The Head to Toe of Hitting 10 Technical Tips for a Consistent Hitting Action by Nick Conway
TIP 1: Maintain a Level Head COMMON ERROR: Players that have poor preparation footwork will shuffle or skip prior to striking the ball. The consequences of either of these actions are that the head and eyes are consis- tently elevated and lowered making it harder to create clean contact consistency.
CRITICAL FACTOR: The right foot should cross behind the left foot in the penultimate stride prior to ball contact. This will create a twisting action with the body but will also enable an ability to maintain a level head.
OUTCOMES: The desired outcome is a rhythmic, fluid and iden- tical approach to the ball which provides for a more consistent ability to create clean and crisp contact
TIP 2: Right Shoulder to Target COMMON ERROR: Players that are unable to transfer their weight effectively will hit off their back foot which will drive their left shoulder back and away from the target. A gunslingers action relies on natural timing.
CRITICAL FACTOR: There are few players gifted enough to rely solely on timing for powerful ball striking. There is a greater ability to hit with power if we use our weight to propel the ball towards the target and the only way to do this effectively is to transfer your body weight from the right side to the left.
OUTCOMES: Pushing your right shoulder to the target following contact will stimulate a full follow through and drive your weight in the ball’s intended direction.
TIP 3: Bend your Elbows COMMON ERROR: The “Pinocchio” player hits with straight arms and legs. It’s like you need to put some WD40 in the joints to loosen them up.
CRITICAL FACTOR: Bend your right elbow on the backswing and your left elbow on the follow through. This creates a wind- screen wiper action.
OUTCOMES: A consistent and compact hitting action will pro- vide the stick head speed necessary to hit the ball with power.
Note: This hitting action can only be achieved if the athlete is fluid and relaxed, especially with how they grip the stick.
19 TIP 3B TIP 3A
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