Hitting and Hitters Discussion Hitting fixes

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I think he is the best coach ever. At Arizona he does not have to recruit, more like select. I was in several NFCA coaches college classes he was instructing, he is awesome. He once told me or the class that nothing could ever happen in a game that his team was not prepared for, think about that.

I am more than a little confused about him jocking hitting software though, he loves him some slappers and he has the premier slapping expert in the world on staff. He said in one class that he had 7 slappers at AZ and that was not enough. Believe me when I tell you he loves slappers.

It is not always sunshine and skittles for Candrea, I don?t care what you know there will be tough times. He is a class act just like Slaught. I was a little disappointed in the Epstein vs. Slaught debate a few years back, rotational vs linear. I think they both are smart businessmen who did not want to sling much mud.

 

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I could list a ton , but it all depends on age and if they work with a hitting coach. I have a 16U hitter that has a gate swing, so you can still run into some ugly swings even at that level. I observed a camp last weekend and it was fun just standing back watching some of the ugly swings and talking to parents.
1. I will list the worst thing I saw above was Stance. Weight back on the heels and the hands held way above the shoulders with the bat straight up. Wait till they see a riseball.
2. Stepping with a stiff front leg at toe touch.
3. Casting hands at the ball. Bad first move.
4. Hips turning before heel plant, or the back arm coming down into the slot.
5. Level swings
Almost all are easy to fix, just the kids have no idea what they are doing wrong.

I almost missed this. Planting the heel stiffins the front leg. If one does not start to open their hips just before planting the heel of the lead foot, they are doing both the knee and hip injustice. The hips have to start to open right before planting the heel, otherwise the hips will try to stay relatively locked in the neutral position, causing decreased torque and unwanted twist in the knee joint and upper femur/hip. This is not an opinion, it is an absolute.

 

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Chip congrats on replying to my post about squishing the bug.
Len and yourself have proven time and again that you have a great amount of expertice when it comes to hitting techniques.

not to highjack the thread but since it is about fixing the swing.
I want to know why people keep trying to spread the stance of these young under developed kids.

I was always taught if you finish with your back knee under your back hip and in line with your shoulder and ear that was a balanced finish.
with that being said how do you do that when you start with a wide stance

 

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Chip congrats on replying to my post about squishing the bug.
Len and yourself have proven time and again that you have a great amount of expertice when it comes to hitting techniques.

I could not agree more Coach!!

Mike

 

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Candrea and Enquist have won 17 NCAA titles between them, I have to believe 15 were won before RVP was introduced to either of them. Again, I love the RVP but it did not make Candrea or Enquist successful.
AZ 93,94,96,97,01,06,07
UCLA 82,84,85,88,89,90,92,99,03,04

 

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I think we could all agree to disagree and that Sue and Mike are great coaches. Their intro into RVP was something like now that we have had a chance to review the swing we can see how similair the baseball and softball swings really are.

Look at Hutch at Michigan she tried it and won the first year using it and Leon Woods a friend of mine set it up for her...maybe her over all talent pool or draw is not that of Mike or Sue however you can not take that away from her. Is it better now after RVP or worse and the data speaks a lot.

When you can get a coaching staff to buy into the concepts and techniques we have seen significant improvements and when looking at team batting averages of those that have and then review what has changed it makes it a little clearer of some techniques working better than others verses opinions.

I will use but one example...Don had UCLA engineering working on the weight distribution before and after toe touch since last Spring. I had been using a 5 gallon bucket to conduct experiments as to the opening of the lead leg and exactly how far is too much and if the hitter could feel it and could we see it. That Monday before the games started in China we were reloading my software and just talking and discovered we were working on similar ideas. Per Don Crystl was a perfect 50/50 after toe touch. Whatelly was 90/10 and Mendoza was 70/30. After showing them the readings they could see it, feel it and fix it and Team USA had 13 homeruns a new team record and CB had 6 setting the record again. It was huge for them as they started hitting shots out of the park for home runs that before were grounders and line drives. When the knee flexes at toe touch and when it starts to become more rigid was the key to a better linear weight shift...we never stop learning however applying what you know and getting the hitter to believe in what they are doing also helps. When you take the technique to the field and apply what you learn is where in my opinion you see it work and it is working at all levels for most people.

Stance width is being applied at 1.5 times the width of the shoulder plus or minus 2 inches and again that is data. The martial art programs have a very similair approach for consistancy and have been able to apply it over the last 1,000 years however we are still debating it as to how or why the body works in baseball softball after 125 years and counting.

Review the National Geograhic Programs on Martial Arts as Slaught and I have to understand more how the body works. At Childrens Hospital in Cincinnati we were able to observe how the weight transfers not only in pressure pads in the floor but also by putting an insert in the shoe and it can collect data from 100 different places on the foot while they are performing the activity.

