Son has a long swing. What type drills can he do in order to get a more compact swing? thanks
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Put him up against a wall, measure off less than the lenght of the bat, and have him swing by getting his hands through first and then follow through with the swing.
Use a old bat until he gets the swing of it
Use a old bat until he gets the swing of it
I really need to try it, my swing is very long. Thanks for helping me out too 
Be sure not to let his front shoulder fly open during that drill. It's a very easy trap to fall into.
Why would someone want a compact swing? A good swing is a one that has maximum arm movement and extension. Japanese batters are well known for leading their hands through the swing- they have anything but a compact swing.
Gingerbread,
Please tell me that you know the importance of a compact swing.
Please tell me that you know the importance of a compact swing.
Gingerbread Man,
I think what he is asking about is a Compact swing in relation to the hands. (Not getting long with the swing and swinging around the ball.) You are right in that the batter's hands should stay in the zone a long time, which is done by throwing the hands at the ball and not pulling the shoulder out and swinging around it.
I think what he is asking about is a Compact swing in relation to the hands. (Not getting long with the swing and swinging around the ball.) You are right in that the batter's hands should stay in the zone a long time, which is done by throwing the hands at the ball and not pulling the shoulder out and swinging around it.
gotcha, thanks
quote:Put him up against a wall, measure off less than the lenght of the bat, and have him swing by getting his hands through first and then follow through with the swing.
Do this and he will never reach his potential.
quote:Originally posted by powertoallfields:quote:Put him up against a wall, measure off less than the lenght of the bat, and have him swing by getting his hands through first and then follow through with the swing.
Do this and he will never reach his potential.
AGREED the best killer of any potential hitting ability..STAY AWAY from the FENCE DRILL
rog:
My advice based on getting my son squared away is for you to find a good hitting guy in your area who really understands rotational hitting and has good video capability. IMO without video it is very hard to break down the swing and to communicate it to the student effectively.
From what I have seen most kids have so many flaws in their swings that are so ingrained that it takes a long long time to get it right. Sort of like peeling an onion. The hitting guy my son goes to works the major issues, and then starts to dig deeper and fix the minor flaws. Each drill he has him do addresses what he is working on and then he moves to the next. All of them address the "short to the ball, long through it and staying on plane" This is a simple concept but very difficult to implement IMO.
This process literally takes months, sometimes years. Now is the time to do it because once the season starts all you can really do is try to maintain the swing you have.
My point is that developing a good swing takes years of work and a few simple drills from this web site will not get it done.
Good Luck!
My advice based on getting my son squared away is for you to find a good hitting guy in your area who really understands rotational hitting and has good video capability. IMO without video it is very hard to break down the swing and to communicate it to the student effectively.
From what I have seen most kids have so many flaws in their swings that are so ingrained that it takes a long long time to get it right. Sort of like peeling an onion. The hitting guy my son goes to works the major issues, and then starts to dig deeper and fix the minor flaws. Each drill he has him do addresses what he is working on and then he moves to the next. All of them address the "short to the ball, long through it and staying on plane" This is a simple concept but very difficult to implement IMO.
This process literally takes months, sometimes years. Now is the time to do it because once the season starts all you can really do is try to maintain the swing you have.
My point is that developing a good swing takes years of work and a few simple drills from this web site will not get it done.
Good Luck!
One thing I think people think about too much is rotational mechanics yes it's important to rotate with your body for power but without throwing your hands like linear mechanics you won't make contact, you power your swing with your core but you actually hit the ball with your hands.
I just gotta say something here...
How many coaches and kids for that matter can truly translate all of the technical nonsense we blather when they are batting. Some of the best advice I ever gave to a kid was this- He asked me "what he was doing wrong", and I replied "your not hitting the ball", he then asked me "what do I need to correct", I replied- "you need to hit the ball".
The best advice I give to batters is this- shut up as a coach and give them as many reps as you can one on one until they start hitting the ball. Except for a few cases, most kids develop a natural beautiful swing all on their own. What science has done is they have gone back after the fact of the matter and slowed down the perfect swing and then try to teach that process to young learners. Guess what? Most of the greatest batters in all of baseball history were self taught!
I look at my own son and the confused looks when he has all of these technical coaches telling him what to do and frankly....its all a load of fear inducing ****! To be honest, my son hits best when I can work one on one and just give him a lot of reps without saying anything at all. Tonight we were doing batting practice and he said "watch this, I am going to swing like the Japanese". He then proceeded to mimick exactly some of the great Japanese big leaguers arm and hand motion in his swing. He was cranking the balls long and far. He then went back to his own traditional stance nad was hitting them alos long and far. To me it proves that there is a multitude of ways to be a good hitter and that natural ability is truly amazing when you just shut up and go through the motions in faith.
