Have a junior hitter, good hitter, hit .390 for varsit yas soph....anyway, he's developed an arm bar (locking bottom arm at load). Any thoughts or drills on how to address this?
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Fence drill. Impossible to do with your front arm locked. One of my favorites.
Stand facing the fence/net, one arm length away. Now swing your bat without touching the fence or net. This forces you to keep your hands in. Great drill, but you do need to do it on a consistant basis to build in the muscle memory.
Lefty...
Stand facing the fence/net, one arm length away. Now swing your bat without touching the fence or net. This forces you to keep your hands in. Great drill, but you do need to do it on a consistant basis to build in the muscle memory.
Lefty...
discussed that one with him this morning, thanks. kids focused, a joy to coach, and talented...great combo!! 
Good to hear!
Arm bar is caused only by having your hands too far from your shoulder.
The (typical) fence drill may fix this, but it's more likely to create new problems by making you go "knob to the ball" - see Tewks - Knob to the Ball, or make you lose elbow/hip connection.
You don't need a drill to keep your hands at your shoulder.
The (typical) fence drill may fix this, but it's more likely to create new problems by making you go "knob to the ball" - see Tewks - Knob to the Ball, or make you lose elbow/hip connection.
You don't need a drill to keep your hands at your shoulder.
Couldn't agree more with the additional problems. Please don't do this drill. We have spent every day of the past 3 months overcoming bad muscle memory from this drill - and aren't done.quote:Originally posted by SultanofSwat:
Arm bar is caused only by having your hands too far from your shoulder.
The (typical) fence drill may fix this, but it's more likely to create new problems by making you go "knob to the ball" - see Tewks - Knob to the Ball, or make you lose elbow/hip connection.
You don't need a drill to keep your hands at your shoulder.
Hands get hitters in trouble.
I have learned also that barrel to the ball is not a good cue for us. It is a result, not an objective.
I don't see any way that "knob to the ball" or "hands to the ball" cannot cause a loss of connection.
What about the way that Epstein teaches the fence drill from the torque position? It looks like the hitter stays connected at the back elbow the way he's doing it.
Hands and hips should be moving together.
You would be better served finding a drill that promotes arm bar. Ask Babe Ruth, Ken Griffey Jr. or many of the great hitters about how to get more arm bar in your swing.
A sure swing killer is to get elbow flexion in your swing. Good luck with that.
The fence drill would be as useful as the hit yourself in the head with the bat drill.
A sure swing killer is to get elbow flexion in your swing. Good luck with that.
The fence drill would be as useful as the hit yourself in the head with the bat drill.
Sultan,
Do you really want me to post 50 pics of Griffey or Babe Ruth barring their front arms?
Do you really want me to post 50 pics of Griffey or Babe Ruth barring their front arms?
Do you really want to teach kids who aren't freaks of nature to do something that freaks of nature like Junior and Babe Ruth were able to do? There is a reason why they played MLB - they can do things we mortals aren't able to do.
quote:Originally posted by Leverage:
Sultan,
Do you really want me to post 50 pics of Griffey or Babe Ruth barring their front arms?
Griffey barred his arm at toe touch, then immediately bent his elbow like the pic above. If you can arm-bar and self correct in the middle of your swing before a half turn, then you are the man.
It's not THAT the front arm gets straight. It's WHEN and HOW it gets straight. If the front arm gets the front arm straight, it's bad.
quote:Originally posted by Sdlefty:
Agree!
Here is another one from no. 19.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhVSBMjLwsA
Lefty
It's another perfect example of why hitting cues can be so dangerous. That cue of "swing the knob" combined with the way he demoed it, will kill the ability to be a great hitter. That cue probably makes 100% sense to HIM because he did it every day and he's just trying to describe what it "felt" like to him.
I don't believe that 100 or 200 reps of this or that drill will changed an ingrained habit that occurs vs. a live pitch.
To combat a problem with the lead arm--assuming for arguments sake that we consider that a flaw exists-- requires 1000's of reps--correct ones--off a batting tee.
And then daily reps off a tee for maintenance, to prevent a relapse.
To combat a problem with the lead arm--assuming for arguments sake that we consider that a flaw exists-- requires 1000's of reps--correct ones--off a batting tee.
And then daily reps off a tee for maintenance, to prevent a relapse.
This is a feel game boys. You have to find what works for you and feels good with your swing. Verbal queues, drills, whatever you need to develope your swing by you and your coaches. You will figure out what works for you and what does not over time. You just need to stick to it.
Eldest has had this arm bar issue for years. Now as a 20 year old he is finally getting rid of it. His numbers do not lie.
Lefty...
Eldest has had this arm bar issue for years. Now as a 20 year old he is finally getting rid of it. His numbers do not lie.
Lefty...
quote:Originally posted by Sdlefty:
This is a feel game boys. You have to find what works for you and feels good with your swing. Verbal queues, drills, whatever you need to develope your swing by you and your coaches. You will figure out what works for you and what does not over time. You just need to stick to it.
Eldest has had this arm bar issue for years. Now as a 20 year old he is finally getting rid of it. His numbers do not lie.
Lefty...
I agree in that you need to "feel" what the swing is supposed to feel like. That is why I try to teach WHERE the "feels" are and what should be happening to cause those feels.
quote:Originally posted by powertoallfields:quote:Originally posted by Sdlefty:
This is a feel game boys. You have to find what works for you and feels good with your swing. Verbal queues, drills, whatever you need to develope your swing by you and your coaches. You will figure out what works for you and what does not over time. You just need to stick to it.
Eldest has had this arm bar issue for years. Now as a 20 year old he is finally getting rid of it. His numbers do not lie.
Lefty...
I agree in that you need to "feel" what the swing is supposed to feel like. That is why I try to teach WHERE the "feels" are and what should be happening to cause those feels.
Good point! And working with each kid is different. Some are verbal learners others are physical learners. You really need to try and understand the kid and what he is feeling. Lot of feeling going on - but its all good...