 

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Can't you all play nice

 

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Anybody have any clips of the hammer drill?

 

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Theres a wealth of knowledge on here, I learn something new in almost every thread. There is another thread on here debating wether or not kids should be allowed on OFC, think about it guys, would you want your daughter reading some of the rants that are written and knowing it was her dad that wrote it. im not above good natured jabs at one another,and anyone that knows me knows i love to tease and cut up. Its up to you how you represent your self , bottom line is if theres someone you dont like theres an ignore feature in your settings, use it . life is to short to sweat the small stuff

 

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A glaring problem I see in many girls batting is the lack of a firm front leg after they plant their heel. If the foundation is not sound, then chances are the rest of the swing is not sound. Another problem I see often is too much stride, so much so that their weight ends up on the back foot causing them to "squish the bug".

Coach Weekly stated that baseball guys have never seen a rise ball. I guess that's true to a point but I am here to tell you right now that a baseball pitcher does have the ability to make a ball move up. I have seen personally on many occasions a pitcher throw a two-seamer at 3/4 arm angle and it literally bites up and in. I have been hit on the knuckles more than I care to remember.

Len

Len.
Too much stride. I believe we all could fix that.


What about not straighten out the lead leg. Any fix's that you apply, or drills that work for a coach to keep the player from bending there front knee when they hit.





I have always thought that a player that bent that front knee would make there head drop in the swing, and of course they eyes are dropping and they would not be a consistant hitter.





Straightleg

 

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I think we could all agree to disagree and that Sue and Mike are great coaches. Their intro into RVP was something like now that we have had a chance to review the swing we can see how similair the baseball and softball swings really are.

Look at Hutch at Michigan she tried it and won the first year using it and Leon Woods a friend of mine set it up for her...maybe her over all talent pool or draw is not that of Mike or Sue however you can not take that away from her. Is it better now after RVP or worse and the data speaks a lot.

When you can get a coaching staff to buy into the concepts and techniques we have seen significant improvements and when looking at team batting averages of those that have and then review what has changed it makes it a little clearer of some techniques working better than others verses opinions.

I will use but one example...Don had UCLA engineering working on the weight distribution before and after toe touch since last Spring. I had been using a 5 gallon bucket to conduct experiments as to the opening of the lead leg and exactly how far is too much and if the hitter could feel it and could we see it. That Monday before the games started in China we were reloading my software and just talking and discovered we were working on similar ideas. Per Don Crystl was a perfect 50/50 after toe touch. Whatelly was 90/10 and Mendoza was 70/30. After showing them the readings they could see it, feel it and fix it and Team USA had 13 homeruns a new team record and CB had 6 setting the record again. It was huge for them as they started hitting shots out of the park for home runs that before were grounders and line drives. When the knee flexes at toe touch and when it starts to become more rigid was the key to a better linear weight shift...we never stop learning however applying what you know and getting the hitter to believe in what they are doing also helps. When you take the technique to the field and apply what you learn is where in my opinion you see it work and it is working at all levels for most people.

Stance width is being applied at 1.5 times the width of the shoulder plus or minus 2 inches and again that is data. The martial art programs have a very similair approach for consistancy and have been able to apply it over the last 1,000 years however we are still debating it as to how or why the body works in baseball softball after 125 years and counting.

Review the National Geograhic Programs on Martial Arts as Slaught and I have to understand more how the body works. At Childrens Hospital in Cincinnati we were able to observe how the weight transfers not only in pressure pads in the floor but also by putting an insert in the shoe and it can collect data from 100 different places on the foot while they are performing the activity.

I never said Candrea was not a great coach

 

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I think he is the best coach ever. At Arizona he does not have to recruit, more like select. I was in several NFCA coaches college classes he was instructing, he is awesome. He once told me or the class that nothing could ever happen in a game that his team was not prepared for, think about that.

I am more than a little confused about him jocking hitting software though, he loves him some slappers and he has the premier slapping expert in the world on staff. He said in one class that he had 7 slappers at AZ and that was not enough. Believe me when I tell you he loves slappers.

It is not always sunshine and skittles for Candrea, I don?t care what you know there will be tough times. He is a class act just like Slaught. I was a little disappointed in the Epstein vs. Slaught debate a few years back, rotational vs linear. I think they both are smart businessmen who did not want to sling much mud.

here it is

 

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One thing I see often as I travel around, watch games, and do clinics and instruction, dropping of the hands.

This is quite prevalent in those who didn't receive a lot of previous quality instruction and try to hit the ball far.

