Posted by: Coach C () on Mon Nov 3 22:24:27 2003

Coach C,
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> > > I just wanted to tell you that I was thoroughly impressed with your son's swing (your's as well, I guess :)) He has a great shoulder angle at contact which means his elbow is dropping into the slot with relative ease. Just wanted to commend him and tell him to keep up the good work. You keep swinging it too!
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> > > andy
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> > I'm a has-been, but I still love to take hacks. Thanks for the compliments on my Son. I'll let him know you said so! He was nervous about me posting his swing, but I said "Hey it's better than mine, so let me take the heat".....he liked that. I often wonder if top-hand dominate hitters struggle more to find a good slot. He is right-handed. Who knows?
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> > Thanks again Andy!
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> > Coach C
> I deleted a long diagnosis I well be short.You are lacking hip cock and scap load as I can see but nice lower body other wise ,You have more in your swing than you are using but THT is there and hands are connected by the hands beating the slotted elbow to the race at the rib cage1/2 way through rotation,lead shoulder could have more turn at toe touch pulling lead hand more.Your son has the hip cock watch as he lifts his knee his hip turns in and he slightly counterrotates.good lower load.It is hard to see any scap load but it could be there ,watch the Guerreo clip and see the elbow work,then watch your son from angles to see scap.He reminds me of Edmunds a back foot hitter at least on this swing but overall very smooth and connected THT is there but don't worry about it for now your both doing it.Lets see an outside location swing next.Both overall fine swings.How old and size of your son and how far is he driving the ball.I see the big barrel ,can't use them here in Tampa.Must tell, my son 8,knocked a pitcher on his butt with a line drive tonight,I have been telling him to strive for that since he was 4 I was 10 before I did.I must calm him down though the kids on the ground and my son is jumping up and down on 1st yelling I did it dad,we had a talk after the game as my dad had with me.I have been waiting for that talk.

Thanks RQL and I agree with your diagnosis of me. As for my son he definitely slots the elbow better than I do and he never has the urge to go forward. It's funny you should mention Jim Edmonds, I showed him the other day the similarities and he now loves Jim Edmonds. He also resembles Garret Anderson. The one problem he sometimes has is not releasing the top arm from the L position post-contact. I'm not sure what that's about, but when he does release it he hits the ball with great authority. We've spent a little bit of time releasing the bottom hand at contact (as strange as that sounds) and he mashes the ball. It's the strangest thing, but he has to learn how to release the barrel.....I'm not worrying about it though, because that will come on it's own sooner or later. As for his performance, he's 11 1/2 years old, and plays travel ball a year young (meaning the kids he plays with are going to be 13. RQL, this may seem far fetched, but he's never struck out swinging. He's struck out looking his fair share or swung and missed a handful of pitches in his lifetime, but he literally never strikes out swinging. He fits right in the middle as far as average with his travel team and power is always to the gaps (but mostly the pull side)...the farthest ball he's ever hit was probably about 240 or so, but he only weighs 80 lbs. Essentially he's a number two hitter, because he put's the ball in play and doesn't strike out. Most of his out's have been in the air, if he doesn't hit it sweet, so this concerns me some, but I just tell him to get his lead elbow above the ball and it helps him to stay on plane with the ball. He has no ego and doesn't know what the heck a batting average is........he just likes to hit. Our big thing right now is bunting.

The big barrel's do more harm than good in my opinion, but every kid in travel ball has them in California, so he wants one too. In practice we will use wood or aluminium bats (thin barrel) and I think he does better. Anyway, thanks for the analysis and he and I will keep working on our swings, with your good advice. I appreciate your insight........and oh yea! Give that boy of yours a high five for me.....I don't like pitchers either (hope the pitchers O.K. though).

Respectfully,

Coach C