Hitting and Hitters Discussion Hitting: Basketball drill

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I keep getting emails and PM's about this drill...we use a weighted ball that weighs twice that of a softball! We use a tennis ball, then a hardball, then a regular softball then the weighted softball and then repeat. We want them to swing with all out force on every pitch and we increase the resistance with each ball using a proper hand path.

Note: We also do not do one hand drills with a full size bat either which is why I designed the PVC power slide bat!

You want to avoid coming to a complete stop such as hitting a tire or a basket ball. Talk to your orthopedic surgeon and ask what it does to your shoulder, elbow and wrist ESPECIALLY on the younger kids you are forcing this drill on!

There are other ways to strengthen the wrists and forearms than subjecting them to this drill. Learn a proper hand path and just swing the bat if you want to increase bat speed.

Boulders Dad ask Crystl about this drill and unless they are 18 and maybe a freshman in college she does not recommend it either. IF we thought it was a good drill we would be using it at our clinics and we do not.

In my 6 years of working with Crystl WE have never used this drill.

 

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If you are trying to srenghten the wrists and forearms read the post on the Edge Gloves. I was reading a post on another site that they do not recommend adding weight to the end of a bat, like we use to do in baseball. It changes the swing and hand path, since it causes you to drop the end of the bat.

 

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I agree which is why we recommend the Edge Weighted gloves. This is why I use weights on the knob of the bat.

In my opinion with the weight at the knob allows the hitter to create better muscle memory faster. With the weight on the end or towards the end the bat momentum is more difficult to control and when teaching the hand path it is counter productive for me. To my knowledge none of our kids use end loaded weighted bats.

 

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I have had conversations about this with many people including Howard. I am not a fan of weighted anything. PERIOD. If you want to give them anything weighted give them a bigger heavier bat to swing. It is hard enough to teach a young hitter to be stable and control the swing plane of the bat without weights.

Why teach them to feel an unstable swing with weighted doughnuts of gloves? Unless your trying to teach them an unstable swing? One of the few things I would disagree with Howard on and we are allowed to disagree. I do agree with Howard that they should NOT be hitting deflated basketballs and tires for all the reasons Howard stated. I have even asked for this tread to be removed from the drills section of this forum but that was ignored too.

Elliott.

 

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Elliot we have used the Edge Weighted Batting gloves for years without difficultly or injury as you can add as much weight or as little as the weights are in two to four ounces each. We use them 2/3 through the work out and then take them off.

We like the fact you can keep the weight in your hands and not have the weight moving awkwardly over the plate or casting away from you.

The weighted balls are only 10.8 ounces and a regulation size ball is 6.75 ounces I think so it provides a little resistance however not enough to cause physical issues and we are using a bat that they would swing in the game.

Using a heavier bat would add to and or create an awkward swing path in my opinion which is why we do not use it. The heavier bat I made with the sliding weights keeps the weight at the hands until MOI and then it moves and it is only 3 ounces and Crystl uses an 8 ounce one.

 

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Hitting a basketball with a bat is a terrible idea!! ;&

 

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O U C H - guess she wasn't wearing a helmet.

 

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I trust Hitter 100%

 

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Been to college camps that have kids hitting basketballs and you wonder why!

 

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Been to college camps that have kids hitting basketballs and you wonder why!

Parents usually never question the college coach or what their program is teaching....afraid the coach will remember and not want their kid in the future.

You and Shayne have been to more camps than most parents I know and see the flaws in what and how they teach....and yet their methods are still defended. The best are some that claim to teach RVP yet when ask about it they can not expound on how it works yet they claim that is what they are doing especially when it comes to hand path and stride.

I like the camps that limit size so the kids get more instruction verses just swings and give hand outs so the kids have something they can work on after the camp.

 

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Hello
One technique you can use is resistance bands on one end have a clip the other a loop of Velcro or a handle attach the clip to a fence and either the girls hold the handle or attach Velcro to the bat just above their hands stand at a 45 to the fence hands slightly behind back shoulder, slight tension on band and slowly swing and you can vary this stepping farther away from fence moving band away from hands and adding bands and increasing swing speed gradually. This is a variation of a common gym workout on a cable machine.
We messed with the basketball and it was clear after a hit or 2 going to cause injury

 

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Hello
One technique you can use is resistance bands on one end have a clip the other a loop of Velcro or a handle attach the clip to a fence and either the girls hold the handle or attach Velcro to the bat just above their hands stand at a 45 to the fence hands slightly behind back shoulder, slight tension on band and slowly swing and you can vary this stepping farther away from fence moving band away from hands and adding bands and increasing swing speed gradually. This is a variation of a common gym workout on a cable machine.
We messed with the basketball and it was clear after a hit or 2 going to cause injury

I like using the handle off old wooden bats...put an eye bolt in the upper half and attach to a fence using a clip like you use for a pet lead. Attach at about shoulder height this way they can practice taking it up the middle, opposite or inside and feel the release with the wrist and rotate as needed with the hips. We stress when doing this to let the elbow lead or make a good first move and slowly lower the back elbow into the slot to stay connected and then feel the release of the wrist....elbow leads, hands below the elbow, hands above the bat head.

 

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The facility where my DD does her hitting practice and takes lessons has one of these Muhl Power Bags. She has not used it yet and I was wondering if anyone had any experience with it. She is 11 and weighs about 75 lbs. Thanks.


http://www.muhltech.com/power_bag.html

 

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The facility where my DD does her hitting practice and takes lessons has one of these Muhl Power Bags. She has not used it yet and I was wondering if anyone had any experience with it. She is 11 and weighs about 75 lbs. Thanks.


http://www.muhltech.com/power_bag.html

In my opinion you do not want to come to a sudden stop when swinging the bat especially with your elbow away fro m you and your wrist away as it puts too much stress on the shoulder wrists and elbow...no trainers I know support this technique or position especially for younger kids that are still growing.

We do a progression ball drill for bat speed and our kids do just fine with the bag or basketballs and no one is having wrist elbow or shoulder issues. As an adult try it yourself and tell me how you feel after a few swings...