Mini-Pronk

[Stealth]

Pronk - on the second clip I would like to see it started a few more frames earlier, can you do that? Glad to hear he is having some success!

[Pronk]

Pronk - on the second clip I would like to see it started a few more frames earlier, can you do that? Glad to hear he is having some success!

Well it's the same as the first clip, but I had to chop it to match with manny. I can find another clip though that has more of a load.

[Stealth]

Well it's the same as the first clip, but I had to chop it to match with manny. I can find another clip though that has more of a load.

Yes, I was curious as to how he was loading.

[Pronk]

Update time. We need to spend a little time with The Club it seems. I think he's now getting the hip going a little sooner than from the game clips. Problem is no stretch and fire. I still think Manny's stretch position really helps with lateral tilt. Anyway he mentioned to me the club was hurting his back arm and now I see why. He likes to slot that baby, so he doesn't get that uppercut feel. Sort of a find the plane with the back elbow type thing. Now the sound off the bat was something else he's really starting to hit hard. That is Matt Nokes in the background giving a kid a lesson.



As you can see from Manny, getting to stretch is the next big challenge. Last month's challenge was based on "why aren't you getting the back hip through sooner". I don't have video but we did some swings with the barrel in front of the helmet and I think it forces a better load but he won't stick with it. Anyway working on triangle rotation will also help.

One other quick thing to add in his defense. My arm is just now recovering and I wasn't throwing hard at all. So maybe my slower pitching had him slot then swing whereas above in a game clip his elbows seemed to work better together.



Finally Son #2 tagged along he's 11 now. It's been really hard getting rid of shift and throw. a) the wide stance combined with linear push and b) the top hand would ideally launch from a pronated position like we do with Donny's son's drill. He's been hitting a lot better in games and BP and I attribute much of that to spending time turning the hands which we didn't see over the summer. He actually does a better job maintaining the elbow distance than big bro but again some of that could be pitch speed.

[tom.guerry]

a little more back arm lift (aBduction) will load the shoulders by tllting better.

He has good early arm action/handbreak and no excessive backswing/counterrotation.

he has good forearm position.

lower body is in ballpark.

using the club concept to rotate the triangle wsould do the trick.

as far as lower body synch, this goes along with avoiding the premature scissoring/narrowing of the legs as in the dreaded Flippy/PCR drills.

The spread in the elbows (for leverage in turning bat and preparing for and using the untilting of the shoulders) should synch with the spread of the legs.

The elbow spacing is the same issue as builder's Slot vs tuck

[cosmo34]

b) the top hand would ideally launch from a pronated position like we do with Donny's son's drill.

What drill is this?

And they are lookin good Pronk.

[Pronk]

Just the same drill I showed you. The top hand drill from the drills page. I think when we do that, we might want to emphasize like Tom said a little more lift and aBduction to get that same look and feel as Manny.

[cosmo34]

That's what I was thinking, but not sure.

[Teacherman]

Pronk,

I believe you are right on about the stretch.

Take a look a this...



I believe both are one-legged hitting.

But Manny controls things with his upper body a little better to allow stretch to occur. As he does this it forces him to sit. Manny doesn't sit as much as Bonds and others. But it is there. And that is when the stretch is going on.

I believe Steven's lower body is pretty good. His rear hip is getting through. I believe his upper is not allowing the stretch to occur.

I would attack this from a 'hands back as the stride occurs' angle. With the emphasis on 'holding' back with the upper body....allowing the stretch to occur. If he holds....while the stretch occurs....he should sit a little bit. And he should feel a 'need' to let the hands go. But tell him to not let them.

If done properly, he will feel the rear hip leading the swing. Ask him to create a feel that the hands are behind the rear hip....being pulled by it....at 'go'....which if done right will feel like a release....not a push. I know I've said 'stack the hands and rear hip' before. And, depending on the kids problem I can say the same thing two different ways. Steven is getting his hands ahead of his rear hip so.....ask him to keep them behind. Someone with lead arm extension problem gets the hands too far back so....you would ask him to stack them. Either way....the goal is the stretch between the hands and the rear hip. The hands loading back as the rear hip gets a running start. The rear hip moving ahead of the hands....during the running start. If you 'lead arm extend' you'll get a stretch across the upper torso/shoulder area. THAT IS NOT WHAT YOU WANT. I've called that loading the lead arm pit. That is death.

