After running through last week’s introduction to Training Hitters in the Team Setting, the next step is to start breaking down each training group and identifying some of the drills and exercises that go into the group’s development. By selecting the specific movement solutions that will assist in a performance bucket’s development plan, players will perform the prescribed drill and exercise series to acquire the desired swing proficiency. Once a player has a swing that we as a staff identify as sufficient for in-game success based on swing analysis and batted ball metrics, the player will move to the competition-oriented group.
When examining inefficiencies in lower body swing mechanics, there are four areas that deserve the most attention: balance/weight transfer, rear leg drive/swing acceleration, direction of force, and swing deceleration. Each of these topics could certainly be an article on their own, but for now, we will keep it relatively short and sweet.
Balance provides us with a natural place to start. It is the base. Balance is not the ultimate driver of velocity, but it is essential for a consistent and efficient transfer of force into the baseball. Balance at any point in the swing does not particularly mean a 50-50 weight distribution between both legs. Rather, balance only means that the hitter begins in a position that will allow him to exert the energy of the lower half in the correct direction as efficiently as possible and then decelerate the swing. Asking an athlete to maintain balance while combining both a linear AND rotational move is no elementary task. Consequently, consistent balance and movement checks are a huge part of what we do.
Whether it is holding the finish after a swing or stopping at various moments throughout the swing, we want to see a natural flow of energy. Admittedly, looking at stopping points in the swing is a bit of an oxymoron, given that a properly executed swing requires a continuous flow of energy up the kinetic chain, which necessitates that each part of the swing be a sequential movement triggered by the immediate preceding move. Thus, stopping an efficient swing prior to “follow through” is much harder than it may sound. This is why we use only a few check points in live swings and examine the rest on video. The only major stopping points for us are stance, launch, at ball-bat contact/after contact, and follow through. Asking a player to stop at any other point is completely unrealistic. For this reason, balance in a swing does not necessarily equate to what most would consider balance in the traditional sense.
To train balance effectively, check out the video below.
Other adaptations from this video include getting to launch position – the last position before the bat begins its downward move to the ball – and freeze. Once the athlete proves to be balanced at launch, progress to freezing just after contact. I would consider this a “no roll hold” – I will discuss “no rolls” more in depth in a future post. After these positions are executed consistently, move on to “full swing finish holds” as depicted above.
The next stop in the process for efficient lower body mechanics includes utilizing the rear leg as the driver of the swing. I wholeheartedly believe this is the paramount piece of hitting that separates the projectable hitters from the rest. Not all hitters who utilize a swing driven from the rear leg are elite, but I can almost guarantee all elite hitters have a rear leg driven swing. By rear leg driven, I mean that the back leg and hip controls both the forward move and hip fire into the ball. As a teaching point, I tell hitters that the rear hip should be what puts the front foot into the ground. This point is evidenced by the screenshots below from front foot strike. I apologize for not using videos. I did not want to put any of my guys on blast in my blog.
Utilizing the rear leg as a driver allows athletes to accelerate efficiently from a proper load or coil. I am completely open to multiple loads, weight shifts, or strides, but I am adamant that the backside hip must control the movement. This acceleration and eventual drive back through the middle of the field quickly accelerates the upper half. Although it will be discussed much more in depth with my future article on upper body swing mechanics, a rear leg driven swing is the first big step in getting the bat on plane early and quickly. By combining both linear and rotational components in the lower half, the bat will be pulled, not pushed, on plane. This happens because explosively rotating the lower half ensures that the upper half – torso, shoulders, arms, hands, bat – follows the same rotational pattern, again stressing the importance of combining the linear and rotational components of the swing.
Included below are a few videos showing and explaining the purpose behind drills we utilize to help our hitters with balance and rear leg drive.
The drills shown above are far from all we do, but they provide a great starting point. Two additional drills not shown above that I suggest adding are an open stance drill to improve the rear leg load and a back wall sit/tee sit drill to maintain a proper glute load through the forward move. I will explain both for a left handed hitter.
For the open stance drill, start in a normal athletic stance with toes pointed toward the third baseman. This puts both feet even the first base foul line. From this position, slowly coil the upper body back to feel weight sink into the left glute. Then take a normal swing through ball. This can be done via tee, toss, or live.
The wall sit/tee sit drill is more of a “feel” drill but something many of our hitters find quite helpful. It is best to start on the wall and work athletes into hitting with the tee sit. Start with heels 3-6 inches away from a wall or fence, then perform a slight hip hinge and very subtle knee bend to touch the wall/fence with your butt. From there, go into your preferred leg lift and stride. Maintain contact with the wall through front foot strike.
The drill slightly changes when applied to real time swings. I believe this version of the drill is much more representative of efficient game swings. To execute, place a tee 3-6 inches behind your left glute. Get into your normal stance and make contact with the tee using your left glute just as you would for the wall sit. Then as you go into your stride, maintain contact with the tee as long as possible. Once the rear hip begins to drive, contact will then be lost. Due to this slight difference in the drills, I find it essential to use both together.
Working into deceleration is an entirely different animal. I understand that there are multiple schools of thought on what proper deceleration of the lower half should look like, so I will focus on what I’ve found to be most effective. As an overriding principle of physics, the faster something can stop, the faster it can transfer force. Have you ever ridden on your bike and accidentally hit a curb? What happened? I am guessing you either went flying over the handlebars or came pretty darn close. That is what we call a fast transfer of force. The bike (i.e. the lower half) went from full speed to zero instantly, but you (i.e. the upper half) accelerated. Our front leg can provide that same brake in the swing to transfer the energy created by the rear leg sequentially up the kinetic chain into our core, shoulders, hands and ultimately into the baseball. Bracing the front leg is essential to proper deceleration. My single favorite drill to help hitters remedy a poor transfer issue is what I call “kickstands,” which are shown below.
An additional drill that can be used is a closed stance drill. The closed stance drill can be used to exaggerate the feeling of using the front side to stop the lower half from sliding forward. This is similar to the “leg scissor” you may have seen from guys like Jose Altuve. I am not necessarily a fan of cueing this action in my own teaching, but I understand the principle, so there is no sense discarding it from the tool bag.
In teaching the closed stance drill, have a hitter start 3-6 inches closed of parallel. From this position the lower half will be forced to stop much faster, quickly transmitting force to the upper body.
Although teaching a closed step or a scissor is not necessarily a part of what I do on a daily basis, it can be an effective tool for a hitter with an extremely rotational lower half or with poor lead leg stability.
Putting a bow on any of the segments of Training Hitters in a Team Setting is going to be incredibly difficult because of the tremendous variability that can be found in successful hitters. That said, my approach is always to focus on the positions and movements that most elite hitters have in common (i.e. the rule), as opposed to those who manage to succeed while employing a less conventional approach (i.e. the exception). As it relates to the lower half, the most important thing to remember is that the rear leg drives the swing, and balance and deceleration play key roles in energy transfer up the kinetic chain. Balance in hitting is not standing perfectly still on two feet with equal weight. Rather, it is the ability to apply force consistently into the baseball by meeting a checklist at certain positions. Proper deceleration allows for a quick and efficient transfer of force sequentially up the kinetic chain. Without these swing components, it is unlikely that hitters will consistently operate with high levels of repeated success.
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