Stretch & Fire Success!

[Steve Huff]

His coil is quite significant.

Given that he accomplishes this with what some would term a no-stride approach, and given that this is a softball forum where many at some point in their softball career consider a no-stride approach, his lower body mechanics should be widely studied and understood.

There are other at bats where Pujols uses more of a stride, and more of an exaggerated "toe-touch". There is nothing in that rear leg coil, or Fielder's rear leg coil, or upper body, core and shoulder coil, and bat wrap, that Chris or I don't understand or teach. Some have a squared approach like this Pujols swing. But I think that is fine and a minor issue. I teach most girls to swing like this in Europe, keeping it simple. But you are stretching it in some ways about Pujols coil, and our understanding. We just don't launch the bat as you and MTS say. And if we use coil, which I have promoted here repeatedly, and have never bashed your SnF drill, and if our bat path is very direct, then why is your swing which is longer, quicker? Sure if you place the tee deeper, the bat head will get there sooner.

Lastly, Teacherman is banned here for a reason. I personally have an opinion of him, not uncommon. But my opinion of him, or yours of me, should not be relevant here. My position is not to walk into a man's house and start throwing food at him! But then again, I am from Montana so what do I know about how to behave?

 

[RayR]

Hey, I just asked a specific question here that still has not been answered.

But this is just nonsense....

His coil is minor really. Little bat wrap, front shoulder stays fairly square. This is more of a Kevin Long type swing.

Well, there is nothing new in his back leg. Do you think we teach some static leg? And what about that bat angle straight back at the catcher at hip connection (not up or down plane)? Driving his hands just in front of the hip, and keeping that arm frame the whole time? Looks like a waist high inside pitch where everything stays close to the body. His extension appears to be complete pointing at left center field. My guess is that he hit it about 50 feet inside the left field foul pole, unless it hooked. But then again, you never hit the inside edge of the ball (not sure how you change the angle of the direction of the hit ball?). Pujols holds his hands away from the body enough to get his hands inside any speed on the inner corner. That is one thing that drives me crazy about some coaches. I think even Sue Enquist teaches to keep your hands close to the back shoulder (pitcher's view). Pujols' are a little far away for me, because this will make him a less able to drive it to RF (for example a smaller guy). But maybe he makes adjustments and pulls his hands in.

His coil is minor really. Little bat wrap, front shoulder stays fairly square. This is more of a Kevin Long type swing.

OK, Chris - this guy is your model hitter. Any idea why his back leg moves like it does? Why even though it straightens it is IRing the whole time? Why didn't you just teach this to Torres?

 

[RayR]

I can see where someone would make a judgement like this - but it is simply not true.

Yes, he has more coil than Pujols.

 

[RayR]

To say that Pujols has very little coil and the Fiedler has more coil than Pujols is just plain wrong...

Yes, he has more coil than Pujols.

 

[MountieSB]

Yes I have. I wasn't trying to ignore you, but was trying to find examples. But I will just post my thoughts. Model Swings? I posted before that I think there are few model swings. A model swing implies initial good mechanics, guessing pitch speed and contact point correctly, without any adjustmental breakdowns. There are a few in each game, and half of them at least miss the contact point, but they look good moving air. So many of these swings are due to experience and talent, making those adjustments, and making decent or good contact. I saw a girl in a HS game this week stick her bat out and hit a home run. The pitcher was too fast for her normally, and she just threw her bat head out and hit a grand slam, down 3 runs with two outs, bottom 7th. Luck! Not a model swing. In truth, I see every variant imaginable in those gifs.

So if I understand your post, in order to hit the ball the way those girls do in those model swings, they either:
1. Are born with natural talent, or
2. Have the mechanics you're endorsing

If there are few model swings, yet players have great success without having model swings, how are those swings not model? Who created the model? Results matter, don't they? If I swing with great results, yet use a different model than you endorse, and other players swing with great results, yet use a different model than you endorse, can not that model that is being used by successful hitters also be a model swing?

I guess I just cringe when I hear that there is only one model swing, and that players who use a different model, with success, are getting it just because they've been working at it longer and are more naturally talented. I think that's dismissive of ideas different than your own.

 

[MountieSB]

Yes I have. I wasn't trying to ignore you, but was trying to find examples. But I will just post my thoughts. Model Swings? I posted before that I think there are few model swings. A model swing implies initial good mechanics, guessing pitch speed and contact point correctly, without any adjustmental breakdowns. There are a few in each game, and half of them at least miss the contact point, but they look good moving air. So many of these swings are due to experience and talent, making those adjustments, and making decent or good contact. I saw a girl in a HS game this week stick her bat out and hit a home run. The pitcher was too fast for her normally, and she just threw her bat head out and hit a grand slam, down 3 runs with two outs, bottom 7th. Luck! Not a model swing. In truth, I see every variant imaginable in those gifs.

