Common Swing Flaws: Lack of Extension
First I want to say thank you to all the amazing people who showed up at Halo Effect Rhode Island this weekend, as well as the coaches who showed up to the RISR x USA Softball Coaches Clinic. Saturday was for sure a long day for me, and my voice is still recovering, but it was such a worthwhile experience for everyone involved.
In case you are new or haven’t been following a long the last couple of weeks in this newsletter, we are in the middle of a series I’m calling “Common Swing Flaws.” Each week, we are addressing how to fix the most common issues I see in young athletes swings. Week 1 was pitch selection, and Week 2 was an improper load/coil. If you haven’t read those, I highly recommend checking them out as each week builds on the previous one for this entire series.
I also like starting these out with a disclaimer. First and foremost, I want to be clear that there is no perfect swing. There is a perfect swing for each individual athlete, yes, but no two swings are the same. In fact, my swing is considered by many to be a bit unorthodox, which I love, but I do believe my swing and hitting process in general are perfect for me. I mean, it helped me hit over .500 in the Olympics. I say that not to be an egomaniac, but just to prove that what works for some doesn’t work for all, and finding YOUR best swing is what matters. Belief in your process will propel you towards confidence at the plate, which in turn will lead to more and more success. This was my pathway to success at the Olympics and is still my pathway in the pros. This series is designed to address some of the more common issues I see, while providing feedback on what can help. It is not a cookie-cutter approach. It is not set in stone. It is meant to be fluid, flexible, and dynamic in your own journey. Let’s get rolling.
Common Swing Flaw #3 – Lack of Extension
If you have ever attended one of my clinics before, you have heard me say this before. I like to think of the swing in three parts (A, B, and C). Part A being my position at contact, part B being extension, and C being a full swing with a follow through. I work through all these positions in my tee work every single time I step into the cage. I do contact holds (A drills), Extension holds (B-drills), and C-Drills where I’m swinging fully but around 75-80% so I can feel my body positioning and sequencing. However, one common issue I see when I work with hitters is that the tendency for most athletes is to go straight from A (contact) to C (follow through), which creates more of an east/west swing. Hitters that do this will be pull-dominant, tend to spin off the ball, and tend to struggle with timing. This is why extension (B) drills are so important. It allows the athlete to stay through the ball, having higher exit velocities, better trajectory on the ball, and creates more of a north/south swing path.
So what is extension? Extension isn’t necessarily extending the arms, but rather releasing the barrel after contact is made (although the arms extend as a byproduct of the barrel releasing). It’s a natural occurrence if everything is loaded properly and bat speed is created.
That’s the goal. Be short to the ball, long through contact, and work north/south in the bat path, as opposed to east/west and being “spinny.” This will lead to more line drives, hitting with power the opposite field, and less roll-overs/pull side ground balls.
If you are a hitter that struggles to stay through the ball, here are some drills that can help you:
B Drill Everything. Whatever hitting drill you do, add an extension hold (B drill) to it. It could be a hop-back drill, flamingo drill, any power drill, pause at extension. Check to make sure that you are releasing the barrel, finishing with the top hand palm up, and bat should be pointed somewhere in the area of centerfield.
THROW YOUR MED BALLS. There is truly no better exercise that translates to hitting than a med ball throw. Throwing a med ball will improve our sequencing to make sure that we are releasing our power where it is supposed to be released. You can’t “spin off” throwing a med ball. It’s got to go straight, which means we have to get our bodies in position to do that. Start with scoop tosses, half-kneeling tosses, or shotputs and work both sides.
Top Hand Drills. Work your top hand only with both contact and extension holds and focus on keeping the palm up all the time.
Pull-Block. I used this drill a lot when I was working on adding more power to my swing. Have a tee set up with a fastball down the middle, and another high tee set up at about a 45 degree angle in front of your front foot. Your goal is to hit a line drive up the middle without letting your bat hit that tee, creating more of a north/south swing.
What does this look like in action? Watch this Nolan Arenado swing. This may be the best example I have found of elite level extension from a triple he hit in this year’s World Baseball Classic. And make sure you listen to the breakdown, too. So many good nuggets in there!
Stay through the ball. Keep that top hand palm up.
Drill this over and over and on a consistent basis and watch how you start to hit with higher exit velocities and improved launch angles.
--Halo
