Form Critique..The Journey to more Controlled Distance.

[HyzerUniBomber]

I wonder if the hips shifting back more for a MLB player is tied into how little time they have to react to a pitch? If somebody tossed a baseball slowly to Mr MLB and said, "develop a swing for optimum power" would they eventually move to a more shift-back -> shift forward into brace motion.

I don't know how much time I'd put into it, personally - as the vast majority of the time - a hip shift backwards from a 1-step is going to be replaced with a step for a little hip momentum.

Definitely more important to see how she's staying inside of the brace with her center of gravity.

 

[bcastello]

Thanks guys for all the feedback. I really appreciate it. I have been working on it; I'll try to get a new video out soon.

OP, still same issues. Stop starring at the ground with your head down in the backswing. You aren't turning your shoulders back nearly far enough, get your shoulder under your chin. You also need to firm up the rear leg in the backswing and turn your core into it more.

This should help sequencing and firming up your backswing and making the disc more heavy, do this one-handed:

:wall: Definitely disappointing to see myself falling back/continuing to do bad habits. I get the feeling this is going to be a game of whack-a-mole.

Where should my eyes be looking during different stages of the throw? In baseball, I was always taught to keep your eye on the ball. I have played golf once, but it seems to be the same way. Is there a similar reference point?

 

[sidewinder22]

Thanks guys for all the feedback. I really appreciate it. I have been working on it; I'll try to get a new video out soon.



:wall: Definitely disappointing to see myself falling back/continuing to do bad habits. I get the feeling this is going to be a game of whack-a-mole.

Where should my eyes be looking during different stages of the throw? In baseball, I was always taught to keep your eye on the ball. I have played golf once, but it seems to be the same way. Is there a similar reference point?

My eyes follow the disc for the most part, really my whole body moves back together as a single unit in the takeaway/backswing. I setup with my arm/disc pointed at my target/apex and I'm looking at the disc/target. At this point I just need to get my body into this position to aim really(aiming with the body), I don't need to look ahead visually at the target anymore. I start my backswing and my eyes/head just follow the disc back and forth. Often when the head gets ahead of the arm/disc people tend to over-rotate and lose posture. The head becomes an anchor point in the bracing of the swing to release the momentum to the target.

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

example

I have picked up from my buddy Ryan, above, to keep the head as perpendicular to the line you're driving on as possible. this said, if I'm taking some off the shot or really looking for acccuracy, I tend to try to keep my eyes on the target as much as possible.

 

[sidewinder22]

I wonder if the hips shifting back more for a MLB player is tied into how little time they have to react to a pitch? If somebody tossed a baseball slowly to Mr MLB and said, "develop a swing for optimum power" would they eventually move to a more shift-back -> shift forward into brace motion.

Could be although many big time hitters made/make a much larger squat and lateral move than Griffey. I think Griffey is probably starting with his weight/load more back already given his straight leg compared to the softball girl who seems to be doing more a rocking shift forward then back then forward. Griffey probably had the purest swing in terms of power and consistency though. When you look at pitchers, they all start with a straight leg and squat during the move toward home plate, you never see them shift back into an already bent knee/hip. This allows them to use more gravity force(easy speed) during the throw and a more radical arc.

Golfers are essentially tee balling, and I think it might come down to size, flexibility and different power source. More knee/hip bend and lateral shift in the rear side lowers your center and gives you more raw power, but it is at a cost of arc length/speed and more natural leverage from gravity. Females generally have stronger legs and weaker upper body, so it makes sense Lisa would squat more, but surprising she doesn't come close to the flexibility of Jamie. Makes you wonder what would happen if Sadlowski did Lisa's move. Lisa is extremely athletic being on the Canadian national gymnastics team. Jamie is also from Canada and a freak of an athlete with a strong background in hockey and badminton. I would describe Lisa's form as a linear hitter and Jamie as an arcing hitter.

 

[bcastello]

Form Check 1/15/2015

I was focusing on trying to follow the disc with my eyes the throughout the throw.

