Drills to improve using lower half in swing

[gen1xslugger]

Im having trouble using my entire body when hitting. Iv been working on this rotational hitting method and its helping produce more power.

I was just wondering if anyone has any drills that could help me incorperate more lower body strength into my swing, or drills that could help me learn more of a rotational hitting swing.

i have never hit for power, yet im 6'1 190 and what i consider "strong". I know there is a flaw somewhere in my swing, thus not much power. I hit for very good contact though.. so my swing isnt bad.

[Go Cardinals]

When you hit for power, are you squaring the ball everytime? Or is there weird spins, slices etc?

Put up a video of your swing... your flaw will be fixed easily.

Take your video, and compare that video to the best. Here are two good swings to start with:




Do you squish the bug?

[gen1xslugger]

well i dont really have a video of my swing... but i have seen one. All i know is im squashing the bug aposed to getting pulled onto my backfoot.

[Go Cardinals]

well i dont really have a video of my swing... but i have seen one. All i know is im squashing the bug aposed to getting pulled onto my backfoot.

Well we have our problem...

Put a helmet against the back part of your foot. When you hit, do not hit the helmet. Also, try hitting off a tee on a downhill (hill going down towards the pitcher). That should help you get the leverage.

Your hips have to go while your hands are loading back. Load against your back leg too.

Steps to work on:

1. Stop squishing the bug

Than

2. Send the hips as you are loading. Watch these swings... they are loading there hands. As there hands load, the hip goes:

[Ursa Major]

Gen1, here's a series of drills I've been using with our 13-14 year old hitters which may help you, though I suspect your beyond their level.

Look at the hitters that GoCards has posted swings of. See the dynamic load -- tension of the inner thigh muscles of the front leg -- and the subsequent quick snap of the rear knee toward the front knee while the front knee stays closed 'til the last second. That's what you want to emulate.

To get there, try setting up in an exaggerated wide stance -- with your feet about the same distance apart as they'll be when you've taken your stride. Now, turn your toes in a little bit, so you look like Moises Alou (i.e., pigeon toed). Lower your body slightly so you feel the tension in your inner thighs. Now, swivel your back knee toward a bent but firm but unmoving front knee, then reverse it and send the front knee back toward the back knee (sorta like you were setting up to hit the ball left-handed [assuming you're starting out as a right-handed hitter]). Practice that swivel motion over and over to increase quickness, working into that motion some tension or internal rotation/loading of the front knee/hip while you stride, to the extent you feel comfortable doing so. Make sure that your rear shoulder is aimed down toward the path of the ball as you commence your swing, so you don't pull off the ball in your zeal to swing harder. This swiveling action from this exaggerated stance should give you a better sense of the muscles that should be activated for a good hip action, which is the first step in deploying those muscles in the course of your current swing.

[Go Cardinals]

Look at the hitters that GoCards has posted swings of. See the dynamic load -- tension of the inner thigh muscles of the front leg -- and the subsequent quick snap of the rear knee toward the front knee while the front knee stays closed 'til the last second. That's what you want to emulate.

I'm a little confused on that... Why would this be important? this to me seems like it doesn't have much important... please explain further...

Moises Alou

Just so he can see:

[Ursa Major]

Originally Posted by Ursa Major
Look at the hitters that GoCards has posted swings of. See the dynamic load -- tension of the inner thigh muscles of the front leg -- and the subsequent quick snap of the rear knee toward the front knee while the front knee stays closed 'til the last second. That's what you want to emulate.

GoCardinals replied: "I'm a little confused on that... Why would this be important? this to me seems like it doesn't have much important... please explain further..."

By "that" (about which you're confused), I assume you're talking about the importance of the tension/internal rotation of the front thigh while striding? I don't purport to be expert on this point -- and a big part of what I'm relying on is my interpretation of Steve Englishbey's teaching. But, here's what I see is important about it.

First, it's sort of like any loading, in the manner of a counter-rotation move -- like winding a watch.

Second, it creates tension against which the back leg action is pushing, so, when you release the "block" of the front leg, the back leg/hip moves around doubly quickly.

Third, by keeping the tension on inside of the front knee, it decreases the tendency of the front knee and hip to open too soon, which pulls the batter off the ball and sends the rotational energay out to the side, rather than propelling the hips in the "gate opening" motion around the pivot point of the firm front leg.

Thanks a million for the Moises clip -- that'll be a huge teaching aid.

[Go Cardinals]

By "that" (about which you're confused), I assume you're talking about the importance of the tension/internal rotation of the front thigh while striding? I don't purport to be expert on this point -- and a big part of what I'm relying on is my interpretation of Steve Englishbey's teaching. But, here's what I see is important about it.

First, it's sort of like any loading, in the manner of a counter-rotation move -- like winding a watch.

Second, it creates tension against which the back leg action is pushing, so, when you release the "block" of the front leg, the back leg/hip moves around doubly quickly.

Third, by keeping the tension on inside of the front knee, it decreases the tendency of the front knee and hip to open too soon, which pulls the batter off the ball and sends the rotational energay out to the side, rather than propelling the hips in the "gate opening" motion around the pivot point of the firm front leg.

Thanks a million for the Moises clip -- that'll be a huge teaching aid.

Ok, I'm not going to go much further... Different hitting beliefs. I'll respect your views.

[MarkL]

Second, it creates tension against which the back leg action is pushing, so, when you release the "block" of the front leg, the back leg/hip moves around doubly quickly.

Ursa --you sound like Yeager on that line---Englishbey does not promote this---No push just turn--he even says that on hids DVDs

[Mark H]

Geez...
If you are pushing your way through hip rotation, that's a problem. Carry the middle forward (if you want to call that a push, fine but I suggest making sure your students don't misinterpret and try to push the hip through rotation with the back leg) rotate into foot plant (again if you talk to them about this they will often open up instead of rotating) and use the momentum already developed to rotate. Now doing all this day one may be a challenge to put it mildly. Especially if you can't show good rotation from a more static model which is why no stride is a necessary step for many trying to break bad habits and learn good ones.

Please do a lot more study of Englishbey if you are going to try to describe what he teaches. Also understand the developmental steps he uses without assuming they are the end goal.