My J.V coach keeps telling me to drive my elbow and hands down to the ball. Whenever I attempt to do this I get bad results. Can any one explain what this means, how to do it, and how to practice it? Thank you
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since your hands start in a relatively high position you must drive down to the ball. Some kids have a problem dropping their back elbow which will make their lead elbow come out high. Drive your lead elbow towards your hip until you lever out. Your hands follow the same path.
quote:Originally posted by Kingjamesp:
My J.V coach keeps telling me to drive my elbow and hands down to the ball. Whenever I attempt to do this I get bad results. Can any one explain what this means, how to do it, and how to practice it? Thank you
I don't believe your hands or elbows get "driven" anywhere. You need to watch some video of great MLB hitters to see what they are doing. The hips drive the swing, if you drive your front elbow to the ball you will be losing stretch and power.
Thats exactly what I wish I could have said to my coach, but I don't want to ride the bench all season.
So,how do you experienced coaches out there advise this young man to go forward when the coach seems to be giving bad hitting cues.
I completely agree with powertoallfields on this and teach my kids accordingly.
IMO,I would say get a good hitting instructor and learn how to hit the proper way and the rest will take care of itself but keep your mouth shut and listen to your coaches in the mean time.
I completely agree with powertoallfields on this and teach my kids accordingly.
IMO,I would say get a good hitting instructor and learn how to hit the proper way and the rest will take care of itself but keep your mouth shut and listen to your coaches in the mean time.
quote:Originally posted by Kingjamesp:
Thats exactly what I wish I could have said to my coach, but I don't want to ride the bench all season.
Keep working on your own and learn how to do it right. If you are successful, they will leave you alone.
Powertoallfeailds, from your experience if a coach is set on teaching every one to hit one perticular style, regardless of the players past success, would I be able to do what they say during practice but then go back to my style during the game, assuming I had good results, without the coach noticing or caring? The difference isn't huge it's just how much rotation back, weight shift, and the stride with the front foot.
As a hitting cue, driving the hands and front elbow to the ball is not a bad cue.
It usually really means to drive the front elbow and hands down into the zone as a means of generating bat speed.
It is a cue that emphasises arm extension into the swing.
Ask your coach to explain it further to see if you guys are on the same page.
It usually really means to drive the front elbow and hands down into the zone as a means of generating bat speed.
It is a cue that emphasises arm extension into the swing.
Ask your coach to explain it further to see if you guys are on the same page.
quote:Originally posted by Kingjamesp:
Powertoallfeailds, from your experience if a coach is set on teaching every one to hit one perticular style, regardless of the players past success, would I be able to do what they say during practice but then go back to my style during the game, assuming I had good results, without the coach noticing or caring? The difference isn't huge it's just how much rotation back, weight shift, and the stride with the front foot.
IMO, if you are successful in the game, he probably won't care, but if he does say something, just say, "Coach...I've been working really hard on my own to gain confidence with what you are teaching, but right now I just don't have it down."
Quincy, could you post a video of players driving their hands/arms DOWN to the ball and getting good extension.?.? The only place I typically see "good extension" once swings begins is when a player is reaching the power V position..... never before/at contact...
so the hands rotate/yank the torso and hips through??
so the hands rotate/yank the torso and hips through??
Check this link out...great book on hitting. http://books.google.com/books?...z19o598zc-qnxLI0lwRU
Ozone-
if that book talks about full extension (making a triangle with shoulders) of both arms AT impact, throw it in the trash....
but i would still LOVE to see some video of someone doing this, that wasn't fooled on a pitch....
if that book talks about full extension (making a triangle with shoulders) of both arms AT impact, throw it in the trash....
but i would still LOVE to see some video of someone doing this, that wasn't fooled on a pitch....
quote:since your hands start in a relatively high position you must drive down to the ball. Some kids have a problem dropping their back elbow which will make their lead elbow come out high. Drive your lead elbow towards your hip until you lever out. Your hands follow the same path.
Ozone... "relatively high" meaning pre-swing? or launch position?
why is lead elbow "high" and back elbow "down" a bad thing? Explain.
if you want to drive your lead elbow down until your swing levels out, are you swinging "down" at impact or "level" at impact?
I think the book say's full extension comes after impact. The swing starts down then to level at impact. Naturally the lead elbow is higher than the back elbow. When I say dropping the elbow It is really the back shoulder that drops causing the front elbow to get too high and a uppercut swing results.
This would be a great place to interject Rotational Hitting vs. Linear hitting. Hitters do not swing down at the ball - the hands stay inside the ball and the lead elbow travels up and around the body -- producing a slight uppercut. With the impact of a pitcher throwing overhand, the height of the mound and gravity, the ball is traveling on a downward arc -- to keep the bat on plane longer, a slight upppercut swing gives the hitter a better chance of making consistent, hard contact.
I've seen the discussions about this, and I'm not sure I really understand Linear vs Rotational.
but..... don't most of these guys look like they're swinging down to the ball?
http://www.recruit.hittingillu...com/RunningStart.htm
but..... don't most of these guys look like they're swinging down to the ball?
http://www.recruit.hittingillu...com/RunningStart.htm
Quincy- can't see the video for whatever reason, but know it is one of Ted Williams... isn't he the one that said in his book, The Science of Hitting, "I used to think the proper swing was down or level too...." page 13. 
Don't use clips of players who admit the high-level swing in on a slight upslope...
DANO- if you think those swings are "down", then you need to work on analyzation of video...
watch one from an open side... if the swing is "down" as you say, how is the bat head BELOW the hands on every swing well before or right before contact?
Don't use clips of players who admit the high-level swing in on a slight upslope...DANO- if you think those swings are "down", then you need to work on analyzation of video...
watch one from an open side... if the swing is "down" as you say, how is the bat head BELOW the hands on every swing well before or right before contact?
quote:I think the book say's full extension comes after impact. The swing starts down then to level at impact. Naturally the lead elbow is higher than the back elbow. When I say dropping the elbow It is really the back shoulder that drops causing the front elbow to get too high and a uppercut swing results.
Your book says AT and just after... throw it in trash - or at least rip out that page... unless you can find one pic of a player that is in that position at contact...
Level at impact? how do you have bat LEVEL AT CONTACT when the pitch is at knees or belt? How would you "swing level" in those locations?
Look at the link DANO posted and watch opensided views... unless pitch is high, every back shoulder is dropping....
quote:Originally posted by danocaster:
I've seen the discussions about this, and I'm not sure I really understand Linear vs Rotational.
but..... don't most of these guys look like they're swinging down to the ball?
http://www.recruit.hittingillu...com/RunningStart.htm
No! The bathead obviously has to travel down in the beginning since it starts above the head, but watch the path of the hands. As soon as they get on plane they travel up. Every one of these hitters has an upward swing and their hands finish higher than when they first reach plane. The only great hitter (that had any decent power numbers) I've ever seen that didn't have this route to the ball is Mel Ott, who started with flat hands near the waist. Some base hit type guys will level out the swing from just before contact through extension.
