Softball training example

Last winter I began working with a softball player in the Atlanta area. I did not know much about her background, but I assummed from her swing that she had received the very traditional coaching.

In my opinion, her swing had been constructed primarily to beat the ball straight into the ground.

After an initial video analysis, where I compared her to a high level Division 1 NCAA softball player (whom I consider to have a good swing for her level), our first plan of attack was:

1. Get into a more athletic position to hit
2. Learn how to move/rotate explosively out of that position

Here is some before/after video:

On the far left is the first time we met. No instruction or anything other than the recording of some swings.

Next meeting we looked over our video comparisons and some other images, such as those on the swing page, and proceeded mainly with over/under and reaction training with the SETPRO SP-5 unit.

The middle portion of the above clip shows this player doing the no-stride, pure reaction training. Basically, the player begins in a strong, athletic position and learns to rotate explosively into the ball. Feedback is provided in terms of both swing quickness and bat speed, which promotes swing OPTIMIZATION - that is, blend of quickness and speed (power).

Then on the right is a shot of a regular tee swing after a couple weeks of training. Some noticeable points of improvement include:

1. Stronger initial base
2. Better load of the hands and upper body
3. Reduced overall swing time (*note 'before' swing starts about 5 frames prior to 'after' swing)

And very interestingly, her new swing matched up quite similarly to her "training" swing.

I received an email update this week (11/28/06) from a player who I spent time working with last winter/spring. We met nearly every-other week for a few months.

Here is what she wrote:

"Hey Jeff, hope you're doing well. Just wanted to let you know that I made first team all county this year and lead my team in doubles and almost tied the school record for homeruns, all thanks to you."

When I responded to her email, I made sure to let her know that she was the one who put in the hard work. She replied:

"I got so accustomed to practicing hitting and making adjustments as I went along that my coaches would give me a hard time because I would go through bucket after bucket after bucket in the cages, and when we hit on the field I wouldn't stop until I hit a homerun haha. The accomplishment of my life- hitting a homerun over the right field fence (about 275 ft) off a tee...that and I finally learned how to hit an inside riseball."

These are the types of players who make a coach/instructor look good. For those of you working hard and looking for ways to improve, here is some more of her story: