16yo Maddie

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Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
Lol! We use Meg's high school field for hitting. As long as she hits them over the left field fence, all is good. If she hits them over the center field fence there is approximately 30 feet of grass that borders a forest filled with jaggers. I either leave the balls where they fall or rip up my legs trying to get to them. I'm to the point that I just say "nice shot" and order some new balls.
I had poison ivy on my legs all summer from about the age 10 to 20 from fetching balls in woods and I didn't even pay for those...
 
Apr 20, 2018
4,581
113
SoCal
I cannot advocate for the swing rail. Every example I've seen - including Maddie trying it - results in a hand push to get it to release. I find it comical that their video examples are full-grown men hitting mediocre line drives barely to the OF grass. That's not really the result I'm looking for - LOL. Maybe your experience has been different.
It can be used at half speed to get the feeling of a small hand radius. But at game speed swings it doesn't work.
 
Oct 13, 2014
5,471
113
South Cali
I don't like videos/demonstrations like this. Unknowing parents and coaches take this and apply it literally to young players, without taking the next step to see that this isn't what his swing actually looks like. That is not his barrel path, and not his rear leg action.

you can’t duplicate dynamic actions unless being dynamic. If folks misinterpret that. Well they deserve to be dazed and confused. However It’s a great gif of his hands. Which I think he was demoing. I mean he could do it full speed and knock Arods head off so the folks at home can understand.😆
 

TDS

Mar 11, 2010
2,926
113
focus on loading the hands to snap the barrel.. but it includes forearm in to shoulders and torso. Looking for one thing affect other thing up and down the kinetic chain



I agree with focusing on loading the hands to whip the barrel.. I have done this drill for years (great drill). The only difference is I will alternate the whip for pitches up and down in the zone from a leveraged position. This way the hands don't commit to early (free hands).

That drill is nothing like this one though.. Actually Rich and Maddie are doing the opposite.

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Oct 26, 2019
1,375
113
Looks good. Doing a good of whipping the barrel while swinging down and TTB’ing with free hands while getting leveraged, FYB via rear-leggedness all the while using the middle and staying grounded and trying not rotate. I miss anything?
You forgot to establish a corner in the rear hip socket.

seriously though - Maddie has a very visually appealing swing. Her mechanics are good, but that’s not what following her thread is about for me - Maddie seems (I don’t know her obviously) to have a high compete level between her ears in the batters box and a seriousness (hitters mentality ) to her approach. I would go out on a limb to say she would probably hit fairly well with a variety of mechanics. Maybe even left handed if she wanted - al because she’s got “it” between the ears.
 

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