My son's recent swings

[azmatsfan]

Here are stills comparing the two swings. I tried to get stills with the hip rotation in the same spot. Notice how last year he was keeping his hands back creating more separation.

bp2.JPGbp1.JPG

[raptor]

I like the USC clip and the way he uses his hands to deliver the barrel to the ball. I think he could stretch it a bit more in the rear hip socket as he moves out but he does a nice job using HIS pattern to time the pitcher. The sequence is pretty good. I like a nice sloooooow load in the rear hip (Longoria) and I get the feel that he feels he can let the ball travel. Too many people teach getting the foot down early and I think that is poison when it comes to letting kids be athletic. Let the swing put the foot down and he does just that imo.

There is a well-respected coach in our facility who teaches foot down early...biggest problem ive seen in his students is vulnerability to anything on the outer third and anything up. I see more and more coaches praising that mechanic or teaching no stride...but personally id rather see a heel lift and plant (no stride) rather than an early foot down and pause till launch.

[pstein]

The stretch appears to occur before the pitcher has even released the ball. There is definite pull back. The the rear arm "action" of pull back, tip of the bat ... I just don;t like the timing of it.

He doesn't pivot around the rear hip, but appears to go "all back" to "all forward". At least that's how it appears to me.

He does a good job of "sit and coil" at the beginning but then seems to give it all away as he strides toward the pitcher.

When I see the start, my mind thinks "Ooooh, this could be good" and then I see him stride to the pitcher opening the hips. Compared to Bonds who most definitely rotates around the rear hip.

Right, he definitely gets the scapular retraction. It's like he "stretches to coil" rather than "coil to stretch". You can tip, float, and then rip, or you can tip and rip. Whatever works for the hitter is best.

[aj9020]

He has a good swing.. But he lost the movement in his hands, which he has in the video from a year ago. I'd like him to get that back.. As he faces more pitchers, some with heat, that hitch in his hands (which drives his hands down, then up), at delivery might cause him to be behind the fastball..

[songtitle]

As he faces more pitchers, some with heat, that hitch in his hands (which drives his hands down, then up), at delivery might cause him to be behind the fastball..

That's more of a myth than anything. It's simply a timing issue. The hands must be at the armpit/shoulder at toe touch. It makes no difference how they got there.

[aj9020]

I know its a timing thing, but it has to be managed.. I had such a hitch, but had to make adjustment in college and went to a toe tap for timing.. His back elbow is extended as far back, as it could be and being that the case, his hands can't move.. he's loaded already. I like the earlier swing, where there is more hand movement.

[CircleChange11]

I know its a timing thing, but it has to be managed.. I had such a hitch, but had to make adjustment in college and went to a toe tap for timing.. His back elbow is extended as far back, as it could be and being that the case, his hands can't move.. he's loaded already. I like the earlier swing, where there is more hand movement.

A hitch is what Eric Davis did, hands down then up. The kid appears to me to simply tip, and he's tipping the bat while the ball is still in the pitcher's hand. When the ball is out, he's ready to hit.

Also, the numbers of batters that handle "high heat" well are rare, high heat defined as anything that's velocity well above hitting speed and located above the hands.

I'd like to see the tip cause even more stretch, rather than just tip and the hands stay in the same location. When my son does that I call him on it saying "Fake Tip". In other words, it's a tip, but a not a tip with a purpose. If done too late it can actually hinder the swing. This kid tips early, but tip without a purpose in the stretch, it's become more of a cadence thing with him. If he could get it to be part of his cadence while also leading to more stretch (elbow goes back toward the 3B dugoutO, he'd really on to something with his upper body. Really get that scap loaded and the low back stretched so that when the everything is at "go" it really does "GO!".

The rear elbow goes to where it's supposed to go and does what it's supposed to do. A good question would be whether he really coils and loads into and around the rear hip or is just "rotating".

I love this clip of Longo. Just watch the rear hip. The coil, the rotate around the hip. * Aw crap, clip won;t upload. Take my word for it, it's really really good. *grin*

[Encinitas]

Nice user-name C-bad

[omg]

If he's a good hitter using this style and he can hit the good pitching somewhat productively then it's a good style. If not, then he has to make some adjustments like flattening out the bat a little. It looks like you or your son have been influenced by the Ted Williams book.

[pstein]

I love this clip of Longo. Just watch the rear hip. The coil, the rotate around the hip. * Aw crap, clip won;t upload. Take my word for it, it's really really good. *grin*

http://i54.tinypic.com/263ewqo.jpghttp://

The clip is apparently too large...

[lancers]

Nice user-name C-bad

Haha

[lancers]

A hitch is what Eric Davis did, hands down then up. The kid appears to me to simply tip, and he's tipping the bat while the ball is still in the pitcher's hand. When the ball is out, he's ready to hit.

Also, the numbers of batters that handle "high heat" well are rare, high heat defined as anything that's velocity well above hitting speed and located above the hands.

I'd like to see the tip cause even more stretch, rather than just tip and the hands stay in the same location. When my son does that I call him on it saying "Fake Tip". In other words, it's a tip, but a not a tip with a purpose. If done too late it can actually hinder the swing. This kid tips early, but tip without a purpose in the stretch, it's become more of a cadence thing with him. If he could get it to be part of his cadence while also leading to more stretch (elbow goes back toward the 3B dugoutO, he'd really on to something with his upper body. Really get that scap loaded and the low back stretched so that when the everything is at "go" it really does "GO!".

The rear elbow goes to where it's supposed to go and does what it's supposed to do. A good question would be whether he really coils and loads into and around the rear hip or is just "rotating".

I love this clip of Longo. Just watch the rear hip. The coil, the rotate around the hip. * Aw crap, clip won;t upload. Take my word for it, it's really really good. *grin*

When tip and rip, you basically have two types, either hit from the max tip or float from the tip then hit.

His swing has been switching between these two styles for several years. That older swing was more of a launch from the max tip while the current one is more of a floating from the tip then launch.

I myself always prefer launching from the max tip. However he had some hard time to transition it to the game swing. He always hit good from the max tip during BP, but somehow in the real game he tends to float it a bit.

This off season I'm going to make one more push for the max tip launch.

[Sports]

To help better understand your mechanics, break these swings down frame by frame next to other swings,
check out MotionSportsLab.com free web-based swing analysis.

[tradosaurus]

Maybe this is a silly question but is your son getting hard base hits?

Does he feel comfortable in his stance?

Does he see the ball?

If yes to all three then enjoy the show.

[lancers]

Maybe this is a silly question but is your son getting hard base hits?

Does he feel comfortable in his stance?

Does he see the ball?

If yes to all three then enjoy the show.

He's only 5-6 and 120lbs soaking wet. But he hit for power and average, capable of driving the ball over 300ft. Almost never struck out.

I didn't video tape much during this past freshman season.

So here are a couple triples with woodbat before the HS season started