Hitting Question - front leg

I teach my hitters not to open until through contact, but they do not have to open at all. A good drill for balance and waiting back is to have your hitters hit off of a slope. We have them hit off of a tee, with their back leg up on a portable mound. It they have a habit of jumping/lunging this can help them.

To clarify, when I say not open at all, I am talking about their front foot, because obviously the front side is going to open through the swing.

I don't mean to be a smart a--, but do you think that is a teach or something that happens? It depends on where the pitch is located. You can lock your front leg out on pitches waist high or above. The front knee will be bent on pitches below the waist. I wouldn't teach drive the back knee. I like to use take the shoe laces to the pitcher. But once again, always demonstrate and constantly use the same verbiage. Some words mean something totally different to different kids.

I think it's something you teach. I think every part of the baseball swing is something that has to be taught to some of your hitters. I say, "Back knee to the pitcher," as opposed to turn your back foot (squash the bug, put out the cig.). I also think every part of the baseball swing can be broke down into simple, understandable language. I do not have many hitters that are so naturally fundamentally sound that correct mechanics, "Just happens."

Here's the front knee action - straightens at end of hip rotation - which should be on contact.


The front and back knees are not a cue or teach, they are results.

The back knee action is a only a result of the hips rotating. If the hips rotate fully, the leg must follow.

So, if leg/knee is not coming forward, the cue is rotate hips fully. If the leg/knee is driving down to the ground, the hips are probably stopping halfway. If they are squishing the bug with the ball of their foot, their hips aren't rotating fully, if at all.

Guys, this is all different lingo to acomplish the same goal. I say back knee to the pitcher, so they do get their hips into their swing. I say stiff front let so they stay "strong" and balanced.

quote:

Guys, this is all different lingo to acomplish the same goal. I say back knee to the pitcher, so they do get their hips into their swing. I say stiff front let so they stay "strong" and balanced.


I have a love and passion for this game, and I want to be a great coach!!!

Difference is...you can take your back knee to the pitcher without using your hips right...but you can't use your hips right without taking your back knee to the pitcher.

You can have a stiff front leg and not have a good lower half...but if you have a good lower half you will have a stiff front leg.

The stiff front leg and back knee to the pitcher are EFFECTS of a good swing, not CAUSES of a good swing.

This is in my opinion the number one problem that coaches run into when teaching hitting...they correct "effects" not "causes."

Personally for me, I don't have to think about getting on my toe or getting my back knee to the pitcher or getting my front leg straight if my swing is feeling good. But the instant I have a little trouble, and maybe I don't hit on a straight front leg, some coaches no doubt will zero in on that straight leg and tell me to "get my leg straight at contact."

In reality, I didn't hit with a straight leg for a reason. The underlying cause may be that I'm too far "out in front and my bats getting out of the zone too early." I gotta get out as far towards the pitcher with my body just to even make contact before my bat leaves the hitting zone. I get uphill and out of the zone, so I bend my front knee to get to the ball before my bat leaves the plane of the pitch.

Even that has an underlying cause: my bat was "wrapped" at launch, with the barrel too far behind my head. This forces the barrel to move down under my hands too early, essentially getting me on plane too early. In early, out early.

Some would see this flaw as a "timing issue" and use the cue "let the ball get deep." As a hitter this is the MOST UNHELPFUL CUE I have ever received, and I nevertheless get it over and over again from the same coaches. I guess they all of a sudden expect me to "get it" the 123rd time they tell me.

A good coach will not only recognize the bent leg at contact, but will recognize the underlying causes of what they see and be able to point out and adjust what is causing the "flaw." Detecting cause and effect only gets harder as the flaws get subtler and subtler as you move up levels. The hardest thing in sports isn't hitting a baseball, its teaching how to hit a baseball.

It appears some hitters do not need a coach. Lol