Hitting Evolution

Idea 1 – Power Replace: Stack the Hip and Transfer to Barrel

“Squash the bug”…this is a term that I have hated ever since the first time I heard it. The goal of the backside during a proper swing is not to simply rotate the axis (leg) – this motion does not utilize the full power potential that is available. The goal of the backside, or more correctly, the goal for the backside during a proper swing is to maximize the leverage off of it to provide optimum lateral movement. Just like with throwing, a proper motion in hitting – broken down to its simplest definition, we are replacing our front side position with our backside upon completion of the act. With a full power throw we replace the space that was occupied with our front leg with our back leg…this is even more obvious when looking at a pitcher that properly utilizes her legs for power when fully utilizing the power created with toe drag and “shutting the door”. How do we get to that replace state in hitting? I can tell you surly that we do not get there by squashing some dang imaginary bug. We get there by leveraging off of the back side…pushing forward off of the back foot.

Throw out the rotation, instead imagine a rubber band…it gets pulled back and then explodes forward with tremendous lateral movement and power. That explode movement off the backside, will get us to the replace state. In the past, hitting instruction has tried to get to this state by way of talking about weight transfer…and it is/was a good idea to promote, however I think it is slightly off mark as it does not focus on the importance of the explode movement.

Have both your feet on the floor and put all your weight on your right leg, now shift all your weight on your left leg…was there any explosive movement when you did that? The answer is no. Do you think the term, let alone the idea of weight transfer makes any sense, much less means anything to young players when being instructed on hitting mechanics? I can tell you they do the same thing I just mentioned…they transfer the weight without explosion…this is a waste of power potential.

Last year during the Fall season I started thinking about a different way to understand and teach explosive transfer and lateral movement. Where I have landed with this is that there is more generated hard hitting power if the player stacks all of her weight (upon the load movement) onto the top of her back femur, or on top of the hip. Now here is a key difference – instead of focusing on transferring that weight to the front leg at contact, instead focus on transferring the backside weight into the barrel of the bat at contact point with the ball in front of the body, and in front of the plate. This works because it increases the explosive movement and by focusing the weight/power into the barrel, the leg weight transfer naturally happens with less power leak. It also enforces proper loading up (a thing I see missing in many swings), as well as correct contact point (front of plate, front of body).

These are my thoughts, and if you disagree that is okay – but I challenge you to try it; I bet you will see and feel the difference. Some of my ideas may be new or different than things that our players have previously been taught – so that is why I call this Hitting Evolution…things change, adapt, and improve over time. To stay the same is to become stagnant. I remember when I was playing baseball they reinforced rotating off the backside (I leveraged off the backside and they thought that was incorrect), in addition, they had us committing the power zapping movement of rolling our wrists at contact…ha ha ha, how absurd! Things evolve (thank goodness).

Coach James