Hand Action at Contact
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FiveFrameSwing
Banned
The higher up in the zone the pitch is the more the bottom-hand will have the appearance of being palm-down in terms of the palm facing the ground. The lower in the zone the less the bottom-hand will have that appearance. Regardless of pitch height, the bottom-hand retains the same function ... and that is not to pull through contact with a bottom-hand hammering action. At contact the bottom-hand wrist is 'flat' ... with the bottom 'hand' + 'wrist' + 'forearm' on the same plane.
Through contact the bottom-hand wrist is flat ... there should be no concern about having the palm of the bottom hand parallel to the ground ... none! ... the concern should be more about the bottom hand wrist being flat and 'releasing' with direction.
Through contact the bottom-hand wrist is flat ... there should be no concern about having the palm of the bottom hand parallel to the ground ... none! ... the concern should be more about the bottom hand wrist being flat and 'releasing' with direction.
FiveFrameSwing
Banned
Am I incorrect when I don't consider this 'palm up, palm down':
What I see is a "flat left wrist".
Ask your self ... how can you swing at a pitch low in the zone, with a "flat left wrist" (RH hitter) and have the palm of the bottom-hand parallel to the ground? You can't.
Am I incorrect when I don't consider this 'palm up, palm down':
I consider this to be 'palm up, palm down':
Or am I splitting hairs here?
I look at things a little differently than most people. I am ok with that. I consider both batters to be palm up/ palm down. Obviously the second to a greater degree. I don't take it to the point of measuring the exact angle. I am not that good and readily admit it. If I was a betting man, my money would be on your description.
like you said I am here to learn and sometimes that means I will be wrong.FiveFrameSwing
Banned
I look at things a little differently than most people. I am ok with that. I consider both batters to be palm up/ palm down. Obviously the second to a greater degree. I don't take it to the point of measuring the exact angle. I am not that good and readily admit it. If I was a betting man, my money would be on your description.
Okay, so you're here to learn.
So just for the fun of it ... go ahead and measure "the exact angle". Do this at contact for a pitch low in the zone ... at the knees. Is your bottom-hand palm really flat to the ground? Mine isn't.
FiveFrameSwing
Banned
Ask your self what folks are attempting to achieve when they instruct having the palm of the bottom-hand flat/parallel to the ground.
Are they attempting to have you pulling the barrel through contact with the bottom hand? Not a good idea.
Are they attempting to have you hammering through contact with the bottom hand? Another flawed idea.
Are they attempting to have the bottom hand wrist unhinge better through contact? Simply a flawed notion of the unhinging process relative to the bottom hand action through contact.
Are they attempting to have the barrel parallel to the ground through contact? Don’t believe we need to comment on that stupidity.
Take note if an instructor is advocating “bottom-hand palm-down” parallel to the ground, and is always giving demos of this for pitches high in the zone. Why do you suppose that might be? It might be because they know that their nonsense wouldn’t hold up for pitches demo’d low in the zone.
“Bottom-hand palm-down” instruction is nonsense … complete utter nonsense … and depending how the hitter perceives this instruction, it can be quite harmful to their development.
Are they attempting to have you pulling the barrel through contact with the bottom hand? Not a good idea.
Are they attempting to have you hammering through contact with the bottom hand? Another flawed idea.
Are they attempting to have the bottom hand wrist unhinge better through contact? Simply a flawed notion of the unhinging process relative to the bottom hand action through contact.
Are they attempting to have the barrel parallel to the ground through contact? Don’t believe we need to comment on that stupidity.
Take note if an instructor is advocating “bottom-hand palm-down” parallel to the ground, and is always giving demos of this for pitches high in the zone. Why do you suppose that might be? It might be because they know that their nonsense wouldn’t hold up for pitches demo’d low in the zone.
“Bottom-hand palm-down” instruction is nonsense … complete utter nonsense … and depending how the hitter perceives this instruction, it can be quite harmful to their development.
When I hear 'palm up, palm down' at contact I cringe. This is what I picture:
I believe a hitter should look like this at contact:
And a hitter should look like this after contact extending:
That is why I was asking. I just don't see it as 'palm up, palm down at contact.
I believe a hitter should look like this at contact:
And a hitter should look like this after contact extending:
That is why I was asking. I just don't see it as 'palm up, palm down at contact.
FiveFrameSwing
Banned
Yes ... the lead wrist will be flat, and there will be a rotation of the lead forearm/wrist/hand through to extension, with the lead wrist remaining 'flat', ... which will basically have the bottom-hand in a hand-shaking orientation at full extension ... and beyond that it will go palm-up, as if "catching rain".
I've used the cue of "catching rain" effectively to help hitters feel the 'release' of the bottom-hand with direction.
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FiveFrameSwing
Banned
Please do not envision what I've written to be a "knob to the ball" type mentality.
I don't have a video of your swing ... but let's assume your bottom-hand is bent at/near your launch position. Perform a few swings and take note if the bottom hand flattens (becomes un-bent) in the beginning of your swing. The un-bending action can be thought of as a "finding of the ball" type action. Think of it as the beginning of turning the barrel to the ball ... you are working the handle/knob area in such a manner to deliver the handle where it will need to be. The top hand will quickly become quite active ... almost immediately ... so play with it and place the appropriate feel sensors to feel this.
Sorry FFS. I have been out all day and really didn't feel like typing a response on my phone....
To answer your question; no. When swinging at a low pitch my bottom hand palm is not flat to the ground, nor is my top hand palm flat to the sky. The positioning of my palms at contact are impacted by a number of things. This could be the height of the pitch. Or it could be the depth I allow the pitch to come. Was I early to the ball? Was I late to the ball? I don't use "palm up/palm down" as a cue - never have. What I was commenting on was the pictures that were posted. In both of those pictures, I consider the batter to have his hands in somewhat of a palm up/palm down position, in that stationary shot. Griffey's appear to be almost perfectly up and down. Whereas Miggy's are angled a bit, but are still up-ish and down-ish. Are they parallel to the ground? No. That is why I made the comment about the angle.
