drag and hand activation

[FiveFrameSwing]

SoCal ... your use of the words "wrist angle flexibility" has me concerned that I did a poor job of explaining myself. The wrist angle will influence one's ability to make a connected swing ... and yes, the wrist angle will influence the grip. For many, it's simply enough to use a particular grip. All I'm saying is that for me, it is the wrist angle that is important, and that when I teach setup conditions I review the wrist angle and it's importance in the swing ... and then I show how the wrist angle helps define the actual grip. What I'm trying to convey to you is stressing getting the wrist angle correct first, and not having a particular grip negatively impact that. I'll write more on the topic when I have time.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Thank you Cshilt.

 

[SBFAMILY]

Why most females cannot swing a hammer or any tool, is because of grip. SoCalSoftballdad. I work with girls younger than 12. I will try to help you understand how you can test this with your 12 your old dd. Bustos /Carrier test. Take the bat or your finger and place it up against the meaty area between your first fnger and thumb. Like the picture of the worst grip shows. Now tell her to grip it as hard as she can and you pull the end of the bat. Or take your other hand with your finger firmly in that area. She will not be able to hold the finger or bat. You cannot use a hammer holding it that way. Why Bustos and Carrier use hammers in the clinics they teach. Now take the bat or use your finger in your upper hand like the grip shown above. Have her tell you which is a stronger grip. If you want vary it as FFS has in the posts. She will be able to tell you which is best. It doesn't matter if the kid is 8 or 18, they will give you the same Answer I have taken this a step further. I take a Hair Tie ( the thicker pony tail holder. Cut and Tie it on the first finger of the top hand and then let them put the glove over it. Then keep the bat handle below the tie toward the finger tips. When they swing they can see, feel and hear the difference. I had a 13 year hit a HR ( her first) doing this Saturday.

 

[SoCalSoftballdad]

Why most females cannot swing a hammer or any tool, is because of grip. SoCalSoftballdad. I work with girls younger than 12. I will try to help you understand how you can test this with your 12 your old dd. Bustos /Carrier test. Take the bat or your finger and place it up against the meaty area between your first fnger and thumb. Like the picture of the worst grip shows. Now tell her to grip it as hard as she can and you pull the end of the bat. Or take your other hand with your finger firmly in that area. She will not be able to hold the finger or bat. You cannot use a hammer holding it that way. Why Bustos and Carrier use hammers in the clinics they teach. Now take the bat or use your finger in your upper hand like the grip shown above. Have her tell you which is a stronger grip. If you want vary it as FFS has in the posts. She will be able to tell you which is best. It doesn't matter if the kid is 8 or 18, they will give you the same Answer I have taken this a step further. I take a Hair Tie ( the thicker pony tail holder. Cut and Tie it on the first finger of the top hand and then let them put the glove over it. Then keep the bat handle below the tie toward the finger tips. When they swing they can see, feel and hear the difference. I had a 13 year hit a HR ( her first) doing this Saturday.

Thanks for the responses everyone. Does the size of the hands matter? For example, an 8 YOs hands are a lot smaller than Albert Pujols, would the smaller hands require the bat to be deeper in the palm since the thickness of the bat is relatively greater to the youth hands versus someone with bigger. stronger adult hands. I remember reading an artcile about Arnold Palmer having huge, strong hands and how this is important in the grip of a golf club which is also placed in the fingers similar to softball / baseball.

 

[SBFAMILY]

This is the typical male mentally of why baseball coaches find it a little different when working with females as to weight shift, balance, throwing and hand path.

Some of us actually have worked with Crystl and Howard doing clinics and actually work the stations. It is interesting when talking with Lowe, Berg and Topping and Bustos that they do not share your understanding of how they feel or how their bodies work and although the swing looks the same their bodies do not function the same when actually performing the activity.

Crystl and Howard have demonstrated this at the clinics and it is obvious you do not get it.

Chris O'Leary was at a clinic according to Howard and he seemed to go away with a better understanding of the differences as he actually got to see her demonstrate the differences and ask questions from the best female hitter in the world.....

 

[SoCalSoftballdad]

This is the typical male mentally of why baseball coaches find it a little different when working with females as to weight shift, balance, throwing and hand path.

