Snapping too early on the ball


TWmccoy

3DX Connoisseur
Yesterday I went and hit for a while. Probably 200 swings. For most of those 200 swings I was noticing a trend.... a distinct lack of ability to lift the ball. I was topping EVERYTHING. Lots of very average liners or even ground balls. Power was a little meh. Some balls I was driving well, while others were flying listlessly.

At about swing 150 I changed one thing that made a big difference. I started punching my hands forward more toward the pitcher, and letting the bat lag and wrist snap occur on their own. Before that it seems I was starting the wrist snap too early in my swing. Somewhat alligator arming the ball. I wasn't really driving through with the bottom hand. Instead, the top hand was trying to drive the (early) wrist snap. This resulted in a really early wrist roll, which caused the bat barrel to lift up and over the ball a bit. It also meant I couldn't get "inside" the ball very well either. Its really hard to generate any lift if you can't hit the inside part of the ball.

Yesterday made me realize the importance of "throwing the knob at the ball". That's basically what I started doing late during the BP session. Rather than forcing the snap, I was allowing it to occur on its own. I was definitely hitting the ball more out in front, but I was also lagging the bat better and keeping my hands out in front of the barrel as I swung. My wrists felt looser. Furthermore, I started getting under the ball way better and with authority.

I guess my point in posting this is that rolling the wrists early is a common problem, and seems to be a recurring one for me. I tend to do it late in BP or tournies when I start getting tired. Its like I'm trying to force the bat head around rather than let it swing around on its own.
 

TWmccoy

3DX Connoisseur
I'm the exact opposite. I've been struggling with snapping too late for years.

I'm not really sure how you could snap too late on the ball. Once your arms fully extend forward the bat will snap around on its own, like a pendulum.

At the end of my BP yesterday I wasn't even thinking about snapping at all. I just threw my hands forward and let it happen naturally.
 

lukeamdman

Active Member
I'm not really sure how you could snap too late on the ball. Once your arms fully extend forward the bat will snap around on its own, like a pendulum.

At the end of my BP yesterday I wasn't even thinking about snapping at all. I just threw my hands forward and let it happen naturally.

Extend your arms too late, or your arm extension is bad, and the bat also snaps around late.
 

huzzdog

retired
Extend your arms too late, or your arm extension is bad, and the bat also snaps around late.
that seems impossible. the bat should be going faster after impact.. if anything late snap allows you to stay inside the ball longer which seems like a great thing
 

huzzdog

retired
Poor arm extension and a late snap seems impossible?
yeah... i think arm extension is a misnomer. your backside arm shouldn't be extended.. and when are you "snapping"? seriously.. I've never seen anybody do that. i've seen people out in front.. but never late. do you play fast pitch?
 

lukeamdman

Active Member
yeah... i think arm extension is a misnomer. your backside arm shouldn't be extended.. and when are you "snapping"? seriously.. I've never seen anybody do that. i've seen people out in front.. but never late. do you play fast pitch?

A large percentage of the swing makeover series that Ken does has to do with the "lag and snap", the timing of your swing. Snap too late and the bat head is too far behind on impact, snap too early and it's ahead.

Arm extension isn't just limited to your top hand. What if your elbow is bent on your bottom hand? Poor arm extension is a very common problem and kills power.
 

huzzdog

retired
A large percentage of the swing makeover series that Ken does has to do with the "lag and snap", the timing of your swing. Snap too late and the bat head is too far behind on impact, snap too early and it's ahead.

Arm extension isn't just limited to your top hand. What if your elbow is bent on your bottom hand? Poor arm extension is a very common problem and kills power.
i never heard of such a thing. i think the bottom hand elbow should be bent. if your arm is straight it's too late. ain't no power in a straight arm on the bottom hand. that said.. i'm not a swing guru.. and never had to be taught how to swing. i just could
 

lukeamdman

Active Member
i never heard of such a thing. i think the bottom hand elbow should be bent. if your arm is straight it's too late. ain't no power in a straight arm on the bottom hand. that said.. i'm not a swing guru.. and never had to be taught how to swing. i just could

Do a YouTube search for "softball arm extension". I think the first 5 videos at least will be Ken's "Swing Makeover" series addressing the issue. It's also something that Ray Demarini talks about in his softball videos.
 

huzzdog

retired
i'm gonna pass on that. i don't need a swing makeover.. that said.. i took a picture from 5:10 in to his series of snapping the wrist.. robo in his hay day.. bottom arm bent at impact.. too stupid to figure out how to post.
 
