Fast hands and swing?

Two of the girls I work with have told me that their coaches told them their hands are "too fast", thus bat is too quick. Now I am not talking about poor timing on a swing. I always thought you wanted your hands as quick as possible. One coach actually had the player swinging with "split" hands, about 2 to 3 inches apart to slow her bat down. Another told the player who was 12 she needed a 22 oz bat to slow her swing. Just wondering if this is normal as I have never had a player whose hands or bat was too fast. I work with my girls to have proper timing based on the pitch not slowing their hands or bat speed down.

 

One reason I would think someone would say a girl's hands are too fast would be they are swinging too soon--a timing issue.

Another could be they are not staying connected--the hands fire out ahead of the body. The hands have to stay in time with the rest of the swing. Maybe they just need to fire their hip sooner or faster.

One thing I definitely believe is you do not use a heavier bat to slow the hands down. That's ridiculous. A heavier bat may even make the kid try to swing too soon in order to get the bat to the ball in time. And then with no pop because of the slower speed.

 

I had the same thoughts but was told, NO! these girls bats are just too fast. Not timing, not staying connected. I was told that their hands, thus their bat swing, is just too fast.

 

Get a new hitting coach!

 

NO-NO !!

Thank GOD for quick hands, you never slow the swing down...alert,alert, find new hitting coach !!!! Practice keeping weight back with soft-toss, timing issues can be fixed. But never slow the hands down...I just fell out of my chair !!! !!!!!!!!! They are probably starting their hands too soon, and hip and bat lag is coming through the zone too fast ( TIMING FIX )...Oh my gosh we will have to re-wite the "NOT WHAT TO TELL YOUR PLAYERS MANUAL "

Guru

 

i had an issue once with a girl with really fast hands. She was a pick up player for us in one tournament. She fouled off 13 pitches over the left field line in her first at bat. I noticed she was standing way back in the box (because her hitting coach told her to) so I moved her to the front and she killed the ball all weekend.

That was a quick fix for her that worked and she still stands in the front of the box today. Slowing bat speed down is the dumbest thing any coach could ever do. Several timing drills can be done to adjust her timing but if anyone ever told my DD to slow her bat down or use a heavier bat blah, blah, blah i would laugh at them and politely leave

 

The "SPLIT HAND DRILL" is not for quick hands-Its designed to find the ball(knob to the ball) with your front hand and push the ball with your back hand-Thus hands before hips-shoulders at 3 and 9 o'clock and finishing 12 and 6 o'clock-you back hand complys/leads with your hips following(slows them down)-weight back. Its actually a pretty good drill when done right. HOWEVER, I'd have to agree with Guru-find another hitting instructor!

 

timing

If you were in SC this weekend, you heard Candrea say it...
Slow to Fast.....

Start sooner and slower, helps you get in synch with the pitcher.
and allows you to find a reason not to swing.

When the commitment to swing occurs, a fast attacking posture
takes over that will generate energy to swing the bat. This allows the upper and lower body to synch as the bat enters the swing zone....thus allowing the bat to be released at an angle that allows the head to accelerate through the swing zone.
thus creating " bat speed".