learning to shift weight?

[jamesh23]

what are some drills I can do to learn to shift my weight to my front foot when I swing? right now im doing more of a squish the bug action and i'd like to transfer my weight more so my toe actually comes up at contact.

[Go Cardinals]

what are some drills I can do to learn to shift my weight to my front foot when I swing? right now im doing more of a squish the bug action and i'd like to transfer my weight more so my toe actually comes up at contact.

Put a helmet against your back foot. Don't hit the helmet.

Also, happy gilmore drill to get it done to the extreme...

[JeffK 29]

what are some drills I can do to learn to shift my weight to my front foot when I swing? right now im doing more of a squish the bug action and i'd like to transfer my weight more so my toe actually comes up at contact.

Agree with GC's happy gilmore drill. It will help. However, IMO, you must buy into the simple fact that your hips are the root cause of your poor weight transfer. You need to rotate your hips harder/faster/earlier....etc. Once you get the feel of how much hip rotation you need you'll know what I mean. Cues like explode your hips help also. We have a difficult time with this one at home. Carefull with happy drill in that it might get you sliding on soft front leg. Think hips, hips, hips.

Good luck.

[Mark H]

Happy Gilmore drill can help. Bottom line, you have to have some forward momentum to rotate well. Don't necessarily have to have a lot, but you have to have some. Developing a lot of momentum can crash the system with lesser hitters. Failure to quickly, very quickly, turning that forward momentum into rotation becomes hip slide defined as the front hip moving forward while swinging the bat. The hips should eventually rotate into footplant but that's not your starting point with a young hitter with a swing full of inefficiencies. I suggest researching at Englishbey's site.

[Mark H]

Large momentum development.

http://www.theswearingens.com/mick/swing.htm

[Mark H]

Moderate momentum development.

http://imageevent.com/siggy/hitting/olympic?p=9&n=1&m=24&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=9

I'd offer some more mlb clips on this but the petty bloodsuckers have forced such clips mostly off the net. So much for what's good for kids.

[Mark H]

Small momentum development.

http://imageevent.com/siggy/hitting/northwestern2006wcws?p=2&n=1&m=24&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=9

[jamesh23]

thanks but can someone explain the happy gilmore drill?

[Mark H]

LOL You really should rent the movie if you haven't seen it. Hilarious.

[JeffK 29]

thanks but can someone explain the happy gilmore drill?

Happy likes to take a running start...stand a step or two behind the tee (closer to the catcher) and get a running start to the ball using sideways steps. Plant your lead foot as you would normally and go into your swing without stopping. The fwd momentum generated will force your hips to rotate bringing your back foot up on its toes and weight to your front foot.

Happy was a hockey player on a golf course and took the hockey approach to golfing.

[jamesh23]

ya i've seen the movie I didnt know if the drill was just like it lol thanks though.

[Steven Tyler]

Try and get some video of Frank Thomas hitting. He took shifting the weight to the front foot to the extreme limit.

[Go Cardinals]

http://www.hittingillustrated.com/images/FThomas5.mov

[virg]

Back foot & ankle force weight forward onto front foot. Front knee, soft enough until full shift to allow transfer to happen. Ft knee goes rigid at full fwd shift.

[Go Cardinals]

James, try going to a 50-50 stance... When I do this, I feel my weight naturally going forward. Watch ortiz:



Try a similar stride, but try it with your weight 50-50. Tell me what you think. It may help you get a feel for it.