The LSU Thread

[FiveFrameSwing]

Yes. That was my point. Why is he practicing something on deck that he doesn't do in his swing?

Do you see this in Pujols' game swings?

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Do you see this in Pujols' game swings?

EricF, I wouldn’t overcomplicate it.

Looks like an emphasis of flailing into the ‘Along’. He’s experiencing the whipping effect associated with such an emphasis. It’s a good feel. Go back to the “hand pump” video I put up.

 

[Eric F]

Why guess? Go back to the video and listen to it. See what feel he's describing.

I'm not guessing.

"I'm thinking bringing the knob down and stay inside of the baseball".
"I concentrate on taking the bottom knob of the bat toward the ball."

Seems pretty clear to me what he's trying to feel in his swing.

 

[Eric F]

EricF, I wouldn’t overcomplicate it.

Looks like an emphasis of flailing into the ‘Along’. He’s experiencing the whipping effect associated with such an emphasis. It’s a good feel. Go back to the “hand pump” video I put up.

Looks (to me) like the emphasis he described of taking the knob down to the ball, which is a feeling he seems to think is pretty important, and - when combined with the rest of the components of his swing, at full speed - translates into a swing that we can all (probably) agree is one of the best at hitting a ball a long way.

 

[mann]

Not the same swings JMHO. Top swing 'turns the barrel to the ball'
Bottom swing gif moves hands forward then turns the barrel out front of his body.

On deck inside pitch, game outside Both can have the element of "knob to ball" or better "knob inside ball" which is the same to me as extension into contact.
Keeping the hands loaded will appear like a knob push.

If the knob moves out from the body, what is causing it? just the whip? limp arms?

I looked up strawman, and that's not me bass, I am trying to figure things out, mostly it the "wording" or definitions, but I mean no harm.

 

[rdbass]

You got me thinking now...

Donny Said:

Knob to the Ball

•The knob can go to the ball but we must define the ball location. Is the knob going toward the pitcher or toward the plate? That is an important distinction to make.
•Taking the knob to the pitcher usually involves pulling both hands forward at swing initiation. This linear hand path doesn’t interface with turning hips well.
•Taking the knob to the opposite batters box or “knob to the plate”is a more rotational or circular hand path that does interface with turning hips best.
•Knob to the pitcher is a pull field move and knob to the plate yields the best plate coverage to all fields because the hip turn can reposition the release point.
•In the best swings, the knob is going away from the players belly button on approach.
•The upper body loading move should be the same against every pitch and should be occurring before the pitch location is determined.
•Taking the knob past the lead pants pocket is a great weight shift cue to get players off the back side or release the back side.
•Players that start the knob to the plate can rotate this body and “turn”on the inside pitch for an inside adjustment.
•It is better to set the posture and upper body loading for the down and away pitch and adjust up and in.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Looks (to me) like the emphasis he described of taking the knob down to the ball, which is a feeling he seems to think is pretty important, and - when combined with the rest of the components of his swing, at full speed - translates into a swing that we can all (probably) agree is one of the best at hitting a ball a long way.

I'm not seeing the hands pushed across the chest. Can you point it out for me?

When I see him perform the studio demonstration I see extension of the rear arm. I see a different mechanic than what I see in Howards' demonstration where he wants the hands brought across the chest.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

I'm not guessing.

"I'm thinking bringing the knob down and stay inside of the baseball".
"I concentrate on taking the bottom knob of the bat toward the ball."

Seems pretty clear to me what he's trying to feel in his swing.

Notice the word "down".

Notice that he speaks of staying inside the ball .... and then after Harold talks to him about it Pujols states that he doesn't have to think of staying inside the ball. Pujuols states, “I don’t have to worry about staying inside the ball” … and as he demonstrates, he doesn’t believe in an “around the ball swing path” … hence he doesn’t worry about “staying inside the ball” ... because the barrel path he uses dictates that he doesn't have to worry about it.

Notice that several times Harold says "take the knob to the ball" and Pujols keeps responding with "take the knob towards the ball".

I'm glad it seems clear to you. What did you think of the numerous demonstrations with the barrel having a positive diagonal slope? What does that tell you? Suggests to me that he's brought the 'feel' down to far into his demonstration. Honestly, that's a common trait I've come across with many male high-level coaches ... they describe the swing with a feel, and often use that feel for the beginning of their swing, only to almost immediately abort what they said they were going to do as they initiate their swing. When I've pointed this out to a few they tell me .... sure, it's just an initial feel to get things started. Then these same coaches scratch their head as the female hitters they are working with attempt to physically perform what it is they were just instructed to do.

 

[Eric F]

I'm not seeing the hands pushed across the chest. Can you point it out for me?

When I see him perform the studio demonstration I see extension of the rear arm. I see a different mechanic than what I see in Howards' demonstration where he wants the hands brought across the chest.

You're right, FFS (I know you love hearing that ) The on-deck swing is much more of a "swing" and includes a lot more body turn than he demonstrated in the studio with Harold, which keeps his hands from crossing his chest. However, the body turn doesn't exclude the thought/feeling of taking the knob down to the ball.

Now here's the thing...I'm not advocating a knob-push, out-front swing. Not at all. My point all along is that the FEELING of doing that - when layered with the rest of a good swing - is not necessarily a "terrible" thing FOR SOME HITTERS. As I said before, for some hitters who struggle with certain aspects of the swing related to hand path, I think there is benefit to a drill similar to what Dobson demonstrates.

You want to see a hitter who believes in the feeling of pushing the knob at the ball - PRACTICES pushing the knob at the ball - and has a "high level" swing? Albert Pujols. Is the knob-push evident in his game swing? Nope. The thought and feeling are there, though. He said so himself.

Is that thought and feeling happening here?...

I don't know for sure, but I'm more inclined to believe that it is than I'm inclined to believe that all of LSU's best hitters ignore Dobson.

Maybe it's just me. I'm okay with that.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

You're right, FFS (I know you love hearing that ) The on-deck swing is much more of a "swing" and includes a lot more body turn than he demonstrated in the studio with Harold, which keeps his hands from crossing his chest. However, the body turn doesn't exclude the thought/feeling of taking the knob down to the ball.

Now here's the thing...I'm not advocating a knob-push, out-front swing. Not at all. My point all along is that the FEELING of doing that - when layered with the rest of a good swing - is not necessarily a "terrible" thing FOR SOME HITTERS. As I said before, for some hitters who struggle with certain aspects of the swing related to hand path, I think there is benefit to a drill similar to what Dobson demonstrates.

You want to see a hitter who believes in the feeling of pushing the knob at the ball - PRACTICES pushing the knob at the ball - and has a "high level" swing? Albert Pujols. Is the knob-push evident in his game swing? Nope. The thought and feeling are there, though. He said so himself.

Is that thought and feeling happening here?...

I don't know for sure, but I'm more inclined to believe that it is than I'm inclined to believe that all of LSU's best hitters ignore Dobson.

Maybe it's just me. I'm okay with that.

To me, it's just this simple .....