Hand loads

[Rolling Hard]

OK, pick up (craigslist /$20 each) a couple lacrosse sticks literally yesterday. DD going to do a beginners clinic/camp later this summer so we must prepare.LOL. Watch a basic lacrosse video on utube and off to the park. (yes we brought gloves and balls too). The feel of throwing a lacrosse ball really made me think about oar lock and split grip drills. There are some parallels to THT for sure. We were able to throw and catch. Are record was 10 successful throws and catches without hitting the ground. We did some long toss too. It was really fun.

 

[jmdub]

In my experience, I think this is one way in which softball and baseball are different. Girls can't usually get away with a down and then up hand action and either A. be in time or B. get the hands back to a consistent loaded position. My gut reasoning is because girls aren't nearly as strong with their upper bodies but do not have the data to back this up.

 

[_MIA_]

In my experience, I think this is one way in which softball and baseball are different. Girls can't usually get away with a down and then up hand action and either A. be in time or B. get the hands back to a consistent loaded position. My gut reasoning is because girls aren't nearly as strong with their upper bodies but do not have the data to back this up.

I don't think it is a strength issue but really more of people thinking as you do (no offense) and teaching that stuff out of girls most of the time. Alex Hugo had a hand pump at one point in her career I believe.

 

[TDS]

 

[FP26]

I love clips that also include the pitcher. I do see some hitters that struggle with this type of hand motion, but typically it is because they start WAY too late. If you watch Hugo's movements, you will notice that her hands reach their lowest position before the ball leaves the pitcher's hand. Some hitters start that process later, and as a result, they are toast... Doesn't matter if they are male or female.

 

[rdbass]

Also notice it's a change up/off speed pitch that she is able to not let her weight shift to the front leg:

 

[_MIA_]

The one thing about big moves like Hugo has is that there is certainly a bigger timing aspect (as FP mentioned) to them compared to somebody who has much smaller "actions". At the younger ages especially, when timing can be a problem regardless of your style and kids are still learning how their particular body moves, I can see why some instructors would want to coach such things out of them. I have watched a lot (too much... ) of 10U softball the last few years and 95% of the kids go with a generic handset near launch position, small/no stride swing regardless of whether the teams are A level national teams (e.g. Bandits) or a local club. As a matter of fact the bigger the org the more likely the kid has a "vanilla" swing it seems. Not saying it is bad one way or the other, with enough work most any style can work, just an observation at the youngest levels of softball.

I haven't had the opportunity to watch much youth baseball yet, that is coming (my 4 year old son keeps asking me if I will go watch his games when he plays so I think I am going to have a difficult time holding him out of organized ball for too much longer ), so it will be interesting to see the differences, if any. My swing actually got more "vanilla" as I moved up in age levels if I remember correctly.

 

[jmdub]

I don't think it is a strength issue but really more of people thinking as you do (no offense) and teaching that stuff out of girls most of the time. Alex Hugo had a hand pump at one point in her career I believe.

no offense taken. We had to move from away from this baseball-style front elbow to front knee load because it just wasn't repeatable consistently. Maybe it was some timing, but I really believe it's in top half strength.
I really feel like some of these moves are more beneficial in baseball where you have to hit the ball 400'+ than in softball where consistency in contact is more critical to hitting for power.

On the topic of Hugo...didn't her numbers decrease every year after her first year at GA? Especially her HR totals?

 

[_MIA_]

On the topic of Hugo...didn't her numbers decrease every year after her first year at GA? Especially her HR totals?

Not sure, but Alo's HR total was cut in half this year and she doesn't have a hand pump . It happens, pitchers pitch you differently, find a weakness, players around you don't protect as well, etc. I also saw a video of her hitting post-college I think and she changed her style completely at some point if I remember correctly.

 

[efastball]

there is certainly a bigger timing aspect (as FP mentioned) to them compared to somebody who has much smaller "actions".

I hear this mentioned frequently, but when you think about it, this is backwards. Plus it 'corrects' the wrong problems.

Kids get switched to no stride, or 'smaller actions', generally because they start their stride too late. So, instead of fixing the real problem, they compund it with another problem.

With the 'smaller action', the kid now has no timing mechanism to know when to begin their swing.

This is why the funnel is so harsh, for kids with fatal flaws like this. Every kid should be pushing toward a MLB swing, not away from it.

"I haven't had the opportunity to watch much youth baseball yet, that is coming"
Baseball instruction is really sad. Most of the instruction and drills are backwards or destructive. Most good hitters that advance naturally swing the right way, and don't listen to or change their swing based on instruction. That's why you hear players like ARod describe their swing in ways that don't match how they actually swing. Most baseball swings are ruined by 8U-10U.