Young hitters "bouncing"

[drose1330]

This is my first post here and I hope some of you will have some good advice. I have a few young players that, for lack of a better term, bounce as they swing. I guess a better description would be that they squat down as they start then raise back up as they complete their swing.

I have a few things I have tried that work alright. However, I don't feel I am doing the best job of helping my girls figure out and resolve this problem. Anyone have thoughts on why they get started doing this and/or solutions to help get them out of the habit?

Thanks to everyone in advance for any advice.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

How were they taught to adjust to hit the low pitch?

 

[drose1330]

The girls I am working with this on I did not teach from scratch. They have joined our teams and we are now helping them try to eliminate the problem. From what I have seen they tend to do alright on a fairly low pitch. However, most other pitches they tend to swing just under or are late on due to the "bounce"

 

[Chris O'Leary]

The girls I am working with this on I did not teach from scratch. They have joined our teams and we are now helping them try to eliminate the problem. From what I have seen they tend to do alright on a fairly low pitch. However, most other pitches they tend to swing just under or are late on due to the "bounce"

That's fine, but it might be related to something they have been taught.

 

[straightleg]

Video would help


SL

 

[RayR]

Could be all sorts of things....they might be dropping their hands and then try to adjust by popping up....could just be a strength issue and when they turn they have to straighten up.....without video its all a guess.....mainly the advice for the younger ones is try and keep their head still....

 

[FrozenRope]

Let me guess....there is little to any hip rotation in the swing. My DD had a very similair problem. Almost like they jump up at the ball with a long armed linear sweep? It was a long drawn out fix for us. Even once she was swinging properly with the hips starting the rotation of the swing and getting some backward tilt when we did tee work, she reverted back to the linear jump swing when she saw live pitching. Took many weeks of heavy tee work with a 100% elimination of hitting a moving ball. Once she was consistent with tee work, we moved to quick front toss with wiffle balls. I intentionally tossed the ball with enought speed where the only way she was going to catch up to it was to rotate the hips, and quiet the motion of the arms. I kept backing up and tossing the ball harder, making sure she didn't have time to squat and jump.

 

[RayR]

If you looking to combat a long linear swing you need to teach a hitter to turn the barrel....using the hands and wrists....I guarantee you that they are not currently turning the barrel....using the hips usually just turns a linear swing into a circular swing....

 

[mann]

If you looking to combat a long linear swing you need to teach a hitter to turn the barrel....using the hands and wrists....I guarantee you that they are not currently turning the barrel....using the hips usually just turns a linear swing into a circular swing....

Hi MTS, could you show me an example of a "circular swing".
"Turning the barrel" as teaching cue, using it in training, to me equals other methods, such as a hitters box, and release point.
or knob , then turn the barrel. Or throw the barrel.
The hips should turn, and be used.
I would love to see video of the bounce, as i remember a clip of a college girl, teaching a type of bounce, or push up into the ball.

 

[jbooth]

This is my first post here and I hope some of you will have some good advice. I have a few young players that, for lack of a better term, bounce as they swing. I guess a better description would be that they squat down as they start then raise back up as they complete their swing.

I have a few things I have tried that work alright. However, I don't feel I am doing the best job of helping my girls figure out and resolve this problem. Anyone have thoughts on why they get started doing this and/or solutions to help get them out of the habit?

Thanks to everyone in advance for any advice.

Bouncing is caused by improper use of the legs and/or the spine.

If they straighten the back leg as they push, the head will go up. If they bend the front knee as they shift, the head will go down. If they do both, the head will go up and then down.

If they bend the legs to try to get to a low pitch, the head will drop, then when they swing they have a tendency to straighten the legs, and the head goes back up.

They could also be bending at the waist to get down to a pitch and then straighten up as they swing.

We need video to know for sure, but the head is controlled by the legs and spine.

This is the leg position that must be achieved, if you want to keep your head still. The back leg stays bent and the front leg straightens;