Improve Hitting Timing Tips, Get Front Foot Down, & Fix Late Baseball Softball Swing | Josh Hamilton Batting Rhythm Breakdown
Discover how to improve hitting timing tips, get the front foot down on time, and fix late baseball or softball swing. Learn how in this Josh Hamilton batting rhythm swing breakdown.
Josh Hamilton Swing Breakdown: Coaches Don’t Tell You This…
…In this Josh Hamilton swing breakdown we’re focusing on what most coaches don’t tell you (or simply don’t know) about calibrating the timing of a hitter. You can have the best hitting mechanics, but if timing is off, results can be frustrating. In this video, we’ll analyze:
- When does a swing start?
- Leg kick or slide step? and
- How to practice timing?
When Does a Swing Start?
Short answer? About when the hitter picks the front foot up. When walking, you can’t take a step forward without picking up your foot and putting it back down. This is why I hate “no-stride” coaching cues. Here’s how walking bio-mechanics work:
- Front heel hits the ground signals pelvis to open.
- Same timing signal travels up the spine to the shoulders, telling them to counter-rotate the pelvis.
- This is why your opposite arm and leg come forward at the same time.
This simple timing mechanism is important to hitting. Hitting experts call this torque, but really, it’s how humans are designed to move against gravity using the spine for locomotion. CLICK HERE for a more in–depth study on walking bio-mechanics according to Dr. Serge Gracovetsky.
Leg Kick or Slide Step?
It ALL depends on a batter’s moving parts…
- Leg Kick a-la Josh Hamilton forces the hitter to start the swing sooner. Hamilton starts his when the pitcher breaks the hands.
- Slide Step a-la Mike Trout can start their swing later. You’ll see these types of hitters picking their front foot up when the pitcher lands and/or begins forward movement with the arm.
SCIENCE-BASED TRAINING:
Improve your hitting strategy dramatically by applying human movement principles.
Learn not only how and what to train but also the science behind the methods.
How to Practice Timing
SEVEN ways a hitter can practice “collecting data”:
- LIVE arm: whether seated – on a bucket, kneeling, or standing.
- Soft toss or LIVE: throw baseballs, whiffle, dimple, tennis, golf, or dried pinto beans.
- Broad focus: have hitter pick out a point in the pitcher’s delivery to start the swing.
- On-Deck circle: work on when to pick front foot up.
- Sit in on Bullpens: hitter passively (no swings) sits in on pitcher bullpens (with a helmet on of course).
- Pitcher’s BP: have pitchers trade off throwing batting practice (advanced).
- Intra/Inter-squat games.
Above-all, be safe. The truth about Josh Hamilton timing? It takes reps, reps, and more reps. CLICK HERE for Part-3 Matt Holliday: The Death Of Plate Discipline. In case you missed Part-1 Mike Trout: Why Your Consistency Won’t Improve, CLICK HERE.
With 28,000+ online bat speed program sales, my methods have transformed coaches, instructors, and parents just like you. I'm affiliated with esteemed organizations like ABCA, IYCA, and SABR, advocating for positive coaching. With 15+ years in corrective fitness and a Division One baseball background, my knowledge is unmatched.
Join our blog and unlock the secrets to successful hitting, elevate your performance, and ignite your passion. Welcome to the world of limitless possibilities at HittingPerformanceLab.com.
- Master Youth Baseball: Best Bats, Overload & Underload Training for Swing Weight & Power Precision - December 18, 2024
- Master Pro Pitch Recognition Drills: Improve Reaction Time, Swing Mechanics & Baseball Success Today - December 13, 2024
- Master Pitch Recognition & Swing Timing Fast: Visual Drills And Velocity Training to Transform Your Child - December 5, 2024
Hey Joey great stuff. You mentioned when the front heel hits the ground it signals the hips to start to open. I would think it would signal the back foot to start rotating which in turn leads to the knee then hips then hands last. Just a thought.
John, I love your thinking!! Yes, you’re correct. It’s why I hate the no-stride coaching cue. It doesn’t allow a hitter to fully engage in this compression signal. You’d love reading the pdf link I posted in the article.
With a no stride swing you can still spike your front heel down. In fact, that’s how a good no stride swing works. As evidenced by Albert Pujols or occasionally Miguel Cabrera.
David O, you’re correct…I call it shifting foot pressure. And that’s how golfers do it. I also promote it more to my fastpitch softball hitters because of the reduced reaction time.