Fastpitch Softball Hitting Lesson - Posture

In this lesson I take a look at one of Allison Kennewell's students with a before and after video.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• fastpitch
• softball
• hitting
• lesson
• posture
• rotational
• power

[FastpitchTrainer]

As far as point of contact. Extension tells us several things, and no don't be confused we do not advocate contact at extension. A common ability shared by hitters like Pujols, A-Rod , Manny etc. is that when they are at extension the top hand reaches to the front of the front foot. Yes, there is a distinct ratio that we use for stride that almost all MLB hitters fall into. It has to do with the width of a players waist to the width of their base.

[FastpitchTrainer]

Hey thanks for the comments. I understand what you are seeing with rolling over, but I'll post a video response with another swing as well. She used to be consistently off plane early, so I'll show another swing that illustrates this. The reason it happens is simple. She locks the front leg as rotation should start, which causes her to spin the back foot and sit weight on the back leg as she attempts to turn. The front leg should lock as rotation ends.

[FastpitchTrainer]

See video response that shows extension to the front foot from Pujols, Pudge, A-Rod and Manny.

[jtmeyer58]

would like to see them hitting low pitch, especially low outside...

[FastpitchTrainer]

Then you would see more shoulder "tilt" to stay on plane...I may have some good examples of this to show, I'll look at post if I do.

[max66bhs]

I agree with Checharoden, this guy is a bit overly instructional.

First, swinging up at a pitch is a terrible idea. He states that the ball is coming to you on a downward angle. I have played FP for 20 years and never have I seen a ball from an underhand pitcher come to me on a downward angle.

I have seen drop balls that went up and then back down but never a fastball that went from the hand of the pitcher downward like a baseball pitch.

Do not swing up.

Rise balls kill this technique

[cheycharoden]

I apprciate your work, having problems processing some of it which is the cause for the sarcasm-like overtones in my comments. But I am processing it. I like your split hand rotational drill. I will be sing it tomorrow for my junior baseball team.

Back leg question: My mental check is to feel that I am leaning into rotation by bringing my rear knee down at an angle. I see Bonds do this. I feel since I started doing this, the more I feel my front leg sending my frontside back faster.. ur take?

[cheycharoden]

Actually the batter on the left, her tilt is not the problem, as she comes around she is RIGHT ON the plane of the ball, your graphics show that. Her top hand rolls over her bottom hand which causes the bat to sway OVER the ball. Step through and you'll realize that.

This is caused by the wrong grip. You attribute this to tilt.... off man!

[cheycharoden]

Your analysis is off. The reason that the batter cannot 'reach' the ball is because she is bring both arms forward, then at the same time bring the bat around with her wrists.

You ae advocating to make contact almost at extension, extention happens well after contact. You got some good stuff, but you need to put some more thought behind your technique.

[cheycharoden]

'Proper stride ratio...???' hmmm..

[wspp60]

Are kidding? She adjusted to the plane of the pitch and hit it square. And this notion that she's not fully extended and unable to reach out to where her foot is? Non-sense. Just look at MLB and any of the top Team USA batters and most if not all never extend that far out after contact. The stride should as almost as wide if not as wide as his or her bat is long (same distance from wrist to ground at attn). You can't hindge the back leg and qet to the low outside pitches as shown here.