Main Flaw in Most Flawed Swings

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Jun 18, 2012
3,183
48
Utah
It is my opinion that the main flaw in flawed swing, which most are, is the absence of what Cabrera is doing to initiate his swing, or not doing it as well as he does. He's moving that bat quite a bit prior to his hands going forward.



I frequently see girls who have a "chipper" swing, in that they launch directly downward toward the point of contact from their ready position. I see it all the time in many travelball players. So, for me, if I were to choose a main focus of hitting practice, it would definitely be a focus on what you see Cabrera do in this clip. Pay particular attention to what's happening to the hands. Of course, everything else he's doing here ties in.

Yup, what he does to initiate the "C" likely has a lot to do with why he seen as such a model hitter.
 
Last edited:
Jun 18, 2012
3,183
48
Utah
Then, having completed that intriguing initial thing he does with his hand to start the "C" (i.e., the first quarter of it), he takes his hands forward inside and slightly above the pitch. He now ends up with the barrel roughly half the way to the point of contact. The maximum whip/speed of the barrel will most certainly be next.



It would be hard to get this phase like he does without that initial thing he does in the first clip. Certainly a main focus for most any hitting practice.
 
Jun 18, 2012
3,183
48
Utah
That initial thing Cabrera does with his hands (with the help of all that other stuff he's doing) in that first clip, continued with what he's doing with that second clip, gets the barrel coming into the path of the pitch behind the ball, ending up as a solid hit. That initial thing he does in that initial clip sure sets up this solid contact! Clearly that initial thing he does is vital to a quality swing, yet it is something that many girls lack.

 
Jun 18, 2012
3,183
48
Utah
AND.... Wouldn't we expect that bat barrel to continue on the path of the pitch, at least its trajectory, after contact, as the barrel continues up and out? Sure we would. And it all started with that very important thing he does with his hands (along with the other stuff going on with the rest of his body) to initiate it all--the "C"

 
Jul 10, 2008
380
18
Central PA
Good stuff, Doug. When there was one of the "epic threads" on turning the barrel two Christmases ago, I started to work on what your posts show with my high school team, and the positive results were pretty significant. Thanks for breaking it down.
 

JJsqueeze

Dad, Husband....legend
Jul 5, 2013
5,436
38
safe in an undisclosed location
I think early weight shift is a much bigger killer and it is also a really big contributor to a chip-down swing. If you shift early there is absolutely no way to get a nike swoosh barrel path. Once this is fixed then dropping the barrel and swinging flat is the killer, and once that is fixed then pushing the barrel is the main flaw. They are all of course inter related.

Weight back-turn the barrel-let the coiled spring pull the bat into a whipping arc. Easy huh? Wish I could do it.
 

rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
83
Not here.
It is my opinion that the main flaw in flawed swing, which most are, is the absence of what Cabrera is doing to initiate his swing, or not doing it as well as he does. He's moving that bat quite a bit prior to his hands going forward.



I frequently see girls who have a "chipper" swing, in that they launch directly downward toward the point of contact from their ready position. I see it all the time in many travelball players. So, for me, if I were to choose a main focus of hitting practice, it would definitely be a focus on what you see Cabrera do in this clip. Pay particular attention to what's happening to the hands. Of course, everything else he's doing here ties in.

Yup, what he does to initiate the "C" likely has a lot to do with why he seen as such a model hitter.


Would this be a good starting point drill?
RyTee.gif

TeeDrillRH.gif

I know this is one of the drills I am working on with my DD. Trying to get a more vertical 'Tip & Rip' in her swing.
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
It is my opinion that the main flaw in flawed swing, which most are, is the absence of what Cabrera is doing to initiate his swing, or not doing it as well as he does. He's moving that bat quite a bit prior to his hands going forward.



I frequently see girls who have a "chipper" swing, in that they launch directly downward toward the point of contact from their ready position. I see it all the time in many travelball players. So, for me, if I were to choose a main focus of hitting practice, it would definitely be a focus on what you see Cabrera do in this clip. Pay particular attention to what's happening to the hands. Of course, everything else he's doing here ties in.

Yup, what he does to initiate the "C" likely has a lot to do with why he seen as such a model hitter.


So very true.

Often the battle is won or lost by how one captures the transition of the barrel.
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
Then, having completed that intriguing initial thing he does with his hand to start the "C" (i.e., the first quarter of it), he takes his hands forward inside and slightly above the pitch. He now ends up with the barrel roughly half the way to the point of contact. The maximum whip/speed of the barrel will most certainly be next.



It would be hard to get this phase like he does without that initial thing he does in the first clip. Certainly a main focus for most any hitting practice.


You have captured the transition from 'around' to 'along'.

And yes, the barrel needs to be 'around' in order for it to transition to 'along'.

Folks shouldn't be afraid to allow the rear elbow to extend pre-contact. Miggy does it ..... and they can too.
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
That initial thing Cabrera does with his hands (with the help of all that other stuff he's doing) in that first clip, continued with what he's doing with that second clip, gets the barrel coming into the path of the pitch behind the ball, ending up as a solid hit. That initial thing he does in that initial clip sure sets up this solid contact! Clearly that initial thing he does is vital to a quality swing, yet it is something that many girls lack.



This here is what Howe describes as the 'launch' (i.e., the 'release'). You can see the top hand wrist releasing via a path of ulnar deviation.
 

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