So if I understand your post, in order to hit the ball the way those girls do in those model swings, they either:
1. Are born with natural talent, or
2. Have the mechanics you're endorsing

If there are few model swings, yet players have great success without having model swings, how are those swings not model? Who created the model? Results matter, don't they? If I swing with great results, yet use a different model than you endorse, and other players swing with great results, yet use a different model than you endorse, can not that model that is being used by successful hitters also be a model swing?

 

[RayR]

I have posted recently in favor of a certain set of swing mechanics that I believe in. I can tell you that for long time I did not have feeling about these mechanics either way....I didn't use them in my teaching because, quite frankly, I did not understand them because i never could feel them. Now that I do - I realize what I was missing and now when I post hitters it is to show certain things....and when I post my swings it is because I believe in what I doing and more importantly can feel the difference.

I don't mind debating you guys until the cows come home because it is increasingly clear (to paraphrase Rich) your words indicate that you have never felt it - so you can't see it. All of the explanations, comments, digs all indicate that you are just holding onto to your belief system and lashing out....

It especially gives you away when you make a comment on my SnF demo - and the only thing you can come up with is that on ball below my knees you think you see a sweep or make a comment that my back leg doesn't look high level (I am standing perpendicular to the plate, but I guess you missed that) it just tells me that you are guessing....grasping at anything....

 

[RayR]

Bolded below....Gee, do you think?

Pujols holds his hands away from the body enough to get his hands inside any speed on the inner corner. That is one thing that drives me crazy about some coaches. I think even Sue Enquist teaches to keep your hands close to the back shoulder (pitcher's view). Pujols' are a little far away for me, because this will make him a less able to drive it to RF (for example a smaller guy). But maybe he makes adjustments and pulls his hands in.

Can you explain a Kevin Long type swing? All I know is that it's a good thing Pujols DOES NOT have a Kevin Long type swing....

This is more of a Kevin Long type swing.

Maybe you can take a crack at why his back leg moves the way it does?

Well, there is nothing new in his back leg.

Well, there is nothing new in his back leg. Do you think we teach some static leg? And what about that bat angle straight back at the catcher at hip connection (not up or down plane)? Driving his hands just in front of the hip, and keeping that arm frame the whole time? Looks like a waist high inside pitch where everything stays close to the body. His extension appears to be complete pointing at left center field. My guess is that he hit it about 50 feet inside the left field foul pole, unless it hooked. But then again, you never hit the inside edge of the ball (not sure how you change the angle of the direction of the hit ball?). Pujols holds his hands away from the body enough to get his hands inside any speed on the inner corner. That is one thing that drives me crazy about some coaches. I think even Sue Enquist teaches to keep your hands close to the back shoulder (pitcher's view). Pujols' are a little far away for me, because this will make him a less able to drive it to RF (for example a smaller guy). But maybe he makes adjustments and pulls his hands in.

His coil is minor really. Little bat wrap, front shoulder stays fairly square. This is more of a Kevin Long type swing.

 

[redhotcoach]

Well I will tell you what my hitters do, and the exceptions do. They collapse that rear leg (bend knee) with minimum 60%, preferably 70% of their weight back. They then hit the ball as I have prescribed. Some without any coil, or any bat wrap. It depends on their age, and it depends on their fast-twitch muscles. Girls with bat speed I prefer they coil on their rear leg, show their back pocket to the pitcher, and use some bat wrap to load the wrists. They uncoil at "heel-plant" and hit the ball. Now, how many girls do I coach in clinics who can do this? Very few. They don't have enough bat speed. How many at the International level? This is one who can. More, but not all.

View attachment 3174

Well thanks for answering the question I had for O'Leary. I know you guys are tight. Really, I didn't mean for you tell let out all his secrets!

They collapse that rear leg (bend knee) with minimum 60%, preferably 70% of their weight back. They then hit the ball as I have prescribed.

the guy is trying to sell some stuff!

So you played fp too?....never mind, I don't want to sort though any more ramblings of uncomplete sentences.

 

[crankermo]

Noon,
I emptied my inbox.

Steve,

As far as Brooke casting her hands I agree with that and honestly that is something that we have fixed after this video. She maintains a tight hand path and her bat speed is even quicker now. I really think you have wrong mental image of turning the barrel, it's not casting or dumping the barrel. I think it's just a verbal confusion. The only thing I can say is, what and how I've said things with Brooke has worked based off of video and game results. Hitting instructions have a tendency to get WAY overcomplicated and I don't it needs to be. I like the old motto " Keep it simple stupid "