Personally I think todays baseball is so loaded down with garbled jargon and technical phrases that we leave out the best teacher- the players own mind and ability to problem solve on its own.
One more story-
Had a pitcher on out team who was really struggling finding the strike zone. We as coaches tried everything- every technical angle. Nothing was working. One day at practice he asked me "how come my son threw so well- what was I teaching him". It then dawned on me, I havent taught my son one single technical aspect to pitching!!! Neither has any pitching coach ever taught him. What he learned he learned on his own because of his own desire to keep at it and keep trying new things until he found his "style". Anyway, I told that kid at practice to forget everything we were trying to teach him and that he justr needed to go home and throw a lot and develop his own pitching that he was comfortable with. Weeks passed and he was finally called to pitch. To be honest with you he sucked!!! The next week however he pitched again and threw the best he had ever thrown before. People thank me for helping their kid develop and yet all I did was tell them to figure it out!
Not sending a negative signal here on this topic but I have just got to ask--- Why do you want to develop a more compact swing? Is it because someone told you to or is it because you came up with it on your own? Are you a bad hitter, or good but want to be great? How many reps do you actually take in a week? When you do bat what goes through your own mind to improve outside of what others are saying about you? Chances are, you are your own best teacher and disciplinary coach.
How many coaches and kids for that matter can truly translate all of the technical nonsense we blather when they are batting. Some of the best advice I ever gave to a kid was this- He asked me "what he was doing wrong", and I replied "your not hitting the ball", he then asked me "what do I need to correct", I replied- "you need to hit the ball".
The best advice I give to batters is this- shut up as a coach and give them as many reps as you can one on one until they start hitting the ball. Except for a few cases, most kids develop a natural beautiful swing all on their own. What science has done is they have gone back after the fact of the matter and slowed down the perfect swing and then try to teach that process to young learners. Guess what? Most of the greatest batters in all of baseball history were self taught!
I look at my own son and the confused looks when he has all of these technical coaches telling him what to do and frankly....its all a load of fear inducing ****! To be honest, my son hits best when I can work one on one and just give him a lot of reps without saying anything at all. Tonight we were doing batting practice and he said "watch this, I am going to swing like the Japanese". He then proceeded to mimick exactly some of the great Japanese big leaguers arm and hand motion in his swing. He was cranking the balls long and far. He then went back to his own traditional stance nad was hitting them alos long and far. To me it proves that there is a multitude of ways to be a good hitter and that natural ability is truly amazing when you just shut up and go through the motions in faith.
Personally I think todays baseball is so loaded down with garbled jargon and technical phrases that we leave out the best teacher- the players own mind and ability to problem solve on its own.
One more story-
Had a pitcher on out team who was really struggling finding the strike zone. We as coaches tried everything- every technical angle. Nothing was working. One day at practice he asked me "how come my son threw so well- what was I teaching him". It then dawned on me, I havent taught my son one single technical aspect to pitching!!! Neither has any pitching coach ever taught him. What he learned he learned on his own because of his own desire to keep at it and keep trying new things until he found his "style". Anyway, I told that kid at practice to forget everything we were trying to teach him and that he justr needed to go home and throw a lot and develop his own pitching that he was comfortable with. Weeks passed and he was finally called to pitch. To be honest with you he sucked!!! The next week however he pitched again and threw the best he had ever thrown before. People thank me for helping their kid develop and yet all I did was tell them to figure it out!
Not sending a negative signal here on this topic but I have just got to ask--- Why do you want to develop a more compact swing? Is it because someone told you to or is it because you came up with it on your own? Are you a bad hitter, or good but want to be great? How many reps do you actually take in a week? When you do bat what goes through your own mind to improve outside of what others are saying about you? Chances are, you are your own best teacher and disciplinary coach.
When I hear the term compact swing, I think in terms of Quickness. A Compact swing will never have complete power until extension is also incorporated.
While at HS levels the average pitcher is probably in the low to mid 80's, a swing that is not efficient will produce very good numbers from an otherwise skilled batter.
We in our home, and I suspect many here are interested in developing skill sets that will take them to the next level and beyond. In order to do this effectively good or better yet, excellent technique is preferable.
When you begin to face pitchers that throw 88-93 MPH Fastballs and 78MPH off-speed, it is very good to have an understanding and a plan.
In our experience we have seen a swing develop that utilizes the core and legs to generate power consistent with what some view as rotational mechanics. At the same time, significant (actually more) effort has been spent on developing a quick swing path completed by extension in the direction the ball is intended to be hit. A great emphasis on hands here. The lower half seems to be easier to master, it is a power movement. But it is the hands that bring the barrel of the bat into contact with the ball. Strong forearms and wrists are called for here. We spend a lot of time on “hands”.
