The LSU Thread

[FiveFrameSwing]

How in the world did you get that I was saying I am a college coach? See, there's the problem. You folks like to assume too much stuff. I am far from a college coach. I was saying that, not in the macho "if you knew who I was" way, but in the, "I'd rather be anonymous on a message board, but I know a few folks who are here" way. Trust me...I'm no one important. But again, I recognize a few names and stories, and my DD plays for a fairly successful organization in the area, and as such, a few of those folks know who she is. That is all.

As far as the rest of it, whatever. Don't have the energy to argue back and forth, nor the desire. I would suggest you actually shoot the guy an email and ask him a few things. Look at a gif of the full swings. Look at what he is trying to teach. Not what you think a prototypical swing has to look like (which I agree with you on). The drill is an exxageration to teach hand position and movement. If you focus on the hands of the mlb swings you posted, they are much the same. Trust me when I tell you, he uses this tee to work hand movement and placement.

We are looking at what he is teaching in this demonstration. He is teaching to swing in the frontal plane. He not only demonstrates it himself, he also shows himself instructing it. He even states this verbally with his instruction. It's pretty much what many of us don't want .... but if it is for you, then that's all that should matter to you.

As for the inferring that this is similar to MLB hand usage ..... I'm simply going to disagree with you on that.

 

[CJ D]

That's awesome. Congrats to your DD!

 

[Eric F]

Gospel?

Not following you. Perhaps you mean the "Hanson Principle". No question, what is being instructed here does not pass the filter of the "Hanson Principle".

You might look at some actual LSU game swing clips. Try to verify if what you see being taught here ended up in their game swing.

The video does serve as good input for the Hall of Shame.

The Dobson video reminds me of the demonstrations Pujols has done with an extreme knob push with the barrel above his hands. Pujols has talked about that move on a couple of different occasions that I've seen. Does this out-front knob-push show up in his game swing? Nope. For whatever reason, inside Pujols' head, the thought of that move translates to creating a swing that many of us use as an example for what we should strive to do. It's an exaggeration to create a feeling that generates a desired result. Will this same exaggeration work for everyone? Probably not.

As for the drill itself, I see some potential benefit (in measured doses, with careful supervision) for hitters who have a strong tendency for a long looping hand path (DBSF pattern) for feeling a short and direct hand-path to contact. Like many drills, I see it as an exaggeration for a specific purpose. If I were to use something similar, I would not encourage the push across the front of the body, however.

I don't agree with Dobson's drill as a good example of a full swing.

 

[CJ D]

We are looking at what he is teaching in this demonstration. He is teaching to swing in the frontal plane. He not only demonstrates it himself, he also shows himself instructing it. He even states this verbally with his instruction. It's pretty much what many of us don't want .... but if it is for you, then that's all that should matter to you.

As for the inferring that this is similar to MLB hand usage ..... I'm simply going to disagree with you on that.

I said the hand path was very similar. Please don't try to put words in my mouth. But again, teach your way. If it works for you and your students, awesome. Maybe one day we'll see you coaching a top 5 DI team and moonlighting for the US team.

 

[rdbass]

Maybe one day we'll see you coaching a top 5 DI team and moonlighting for the US team.

I wish I had the time....but, posting on DFP takes up most of my day.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

I said the hand path was very similar. Please don't try to put words in my mouth. But again, teach your way. If it works for you and your students, awesome. Maybe one day we'll see you coaching a top 5 DI team and moonlighting for the US team.

You specifically wrote "If you focus on the hands of the mlb swings you posted, they are much the same."

The hand path is extremely different ... as in night and day different.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

For those interested, this frontal plane nonsense was also discussed here .... http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-hitting-practical/14729-need-help-what-i-think-casting-10.html#post198527

 

[Eric F]

It’s a horrible drill.

...

Simply horrible training.

But yet, there are some pretty decent games swings made by the ladies who are getting the heaviest dose of this training (ref. the first few pages of this thread). How does that happen? Are they ignoring Dobson's instruction?

I would bet a lot of money that this isn't the only instruction the LSU girls get. Is it possible that - when layered with all of the other components included in a good swing - the short and direct hand path from shoulder to contact, with an inside-out barrel path, demonstrated in this drill has some benefits?

 

[redhotcoach]

Do you believe that if it is on a dvd that is what they do? Not saying they don't, but IMO the dvd(s) of most colleges are to raise $.

 

[Eric F]

Do you believe that if it is on a dvd that is what they do? Not saying they don't, but IMO the dvd(s) of most colleges are to raise $.

Absolutely a valid point, RHC. It seems, however, that this particular drill is included in Dobson's hitting instruction, based on the pics and comments made in this thread.