 

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One thing I see often as I travel around, watch games, and do clinics and instruction, dropping of the hands.

This is quite prevalent in those who didn't receive a lot of previous quality instruction and try to hit the ball far.

How do you fix dropping of the hands?




Straightleg

 

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First - I make my point. I use video. I like them to view what they do and what they should do by using an elite model. Right there, I've got their full attention and fixing the problem is easier to start way as they know what they do.

Now the fixing part - it depends. I like the hammer drill. Using a hammer, in slow motion, you get to visualize the path each hand individually and both hands together if they were going to hit a nail. This gets them to feel and understand what proper arm path ''feels'' like. They have to feel it the ''correct'' way if you want to fix that faster.

Then, I will use a resisted swing drill where I slow the bat down in a controlled fashion with my hands while they are driving through the ball. Again, they can feel what they are doing and I can instantly point out what doesn't work.

Another drill that works good, I set the tee a few inches further in front. Every kid dropping their hands will miss it because they ''golf'' the ball. Those who don't drop their hands are more successful at keep the bat head at the read angle to make contact.

Finally, something that does wonder, the Zap-and-Hit Pro
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4645845

This thing is not expensive what you do is you attach it to about arm pit level. Then you get the person that will release the ball to hold the handle at their waist. This creates the path of a riseball.

It is absolutely hilarious (laugh inside) to see the kids who's dropping their hands miss the ball every time. Then, you send someone with the correct arm path and they hit all of them.

It is a very frustrating experience for the hitter but they suddenly realize what happens. You can even film it and show it to them. It usually only takes a few sessions and the problem is fix.

There are several other drills but these works well.

Marc

 

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Excellent post Marc!!

Welcome to OFC.


I like the idea of video - visual aid






I have used a tee on top of a bucket - high strike zone


My favorite would be the Instructo Swing setting the upper tee high in the strike zone. Instant feed back.
A couple swings high, then a couple to the low tee, but keeping the hand path the same.
Pulling the knob across the same plane on both locations, just more tilit of the bat.


Do you agree with this swing thought?






Straightleg

 

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Candrea and Enquist have won 17 NCAA titles between them, I have to believe 15 were won before RVP was introduced to either of them. Again, I love the RVP but it did not make Candrea or Enquist successful.
AZ 93,94,96,97,01,06,07
UCLA 82,84,85,88,89,90,92,99,03,04

Chip I did not take it that way...I was trying to point out even though they had success before RVP they were still open minded and able to learn even more in my opinion. RVP allows you to capture the swings and compare MLB and Team USA swings and many NPF swings. They also have a teaching package for soft ball and base ball were they explain it.

They do an excellent job of why not to swing down or level on the ball and keeping the hands above the plane of the pitch. You have been to the same NFCA conventions I have....why is it so difficult (not you in particular) to see the logic of Don, Sue and Mikes approach especially with Teams USA, Bustos success as well as Canada and Australia. Yes Bustos use to squish the bug admits to it at the clinics so why discuss what does not work as well and focus on what could be done to improve? This is why Michael Bastian and I introduced the RVP concepts to the Chinese National Softball Team however they reverted back when Coach Wang took over and it went backwards again.

I believe Marc did an interview with Mike while in China by phone...welcome Marc.

I am repeating myself however many will look for the holy grail of hitting and so far I will take RVP for now as it was just updated again....in my opinion it works.

 

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First - I make my point. I use video. I like them to view what they do and what they should do by using an elite model. Right there, I've got their full attention and fixing the problem is easier to start way as they know what they do.

Now the fixing part - it depends. I like the hammer drill. Using a hammer, in slow motion, you get to visualize the path each hand individually and both hands together if they were going to hit a nail. This gets them to feel and understand what proper arm path ''feels'' like. They have to feel it the ''correct'' way if you want to fix that faster.



Marc

Marc, glad to see you here on the ofc. Great post!

Mike

 

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How about girls that slap there front shoulder on the warm up swing


I see this quit often at a weekend tournament. Different players different teams.


It must be taught by a few coach's, allot of girls do it.




Any thoughts on this. Can someone tell me the teaching behind this?
I would like to hear the positives to this type of swing.





Straightleg

 

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I hope this does not get off topic....whatever that may be now!! I see a lot of kids who have no idea what it means to be a "good two strike hitter". I see a lot of girls and boys still swinging for the fences w/ two strikes. Do you think the girls are too stubburn to just do what it takes to get on base. Nobody wants to choke up and shorten their swings to make contact. Do you think we as coaches overlook this aspect of the game. I think sometimes we get caught up in the building of "the super hitter", we forget about the small things that make this game great. I am curious to what everyone-else thinks!

Mike