bit over the years.. my fault, too much coaching and lost sight of the big picture
This is my favorite swing of her using her lower body.. I am not sure what I said or what we did that resulted in this, but I wish I knew, lol. Maybe it was a cue to drive her back knee down towards the front foot? Al most like she's got Elvis knees,
Overall I believe this is one of her better swings.. I feel we have regressed quite a bit over the years.. my fault, too much coaching and lost sight of the big picture
Not too bad. What are the feelings of everyone on the the lead arm and contact? Is she rolling the wrists to much and lacking lead arm extension?
Always been a prob.. these are some of her better swings, far from perfect,
