Ashlynn - Build A Batter 12U

[GunnerShotgun]

After stalking the hitting forums for months I have filled my DD's head with, "turn the barrel", "coil, uncoil", "Elvis Move", etc. I have manged to confuse her enough I am pretty sure her swing is worse than when we started.

She is a damn good pitcher, but a below average hitter. We spend so much time on pitching her hitting has paid the price.

After reading through the Megan 1-tee thread she decided she wanted to do the same. I figure she might listen if she heard it from someone else. So if you have suggestions she promises to work on it and post more videos.

She swings a 30/19 in the video where she is squishing the bug. *sigh*

She is going to read this thread....


[video=youtube_share;ZmTSDfXV490]http://youtu.be/ZmTSDfXV490[/video]

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

You are correct. There appears to be a fair amount of confusion taking place.

This here isn't turning the barrel ... it is dragging the barrel.

Laying the bat backwards is not turning the barrel.

There is no coil in this swing.

There is no understanding of how to use the rear leg. There is simply “spin”.

Even the mentality of the swing appears at odds with the goal. The mentality is not to simply “hit”. Making contact is not nearly good enough. There should be a feel of throwing the ‘bat head’ … of sending that ball in a particular direction. Ask your daughter what the purpose of these swings where? Ask her WHERE she was trying to hit the ball. My guess is she didn’t have a location in mind. She was “hitting” when she should have had a purpose of sending the ball to a particular location. Never swing without a purpose.

Does your daughter throw pitches without a purpose? Not if "she is a damn good pitcher" as you stated. If she is a solid pitcher, then she got that way by learning to throw every pitch with a purpose ... and hitting is no different in that regard. Every swing should have a purpose.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

Thanks for taking the time to reply, FFS. Ashlynn enjoyed your videos on the Coil/Uncoil drills. As you can see she didn't put it to good use. I will have her read your thoughts and we will work on this (from the ground up).

More videos to come.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

Ashlynn read FFS's post and a couple other comments and decided she had work to do. She agreed she was thinking to much which is my fault. So after basketball practice we went to work on coil/uncoil. It's not perfect but it looks better than it did yesterday.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Well Ashlynn, if you are reading this, then know that I am quite pleased that you got back up and took some more cuts. That’s what “ball players” do. Well done!

Much better. Hard to believe it is the same hitter actually.

Don’t let it go to your head … you have some things to work on … but from here people can assist you in a much smarter manner.

Before I comment further, I’d like you to answer a question.

Tell me about the white strip of paper on the floor near your rear foot. What is the purpose of it? Describe why it is there and why it is at an angle? Describe the swing thought(s) that this paper is meant to give you.

Notice that as part of your pre-swing routine that you look down at this piece of paper. Tell me about what this symbolizes to you. Why is that paper there and what is it trying to remind you to do?

 

[GunnerShotgun]

After going through a few batting coaches we are back to going at this alone. An update is below.

<a target='_blank' title='ImageShack - Image And Video Hosting' href='http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/46/7m1f.gif/'><img src='http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/6982/7m1f.gif' border='0'/></a><br>Uploaded with <a target='_blank' href='http://imageshack.us'>ImageShack.us</a>

 

[redhotcoach]

Couple of older pretty easy to understand vids from Coach B.

 

[redhotcoach]

 

[redhotcoach]

 

[redhotcoach]

After going through a few batting coaches we are back to going at this alone. An update is below.

<a onclick="_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'Outgoing', 'imageshack.us', '/photo/my-images/46/7m1f.gif/']);" target='_blank' title='ImageShack - Image And Video Hosting' href='http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/46/7m1f.gif/'><img src='http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/6982/7m1f.gif' border='0'/></a><br>Uploaded with <a onclick="_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'Outgoing', 'imageshack.us', '']);" target='_blank' href='http://imageshack.us'>ImageShack.us</a>

I see and like the work on loading the hands as the lower is "walking away" from them.

It looks like she/you coil the rear hip then reach out with the front leg in the stride. A better way is to coil the rear hip, then hold the coil, the rear leg moving the lower body out toward pitcher, not the front leg reaching out. Sometimes a good thought of stride is moving the belly button out, or the belly button controlling the stride out, or the rear knee contolling the stride out...just not the front leg.

Josh Hamilton's stride out controlled by his rear leg. This is also a great vid to see his rear pocket (left rear pocket for him...would be right rear pocket for you) moving out toward the pitcher. A couple years ago my instruction for my daughter was "try to moon the pitcher, and take the moon toward the pitcher, while keeping your rear foot and leg pointing straight ahead to the opposite batters box."