Swing Help

C-DAWG25

Active Member
Hey Gents
As I got older it seems like I am dropping my back shoulder a lot and hitting a lot of pop up's. I know I lost some bat speed as I aged and think am trying to power are my hits without really throwing my hips and dipping. Anyone have any advice or what should I do to start correcting this ?

Thanks
 

nike33kjk

Addicted to Softballfans
I'm no expert (but getting older as well). When I start feeling this way, I try keeping my hands higher, like by my ear higher. This forces me to attack down more. I have a long, golfer swing, not the snap line drive style swing, so you'll have to see what works for you. Try it in BP a few times to get back on track?
 

C-DAWG25

Active Member
I'm no expert (but getting older as well). When I start feeling this way, I try keeping my hands higher, like by my ear higher. This forces me to attack down more. I have a long, golfer swing, not the snap line drive style swing, so you'll have to see what works for you. Try it in BP a few times to get back on track?
Thanks nike33 I will try this , shoot right now I want to try anything
 

Ken07

DeMarini/Wilson Sports Senior Pro
Use your phone and video your live bp with camera angle looking into your belly..then compare it to good swings you see on the internet. Our perception of what we are doing is often alot different that what we are actually failing at. You can often easily see what your mistakes are.
 

C-DAWG25

Active Member
Use your phone and video your live bp with camera angle looking into your belly..then compare it to good swings you see on the internet. Our perception of what we are doing is often alot different that what we are actually failing at. You can often easily see what your mistakes are.
Thanks Ken will do
 

dunkky

Well-Known Member
Use your phone and video your live bp with camera angle looking into your belly..then compare it to good swings you see on the internet. Our perception of what we are doing is often alot different that what we are actually failing at. You can often easily see what your mistakes are.
i had the same problem, and am still having this problem. this is probably the best advice given imo. you have to find the root cause in order to fix it. you really have to try to cut the ball from your shoulder high like throwing axe.. in reality, you think you are swinging down, but it's really a level swing is what most of us will see if video tape it. i think most of us are dropping the shoulder cuz it's easier to engage your hip that way IMO.
 

C-DAWG25

Active Member
i had the same problem, and am still having this problem. this is probably the best advice given imo. you have to find the root cause in order to fix it. you really have to try to cut the ball from your shoulder high like throwing axe.. in reality, you think you are swinging down, but it's really a level swing is what most of us will see if video tape it. i think most of us are dropping the shoulder cuz it's easier to engage your hip that way IMO.
I agree with you 100% I have to record myself but it seems like I start out with my hands high but when I coil right before I take my step into my swing/ball that's when my upper cut comes in. !! :(
 

dunkky

Well-Known Member
I am intentionally putting my hand very high so i can cut it from that point to the ball. I am pointing my barrel head almost toward the pitcher. And i hate it. I loose some significant power with that. So i need to figure out not to drop the shoulder without raising my elbow or bat so high..

 

Don1952

Addicted to Softballfans
I am intentionally putting my hand very high so i can cut it from that point to the ball. I am pointing my barrel head almost toward the pitcher. And i hate it. I loose some significant power with that. So i need to figure out not to drop the shoulder without raising my elbow or bat so high..

What is that you are using to put your poptoss in?
 

C-DAWG25

Active Member
I am intentionally putting my hand very high so i can cut it from that point to the ball. I am pointing my barrel head almost toward the pitcher. And i hate it. I loose some significant power with that. So i need to figure out not to drop the shoulder without raising my elbow or bat so high..

Looks like it help out you had some good line drives.
 

swingnmiss

#1 IN YOUR HEARTS
I think I found something in your very first sentence......."dropping my shoulder"...... We hear that over and over again, but that's not how our bodies physically work. You can't simply "drop your shoulder". You pop and a dude goes, "Dropped your shoulder..." You say, "I know." And then you're both wrong. When your shoulder goes it's a symptom of your whole back side dropping. This usually starts with your back knee breaking down, your hip popping in and your whole back half drops. It's my feeling that if you concentrate on keeping your back leg stiffer and stronger, being mindful to not let the knee break down, and pushing from back to front, with no up and down.......You'll see much better results.
 
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dunkky

Well-Known Member
^^ this. dropping of shoulder is a product of what swingmiss is describing. so not the cause. real cause is what he is mentioning. for me, one of the reasons why my backside is collapsing is that i tried to look up the ball as it drops from high to low. key is maintaining your posture and just use your head and eye to trace the path of the ball without tilting your backside.
 

swingnmiss

#1 IN YOUR HEARTS
^^^ True, also you'll see when people try to make an effort to get under a ball to get it in the air, they'll collapse that back knee/backside. Instead of looking at a point just below the middle of the ball and driving the bat into it. We seem to forget that we can get a ball in the air with a relatively level swing, just by impacting just above the middle of the bat into just below the middle of the ball.
 

hedge

life takes guts
Hi swing. I miss your yellow pants and 3n2 shoes. Maybe it’s time for a new swing video?
 

