Hitting Instruction & Speed, strength & agility

[Mark H]

. M Hunt. you answer this post)

Who?

[slapperdad]

. M Hunt. you answer this post)

Who?

Mike Hunt, paging Mike Hunt?

[slapperdad]

Slapperdad- You guys are special. How dare me answer your Ignorant post. Slapperdad I'd worry about myself if I were you. M Hunt. you answer this post like the world's expert on hitting and softball techniques, using big words and minute babble. You tell us that these guys could be really good coaches regardless of their claims, no doubt they could be, however my answers was about their claims, which no one in the right mind could believe. I don't care what the coalition believes, I'll state my opinion because I can and I should. So the old boys club can go kiss a cows butt. (I want to get last word in, your unreal)
Spazsdad,Pdad, Slapperdad, new genius L Hunt, ect- The Coalition! I answer your insults directly, and believe me that's all you guys are about. You don't want a serious discussion about softball, because you guys don't have the slightest idea what your talking about. Spazsdad ask me to post about hitting techniques, however I've never read one post from him on any softball techniques. You experts, lets read your softball post about techniques? You answer me, after I post with some snotty remark, but no knowledge. WERE ARE YOUR POSTS!!!!! I will call a spade a spade, if you don't like my answers, answer with knowledge not insults, because if you do I will answer back in the same way.

Are you getting enough fiber in your diet?

[Mark H]

An attempt to engage - C777 I grant you the OP was hyperbolic in their claims. I can live with that. Average parents respond to pitches I find strange so marketing gets some leeway. I AM interested in what the OP actually thinks a good swing consists of...but I doubt the OP will come within a mile of this website now.

Curious, is there an active moderator?

[Cannonball]

Jtat32- It's really hard to read such a manifest of ignorance. First of all, no one said they were cheats, maybe they are and maybe they are not. Being misinformed or not knowing what your talking about is way too normal in coaching. You don't know what your talking about, or make any sense when you do, but I see it doesn't stop you.
The Hanson Principal, WOW! I know nonsense when I read it, their claims and your logic! The nerds got a hold of the Hanson Principal, step back and let the real experts dazzle us with their BS!

C77, just out of curiosity, did you google "The Hanson Principle?" While it may seem simplistic, it certainly has been very beneficial to thousands of parents and coaches who have attempted to help their children in both baseball and softball hit the ball. We first filmed my dd at age 10 and I shared video of her with MarkH and a few others on a private website. From there, and using that simple principle, she progressed to be pretty good. I've know MarkH for a very long time now and he'd be the first to say that he isn't a "expert" but rather a resource for others. I know he doesn't have any clue as to how many he has helped since his thoughts have been posted for long over a decade on various websites including the ones I moderate. The reason I post this is that you might find it helpful in those that you work with. If not, no harm.

[Mark H]

Good Mark H- No insults! Your a good writer and apparently know something about hitting. I would like to know more about about your method of teaching hitting, and something parents and coaches, especially young inexperience coaches, should understand about hitting. I've helped college players as well young coaches understand all aspects of this game.However, I've little time any more for the game I love. Case-load and all. Lets talk softball!

I think method is the wrong word and wrong place to start. But to answer your question, it depends. The place to start, the drills to use etc depends on the hitter. I don't think you mandate a certain exact swing. After all, we see variability even among the highest paid hitters in the world. I think you remove inefficiencies. I think you use constraints. But all that's vague useless nonsense till we agree on the goal. What's an efficient swing? I'd say it needs to be repeatable. It needs to be designed to produce rising line drives as often as possible and it needs to happen in about 0.13 seconds from first move of the bat head into the swing plane till contact. So where can average dad find some clues? When I started looking at what to teach my kids I found every widely known guru thought differently. Decided to sort them out by comparing everything they said to video of elite hitters. Eliminated all of them besides Paul Nyman and Steve Englishbey. Paul is largely unavailable and mercurial. Steve is available and much funnier. So that was my journey. If you want to know what I teach I would point you to Steve. To the test of "compare everything anyone tells you about hitting to lots of slow motion video of the best" I'd suggest adding some understanding of momentum, angular momentum, the double pendulum and some small understanding of the biomechanics of human rotation. Steve can help with that as well. But compare everything he says to lots of slow motion video as well. If you come to a different conclusion than me, you should follow the results of your own investigation.

[jtat32]

From this view it certainly looks like Pete Rose rotates into the ball (Note: I didn't listen to the analysis):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzjxqs3pApI

If using the big muscles of the hips and torso are the quickest and most efficient way to get the bat into the zone, that would indicate that rotation would be even more important for weaker players.

A key point in making this efficient and reducing drag, I believe, is setting up so that the weight of the barrel is in line with the axis of rotation to reduce the inertia of the bat. My DDs' HS coach didn't get this concept at all and tried to enforce a set-up with the bat pointing at the catcher.

[Mark H]

Can't disagree

[slapperdad]

From this view it certainly looks like Pete Rose rotates into the ball (Note: I didn't listen to the analysis):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzjxqs3pApI

If using the big muscles of the hips and torso are the quickest and most efficient way to get the bat into the zone, that would indicate that rotation would be even more important for weaker players.

A key point in making this efficient and reducing drag, I believe, is setting up so that the weight of the barrel is in line with the axis of rotation to reduce the inertia of the bat. My DDs' HS coach didn't get this concept at all and tried to enforce a set-up with the bat pointing at the catcher.

Early in my career as a coach, I studied this video ad nauseum. I know a hitting coach that utilizes this approach. One thing that jumps out at me in this vid is his hands never get extended. Pete Rose was a very impressive physical specimen, he had freakishly large forearms and legs. What I see produced by said instructor are students that are:
Pull hitters
Goes without saying a lot of foul balls
They're pretty easy to pitch to, i.e. setup and sit down
Weaker girls typically produce weak ground balls
Kids who attempt to employee this technique and don't use their bottom half

There is no weight transfer in this vid, the bat is simply rotating on an axis. Again, when you have the physical attributes Rose had, it probably didn't matter how he swung the bat. As I've been around and seen some things I've become more convinced that younger, weaker, female athletes need a weight transfer and they hands need to get extended, something along these lines:
http://youtu.be/DzJms7RW02A

Lastly EVERY kid is different and brings different tools and baggage with them. A good instructor will work with the assets and try minimize the liabilities.

[Mark H]

If there was a hip shift and pelvic load unload it would have happened before the start of this clip. Anyone have a link for some Rose clips?