Mighty-Pronk

[Teacherman]

Compare these two.



Colabello MUCH better than Garrett. Garrett definitely 'into' and 'out of'. Colabello almost....but 'out of'....IMO.

I like Colabello much better here....



And the difference is the completed circle in the red shirt....compared to 'cut off' in the black.

I like Tewks circle here....



IMO.....IF.....big IF....you set up properly.....one-legged with hip socket separation and back pull back....you can concentrate on the scap circle to pull off the good swing.

I think Brandon's circle is fine....but his set up lacked. He doesn't quite get the hip socket separation and pull back preset enough for the scap circle to finish the job.

AS you circle the scap....the good hip socket separation and back pull back....tightens....as a result of the scap circle....stretch tightens....very sudden unload results.

[Teacherman]

The constant and continuous pull back.....must.....circle.

[Pronk]

Trying to relate this stuff to my clip.

Are you saying they are virtually no different, or that he's using the scap better on left which was my contention (though it might be more hand action). I think as much as the kid's been swinging, I'm giving him that left clip as a feel of not cutting it off.

[Teacherman]

Here is what concerns me....



This is mostly external rotation of his humerus.

It is a circling move.

But not the circling I mean.

I'm also not sure how to explain it differently than I did earlier.

I don't feel John's clamp/pinch. I don't feel it maintained if he does it. I don't feel a circling of the scap as the pressure/tension points work down the spine/scap junction.

When I pull back with my scap....and continue to pull back throughout....as the elbow lowers....the pressure of the scap into/toward the spine continues....it isn't given up....it does move....downward....but it is still there throughout the launch.

[Teacherman]

Compare what John is doing to what Adrian is doing....



Adrian's hands barely move....as his scap/arm circles. The 'action' is at the scap/spine junction.

[Pronk]

Ahhh, ye old external rotation in the humerus I think you are right on this one. In this case he stumbled onto what looked like it could be good but is really just flatten then swing.

No worries, he swung about 300 times on Sunday from both sides and didn't externally rotate the humerus a single time. (Of course he didn't use his back or scap at all either). Like I said I get so tired of looking at his awful swing and his complete inability to make changes that I got excited he might have tripped onto something.

It's interesting getting a batting was a 100% turnaround for one kid while the other has regressed considerably.

[Pronk]

Nothing special as far as celebrating an HI swing (still giddyup out front), but John blasted one for an inside the park HR. For our school this is the first inside the park HR since Jeff Moyer who is playing for the Florida Gators.

Like most of these it was misplayed but technically no error. The kid ran in 3-4 steps (sun in eyes) before realizing it was smoked 40 feet over his head. Then of course it got to the wall and this kid was shallow so John came all the way around.

Best part is he'll think all the work we did over the weekend got him this (even though I know largely it's the same swing I think he'll buy in).

http://youtu.be/mCb3XnKekqo

[Teacherman]

Actually I think this swing is an improvement. Not done....but improvement.

The oneleggedness is improved. Hand/Hip relationship is better.

That tip as he moves out, and the position he ultimately launches from....one of stretch, is significantly different than the two cage swings above....and different than the blue shirt swing above. Feel that bit of stretch he gets as he tips as he moves out. He is staying back as he moves out. He is remaining one legged. The tip is helping him do that. He is 'being sat'....although not a lot.....but it is there. Doing it better would show more sit.

If he can do what he's doing here, from behind the corner, he's there.

Would like to see a gif of this....to make sure I saw what I think I saw.

If I am right this is a LARGE step forward.

[Pronk]

I actually agree on the one-leggedness he was doing as I asked which is making sure the back leg is in control of any kind of momentum. Typically he strides out with the front leg and pulls himself right out of coil so no stretch.

As I look here it could be a case of the hands getting back early which is really the path that Steven was on for quite a while. By back I mean they are back and coming forward too soon not necessarily back in the visual sense.

[Pronk]

Hey I forgot to remind you, that you wanted me to gif the previous post.

Last game was tonight, he did end up leading the team in RBIs, and was a respectable .378 but he did drop out of season long lead on Avg. about 2-3 weeks ago as we started to experiment, and frankly I don't care the coaches are staring at the JV stats, they know who has a chance against faster pitching, and even with these issues he can hit at varsity. Actually he dresses out varsity the rest of the year, I don't think he'll get much playing time however.

