obbay
Banned
After my previous post and the excellent feedback, I started writing down some often used (and overheard) "Misconceptions that I used to have but have found to be either incorrect or misunderstood." The intent is to Create a document I can share with the other coaches in my program in an attempt to raise the bar of hitting instruction and get us all on the same page.
Ultimately, I think there will need to be images accompanying the text to illustrate the point.
My initial comments are below. There are more, but this is what I have so far.
I request and welcome comments, criticisms and corrections! (I know some of the wording is awkward)
Thank you
There is a difference between the baseball swing and the softball swing"- maybe in years past there was, but not anymore. Now the top coaches and hitting instructors refer to the 'Elite swing" or "high level swing" that applies to both sports. There is no difference between the swings of the top college Fastpitch players and top MLB players. the differences in swings is typically limited to pitch location. That and the bigger,stronger players (in both sports) can get away with less perfect mechanics.
"The baseball pitch starts high and finishes low. The Fastpitch pitch starts low and finishes higher".- wrong. The Fastpitch pitch starts lower but follows an arcing trajectory. Starts out on an upward path until gravity takes over and it starts dropping. That is why batters with a positive (or upward) attack angle of 5 to 20 degrees are hitting line drives. Over 20 degrees = fly ball. Negative (or downward) attack angle = ground ball or pop-up.
The human brain makes the adjustment for Gravity and the perception is that a fastball comes in flat when it is actually dropping. With the riseball, it follows an upward trajectory and then flattens out as it reaches the batter. When the ball doesn't drop as the brain expects, the perception is that it is breaking upward.
"Squish the bug"- this is a term that was used with young players who were first starting out that forces a movement that looks like what happens whe the weight is shifted correctly in the swing. The move has little to no effect on the transfer of power but is intended to introduce the batter to the concept of shifting the weight from the backside forward.
"Line up the door knocking knuckles"- some do, some don't. It's not an absolute, just a matter of personal preference. Albert Pujols does. Miguel Cabrera does not . The pros that do not start with those knuckles lined up, do have them lined up at contact with the hands in a palm up/palm down position. palm up/palm down at contact is the intention of this cue. whether you start that way or not. Cabrera (and others) align the knuckles at the base of the fingers on one hand with the door knocking knuckles of the other hand. The grip on the bat during the swing is loose enough so that the hands rotate slightly during the swing toward aligned door knocking knuckles. this is preferred by many while others (like Ralph Weekly) insist that keeping the knuckles aligned from start to contact enables a slightly faster swing.
"Pop flys are caused by an uppercut swing"-sometimes, yes, but usually its not the one symptom that causes the pop up. the one symptom is that they are caused by poor contact getting under the ball too much. "Uppercut Swing" implies that the attack path of the bat is very steep and a steep attack angle will usually result in a high fly ball- pop up in the IF or a can-of-corn to the OF. If a batter tees off at the incorrect angle (too much bend at the waist) this looks like an uppercut swing but there is more wrong than just the attack path of the bat.
"Hit the top half of the ball to impart backspin which creates line drives" - this is true in slow pitch and players like Mark McGwire think it works in baseball. When you are talking about a collision of a round ball moving at 60 mph with a round bat moving at 60+ mph in the opposite direction that takes place in 1/2000 of a second over a distance of 3/4" by a High school player, you will hit more into the ground than you will hit line drives-which are the result of solid contact. This isn't tennis. Line drives come from solid contact. That and the bats that are being used today.
"Knob to the ball"- is just one point along the path traveled by the bat in a good swing. It is partly about getting the hands and bat flat. It also means to POINT the knob at the ball thru part of the swing before contact ( this phase is called Bat Lag) and then release the club head into contact. You DON'T move the knob toward the ball. You do NOT pull or push the knob toward the ball.
Ultimately, I think there will need to be images accompanying the text to illustrate the point.
My initial comments are below. There are more, but this is what I have so far.
I request and welcome comments, criticisms and corrections! (I know some of the wording is awkward)
Thank you
There is a difference between the baseball swing and the softball swing"- maybe in years past there was, but not anymore. Now the top coaches and hitting instructors refer to the 'Elite swing" or "high level swing" that applies to both sports. There is no difference between the swings of the top college Fastpitch players and top MLB players. the differences in swings is typically limited to pitch location. That and the bigger,stronger players (in both sports) can get away with less perfect mechanics.
"The baseball pitch starts high and finishes low. The Fastpitch pitch starts low and finishes higher".- wrong. The Fastpitch pitch starts lower but follows an arcing trajectory. Starts out on an upward path until gravity takes over and it starts dropping. That is why batters with a positive (or upward) attack angle of 5 to 20 degrees are hitting line drives. Over 20 degrees = fly ball. Negative (or downward) attack angle = ground ball or pop-up.
The human brain makes the adjustment for Gravity and the perception is that a fastball comes in flat when it is actually dropping. With the riseball, it follows an upward trajectory and then flattens out as it reaches the batter. When the ball doesn't drop as the brain expects, the perception is that it is breaking upward.
"Squish the bug"- this is a term that was used with young players who were first starting out that forces a movement that looks like what happens whe the weight is shifted correctly in the swing. The move has little to no effect on the transfer of power but is intended to introduce the batter to the concept of shifting the weight from the backside forward.
"Line up the door knocking knuckles"- some do, some don't. It's not an absolute, just a matter of personal preference. Albert Pujols does. Miguel Cabrera does not . The pros that do not start with those knuckles lined up, do have them lined up at contact with the hands in a palm up/palm down position. palm up/palm down at contact is the intention of this cue. whether you start that way or not. Cabrera (and others) align the knuckles at the base of the fingers on one hand with the door knocking knuckles of the other hand. The grip on the bat during the swing is loose enough so that the hands rotate slightly during the swing toward aligned door knocking knuckles. this is preferred by many while others (like Ralph Weekly) insist that keeping the knuckles aligned from start to contact enables a slightly faster swing.
"Pop flys are caused by an uppercut swing"-sometimes, yes, but usually its not the one symptom that causes the pop up. the one symptom is that they are caused by poor contact getting under the ball too much. "Uppercut Swing" implies that the attack path of the bat is very steep and a steep attack angle will usually result in a high fly ball- pop up in the IF or a can-of-corn to the OF. If a batter tees off at the incorrect angle (too much bend at the waist) this looks like an uppercut swing but there is more wrong than just the attack path of the bat.
"Hit the top half of the ball to impart backspin which creates line drives" - this is true in slow pitch and players like Mark McGwire think it works in baseball. When you are talking about a collision of a round ball moving at 60 mph with a round bat moving at 60+ mph in the opposite direction that takes place in 1/2000 of a second over a distance of 3/4" by a High school player, you will hit more into the ground than you will hit line drives-which are the result of solid contact. This isn't tennis. Line drives come from solid contact. That and the bats that are being used today.
"Knob to the ball"- is just one point along the path traveled by the bat in a good swing. It is partly about getting the hands and bat flat. It also means to POINT the knob at the ball thru part of the swing before contact ( this phase is called Bat Lag) and then release the club head into contact. You DON'T move the knob toward the ball. You do NOT pull or push the knob toward the ball.
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