Understanding pitch location and the most appropriate approach to pitch location is part of hitting and should be understood at higher levels. The ability to take a middle out to slightly off the plate pitch deep is not a matter of luck or power. It is a matter of technique. Developing an approach to hitting is necessary to being a truly effective hitter. To me that means hitting a ball with authority where it is pitched, if you are in a count without the luxury of a "take". Hitting with power to all fields is the goal.
Outside pitches get deeper before you unload on them. Inside pitches you turn on quick out in front. Much easier said than done and requires effective practice to master the skills required to accomplish.
If you have quick hands and strength and excellent hand eye coordination and you try to unload on an outside pitch to pull it over the fence you may likely hit a grounder to the middle infielder. There is more too this than swinging a bat and having a smooth powerful swing. That is a good thing to have, don't get me wrong. But there really is more too it, to find success at higher levels.
While at HS levels the average pitcher is probably in the low to mid 80's, a swing that is not efficient will produce very good numbers from an otherwise skilled batter.
We in our home, and I suspect many here are interested in developing skill sets that will take them to the next level and beyond. In order to do this effectively good or better yet, excellent technique is preferable.
When you begin to face pitchers that throw 88-93 MPH Fastballs and 78MPH off-speed, it is very good to have an understanding and a plan.
In our experience we have seen a swing develop that utilizes the core and legs to generate power consistent with what some view as rotational mechanics. At the same time, significant (actually more) effort has been spent on developing a quick swing path completed by extension in the direction the ball is intended to be hit. A great emphasis on hands here. The lower half seems to be easier to master, it is a power movement. But it is the hands that bring the barrel of the bat into contact with the ball. Strong forearms and wrists are called for here. We spend a lot of time on “hands”.
Understanding pitch location and the most appropriate approach to pitch location is part of hitting and should be understood at higher levels. The ability to take a middle out to slightly off the plate pitch deep is not a matter of luck or power. It is a matter of technique. Developing an approach to hitting is necessary to being a truly effective hitter. To me that means hitting a ball with authority where it is pitched, if you are in a count without the luxury of a "take". Hitting with power to all fields is the goal.
Outside pitches get deeper before you unload on them. Inside pitches you turn on quick out in front. Much easier said than done and requires effective practice to master the skills required to accomplish.
If you have quick hands and strength and excellent hand eye coordination and you try to unload on an outside pitch to pull it over the fence you may likely hit a grounder to the middle infielder. There is more too this than swinging a bat and having a smooth powerful swing. That is a good thing to have, don't get me wrong. But there really is more too it, to find success at higher levels.
Floridanfan:
Spot on, other than hands need to be "connected" until contact and then explode back to where the ball came from with leverage. Too much hands and the they get out ahead and all power is lost. IMO that final little detail is where the real power comes from.
GBM: I have one comment. Practice makes permanent.
In youth baseball where your son plays you have a point, hitting is timing and you need to practice a lot. Once you get to a high level Varsity and above, as floridafan pointed out, you must fix the flaws or you will not compete.
Spot on, other than hands need to be "connected" until contact and then explode back to where the ball came from with leverage. Too much hands and the they get out ahead and all power is lost. IMO that final little detail is where the real power comes from.
GBM: I have one comment. Practice makes permanent.
In youth baseball where your son plays you have a point, hitting is timing and you need to practice a lot. Once you get to a high level Varsity and above, as floridafan pointed out, you must fix the flaws or you will not compete.
Here's a simple one. Have him grab a pinch of his jersey, close the his neck, with his top hand. Keeps the hands in pretty good relation to the shoulders throughout the swing and inside the ball.
Do it a few times then try without it. Simple cue is get a piece. When the hands start to drop or cast he simply grabs a piece and is where he needs to be. I catch my son doing this in games from time to time. No one notices but me. He'll feel himself starting to cast his hands then goes for the jersey on the next swing.
Good luck.
Tim
Do it a few times then try without it. Simple cue is get a piece. When the hands start to drop or cast he simply grabs a piece and is where he needs to be. I catch my son doing this in games from time to time. No one notices but me. He'll feel himself starting to cast his hands then goes for the jersey on the next swing.
Good luck.
Tim
When you swing, think of rotating around the back hip, rotating around the front hip leads to a long swing.
Rog,
Hope this helps.
Seek out a variety of instruction.
Your son - if serious - will find what works best for his skill set and body type.
And if someone gives you absolutes about hitting a baseball - run away - fast and far.
Good luck.
Hope this helps.
Seek out a variety of instruction.
Your son - if serious - will find what works best for his skill set and body type.
And if someone gives you absolutes about hitting a baseball - run away - fast and far.
Good luck.