Hitting Lessons

[default]

Shayne,

The W stands for whip. This again was another Nyman term. It relates to how the core of the body is used along with the hinge angle of the wrist to whip the bat through the zone. My understanding is Nyman goes into detail on it with his new video.

I personally will never see it because I refuse to buy anything from the man. I have nothing good to say about him. My conversations with him on his site were less than cordial.

Elliott.

 

[default]

Elliot, can you explain why "no stride" is considered such an important aspect?

 

[default]

Cshilt,

Everyone of my students starts out no stride. That is because most of them create slop in their mechanics when they stride. In that small time in space that they spend you will see all kinds of movement going wrong that will put them into an unstable and non athletic position to swing the bat.

Examples:

Some will stand straight up and swing down.
Some will throw the front side open by opening the front foot.
Some will try and catch the hands up with the hips and lunge forward.
Some will slide the hips forward instead of rotating them

The list goes on and on.

I PLANT my students and tell them they are not to move the front foot. Then I teach them how to rotate. When and only when I feel they can get into the correct posture and rotate with some efficency will I even let them think about forward motion into rotation.

What they find over the course of time is that they cannot only hit it by not striding they actually hit it better and farther without the stride. Why you would ask? That doesnt make sense. Well it does when you get rid of all of the slop out of their swing and motion.

Then after they understand and "Feel" proper rotation do they get to move the front foot. If they go back to bad habits I plant them again. Once the muscle memory is established with rotation and the swing plane I will let them take a very small stride and we start working on forward momentum into rotation. Then they discover that the ball now launches off the bat instead of dribbles to the shortstop.

That my friend is a good thing as you well know.

Elliott.

 

[default]

I have been following this thread for awhile now, and have seen several people come on here and post some pretty good stuff, that we can take and use when were working with our hitters, or at least sparks a good conversation.
But on the other hand, clearwaterbombers....lenski....riser....shockcoach...have come on here and stirred the pot, without adding anything to make the stew any better, so to speak!!!

I would be curious to hear some of your philosophies on hitting, and what you teach your hitter's or daughters. ?If you don't teach hitting, what does your daughters hitting coach feels is important to the swing. ?What types of drills do they use to emphasize proper swing mechanics.

I have heard Andrea Costa, Chipp Greggs names thrown out during this thread as being hitting instructors...does anyone care to elaborate on some of their teachings???

 

[default]

Nice post Elliot. You got me thinking about the stride. I like conversations like this that can open your mnd to new ideas and maybe a dfferent way of teaching.

 

[default]

it sounds almost like an attack mode i know everyone has a different wording for it but it does work the load has already been preset, all thats left to do is pull the trigger

 

[default]

I agree boulder.....Going toe touch early almost creates a no stride situation and then heel down into rotation. I am by no means an expert but that is what it kinda looks like to me.

 

[default]

[highlight]it sounds almost like an attack mode i know everyone has a different wording for it but it does work the load has already been preset, all thats left to do is pull the trigger [/highlight]

So boulder what kind of load would you expect to create and how would you create it? That is the question. Anyone can respond except for maybe Chsilt and Bretman. Not familiar yet with Howards attack mode drill. Getting there slowly.

Elliott.

 

[default]

The problem with hitting, without taking a step, is you lose the linear movement of the hips during the stride, which I feel will help generate more bat speed. How much, I do not know and do not care to debate, but it will add more bat speed to your swing. Without the stride you are losing momentum, which can be turned into power.

 

[default]

Shayne,

Agreed, but most hitters I see do not know how to rotate. You have to crawl before you can walk. Without rotation your not going to hit the ball hard. I am going to make sure they rotate properly before I start adding additional motion into the swing process.

I treat a new student as if they never held a bat before and build the swing from the ground up. The hardest part of being an instructor is the learn / unlearn process you have to go through with every hitter. They all come to me with Slop in the swing and inefficient swing mechanics. I have to first get rid of the slop and then build the "New swing"

Dependent on the severity of their bad habits and their age I formulate a plan for correction and improvement. You cannot treat a 15 year old like a 10 year old. Wont work. 15 year old thinks they have this all figured out. The 10 year old is like a sponge and will listen and respond in a much more positive manner. Teens dont like change when it comes to swinging a bat.

Good talking with you again. Tell Coach West I said hello and will call him soon.

Elliott.

 

[default]

Elliott,
I taught Taylor to hit using the No Stride approach, but to take it to the next level, we had to move on to the linear weight shift (stride) into rotational mechanics. ?She is progressing, but not as quickly as I thought it would be. ?I am now second guessing myself and wondering if when building the foundation of her swing, I should have implemented a stride early on, and built upon that, instead of taking a short cut, and then trying to add it in later. ?Now that she is older I hear, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." ?May have been easier to struggle from the beginning putting in the stride, at an earlier age, than to try to convince a teenager that she can do it better. ?Oh well, live and learn. ?I will pass on the "shout out" to coach West.
Shayne

 

[default]

I would also add, that it depends on the student. I have some that play softball 12 months a year and I teach the stride. Since I know Taylor she wants to play all the time and wll work on it. I have some that only pick up a softball bat when it's high school season. Those I'm kidding myself . After reading you post Elliot, I think I need to emphasis other areas for those kids. Just my 2 cents. Plus I have very limited time to teach hitting to some kids. .