Some of us actually have worked with Crystl and Howard doing clinics and actually work the stations. It is interesting when talking with Lowe, Berg and Topping and Bustos that they do not share your understanding of how they feel or how their bodies work and although the swing looks the same their bodies do not function the same when actually performing the activity.

Crystl and Howard have demonstrated this at the clinics and it is obvious you do not get it.
Chris O'Leary was at a clinic according to Howard and he seemed to go away with a better understanding of the differences as he actually got to see her demonstrate the differences and ask questions from the best female hitter in the world.....

Is this directed towards me? If it is, I'm not sure we are in disagreement here. I believe that while it is important to emulate the best hitters in the game, there may be some differences in both the age of the player and the body type of professional athletes compared to the the average player that dictate teaching slightly different mechanics to maximize any differences that might exist. I'm just trying to educate myself, ask questions, and learn.

 

[Wellphyt]

This is the typical male mentally of why baseball coaches find it a little different when working with females as to weight shift, balance, throwing and hand path.

Some of us actually have worked with Crystl and Howard doing clinics and actually work the stations. It is interesting when talking with Lowe, Berg and Topping and Bustos that they do not share your understanding of how they feel or how their bodies work and although the swing looks the same their bodies do not function the same when actually performing the activity.

Crystl and Howard have demonstrated this at the clinics and it is obvious you do not get it.

Chris O'Leary was at a clinic according to Howard and he seemed to go away with a better understanding of the differences as he actually got to see her demonstrate the differences and ask questions from the best female hitter in the world.....

Not to state the obvious, but a lot of us are married and have daughters. I have a wife and two daughters giving me three females in my household capable of giving me feedback on the female body. My daughter who plays softball is 14 years old and is fully capable of communicating to me what she feels when she swings a bat. My other daughter does gymnastics. Some of the things she can do makes me hurt just watching.

Here is a link to some comments from Epstein about Katie Cochran that I find related to the debate about males and females when it comes to hitting.
Softball

 

[SBFAMILY]

The post was via hitter/howard and directed to those we feel do not work with female hitters. If you visit the baseball sites, you would understand why we posted this. Wellphyt, yes but you still have to teach a female hitter to understand what works. I know you work with softball players. Howard has found out some do not and we are trying to educate them that the old baseball mentally does not work well teaching females to hit. Some what to learn, others just want to argue or clearly have an agenda. .

 

[redzuk]

The "move"......see thread 185

The female hips are wider, the glutes do not fire the ACL, as it must be taught to them, the ACL were it passes through can rub when the ACL is out of position and the hips rotate better when the knee is thrusted by lifting the heel first and the weight is from the big toe and toe next to it and the knee cap is basically pointed towards the second baseman's normal playing position first as a right handed hitter. Then the hips rotate more efficiently and safely.

When a female braces herself against a wall with their back hand so she can lift and turn her hip ask them when they feel stronger, when the knee goes out first and then rotates or when the knee cap is directed under them.

The "move" still happens however it is just a little different in the females at initiation of the heel lift where the weight is focused in the big toe and toe next to it.

The batter in post #185 of this thread, the first one of the three? How come there is no follow through with the bat?

Been searching the old posts and the knee cock is something I dont understand how you and Hitter explain it. Or I should say I think I understand what your saying but I dont see whats wrong with this batter.

Back heel comes up, looks to be on inside toes, flex in front knee. Is she making the right "move" but in the wrong sequence? I dont know how to move the knee out (towards second baseman) then down.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

The post was via hitter/howard and directed to those we feel do not work with female hitters. If you visit the baseball sites, you would understand why we posted this. Wellphyt, yes but you still have to teach a female hitter to understand what works. I know you work with softball players. Howard has found out some do not and we are trying to educate them that the old baseball mentally does not work well teaching females to hit. Some what to learn, others just want to argue or clearly have an agenda. .

SBF … you and Howard certainly don’t have a lock on working with female hitters.

As you go about educating folks on the old baseball mentality, please include the Hanson Principle. IMO excuses shouldn’t be made to defy the Hanson Principle.

Now … with that said … perhaps we can return to having a technical discussion … one, which hopefully includes checks against the Hanson Principle.