My son has a tendency to lean back a bit when he strides out. It's almost like he's trying to stay back but move forward at the same time.
His strides stretches out on slower pitches and it creates inconsistencies. He's a great hitter but struggles with this issue.
I've been trying to get him to hold his stride instead of striding forward. But I can't seem to fix this issue. Anyone have any ideas?
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Hard to really address without seeing a video. But one key is to "stay stacked". In other words... when you load, you do shift weight back (as well as create torque by turning core and at the same time, striding). But you don't want to shift your weight back so far that your weight goes beyond the ball of your rear foot big toe (getting outside of stacked). So, it shouldn't really be a "lean" back.
If he is leaning back to load and then shifting forward with a stride to hit, that is a bad combo for most traditional hit mechanics being taught. The stride should be part of the load, not something that happens afterward. Then, the firing motion should be the back hip/knee driving into/against the firm front side.
Interesting question considering the screen name.
This is not happening during the initial gather phase of the sequence. He is stacked inside his back foot during this phase. But similar to the above picture as he strides outward he almost leans back a bit on his top half.
Not sure what the screenname has to do with the question. I study the swing and do very well teaching the swing, but there are certain issues that we all need to bounce off our peers. I watched the perfect Game tournament in georgia last month and there was a kid named Ty Cobb. He wasn't much of a hitter but a great pitcher. I guess that was Interesting considering the name.
The screen name comment was toungue in cheek... shoulda added a smiley face I guess. A lean or tilt usually causes downstream issues in my experience.
No problem at all. Yeah it definitely causes downstream issues.
I have been trying to get him to land in the middle, hold his stride a bit. But it's become a thorn for me.
the younger the kid the more they over-exaggerate the verbal cues they get as well as exaggerate the movements of MLB hitters that they try to imitate. Thus "load back before going forwards" can lead to what you describe.
That front toe should not be a "dainty dip my toe in the swimming pool to see if it is cold", but should be a stride with the head evenly balanced in between the 2 feet
Great info and analogy. That helps alot
My son's hitting coach says you start with weight back and shift to middle...not front. If you watch mlb hitters its what they do. Theres a stretch across the hips...a tug of war, if you will...front hip snaps open while resisting with rear hip til its time to swing...tben rear hip fires. This "tug of war" between the hips keeps weight centered
Go44Dad,
Photoshop it to put him in bb uniform with big cleats!
This link should help...this guy is good: https://youtu.be/ukk1dlgq4JM
inconsistency of timing body
Thank you
Have you read the Charlie Lau book? "The Art of hitting 400". Several ML hitters learn back to "peak at the catcher's signs. However you can Bet" that the next pitch is "chin music"
Like edmonds?
