fixing (?) a Pull Hitter (video)

Hitting the ball foul may be the least of their problems. If they are alway early, off speed and middle/away will kill them.

If they are always coming around the ball, the long slow swing will eventually be their demise as good fastballs inside saw them off, and outside pitches are weakly hit pop ups and dribblers.

You must first assess whay they're always pulling the ball.

Early: Is is timing (starting too soon)? Is loading and unloading in one piece (causing upper body to rotate too soon and bring the barrel into the zoe too early)?

Coming around: Are they being taught to keep the barrel inside/behind the ball, and know where to make contact (both relative to the plate and where on the ball)?

Would you catagorize their swing as "shoulders down" or "one piece", or do they segment their unloading?

If they already segment, it may just be a timing issue they need to work on (delay their trigger going into load).

I use the term segmented in a good way. In other words, the lower half should begin to open before the shoulders and hand begin to launch forward.

Look at the Pujos video. If you can, copy and paste the url into your Quicktime player and control the action. Watch his lower half begin to open before the upper half, yet maintain continuous motion (stretching and unstretching his body to provide power).

http://www.hittingillustrated.com/Pujols/Pujols12.gif

another video:

http://www.hittingillustrated.com/Pujols/Pujols18.gif

If your sons are unloading all at once (lower half and upper half), then they are bringing the barrel into the zone earlier than they need to. That delay in the upper half will allow them to have more power, have more time to recognize and adjust to pitches, keep the barrel inside the ball, etc.

Another thing I like to play with on the inside vs outside pitches is watching the sequence of toe touch, hip movement, and heel.

toe..hip...heel
toe...hip..heel

hitters have to be able to adjust on the fly, be it the timing of the uncoiling, the hand path, the hand rotation, etc. If they are uncoiling upper and lower body at the same time, those adjustments become difficult because they have committed the hands and barrel too early.

you said: They both hit flat footed and both do not start their swing early


and: hmmm

what if they commit the toe too early ?
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Is it a trick question? In any event, timing and anxiety issues are more difficult to assess than physical issues. Have you changed your mind in them being early?

I already mentioned: If they already segment, it may just be a timing issue they need to work on (delay their trigger going into load).

That's right. If they are throwing their hands out and swinging around the ball that is a reaaly bad habbit to break. My son had the same problem and I found a wonderful product that eliminates this problem and it truly trained his muscle memory to where he doesn't have it any longer. = Advertising deleted by moderator = I believe you will hve the same results and I have. Also by keeping his hands inside and thru the ball his bat speed "Kills". (in a good way).

yes I think if you video them you can see what their swing is doing but, videoing does fix it.

quote:

Originally posted by blexann:
First at bat of the season my son hits a fast ball for a single between 1st and 2nd. Please critique his swing. I will post more on Saturday.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMSXRGT8IZ8

He looks good from the back. You can tell more from the front view, but he finishes in good position. As long as he's not trying to pull an outside pitch, I'd leave him alone. Use tee work to teach him to hit an outside pitch. It is the same swing, you just make contact deeper in the strike zone. You should be able to draw an imaginary line through the sweet-spot of the bat to the spot you want to hit the ball to at contact, just set the tee there and bang away!