Front Leg/Foot

He doesn't properly coil, so he can't stretch and get the lower body moving first. He feels like he has to open his front leg to do so. There are a few ways to attack this. Personally, I'd deal with the sequence first. Coil, and stretch the hands from the rear hip.

I like his swing and how he wants to use the lower body. Once he gets it... watch out.

His "front leg open" as you describe it is really a "good" thing as that is key to having his hips release in a rotational manner. If you try to eliminate or restrict opening that foot/leg, he'll restrict his follow through and lose power. After his first couple of swings I like his position at contact (see :19), though I might like to see a little more flex in his knees.

The stand out problems I see are twofold and one is what Low Finish mentioned. There's no "coiling" or tension being put into the upper body. I sometimes refer to this as loading of the shoulders and hips. You're son's upper body isn't really doing much as his strong arms are doing all the upper body work. The power that he's able to generate is coming mostly from his lower body.

So the second part I see would have to do with what is referred to as "separation". Separation is the difference in the angle between the vertical plane of the shoulders and the vertical plane of the hips. Your son isn't getting any separation at all as both shoulders and hips move together in the same plane when initiating his swing. Let me try to illustrate - think in terms of a long square peg made of rubber standing on end. Hold the bottom still while giving the top a little twist and then let go. Note one of the flat surfaces as you twist where you see the surface facing different directions along its length. The difference in direction is "separation." Basically, it's the same thing in pitching, though hitters can't produce or use as much as pitchers tend to generate due to having to react so quickly.

Go on the internet and take a look as some professional player's swings and see if you can see the coil and separation and compare it to what you're son is doing in this video.

If he can do this "coiling" and stay balanced with some flex in the knees, then I think he'll LIKE the results.

Little stiff with starting hands.

Tape does not show, so I would like to see his approach to up and in pitch, as well as his approach to the anything away.

Regarding the front foot and leg, we just practiced, practiced, practiced instilling muscle memory. The method that my son was taught was to freeze after each swing and check his body position, make the corrections, while holding his finished swing in place, then repeat.

A little tougher to do when you have a machine throwing at you though!

Your guy is doing a lot correctly and looks strong. Good luck and have fun!

First of all, thank you for the input.

Low Finish, The lack of a coil is something that has been bothering me for the past couple of months. I've let it go until now, but it's time to make an adjustment.

Truman, I'm familiar with separation and you're right, he needs some work there also. Now is a good time to incorporate both.

Bear. he is a little stiff. He's gone back and forth between motion and stiff. I prefer him not to be as stiff, but timing can sometimes become an issue. He needs to work at that a little more. Also, below is a view of mostly outside pitches from the rear. He's inconsistent in that area. I'm attributing that to fact that his strength has increased, but maybe I'm wrong here. Up until this fall he always hit to all fields. Maybe there's another reason?

Back View

Floridafan, thanks for the input. We'll try some of that drill.

It looks to me like someone told him to stop striding. Maybe his instructor? What was he trying to correct?

Why? Show me a current MLB hitter that does not stride. (Before you tell me Pujols, take a closer look)

Get him back to his natural stride, and he will probably coil naturally.

Also, at toe touch he immediately takes his hands toward the pitcher. His hands should stay at his shoulder longer.

All good advice so far.

I would add that we shouldn't be able see the top of his head during the swing.

Looks like he is peering in and down slightly, which will restrict the proper rotation of the back shoulder and elbow around the spine.

More coil, less head movement.

quote:

Originally posted by NYdad2017:
During his swing he will sometimes turn his front leg open. The video below shows it clearly. Any assistance in how he can correct this would be appreciated. I'm really looking for some specific reps that he could repeat to try to eliminate it. Best to get cracking on this while it's still early in the winter. As always, thanks in advance.

Hitting Video

This link below is a great video that I like on the concept of a firm front side and a drill to ensure the front side is staying firm, front foot is not opening too much, and you are moving around and transfering all the energy of the swing into the firm front side to generate the most power.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?f...ilpage&v=1d1vDd391oo

I agree with others that during your son's negative move and transition to toe down and 50/50 weight balance on both legs before initiating the swing, that he is not getting separation of his hands walking away from his front foot.

Not easy to correct, although his type of set-up is similar to Pujols and Manny Ramirez in that they do stride as SultanofSwat states, however, it is a very tiny timing stride and for the most part, their hands (and bat angle with knob of bat at catcher) are already in the coiled position (when they set-up and before they stride) compared to what you would see in a more traditional negative move when walking the hands away from the front foot by the time 50/50 weight balance is reached on both legs at front foot touch.

Maybe getting the hands further back into the correct position at set-up would be a subtle adjustment to help with coil.

quote:

Originally posted by NYdad2017:
First of all, thank you for the input.

Low Finish, The lack of a coil is something that has been bothering me for the past couple of months. I've let it go until now, but it's time to make an adjustment.

Good, no better time like the present. Now, tell him to turn his rear hip "around" his rear leg. He'll feel like there's a "pinch" in the rear hip socket. This is NORMAL and good. So try that out, and tell me how it looks. That by itself may fix the knee opening on its own.

Then, once he gets that, we can talk about the pelvis getting rotatED, not rotatING.

The suggestion that this kid has no hip coil and no rear hip load is erroneous.

There is a reason why you hear that sound his bat makes.
There is a reason why the launch of his swing is very very quick.