The stretch must be between the two pivot points....done in a rotational sort of way....not a linear move of the lead arm to push the hands back.

[Stealth]

I think some of this is a strength issue for your older son. He wants/feels like he has to open up when if he can just stay "closed" for a split second longer and "stay on the ball" the swing would be much better. It's not far off, I like the handset and I think he is getting much closer.

The little guy has some upside!

[Pronk]

The little guy has some upside!

He is playing up (age-wise) on his 6th grade team an "unofficial" school team a bunch of guys put together. He's the same grade just the late birthday. Anyway he hit next to last and we did nothing through the lineup, except one kid who walked and got to 3rd, and the little guy got an almost single to RF to get our first hit and RBI, except, they threw him out at 1B. Still got the RBI but these long bases will take some getting used to.

Second time up bases loaded cracked a double up the line at 3B. I think he'll move up a little in the order despite being younger as he had 3 of the 6 RBIs. And I forgot to pack the memory card in my cam....

[Pronk]

Kicked mini-pronk out of the house today because varsity/jv team was having an intra-squad due to no game. He went 1-4 but was the only 8th grader to get a hit. Also hit every ball to the OF. Meanwhile many HS kids didn't get one past the infield. Hrrmmm. I'm hoping this is enough to convince him to kick it up a notch and work a little harder.

[Pronk]

Ok Hyp I just wanted you to know you aren't the only one who battles the same stuff repeatedly. It's not easy.

On a nice MLK day here in Sunny San Diego I took the boys out and also Sherpa a new member to the site attended. He's trying to wrap his hands around all this stuff.

OK so onto the clips. First #1 Son, 14, 8th grade starting to grow up around 5'7" maybe a little taller. We spoke about suddenness over the last couple of days. Hyp where it's frustrating is he really isn't getting the turning of the triangle without bringing that back elbow down. His bat pretty much stays moving, but it's still a slot and swing, just not in two parts. Now I think I see more ooomph in the rear hip. I see more up and through which is good. Still not early enough but so be it.



Now it's not all bad. One thing I really am encouraged by is his head at contact. It seems to be pretty solid. Also he's squaring the ball nicely. As we try some new things I think he needs to break the guardrail of his handset. There are a couple of things, he loads that front armpit and needs better internal rotation or bat tipping in the rear arm. In short the rear arm needs to take charge here in loading. To break his guardrail he needs to learn:
- The flattening is the swing
- Hold the tipped position a little longer.

I would love for him to get the barrel outside the front helmet. For whatever reason he has a mental block. When the barrel is outside the front helmet (forgot to make him do this today) his barrel loads later whereas where it is now it's too soon. Outside the helmet gets that better rear arm action we would like. Now I don't claim to sit on my throne and claim this is right for everyone. As we see with Kent you can launch 2nd Engine without the big elbow/big load. However for mini-pronk to break his early rear elbow I think it's probably his best chance to get past this.

[Pronk]

Ahh forgot Son #2 he tagged along, he wants to hit too. These clips were actually with a maple bat. He's been working with me a little on reducing linear movement, but just 5 minutes in the back yard stuff.

Both kids really hadn't done much for about 4 weeks so they were shaking off some rust. The little guy was also hitting pretty well. He's not a huge priority right now as HS isn't that close (11-6th grade) but hell even for the older son it's a full year away. No time to panic.

My cameramen were not so good, I think I'd better get one of those tripod piece connector-do-hickeys.



Both of the kids are lacking lateral tilt.

[Slapper23]

Pronk,

What am I missing here. In looking at the clip on the left of your younger son I see a pretty good swing. I see lateral tilt as he swings, good drive from the rear hip and leg, and a pretty good attempt at turning the triangle. He appears to not get the stretch you would like, but his sequencing/timing is probably a little off.

Good work! Especially considering the rust you talk about.

Mike