Strong position for hitting
Sorry I’ve been away for awhile. The end of the season brought a lot of hectic activity, including a trip to the Northern B Nationals in Kentucky. But I’m back now, baby, and ready for action.
To get us started, I thought we’d go right into hitting. Here’s a photo of Stephanie, one of the girls I coach, as captured by Mike Zupec, with whose permission I am using this photo.
There are a number of things going right here. Looking from the ground up, the front leg is pretty firm and the back foot is heel up, toe down. Her back hip has some around to replace her front hip and her weight has shifted forward into her front leg. The shoulders have come around, the hands are palm up/palm down at contact, they are slightly above the bat head, and she is leaned into the plate. About the only problem I see from this picture is she is a bit late to the ball. I’d like to see the contact a little more out-front. This particular stroke, however, went for a double to the fence in left-center so that’s a quibble.
If you have one, compare a photo of your position at contact to this one. This is pretty much where you want to be.
To get us started, I thought we’d go right into hitting. Here’s a photo of Stephanie, one of the girls I coach, as captured by Mike Zupec, with whose permission I am using this photo.
There are a number of things going right here. Looking from the ground up, the front leg is pretty firm and the back foot is heel up, toe down. Her back hip has some around to replace her front hip and her weight has shifted forward into her front leg. The shoulders have come around, the hands are palm up/palm down at contact, they are slightly above the bat head, and she is leaned into the plate. About the only problem I see from this picture is she is a bit late to the ball. I’d like to see the contact a little more out-front. This particular stroke, however, went for a double to the fence in left-center so that’s a quibble.
If you have one, compare a photo of your position at contact to this one. This is pretty much where you want to be.
Posted on August 10, 2007, in Hitting. Bookmark the permalink. 5 Comments.
Life in the Fastpitch Lane 
I love a deep contact point. The farther out in front your contact point the earlier you have to start the more vulnerable you are to the off speed pitch. A contact point inside the feet is preferable to “out in front” depending on what you mean by out in front. I would like to see her bat closer to in line with her front forearm. I’d like to see the clip of the whole swing.
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I should add “at contact” to the end of the next to last sentence for clarity.
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It’s a still photo. Not perfect, but the closest I could find to illustrate the point.
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When you do investigate Steve’s site, look at reply 21 on this thread. http://www.englishbeyhitting.com/forums/index.php?topic=3033.15;topicseenAnd relate it back to this jpg and to your bat drag questions, your shoulder dropping questions etc.
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Relative to your thought about investigating Steve’s stuff, you might want to read reply 13 on this thread http://www.englishbeyhitting.com/forums/index.php?topic=2940.0;topicseenIt’s on the public side. You would have to register but you don’t have to buy anything.
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