What was the comment about no stride?



http://i46.tinypic.com/avsg7o.gif

Show me a better amateur hitter on this site.

http://tinypic.com/r/xglf2c/6

Kemp with a big kick stride June 30, 2010

1280 MLB players, and one of them doesn't stride.. sometimes.

Edit: Looks like Kemp used a stride in June 2010 and the end of 2012.

There is little to nothing that can be gained by striding, and a whole lot that striding can screw up. The bigger the stride to greater the room for error.

quote:

Originally posted by Gapper1986:
The suggestion that this kid has no hip coil and no rear hip load is erroneous.

There is a reason why you hear that sound his bat makes.
There is a reason why the launch of his swing is very very quick.

I'm going to admit that I made a mistake. This is correct.

quote:

Originally posted by SultanofSwat:
Kemp with a big kick stride

1280 MLB players, and one of them doesn't stride.. sometimes.

You asked for one.....as if no one would find one.

I showed you one.

You are proven wrong.

Admit it.

Oops....



Two of them.

NY DAD...Do you see your sons hands being pulled by the rear leg drive inward?

Do you see rear leg drive inward in your son?

Do you see rear hip coil in your son like the rear hip coil you see in Edmonds above?

Do you see the rear leg pulling the rear hip forward into rotation on Edmonds?

What about your son?

My answers below to the questions.....

1. No, Because his hips are causing the hips to rotate. Hip rotation should be caused by the leg drive and not the hips....which is "why" you see his lead leg do what it does.

2.No, your son never coils around the rear leg he sway back onto the leg. That is not coiling.

3. Yes, Edmonds rear leg is pulling everything above it sequencially up the chain.

4.No, your sons rear leg is being pulled inward by the hip rotation. Opposite of what Edmonds is doing.



Here is a 15 year old from this site for comparrisons to help.

This kids bat is slow and long and way out front.

NY Dad's kid is far better....far quicker....far more explosive.

It isn't even debateable.

quote:

Originally posted by Gapper1986:
Oops....



Two of them.

Gapper, he's retired. Keep up.

So a guy who had an exemplary career....a recent career....in the modern game....with a no stride swing....doesn't count?

Laughing my *** off at the guy who can't admit he was wrong.....dead wrong.

And....as readers watch this thread....and see the truth....he will stick to the lie.

Now that is big.

And tells you, the reader, what to do.

He asked for one.

Got two.

And still says NO ONE does it.

Can you say phoney?

Score... 1279.5 Sultan... 0.5 Gapper.

I'm happy for you that you found a current player that doesn't stride sometimes. Really.

I'll stick to teaching kids how to hit like 99.92% of MLB players.

Good luck.

Every high level hitter does what Kemp and Edmonds do.

They have simply added a stride....WITHOUT COMPROMISING THEIR UNDERLYING REAR LEG LOAD.

Your stance on no stride PROVES you have no idea how to teach the high level swing.

The stride is simply an add on.

If you use it for more than that you will NEVER reach the high level pattern.

Momentum from a stride is the NUMBER 1 CAUSE....of hitting failure.

Squirming aren't you.

Said no one could find one.

I found two.

You really should admit you were wrong.

Readers are likely to reject what you post until then.

quote:

Originally posted by Gapper1986:
Squirming aren't you.

Said no one could find one.

I found two.

You really should admit you were wrong.

Readers are likely to reject what you post until then.

Here are pics of Kemp's 2 HRs he hit on 9/29/2012, at the end of the season. (He hit another HR the following night, also with a stride)





It looks like Kemp gave up his no-stride experiment during the 2012 season, and returned to his 'high level' stride. Then he started blasting HRs again.

Now, you're back to zero current MLB hitters that do not use a stride.

Maybe you can find one. I hope you do.

My Kemp clip was from 2012 also.

You see....you just don't get it.

Kemp does the SAME THING IN ALL HIS SWINGS....the stride is an add on.

And the fact that you post a pitcher view clip of him simply picking up the foot and putting it down in nearly the same spot....proves my point more than yours.

You just aren't smart enough to know that.

Good luck. Really.

BTW....what direction does that stride foot move?

It goes toward the bucket.....FAR MORE.....than forward.

If you knew what Kemp was doing you'd understand why that foot moves that direction.

But....you don't.

Instead of learning what he's doing....you feel a need to concentrate on a surface move that means little to nothing.

quote:

Originally posted by SultanofSwat:
Good luck. Really.

You're bailing, aren't you.

Good move.

You continuing in this discussion won't bode well for you.

The stride is style.

He's been working hard as usual. Here is a recent one. I think he's moving in the right direction.

Jan 21, 2013

That's a darn good swing.

That's some great improvement

Thanks. As we all know, a 13 year old is always a work in progress.

quote:

Originally posted by NYdad2017:
Thanks. As we all know, a 13 year old is always a work in progress.

If I were you, I'd start discussing mental mechanics. He has the physical mechanics.

quote:

Originally posted by Low Finish:
If I were you, I'd start discussing mental mechanics. He has the physical mechanics.

Thanks. That is something that the two of us have discussed for a few years now. I believe very, very strongly in that part of the game. He's pretty darn good at flushing things for his age. Most of the time, but not all, he doesn't let the situation in the game overcome him. As he gets older, our discussions into the mental area have expanded. Honestly, for the most part he's grown beyond what I can do to help him physically. I'm not sure he'd listen to "Dad" anyway. But on the mental side he's been willing to listen.

Obviously there is a very long way to go and a lot to learn while he's growing, but it's been a lot of fun so far.

If nothing else, get him to think "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, YES!/NO!"