ELBOW

(TAKING THE BAT TO CONTACT POINT)

Sideways Karate Chop — 1 (Elbow-Hand)

Set-up:

Batting Stance with top hand positioned where the bat would be held (hand is open).  Bottom hand (which is not part of the drill) on front hip. 

Drill:

This is a two-part action; movements are consecutive without stopping. 

(1) Batter drives the Funny Bone* of the Elbow straight forward alongside the torso, finishing with the elbow bent.

Note: The elbow is bent when holding the bat in the stance. This is a very simple movement; so simple that it may be difficult to learn initially, because most kids have been using excessive arm movement to get the bat going

The top hand remains in the area near the armpit; exact position varies player to player. 

(see first picture below)

(2) The forearm and hand snaps, sideways, to ‘Contact Point’ (approximately even with the front foot). The hand, while moving sideways and forward, is in a palm-up position.

…the player is doing a Karate Chop, sideways. Think of when a karate person is breaking a stack of bricks, their elbow is bent (strong) at contact.

* Funny Bone is the little knob (a bit smaller than a dime) on the inside of the Elbow