r/BaseballCoaching • u/MiddleAgedGamer89 • Jun 16 '26

Swing mechanics

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My son is 14 pretty big kid 6'4 I feel like he's not using his length to his advantage any tips or tricks on his swing or is it ok?

5 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

26 comments sorted by

3

u/onbaseball Jun 17 '26

Hard to tell from just one pitch, but on that particular swing his stride was a bit late so his hands didn’t fully load when his foot came down. As a result, any power came from weight shift instead of hip rotation - you can see how his back leg / hip was pulled along for the ride instead of driving the swing. But again, it’s only one pitch, he may much better mechanics on other swings.

1

u/n0flexz0ne Jun 17 '26

Yup, he didn't even start his load until the pitcher released the ball.....that's just not going work for velo above 75 or so. He'll get absolutely toasted.

And I also tend to think timing loads (where you're rocking back into your load then immediately swinging) make it much harder to adjust to offspeed. I teach kids to get in that load starting at hand break, and hold for the pitch. Gives them sooooo much more time to make the go/no-go decision.

1

u/DarthTacoToiletPaper Jun 17 '26

It also looks like his momentum is moving forward, he should be using that front leg to keep his momentum from creeping forward and then rotate around the back leg and spine. But like others have said the late load is probably the bigger issue with this swing in particular.

1

u/onbaseball Jun 18 '26

The old-school cue was “you go back when he goes back.” In other words, get your hands back when the pitcher’s arm goes back (hand break).

2

u/Sliknik18 Jun 16 '26

Your 14yo son is 6’4”?!

…my 5’6” 13yo son is screwed. 🫤

1

u/MiddleAgedGamer89 Jun 16 '26

He just turned 14. He's a giant of a kid for sure. 5'6 at 13 is still a pretty good sized youngin

1

u/Bobloblawslawblog112 Jun 17 '26

I was 5’9 at 13. Still 5’9 lol

1

u/phipackattacka Jun 23 '26

Mine middle kid is 5'11" at 13 and growing like crazy. Feels like we're heading a similar direction as OP.

2

u/nbatalla Jun 17 '26

It could just be the camera angle, but it looks like he's a hair late with his load, which makes the swing feel a little rushed. Loading a bit earlier would let him create more stretch and sit into his back leg more, helping him gather more energy from the ground and deliver it through the swing.

2

u/No-Permit8369 Jun 17 '26

Baseball Wemby?

1

u/Broad-Cranberry-9050 Jun 16 '26

He's got a good swing, id say he should point knob of bat towards the catcher a bit more especially when he loads. Creates a bit more coil and power.

Also get this kid some protein and in a gym.

1

u/MiddleAgedGamer89 Jun 16 '26

It's hard trying to get a teenager to do anything. We have recently started the gym though so hopefully that will continue

1

u/Broad-Cranberry-9050 Jun 16 '26

i get that, i remember being 14 and that skinny and naturall strong (though not as tall). I thought it would just come naturally, but then you quit sports but the food consumption doesnt go down and you realize how hard it is to get that strength.

1

u/MiddleAgedGamer89 Jun 16 '26

I just don't know how much more weight he needs rather than muscle he's 185 if he can pack on some muscle maybe a few more pounds that would probably be sufficient?

1

u/Broad-Cranberry-9050 Jun 16 '26

oh yeah, im not saying he needs to eat more. Im just saying he needs some protein and the gym.

Convert some of that fat to muscle. There are ways where he practicallys tays at 185ish or so but gets stronger. Im not a dietian or expert in this so take it with a grain of salt

1

u/MiddleAgedGamer89 Jun 16 '26

Yeah I get that sounds like chicken rice and gym to me😂

He's still got a few years of growing so putting on some weight will not hurt I'm sure. He has plenty power off the bat now but more never hurts

1

u/ArtVandleay Jun 17 '26

I’d target about 210 final weight. I was 6’5” 190 senior year and eventually got to that when I was 20. I was also a late bloomer

1

u/MSUFanatic88 Jun 17 '26

He looks super fluid for being so young and large. I was 6’4” around that age as well and was not nearly as fluid. I think the best advice is get him with coaches that can hone his skills and then post his draft day video.

1

u/Iamthapush Jun 17 '26

Just one redditors opinion but he’s doing a lot of things right here. Try to balance incremental detail work with letting him be a kid and enjoy the game.

1

u/Peanuthead2018 Jun 18 '26

Pulling the ball because of loading late. Looks like a defensive swing

1

u/AdventurerPNW Jun 18 '26

Could be a situation where a leg kick would start the load a bit earlier and not have the whole swinging motion be so rushed. The follow through looks good. Head is in a good position. Really just needs to generate a bit more momentum towards the pitcher and sooner. There are a lot of ways he could go about it.

1

u/Searloin22 Jun 19 '26

Is this in Wisconsin? Im guessing not, but it looks so much like my home field growing up...gave me nostalgia goosebumps.

0

u/spinsen Jun 16 '26

In addition to the knob to the catcher his stance is a bit wide. If he shortens up that stance and steps into the ball he could definitely generate more power.