9 yo swing for analysis

[my3boys]

Ok, I'm going to hit you guys up with a few threads on my boys.

This is my middle son. I really like his intent, he swings hard. It's hard to tell from his baggy sweatshirt, but his connection looks OK. Maybe his shoulders get a little ahead of his hips. Does appear to be a little drag.

He tends to miss just under the ball a lot or flares it down the 3b line. Any thoughts what might be causing this? Up until I watched the slo-mo I thought he was opening his shoulder up too soon, and pulling his head out, but it appears his head stays still and on the ball until after contact.

Any thoughts?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ug2kwAGn0E

[my3boys]

After viewing some more it does appear his upper body gets a little ahead of his hips, still a little army. Looks like he could lead a little more with that rear hip.

[Drill]

bat angle improve it, makes the bat heavy before he even gets going, messes with timing


drill

[my3boys]

Right.. I see. Look at his last swing. I like his bat angle right before he lifts his front leg. As he begins his stride it drops and wraps around his head.

Try to maintain that bottom hand under top hand as his rear elbow starts to drop, right?

bat angle improve it, makes the bat heavy before he even gets going, messes with timing


drill

[jbooth]

Ok, I'm going to hit you guys up with a few threads on my boys.

This is my middle son. I really like his intent, he swings hard. It's hard to tell from his baggy sweatshirt, but his connection looks OK. Maybe his shoulders get a little ahead of his hips. Does appear to be a little drag.

He tends to miss just under the ball a lot or flares it down the 3b line. Any thoughts what might be causing this? Up until I watched the slo-mo I thought he was opening his shoulder up too soon, and pulling his head out, but it appears his head stays still and on the ball until after contact.

Any thoughts?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ug2kwAGn0E

The way that he sets the bat just before launch, and the way he launches it are really messed up.

His path to the ball is inconsistent and not right.

The front arm should be low while the bathead is up and then when the elbow goes up the bathead flattens.

He has the elbow up, then he lowers the bathead, and then he sometimes lowers his hands in order to swing up at the ball instead of just going at the ball. And, on lower pitches he drops his hands and then swings down at the ball.

He drops the bathead down behind his back before it goes toward the ball. This makes it difficult to get it on a proper arc to the ball.

He needs to keep the bathead up more and start the hands down directly toward the height of the ball. He's "flopping" the bathead.

Compare his hand path and bathead path to Kent below. Note how his bathead is up and he arcs it to the ball. It doesn't flop down behind his back shoulder and then go toward the ball, and he doesn't lower his hands and then go at the ball.

[my3boys]

Thank you, that's a great illustration that I'll show him. We did some more hitting today, and we worked on trying to not 'flop' the bathead.

It was a little strange at first for him, but I gave him the cue to try and tip the bat toward the pitcher as he begins his stride and he appeared to be getting the hang of it. He did seem to have more solid hits. I taped some so I'll have to get some more video up to see just how it looks and if his hand movement looks any better.

The way that he sets the bat just before launch, and the way he launches it are really messed up.

His path to the ball is inconsistent and not right.

The front arm should be low while the bathead is up and then when the elbow goes up the bathead flattens.

He has the elbow up, then he lowers the bathead, and then he sometimes lowers his hands in order to swing up at the ball instead of just going at the ball. And, on lower pitches he drops his hands and then swings down at the ball.

He drops the bathead down behind his back before it goes toward the ball. This makes it difficult to get it on a proper arc to the ball.

He needs to keep the bathead up more and start the hands down directly toward the height of the ball. He's "flopping" the bathead.

Compare his hand path and bathead path to Kent below. Note how his bathead is up and he arcs it to the ball. It doesn't flop down behind his back shoulder and then go toward the ball, and he doesn't lower his hands and then go at the ball.

[straightleg]

Things I see. Weight going back goes over top rear leg, sometimes causing overstrinding and too much head movement. Try to think pyramid and keep weight between feet.

I agree bat looks good then flattens out. I also see back elbow getting ahead of the hands.

See if he is keeping good posture all the way through the swing.

[straightleg]

I also see a dip, causing to go underneath.

Try weight between legs and good posture through swing.

[my3boys]

I don't know, I don't think his weight goes back too extreme. His lean back doesn't seem any greater than the clip of Kent above. I do see some head movement. His stride does change his head level, and it is dropping slightly into contact.

Things I see. Weight going back goes over top rear leg, sometimes causing overstrinding and too much head movement. Try to think pyramid and keep weight between feet.

I agree bat looks good then flattens out. I also see back elbow getting ahead of the hands.

See if he is keeping good posture all the way through the swing.

[my3boys]

Some of the new video I took earlier does show some bat drag a little clearer, but some of the cues I was using to try and get the bat more vertical at launch really made some other parts of his swing fall apart. The beginning of his arc looked better, but his hands and arms took over a lot more.

[Go Cardinals]

Some of the new video I took earlier does show some bat drag a little clearer, but some of the cues I was using to try and get the bat more vertical at launch really made some other parts of his swing fall apart. The beginning of his arc looked better, but his hands and arms took over a lot more.

Here is a thread on bat drag (eventually):

http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=74076

Warning... like most threads, it turned into a pissing match at the end...

[my3boys]

Good stuff, thanks.. read it before, but it takes on some new meaning now.

Got to go back and reread some more threads. After the debates calm down you're able to pull the good stuff back out!

Still have to try to understand the upper body role in the swing plane, and find some cues to help him correct.

Here is a thread on bat drag (eventually):

http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=74076

Warning... like most threads, it turned into a pissing match at the end...