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Didn't know where to post this but I'm hoping I'll get some good responses. I've been told that sometimes I tend to keep my front arm straight while swinging. Something called a cast bar or arm bar or something like that. It makes my bat drag behind and forces a later hit in the strike zone. I know using something like a rod with washers on it will help but what other drills can I do to keep that form happening. It's not a constant problem but when I'm at the cages late on in my time there I think I get careless and don't notice it.
"Man this is baseball, you gotta stop thinking...n just have fun." ~Benny Rodriguez~Sandlot
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This is called barring the arm. This happens when the hands are brought back to the launch position as the pitch is being deliverd...and the hands go a little too far back resulting in the lead arm straightening so that the front elbow is locked. This results in a sweeping swing dragging swing that limits your power and doesn't allow you to hit inside pitches.
According to The Complete Book of Hitting Faults and Fixes, this is a common problem. The drill in the book is simple. Simply practice taking your strides and focus on bringing your hands back to a comfortable point around your back shoulder, so that there's some flex in the lead arm Ken Griffey looks like he bars his lead arm, but upon closer look he still maintains some flex in that arm. You also may wanna try taking your stance with your hands closer to your body or head. You could already have your hands too far back in your stance.
Once you can easily practice coming to a good launch position you can then take soft toss while focusing on the lead arm. Eventually the new arm movement will become automatic.
TPBulldogs35,
The best thing you can do is video youself taking BP. View yourself doing the arm bar, so you can see exactly what you are doing. More than likely, you will find that your hips have rotated, your shoulders have begun to rotate, but your hands are still in the load position. In other words, you have opened your shoulders leaving your hands behind and stretched out your front arm too straight. From this position, the results are a long, loopy, slower swing.
One way to correct the problem is to concentrate on starting forward motion with your hands as soon as you begin to rotate your hips. Now, understand, I am NOT saying 'start your swing with your hands'. If you will try to start your hands moving forward as soon as you start your hip rotation, the hands won't lag behind causing the arm bar. In reality, your core muscles and leg muscles are so much stronger than your arms, they will rotate your hips much faster than you can move your arms forward. If you can concentrate on starting your hands forward as soon as the hips begin to rotate, your hands (and bat) will be approximating the point of contact with the baseball as your hips finish opening up to the contact position. Also, attempt to move your hands from the loaded position directly toward the pitcher and not toward 1st base (3rd base for a lefty).
I realize what I have told you to do is not in the exact sequence of a correct swing. What I am saying is, if you will concentrate on getting the hands going earlier, the arm bar will be lessened.
WOW! I found my problem was that my hands were already in the load position and when I thought I was loading I was actually going too far back and straightening my left arm causing it to lock. After making sure my hands were closer and they loaded up to the right spot I felt like I was seriously EXPLODING on the ball. My hits were on the money almost everytime in the cages. Thanks guys!

PS Another highschool was there so as I had on my school's logo I was showin up some of their varsity guys up haha.

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