The back foot is the furthest point away from the actual bat head in a baseball swing. However, it can often times be a huge contributor to increasing both power and consistency in the swing. Today I want to discuss how to properly load the back foot, why it matters and how to work on loading it correctly.
Why it Matters
When a hitter loads, we need to see 3 movements with the back hip. While this varies incredibly, good hitters will adduct (shift their weight back), hinge (hips go back) and internally rotate (hips turn back towards the catcher). These motions are what allows a hitter to generate maximal power from the big, strong muscles of the lower body. In order to get the hips to load correctly, the back foot has to be properly planted and loaded correctly. If it is not, the lower body cannot get into optimal positions.
Back Foot Load
When we look at how a hitter loads the back foot, we look at it in 2 different planes of motion: the frontal plane (Inside/Outside of the foot) and the sagittal plane (Toe/Heel).
Frontal Plane (Inside/Outside of the foot)
What we Look for
We have found that the best, most powerful hitters usually load their back foot with their whole foot. If he pressure is too much on the side of the foot, hitters struggle to properly load the back hip for maximal power. In addition, they may struggle with adjustability due to their inability to get into the back hip and ride out he stride on off-speed pitches. Likewise, if the pressure is more towards the outside of the foot, hitters struggle with force generation and balance.
Sagittal Plane (Toe/Heel)
What we Look for
Just like with the frontal plane, we like to see hitters grip the ground with their whole foot. However, for more advanced hitters, we like to see a little more of the pressure be distributed in the heel. This allows the hitter to hinge which helps get more out of the muscles of the back of the legs (glutes and hamstrings). It also sets the body up for better posture to create a good bat path.
What we don't want to see but see a lot of is when the pressure gets towards the toes. This is a huge red flag for a number of reasons. First, it doesn't allow the hitter to get force into the ground. Second, it makes it almost impossible for a hitter to get into a good, hinged posture to create a good bat path. Lastly, because it restricts a hitter's ability to hinge, the hitter cannot utilize the glutes and hamstrings which are the primary power producers in the swing.
What to do
Check out this video for some tips on how to load the back foot properly.
Kommentare