Swing down
- Thread starter Shawn
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I mean, the only hitting instruction I ever got from anybody was my college coach telling me I needed to stay more closed so it isn't that crazyThat said, I probably could have used more instruction
Most of the early instruction I received was "hands to the ball". I don't remember seeing or hearing anything about "swing down" until these forum discussions started.
- Jun 8, 2016
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Yeah..my father coached me through LL and the only instruction he gave me was to stop acting like an rear when I made an out..
...it didn't work We are all seeing the same things, we just explain it differently. I’m scouring YouTube for more fastpitch models. And on that note I would like to see how many believe this swing fits their model.
to me there is a reach before the hips are leveraged Or stretched.
Yeah..my father coached me through LL and the only instruction he gave me was to stop acting like an rear when I made an out..
My dad would play catch with me, but he was a truck driver and rarely home. So most of my learning was done on the field. The coaches in little league and in high school talked a lot about "hands to the ball" but also talked about the hands being the "trigger" to the swing.
Over the years I have read a lot and I can understand how different people come up with their thought processes. As I have stated before, I have no issue with the "swing down" concept if it is not taken literally and further explanation is provided. I prefer the "get behind the ball" thought process but will admit that it can also lead to issues if the explanation is not clear. Ultimately the explanation is more important than the words. IMO...
I don't remember ever hearing of it either, until this thread.
- Oct 2, 2017
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Much of these terminologies I think are a offshoot of cues used over time, "Hands to the ball", "Get on top" etc. Much of it starts in early ages and progress from there.
You have a young player who is constantly popping up or striking out and dropping hands, getting under the ball. In a team setting are you going to tell them to keep doing that? Heck no, cue the coach "Get on top", "Swing down", "Hit the ball on the ground". What happens? The kid all of a sudden hits a rocket. "Coach, that swing down stuff works!" reality is they simply flattened out their swing by thinking "Swing down". I have a kid on the team that definitely has the literal down through swing, with the posture to match. Don't have time for 1 on 1 lessons with her. Know what I told her, Swing up through the ball. What does she do, thinks swing up through the ball and starts hitting hard shots. The point is that all these cues have developed over time, from things probably used from players and or coaches making on the fly adjustments, which have become the next best thing. No matter which side of the contention one is on.
Much of it starts in early ages and progress from there.You have a young player who is constantly popping up or striking out and dropping hands, getting under the ball. In a team setting are you going to tell them to keep doing that? Heck no, cue the coach "Get on top", "Swing down", "Hit the ball on the ground". What happens? The kid all of a sudden hits a rocket. "Coach, that swing down stuff works!" reality is they simply flattened out their swing by thinking "Swing down". I have a kid on the team that definitely has the literal down through swing, with the posture to match. Don't have time for 1 on 1 lessons with her. Know what I told her, Swing up through the ball. What does she do, thinks swing up through the ball and starts hitting hard shots. The point is that all these cues have developed over time, from things probably used from players and or coaches making on the fly adjustments, which have become the next best thing. No matter which side of the contention one is on.
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I agree concerning the reach....
- Jun 8, 2016
- 16,118
- 113
As an expert on a reach, I agree as well
This is not directed at you..
I have an issue with any cue that can't be taken literally. People twist themselves in pretzels trying to defend 'hands to the ball', etc. New parents waste years screwing up their kid's swings.
Why not use cues that are actually taken literally?
