Bat Speed -- Baseball Hitting Forum

Posted by: chris () on Thu Apr 18 09:08:00 2002

My daughter has a powerful fastpitch swing. Her problem hitting is that she drops her back shoulder and therefore upper cuts. Any suggestions to break her of this?
> > >
> > > Dropping the back shoulder is necessary on the rotational swing except for the very high pitch.This is the way the body rotates.
> > >
> > > It's a miracle any fastpitch girl can hit if she follows the usual favorite fastpitch cues-"keep the weight back","keep the shoulders level" and "swing down".Trying to make the adjustment to rotational is quite challenging after the kid has been programmed with swing thoughts like these.As Epstein points out,if you start with weight back and keep the shoulders level,the weight has to go forward with the swing.Kids tend to try to make everybody happy by leaving the weight back(never getting off the back side)and swinging up.This is an uppercut arm swing which is then blamed on letting the back shoulder drop.I don't like arm swings and this is a bad arm swing.If your daughter has a powerful swing,then,bless her heart,she's trying to swing rotationally,she just doesn't know how.
> > >
> > > If she wants to make the transition to rotational,or improve her current attempt to be rotational(whether she and her coach are aware of this or not)then she needs to learn how to rotate around a stationary axis and keep a circular handpath.
> > >
> > > The best way to correct her keeping too much weight back/uppercut/collapsing back side/swaying/lunging/not really rotating may be to get Epstein's video and follow his lower body drills.See his support forum as well.Then she can learn to rotate,to get off the back side,but not lunge while STILL letting the back shoulder drop.Jack's bag drills and info are also good and let you work on the swing from the end back with good feedback that allows you to create new/better muscle memory.Learning to rotate is easier on the inside/low stuff because the torso rotates more,so emphasize that location.The high and away stuff may tempt her to go linear unless she gets things ingrained well.It won't be easy.
> >
> > What Tom said!
>
> >>Also look and see if she lets her rear elbow get ahead of her hands in swing.

> Tom,
That is the best description of what I call an uppercut I have seen.Thanks

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> My daughter has a powerful fastpitch swing.  Her problem hitting is that she drops her back shoulder and therefore upper cuts.  Any suggestions to break her of this?
> > > > 
> > > > Dropping the back shoulder is necessary on the rotational swing except for the very high pitch.This is the way the body rotates.
> > > > 
> > > > It's a miracle any fastpitch girl can hit if she follows the usual favorite fastpitch cues-"keep the weight back","keep the shoulders level" and "swing down".Trying to make the adjustment to rotational is quite challenging after the kid has been programmed with swing thoughts like these.As Epstein points out,if you start with weight back and keep the shoulders level,the weight has to go forward with the swing.Kids tend to try to make everybody happy by leaving the weight back(never getting off the back side)and swinging up.This is an uppercut arm swing which is then blamed on letting the back shoulder drop.I don't like arm swings and this is a bad arm swing.If your daughter has a powerful swing,then,bless her heart,she's trying to swing rotationally,she just doesn't know how.
> > > > 
> > > > If she wants to make the transition to rotational,or improve her current attempt to be rotational(whether she and her coach are aware of this or not)then she needs to learn how to rotate around a stationary axis and keep a circular handpath.
> > > > 
> > > > The best way to correct her keeping too much weight back/uppercut/collapsing back side/swaying/lunging/not really rotating may be to get Epstein's video and follow his lower body drills.See his support forum as well.Then she can learn to rotate,to get off the back side,but not lunge while STILL letting the back shoulder drop.Jack's bag drills and info are also good and let you work on the swing from the end back with good feedback that allows you to create new/better muscle memory.Learning to rotate is easier on the inside/low stuff because the torso rotates more,so emphasize that location.The high and away stuff may tempt her to go linear unless she gets things ingrained well.It won't be easy.
> > > 
> > > What Tom said! 
> > 
> > >>Also look and see if she lets her rear elbow get ahead of her hands in swing.
> 
> > Tom,
>    That is the best description of what I call an uppercut I have seen.Thanks

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