Backhand Form 101: Week 1

To follow up with the video, I would suggest the following

Day 1: 3 sets of 10-12 gentle swings on each side. Shake it out and rest a bit between each set. Video review - you want to verify that you're getting into the correct posture each time. This is a slow and gentle process, we're not trying to power up.

Day 2: 2 sets of 10-12 gentle swings and then 2 sets of 10-12 medium paced swings on both sides. Again, we're always video reviewing.

Day 3: 2 sets of 10-12 gentle swings and then 2-3 sets of 10-12 medium paced swings.

Day 4: 1 set of 10-12 gentle swings and then 3 sets of 10-12 medium paced swings.

Day 5: 1 set of 10-12 gentle swings and then 2 sets of 10-12 medium paced swings and 1 set of 5-10 (depending on how it feels) full paced swings.

You can spread these days out however is needed - and include resting, stretching and other exercises.

This drill is intended as a warm up prior to throwing. You want to start feeling the swing that takes place fully committed to the brace leg. During field work, you can throw from a one-step into that swing. No pushing off the back foot, just using minimal momentum shift from starting with your weight on the ball of your back foot and letting the lead leg stride forward to a stance no wider than a ball golf stance.

Week one goal: gaining comfort with the swing. Gaining comfort with the posture. Working this front leg swing at a slow pace and avoiding anything out of balance.

If you're feeling up to it, you can increase the sets - but I'd error on the side of staying fresh during the exercises instead of getting fatigued and getting out of balance. Practicing while in the fatigued zone is not advised.