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lukeamdman

Active Member
i'm gonna pass on that. i don't need a swing makeover

You may not, and you may not have even heard of this (shocking really), but that doesn't mean it's not a very common problem that's been around basically as long as baseball has existed.
 

Country469

Well-Known Member
if you are thinking baseball swing to hit a softball, you're a ****ing moron lets be real clear on that
 

huzzdog

retired
You may not, and you may not have even heard of this (shocking really), but that doesn't mean it's not a very common problem that's been around basically as long as baseball has existed.
i watched a video.. nobody has their bottom arm straight before contact
 

huzzdog

retired
that's what i'm talking about on bottom arm extension.. you said extending your bottom arm too late.. i said that's not possible
 

lukeamdman

Active Member
that's what i'm talking about on bottom arm extension.. you said extending your bottom arm too late.. i said that's not possible

You need to re-read what I posted. I mentioned the "bottom hand", which isn't the "bottom elbow" you're referring to. We're talking about two different things.
 

huzzdog

retired
Who said the bottom elbow should be straight?

A large percentage of the swing makeover series that Ken does has to do with the "lag and snap", the timing of your swing. Snap too late and the bat head is too far behind on impact, snap too early and it's ahead.

Arm extension isn't just limited to your top hand. What if your elbow is bent on your bottom hand? Poor arm extension is a very common problem and kills power.

#8lukeamdman, 28 minutes ago

you did
 

huzzdog

retired
A large percentage of the swing makeover series that Ken does has to do with the "lag and snap", the timing of your swing. Snap too late and the bat head is too far behind on impact, snap too early and it's ahead.

Arm extension isn't just limited to your top hand. What if your elbow is bent on your bottom hand? Poor arm extension is a very common problem and kills power.


??
 

dunkky

Well-Known Member
Snapping too early on the ball

when i have this problem, which i do time to time. One thing that helped me was i visualize the ball as an apple and i am trying to slice that into two halves rather than trying to meeting the ball with force.
 

Hiltz

Built for comfort
Lead arm should be slightly bent at contact and extend just after contact, back arm should be VERY bent at contact. Like, elbow jammed into rear hip. I've seen it called the "slotted position" by multiple swing gurus.

I've seen several guys who had the habit of extending their bottom arm at/before contact and none of them could hit with any degree of power. The only way I could see "snapping late" with your bottom hand being a problem is if you left a huge bend in your bottom arm and were inside-outing everything weakly to opposite field.
 

TWmccoy

3DX Connoisseur
i watched a video.. nobody has their bottom arm straight before contact


At this point I'm definitely more concerned with what my bottom hand is (or isn't) doing. My bottom hand sometimes gets lazy and doesn't come forward enough as I swing. That forces my top hand (using an overlap grip) to pretty much take over and push, creating an early snap.

When you swing, your bottom hand/arm is going to straighten long before your top hand/arm. As soon as your bottom arm straightens is when the bat will start coming around on its own. There is zero need to "force" the snap by pushing with the top hand too early. My problem(s) were directly related to a lazy bottom hand and simply not extending my hands enough before contact. Short arming the ball.

I also agree people are guilty of overthinking their swings. I know at times I am. Yesterday was an eye opener on what I've been doing wrong lately though. The fix really wasn't very complicated either.
 
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TWmccoy

3DX Connoisseur
Snapping too early on the ball

when i have this problem, which i do time to time. One thing that helped me was i visualize the ball as an apple and i am trying to slice that into two halves rather than trying to meeting the ball with force.


A good indicator (at least for me) that I'm snapping early is that I'll start topping everything. Hitting humpback liners and grounders. If you're snapping early your bat head will lift up a bit right before contact and you'll end up hitting higher on the ball than you want to. Also, you'll find that with an early snap that you aren't keeping the bat barrel behind your hands.

My issue was 100% related to not getting enough lower hand/arm extension.

I find that I'm often better hitting lower pitches because I'm extending my arms to REACH those pitches.
 
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