C-DAWG25

Active Member
I think I found something in your very first sentence......."dropping my shoulder"...... We hear that over and over again, but that's not how our bodies physically work. You can't simply "drop your shoulder". You pop and a dude goes, "Dropped your shoulder..." You say, "I know." And then you're both wrong. When your shoulder goes it's a symptom of your whole back side dropping. This usually starts with your back knee breaking down, your hip popping in and your whole back half drops. It's my feeling that if you concentrate on keeping your back leg stiffer and stronger, being mindful to not let the knee break down, and pushing from back to front, with no up and down.......You'll see much better results.
Thanks Swing
 

msw4indy

Addicted to Softballfans
I think I found something in your very first sentence......."dropping my shoulder"...... We hear that over and over again, but that's not how our bodies physically work. You can't simply "drop your shoulder". You pop and a dude goes, "Dropped your shoulder..." You say, "I know." And then you're both wrong. When your shoulder goes it's a symptom of your whole back side dropping. This usually starts with your back knee breaking down, your hip popping in and your whole back half drops. It's my feeling that if you concentrate on keeping your back leg stiffer and stronger, being mindful to not let the knee break down, and pushing from back to front, with no up and down.......You'll see much better results.
For me, what I have noticed when my back leg collapses, I'm not getting a good weight transfer to my front foot and it all just drops from there.
 

swingnmiss

#1 IN YOUR HEARTS
For me, what I have noticed when my back leg collapses, I'm not getting a good weight transfer to my front foot and it all just drops from there.
That's when we hit the weakest pop ups. Not even driven in the air high.............Just low, weak, undriven popups. Soooooo frustrating. But, they are a symptom of that backside collapsing too. No weight transfer, no impact = weak ground balls/weak fly balls.
 

dunno

Member
Hey Gents any advice or what can help on starting a bad habit of swinging at the ball to early ?
could be relax, wait for it to get level in your zone during practice then transfer over to games.
easy to get distracted, anxious listening to team mates cheering you on drowning it out may help
 

swingnmiss

#1 IN YOUR HEARTS
Hey Gents any advice or what can help on starting a bad habit of swinging at the ball to early ?
So, what exactly are you talking about? Actually swinging early? I would say that you should look to drive the ball middle more, so you're not jerking everything. If you actually are lunging? Well, then I'd say you should always be a slower and more deliberate with your lower half, and then quicker and more explosive with your top. Ease into the ball with the lower body...........Explode into it with the upper.
 

basilray

Active Member
I think I found something in your very first sentence......."dropping my shoulder"...... We hear that over and over again, but that's not how our bodies physically work. You can't simply "drop your shoulder". You pop and a dude goes, "Dropped your shoulder..." You say, "I know." And then you're both wrong. When your shoulder goes it's a symptom of your whole back side dropping. This usually starts with your back knee breaking down, your hip popping in and your whole back half drops. It's my feeling that if you concentrate on keeping your back leg stiffer and stronger, being mindful to not let the knee break down, and pushing from back to front, with no up and down.......You'll see much better results.

Like, I'm closing in on 40, so not a senior, but...

This comment makes sooooooooooooo much sense and I think it's a similar problem to what I often experience early in games. My focus lately has been trying to keep my upper body level, but that's a symptom of what the actual problem likely is. I'm going to have to focus on this a bit and see if that doesn't help things come together for more consistency. I've been hitting the ball better than I have this year because I got some help w/ my vision over the last year, but a majority of my game swings are lousy pop-ups to infield or short RF, or they're big 295' fly outs. I think this idea will help me eliminate some of the pop ups!
 

dunkky

Well-Known Member
Hey Gents any advice or what can help on starting a bad habit of swinging at the ball to early ?
are you over confident because you are destroying the balls with poptoss? lol so you are anxious in the game thus swing early?

bottom line, you think too much. trust your eyes. don't worry about weight transfer, loading, etc.. too much in your head. blank your mind. look at the ball, trust your eyes. snap the bat like a snake striking a rat. when i had a timing issue, that's what was happening.. too much **** in my head. you think about all those during bp, so you can achieve proper mechanic. In actual game, forget about all that, trust your eyes and muscle memory.
 

swingnmiss

#1 IN YOUR HEARTS
Like, I'm closing in on 40, so not a senior, but...

This comment makes sooooooooooooo much sense and I think it's a similar problem to what I often experience early in games. My focus lately has been trying to keep my upper body level, but that's a symptom of what the actual problem likely is. I'm going to have to focus on this a bit and see if that doesn't help things come together for more consistency. I've been hitting the ball better than I have this year because I got some help w/ my vision over the last year, but a majority of my game swings are lousy pop-ups to infield or short RF, or they're big 295' fly outs. I think this idea will help me eliminate some of the pop ups!
I think if you do this, and focus on a spot 1/4" below the middle of the ball, watch the bat hit it with the intent of driving it with backspin.........You'll start to see balls go a long long ways.
 

dunkky

Well-Known Member
I think if you do this, and focus on a spot 1/4" below the middle of the ball, watch the bat hit it with the intent of driving it with backspin.........You'll start to see balls go a long long ways.
I have a hard time visualizing that. squaring ball up alone is challenging for me. aiming at that specific spot would be nearly impossible for me.
 

swingnmiss

#1 IN YOUR HEARTS
I have a hard time visualizing that. squaring ball up alone is challenging for me. aiming at that specific spot would be nearly impossible for me.
It's about intent...... You're not going to hit that part of the ball every time, but if you're somewhere near it you'll see good results more often than not. If you do it right, you'll see hard line drives, hard ground balls and long home runs. Not all will be hits of course, but the resulting ball are more likely to be something you can live with, even if they're outs sometimes.
 
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