The hip hinge is a vital part of having a powerful and consistent swing. Most young kids have a tough time figuring this out because they have yet to step in the weight room. Therefore, as an Instructor I have to get a little creative with how I can get hitters in the positions they need. Every hitter responds differently and this drill below may just help your hitter to get that swing they desire.
Written By: Garrett Gordon
Get A Better Launch Position With This Drill
Prime Examples
Below is a comparison of two softball players who load and move very differently from each other. The one on the left has been training at Baseball Rebellion for years and the other girl just sent the video in for an online evaluation. The goal is to show you how we teach our hitters to get in the right positions with the drills we use from our Rebel's Rack Movement Progression and other drills like the one you'll see in this article.
Ride The Band And Feel The Hinge
The goal with these drills is to get hitters in positions where they must do what you are teaching them. I know, groundbreaking, right? Simple setups like this drill will allow you to perform the drill at a moment's notice. You could use a rope instead of the band and you could also try and do this up against a net. I like the band because the hitter will really feel themselves push back and feel the band stretching.
3 Benefits From This Drill
Plate Coverage - If your hitter is doing this drill properly they will find that they are able to drive different parts of the zone much better. This is because they are now in a better hitting position which will allow for more adjustability throughout the swing. Being able to crush the ball in your sweet spot is one thing, but being able to make solid contact on pitches low and away or up and in is what makes you a real hitter.
Direction - Since the hitter is now able to get their hips back and in a hinged position there, being able to stay through the ball will be much better. Hitters with tall posture have a tendency to pull and spin off the ball. With the chest over it allows for the bat path to stay in line with the pitcher, making the hitter have a better chance of crushing the ball.
Hard Hit Balls - getting in this hip hinged position truly sets the hitter up to crush the ball. Without this posture, the hitter is not loaded properly and won't get the most out of their swing. The lower half is now fully loaded from this position and when a hitter decides to swing they will hit the ball much harder than before.
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How To Correct An Open Or Closed Landing
The position we land in can set us up for success or failure right from the start. If we begin our swing from an open or closed stance, this will dictate the direction of our swing no matter how good the movement is. Just like when throwing a ball, you want to stride towards the target so you can be more accurate.
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Back Leg | Exit Velocity | Front Leg | Garret Gordon | Hitting Drills | Launch Position | Leg Kick | Load | Lower Body | Power Swing | Stride | Swing Mechanics | Turn