Last Updated on February 27, 2022
I often work with front elbow baseball swing with my students. Well, that is my profession as a baseball coach. And I find issues with many young players which prompted me to write an article to help those who are not getting it right.
Swinging the bat with proper timing is essential. And in my opinion, you can hit home runs if you know the proper way to use your front elbow.
As a baseball trainer, I have gotten many questions about the front elbow and its different functionality while swinging baseball bats. It can be quite hard to understand every term of the front elbow swinging.
That is why I made this guide for you. To learn the secrets of using the front elbow properly, read more below.
Understanding Front Elbow Baseball Swing
If you are still on this page, then you are surely struggling with your front elbow a lot. I still remember when I was a baseball player, there were no guides like this online. We used to work hard to be the best among all.
Baseball swinging, I still remember the first day when I went to play baseball as a beginner. One swing would have made my whole body rumble. I could not even hit the ball properly those days.
But I practiced a lot, and after learning the proper front elbow baseball swinging techniques, home runs became a bit easy to make for me.
I still think, if I can make it, you can too! But before learning how you can use your lead arm in the proper manner, you should know how it works.
According to Ted Williams, one of the best baseball players in America, the ball goes to the catcher at a downward angle. So, the hitter can either go for a rotational approach or can go for a linear approach.
In the rotational approach, you need to rotate your bat and have to do a bit of upswing, making your front elbow from bending to releasing. You also need to swing the bat with your entire body.
When you go for the linear approach, you need to keep the front elbow closer to your body the entire time. When it comes to the swing, you have to swing with your front arms.
In my opinion, either way, is good as long as you are okay with it. You can determine whether you want to go for the linear approach or the rotational approach when you do front elbow baseball swinging exercises.
Here is a link for you to learn about linear and rotational baseball hitting-
Different Types Of Front Elbow Positions
In Major League Baseball, you will see baseball players using their front elbow different ways. Some are stretching the whole arm in full swing, some are bending the arm in full swing.
There can be different types of positions of the front elbow when playing baseball. Here are the major of them given for you-
Front Elbow Bar Swing
One of the most powerful techniques of the front elbow baseball swing is armbar swinging. In this technique, batters do not bend their front elbow and stretch the whole arm from the beginning for the full swing.
I have seen a lot of baseball players in my life who used this technique. Not all can do the front armbar technique as this is very hard and timing is important here. But the powerful shots I have seen were the front arm bar swings of Ronald Acuna JR and Ken Griffey JR.
Now, how do they do this powerful swing?
To do this powerful swing, you need to have great strength in your upper body. This helps to activate your swing by engaging the arms and chest. For a newbie, this will be a normal swing. But the players who know how to swing will understand how powerful this swing is.
Front Elbow Bent Swing
I usually recommend bending the front elbow when swinging the bat. Because this gives a lot of flexibility to use the bat when swinging. If you see it a bit carefully, you will see the back shoulder drops when swinging the bat while the front elbow bending.
Normally, the technique of front elbow bending is when you are on the movement of striking, you bend your front elbow upwards and back shoulder downwards.
But it can make you vulnerable too if you can not perform it perfectly. Failing to turn the front elbow up can lead you to bat drag.
Now that you have learned about the front arm positions in baseball swings, try them out. Many people say not to use the front armbar, but I will say go with the one you want. Because both ways are powerful when you know how to do them properly.
How To Keep Front Elbow Bent In Baseball Swing
I heard this question a lot and also I see people misunderstand the topic about the front elbow in baseball swings.
But no more from today, because I will clear out all the confusion about the front elbow. Also, you can learn all the secret tricks behind the front elbow bending while swinging over here.
Drill-1 : Pause And Hit
The first drill that I can suggest practicing is to do one arm drill for your lead arm. Use a baseball stand where you can put the baseball. Then, try to shoulder-width with your feet. Make sure your elbow is in front of the ball. Bend your front elbow and pause it for some time.
Then, try to strike the ball normally. This will be your first drill. Make sure your front elbow has a lot of bents, lots of flexibility, and is in front of the ball.
Drill-2 : Strike It Without Pausing
If you have practiced enough for the first drill, then you are ready for the second one.
In the second drill, you will not pause while bending. What you need to do is you will strike the ball all in one smooth motion while bending.
This may work like fifty-fifty, so do not get frustrated if you are failing to strike a smooth shot. When I was a player like you, I also was disappointed at the beginning. But after a lot of practice, it felt very easy to do.
You are going to understand by this practice that we want this elbow to be bent and to release through impact. We do not want it to straighten and then try to hit into impact. Feel the lead elbow just moving in front of the ball in your full swing.
I do not want you to feel like you are bending it in front of the ball. Just feel like your elbow is already bent and you are moving your elbow in front of the ball as you are making your swing. Feel the sensation of releasing the lead arm through impact with all your speed.
So, practice a smooth swing without pause bending for sometimes, this will be your second drill.
Drill-3 : Full Swing
As you have practiced a lot already with one hand and you are confident enough, I will suggest you try drill-2 using both hands. Surely, when you pull those swings, you will feel it inside of you.
So, try to give 20 reps of these three drills every day and you will start making home runs in no time!
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Some Interesting Frequently Asked Questions
1. How Do You Stop Front Arm From Barring In Baseball?
To stop arm barring in baseball, you have to practice the bending technique of your front arm. Always keep your back shoulder low and front arm high. If you do so, you will find out your arm is not barring out in the long term.
Try to do the drills I have mentioned earlier in the upper section. By practicing them at least 20 times a day, you can stop your front arm from barring in baseball.
2. Do You Roll Your Wrists In A Baseball Swing?
Rolling the wrists of your hands is totally natural and it happens when you are connected with the ball. I get this misconception a lot of times that the hitter has to break their wrists at the point of contact when they are swinging the bat.
You should never depend on the wrists to bend, let it go naturally. Depending on your wrists can only give you frustrating and poor results.
3. Why Does My Shoulder Hurt When I Swing A Baseball Bat?
The problem you are facing is a term called “Batter’s Shoulder”, which is an injury similar to anterior instability in pitchers. This type of problem can occur to a hitter’s front shoulder.
If you do not bend your front elbow properly when swinging the baseball, it can cause this problem. So, understanding the front arm swinging technique is a must. Also, this problem can occur because of over-exceeding your practice.
Conclusion
Front Elbow Baseball Swinging can be hard if you do not know the proper way. People always misuse the terms and hurt themselves. I will suggest you practice every day before you use any front elbow swinging techniques.
If you have any other queries about the front elbow baseball swing, you can send a message.
Hello everyone. My name is Jason Butler, and I live in California, America. I was a professional AAA Minor League Baseball player. I lost my chance of playing MLB for injury issues, but I did not lose my love for baseball. I attended the coaching training program and am now working as a coach in a small school in San Diego.
I always love to share my experience and knowledge if that can help you. Play baseball, and stay fit.