Again it's not there, but he's definitely improving we'll need to talk about or feel that body part (scap/spine junction). Steven likes to go out and hit a lot of balls off the tee with his music blaring. I showed him these clips and asked him "do you feel your back when you are out there hitting off the tee" and he said yes definitely and one thing he tells himself is to use the back. So that's the mission for the summer. Maybe setup the tee deep and have him try that?

Here were today's swings, the first a lucky hit to shallow CF. The second the deepest ball hit a smash to LF but caught, and the third almost the same exact hit. Now between the two LF hits, I see him trying to get close in one, but I think he's using his hands, rather than the scap/spine junction. In the other LF hit he's just swinging from high elbow.

Lucky hit:




LF, 1 and 2 both outs:

[Stealth]

Is he playing other sports next school year? If he puts in the time every day in the cage and in the weight room he can be a beast. You have the info to help him which is the key. If he wants it..........

[Teacherman]

Yes I saw the gif....and it confirms my opinion. That swing....and these swings....are different and better than the past swings.

And I'm glad to hear Steven's comments about him concentrating on his back. That is the next step for John. His hands go back as he moves out....his pelvis opens....so the action in the hip socket is good. He now needs to get the back and scap link to do the same....to pull back....to keep him behind the corner.

The feeling he gets in his hip socket as he does this new move....can be....needs to be....enhanced....100 fold....by the back and scap pull backs. While he's doing something right....I doubt if the feel in the back is strong enough for him to recognize it at this point. There's a small stretch there....but he gives it up to push forward. When you continue to pull back the feeling intensifies....and when you launch rearward....the feeling is completely different.

When he gets the lower back pull back and scap pull back he will feel something drastically different....and he will love it.

[Teacherman]

Right now his move out is dominating his pull back. The move out is winning....winning too soon. He needs a stalemate.

A stalemate doesn't mean there is no movement. It means slack has been removed to the point that stretch is occuring....as he moves out. John moves out but doesn't get the good stretch. He's getting a hint of it in the hip socket. But not the back and scap. And he then gets 'out there' and must swing. And to do so he must push from the position he gets to.

So....less momentum may help.

Or....stronger earlier pull back.

Or....a combination of both.

Stay on that barstool....make it work....keep him back while moving out.

[Teacherman]

This video 'shows' the stretching.

Maybe he can see it. Maybe he can feel it.

[Teacherman]

This.....



.....is the goal. Back....around....yet moving out....with momentum.

FEEL the relationship between their rear hip socket and the ball of their femur. It is ON TOP OF....by feel....not against it. The leg is not pushing forward into the hip socket that is in front. It is turning the hip socket that is above it.

And all of them are still back and around....AT LAUNCH. They remained 'on the barstool'. They did not fall off. They did not bleed their corner.

Ignore the line....just using this clip to show the similarity between Old Steven and New John



Both, above, have fallen off the barstool. Their leg is pushing forward into their hip socket....pushing it forward instead of turning it.

Steven takes his hands back first...as he moves out.
John moves out a little then takes his hands back as he moves out.

Basically....they are doing the same thing....taking their hands back as they move out.....Steven a little earlier than John.

Steven's rear hip is back/coiled more than John's initially.....but both lose the corner....fall off the barstool....and push forward with the hip and hands. Without the corner their is no whip.

Here is the greatly improved Steven....



He is now 'on top of' his leg....which turns his hip. Think of the leg as a screw driver. The tip of the screw driver is the ball of the femur. The leg (screw driver) is turning the screw (hip socket).

When you've moved out too far too soon, the tip of the screw driver(leg) loses the ability/angle to 'sink' into the screw (hip socket) adequately to get enough grip to turn the hip.

The greatly improved Steven resulted from removing his momentum and presetting all the links to a very high degree. He is pulling back in the hip and the back and the scap.....greatly....a lot....in his setup. This controls his move out. When you're pulling back that strongly you get the stalemate you need.

As he continues to work....momentum comes back....little by little



But as it comes back....he knows the feeling that must remain....that pull back feeling of stretch must remain. So the pull back dominates the momentum.

Over time, he will learn to get to the pull back position with less preset. It will happen with more momentum. BUT.....that feeling of loaded pull back will meter the momentum. He will not lose that stretch feeling.

I think the Steven experience is a great blue print for John.