 

[default]

let me see if i can explain this, im not as good at words as some but here we go, the load is already preset , meaning we teach them to be at front toe touch and to pre load when the pitchers arm is at the 12 oclock position, ( just understand the toe touch may change as the pitching speed does, slower pitchers you face you may go to toe touch after shes past 12 or even at release, it depends on the bat speed of the young lady in question) the load is then shifted forward as she swings into her rotation thru the ball, the front elbow drive is the same, the rear elbow coming vilonently thru the slot is the same, the heel is planted the same, nothing changes except the step is done prior to the pitchers release or removed entirely to enhance bat speed ( and yes i know there will be some that says no it wont) but we use it for pitchers we face that has alot of gas , or on a 2 strike count to shorten the swing and put the ball in play, can you generate more power with a step with the load and rotation? , i think thats honestly in the eye of the beholder, some will say yes and some will disagree, personaly i think you can, i hope i diddnt forget anything but if i did im sure someone will remind me lol

 

[default]

Elliot,
I, for one, am constantly looking for different ways and methods of learning/teaching the swing mechanics you ascribe to. Your logic about starting with a "no stride" approach makes perfect sense to me. Crawl before you walk is a good analogy.

I have a question about "maintaining connection" through the swing, at least through contact. I like Englishbey's wooden dowel drill, where he holds the dowel across the sternum. Then, as he puts it, you simply "tilt and turn into the ball". I have found that to be a very helpful drill for understanding what is supposed to happen with good rotation. It is very simple and elementary - and I know there is a LOT more to it than that - but it seems to be a good fundamental concept, especially for a kid who has poor connection.

Your take on this drill? Do you have other methods/drills to build on this?

 

[default]

Softball_Maverick

How can you say I stirred the pot, so to speak. My first post basically points out that swinging down or level on the ball is not an old hitting technique, rather an incorrect hitting technique in my opinion. One also finds out that I believe an important aspect for the hitter is to be both linear and rotational in their swing, and since I do not believe in swinging down or level through the zone it can be assumed that I believe in an upward swing through the zone. Does this not add to the stew? I will clarify that last bit by stating the bat head should travel along the hitters perceived ball path. In other words, if the batter feels that the pitched ball will come at a downward four degree slope through the zone, then the bat head should stay and travel through that same zone at a four degree upward slope, entering the zone at the opposite end as the pitched ball. I will also state that the hands of the hitter should always be above and behind the bat head through the impact area.

My second post was based on a reply from Howard about my original post. One could contend that Howard's reply was in a sense stirring the pot. The reply tended to go off tangent at times and at other times included incorrect assumptions about what I know/don't know and what I have/have not seen.

But, when exactly did this thread start to stir? As soon as a poster showed disrespect for Southwest Ohio coaches. Newsflash Softball_Maverick: It was not Riser, Shockcoach, Clearwaterbombers, nor myself. Up to that point, the posts were civil and posters offered names of hitting instructors such as Cindy Bowles, Andrea Costa, Chip Gregg, Jackie Cornelius, and Howard Carrier. Once the Southwest Ohio coaches were bashed is where the stirring started. Shockcoach quickly came to their defense because they were badmouthed for no reason. That, Softball_Maverick, is when the sparks started to fly. Let's face it, The SW Ohio coaches did not have to be called out like that.

For what it's worth, my advice to a parent or guardian looking to find a hitting coach for their young one is to jot down every name mentioned, get their numbers, call them and ask questions. If you like what you hear, give them a try.

When I get a chance I will post the long version of the hitting technique that I believe in. It's almost as old as the game itself but some people tend to think that it is a new and exciting breakthrough in hitting technique developed within the last decade or so.


Len

 

[default]

EL please answer the questions as stated, not adding in something that is not there.

Are there instructors teaching to swing down and level on the ball? Yes!

Did I mention any high school, travel team or private instructor? No!

Do some of these people know the difference? No in my opinion!

I deal with these questions every day and correct their mechanics and apparently to their satisfaction or they would not come back.

Again reread it and not your so called perceived between the lines rant.

A final thought...I got a PM from a person that said his mother told him, "In life there are people that no matter what you do will think you are an SOB, so do not disappoint them son."

I hope you are not disappointed.

Please reread it and answer the questions....I think that is fair.

One more observation: watching ESPN today review the teams that are playing in the NCAA play offs and they kept talking about TEAM batting averages and RUNs scored by those teams at .300 is that a data point you should be looking at?

Is that what I asked?

I look forward to your new hand path direction and wonder what changed your mind?

?Not to beat this subject into the ground...If Team USA can use these techniques of using a linear weight shift and be at the top of their game why wouldn't you want to find out what the instructor teaches before you allow them to mess with her swing?

Answer the question please!

What I have seen even at the college levels and especially around Southwestern Ohio colleges, is an attitude of this is how I hit in college, so this is what I am going to teach your daughter...the game has changed.

Please look at the statement...College Levels, nothing about high school or travel teams...look at their team batting averages...is this a good data point to review to give you an idea of if it is working?

Look at their team batting averages as was pointed out and ask yourself if your daughter is better than the player the college coach is coaching currently?

Probably not at this point...so how come they can not convince their college team to use their techniques which they are about to try to teach your daughter while doing private lessons?

Please answer the question

Why is their college team batting averages so low? If during their full time job they can't prove their techniques work why would you think when giving private lessons it will get any better? [/color][/size]

Please answer the question!

 

[default]

Well hitter did not stay gone long so we can all breath a sigh of relief. Hitter I think there is a little more to teaching hitting at the college level than sitting in your garage.

 

[default]

Well hitter did not stay gone long so we can all breath a sigh of relief. Hitter I think there is a little more to teaching hitting at the college level than sitting in your garage.

Until you are able to add something of value to this thread, other than bashing, you need to climb back under the rock you came out from under!!!

 

[default]

Good one Lady Knights

 

[default]

Howard I can't answer your question! I too was one that paid for a coach to work with my DD.
She could hit and play well,had home runs also. After working with you she hits hardder and has more home runs As far as teaching out of a (Garage)!! Well the Home Run Balls on the wall shows that something is working