Looking at it myself it appears I'm still throwing before I'm fully bracing. Still rotating on a more of a centered axis like SW mentioned before.

It looks like I didn't do much of anything right.

 

[sidewinder22]

Yea, still same issues although slightly better. Your shoulders and head get over your hips as you come down. Need to brace them from behind to release the momentum forward.

 

[bcastello]

Form Check 1/20/2015

Latest video from today's session.There is definitely a disconnect between what is in my mind to do and what I'm doing. I'm studying the videos that have been posted to help; its just not showing yet in my fieldwork. More work ahead.

Over the weekend, I did buy the tire blocks and tennis balls like in the baseball drill video. As SW pointed out I'm over my brace point. I did the drill with the tire block I finally felt that I was over my brace point. My upper body was flying over and I was losing balance. Definitely recommend getting the tire blocks for anyone who has this issue. Going to keep working on that drill along with the other videos and try to tackle this bracing issue.

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

Definitely looking better. I really think you would benefit from taking the back foot and standing on the ball of your foot, with the back heel completely off the ground (like a boxer going to throw a punch). That stance should sorta point your rear knee into the squeeze together position.

 

[sidewinder22]

It's a process for the most part. Your backswing is out of sequence, make the disc heavy like swinging back a sledgehammer one handed, feel the weight of the hammer pulling your arm from your shoulder socket like a taut rope the entire throw. Keep your front foot on the ground until it gets pulled up/back heel first from you turning into your rear hip and the arm/disc's momentum pulling back. See Dinglearm vid.

 

[bcastello]

Form Check 1/26/2015

Today's field work. Trying to stay loose and feel the weight of the disc/arm.





What should my back/left leg be doing? Should I be pushing with the instep of my back foot forward? Should it I be like I'm "squeezing" my left knee towards my plant leg?

 

[MrDarkHorse]

Have you watched sidewinder's doorframe video? He talks about using the inside of your rear leg to generate power as you pull on the doorframe. (at least that's my understanding. I don't know why I'm butting in here)

 

[MrDarkHorse]

^^^^^^^ Starting at about 3:30

 

[bcastello]

Have you watched sidewinder's doorframe video? He talks about using the inside of your rear leg to generate power as you pull on the doorframe. (at least that's my understanding. I don't know why I'm butting in here)

Not butting in. All are welcome. I must have just missed that in that part in the video. It's been awhile since I watched it. I definitely need to revisit all of those videos.

 

[sidewinder22]

Darkness is upon us! lol. I can see you are still lifting your front foot up with your arm bent. It should get pulled up from your the momentum of your swing(backswing) with a straight arm. Like a sledgehammer would pull against you as you swing it back and forth and your elbow would be straight so the arm is taut in tension, not too tight, not too loose. You also need to turn your shoulders/torso/core back much further when you plant as the door frame explains. That will also help with the front foot being pulled up and not you lifting it.

 

[bcastello]

Form Check 1/28/2015

I'm still working on it. Here is the latest video from today's session.

 

[sidewinder22]

Keep working on the same stuff. There is still a lag in your arm into the top of the backswing, so it's not weighted or taut enough. You turn your head backwards way early, but you don't turn your shoulders back enough or your core enough. It looks so odd how you early you turn your head back, it's like a multi-stepped motion vs one fluid motion.

 

[bcastello]

Form Check 2/3/2015

Well, I thought the issue of looking back before the back swing was better, but then I watched the film. Also, the arm being taught doesn't really look better either. :doh: More work to do.

 

[sidewinder22]

Little better. You are falling forward and aren't catching yourself from behind though:

 

[clard]

Only thing that I have to contribute is some tactical advice: pick one thing to try to fix and only focus on that one thing. Trying to fix more than one thing at a time is a great way to frustrate the crap out of yourself. Better yet, pick the easiest thing (I would say that's probably the head turn issue) and fix that first so you can feel good about having made a change that worked. The best way i have heard to deal with turning your head back early is to let your leading shoulder bring your head back with it as your body turns back.