driving back knee - how critical?

The back knee action is a result, not an action you can take.

I don't see your back knee as a problem anyway.

Your main issue is that your swing plane is a chop down. This is why your bat head is lagging behind your hands at the normal contact location, and you are fouling balls off.

Most instructors will tell you to throw your hands at the ball. This is the typical result.

After stride/coil, your bat head is sliding straight down off your shoulders instead of turning toward the catcher.

Keep your hands back longer, and use your back elbow to initially rotate the bat.

Thanks Sultan - i was trying to take the bat from "A" to "C" - doesn't this happen by sliding it from my shoulder. Or are you saying this is incorrect? I'm not sure what you mean by turning it towards the catcher -do you mean dropping the barrell and swing on a slight incline to meet the trajectory of the ball? thank you again. PMM

I was also told i do not stay back long enough - cold this be the root of my problem?

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quote:

Originally posted by pmm:
Thanks Sultan - i was trying to take the bat from "A" to "C" - doesn't this happen by sliding it from my shoulder. Or are you saying this is incorrect? I'm not sure what you mean by turning it towards the catcher -do you mean dropping the barrell and swing on a slight incline to meet the trajectory of the ball? thank you again. PMM

I was also told i do not stay back long enough - cold this be the root of my problem?

Good hitters do not swing "A to C". I hate that teaching cue. The root of your issues is your lack of coil and stretch.

I would start by learning to coil. PM me if you're interested.

Thanks - yes I'm intersted.

When I slow the down video....Hands may be a little high, but, after his load, knob of bat is pointed at catcher and bat is not wrapped around head but is at good angle to develop needed whip when swing starts.

Also, the bat head is always slightly behind the hands with the hands inside the ball at contact (i.e., at point when have transferred weight into firm front side at contact). This is seen nicely at 7, 12, 17 and 22 seconds of the video.

I think swing looks pretty good and any issues with consisent contact are about timing and ensuring hands are inside the ball. Also, he is a little heavy on the front side with balance which can also impact timing and consisent contact. Need to get to 50/50 weight balance at the point the load is complete and before the hands start moving forward and not be out on that front foot 60/40 which I see as you mention PMM as something identified to work on.

Agree driving of back knee forward (or what is also called gaining ground) is a result that some do better than others. Nice video link to MLB hitters gaining ground resulting in back foot coming off ground.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCAHx63yUiQ

Nice link!

Thanks very much...so what do you think my off season swing thoughts should be? I try to concentrate on just one focus area at a time - if not it just gets too complex!

Trying to keep my hands back until my front heel drops? This will keep my weight a bit more back i've been told?

Thanks again!

Simple thoughts for off season:
Load
Foot down
Trust hands

Game thought:
"See the ball"

By the time you get to game time, you should have many, many rep's on your simple off season thoughts. You did your work, now in the game just see it!

quote:

Originally posted by pmm:
Thanks very much...so what do you think my off season swing thoughts should be? I try to concentrate on just one focus area at a time - if not it just gets too complex!

Trying to keep my hands back until my front heel drops? This will keep my weight a bit more back i've been told?

Thanks again!

The swing is underway prior to heel plant.

So Low Finish - you are confirming that i should really try to keep hands back until front heel is planted????

Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by pmm:
So Low Finish - you are confirming that i should really try to keep hands back until front heel is planted????

Thanks!

Get them back by foot plant. Slightly different than what you said.

Keep them near the shoulder until back elbow hits hip.

Hi pmm,

Over the past few years, what kind of results have you gotten in games vs. decent pitching? (not the best pitchers, and not the worst)

Comparing yourself to your peers who hope to play in college--top of the order hitters, all-conference, etc.-- do you hit enough rising line drives? (in games)

That's the true measure of a swing.

quote:

Originally posted by pmm:
So Low Finish - you are confirming that i should really try to keep hands back until front heel is planted????

Thanks!

The hands have to stay back, but your lower body has to turn open into plant. Open pelvis and coiled rear hip. You don't keep the hands back- with the hands. You pinch the scapula to keep them back.

You need to turn the barrel, not shove the handle.

Thanks much for all of your input...

Do you think my "stride" is wrong and not allowing me to coil. Someone said my right hip closing in when I stride instead of staying open - and allowing me to coil.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wde8wjxAqfg

pmm

quote:

Originally posted by pmm:
Thanks much for all of your input...

Do you think my "stride" is wrong and not allowing me to coil. Someone said my right hip closing in when I stride instead of staying open - and allowing me to coil.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wde8wjxAqfg

pmm

Good! You're starting to make progress. Get into an athletic stance, and just turn the hip around the rear leg. You'll feel the bind. No need to do anything with your front leg.

That's the ultimate control. When you're "on top" of your rear leg, you're automatically going to stay back.

quote:

Originally posted by pmm:
Thanks much for all of your input...

Do you think my "stride" is wrong and not allowing me to coil. Someone said my right hip closing in when I stride instead of staying open - and allowing me to coil.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wde8wjxAqfg

pmm

My view is that your load (negative move) and balance after load looks very good. To me, you have a disconnect between your hand path and hip rotation through impact. That is, your hip rotation drags behind your hand path. At contact, your are not in the classic L-postion with the back leg. Losing power as the back hip is not efficiently translating power to the hands at impact. You get to the classic L-postion with your back leg during the follow through with your hands if you slow the video down.

See proper sequence from this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Oq6CU6sqGA

Thanks 4baseknock...

In your opinion could I just not be waiting long enough with my hands back? Is this mostly about timing? Are my hands starting the swing a bit too early and thus my hips lagging behind????

thanks man

pmm

quote:

Originally posted by pmm:
Thanks 4baseknock...

In your opinion could I just not be waiting long enough with my hands back? Is this mostly about timing? Are my hands starting the swing a bit too early and thus my hips lagging behind????

thanks man

pmm

So hard to fully tell from the video angle and quality, but perfecting the timing is every hitters area to work on. Overall, I think your swing looks very good. Keep taking reps and working on ensuring your hands and lower body are working in unison through the swing path.

This is a interesting drill to get the correct feel at contact of hands and lower body.

http://www.facebook.com/video/...o.php?v=547084945462