Timing your swing

[DrPipes]

The 'get started early' advise is against every MLB or high level swing instruction I've ever been around.

In MLB, the concept is 'let it leave the hand' and 'the last ten feet'

Most girls I've seen at 18 gold level have the athletic ability and quickness to launch(uncoil)the upper body even with the 65+ pitching.

80%+ of the hitting woes I've witnessed are being too early and hitting the ball way out front.

I could be way off base on this but that is what I see at every 18u, 18Gold, HS and College game I attend.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

The 'get started early' advise is against every MLB or high level swing instruction I've ever been around.

In MLB, the concept is 'let it leave the hand' and 'the last ten feet'

Most girls I've seen at 18 gold level have the athletic ability and quickness to launch(uncoil)the upper body even with the 65+ pitching.

80%+ of the hitting woes I've witnessed are being too early and hitting the ball way out front.

I could be way off base on this but that is what I see at every 18u, 18Gold, HS and College game I attend.

What EricF is describing is pretty basic. It's fairly common and standard advice.



If you "let it leave the hand" before you begin your movement pattern in preparation to swing, then you are 'toast'.

Think about it ...... why "time the pitcher" if you aren't going to begin moving until after the ball leaves the pitcher's hand? Who would begin "timing the pitcher" after the pitcher has already pitched the ball? It wouldn't make sense to begin "timing the pitcher" after they have released the ball.

Starting slow and early is the holy grail to hitting ...... it is accomplished prior to the pitch being released by the pitcher .... it is part of "timing the pitcher" ....... and "timing the pitcher" takes place 'prior' to the pitch being released by the pitcher.

 

[rdbass]

Just a couple of samples (found in model pitchers thread):

Starting slow and early is the holy grail to hitting ...... it is accomplished prior to the pitch being released by the pitcher .... it is part of "timing the pitcher" ....... and "timing the pitcher" takes place 'prior' to the pitch being released by the pitcher.

 

[redhotcoach]

Starting slow and early is the holy grail to hitting ...... it is accomplished prior to the pitch being released by the pitcher .... it is part of "timing the pitcher" ....... and "timing the pitcher" takes place 'prior' to the pitch being released by the pitcher.

 

[rdbass]

....telling someone to take the hands back is very misleading. HOW DO YOU DO THAT? There are many ways. You CAN NOT ALLOW THE ARM TO DO IT.

Kent's (insert Sierra Remero ) rear SCAP is taking the hands back....as his SCAP pinches/moves toward the spine...and therefore....the hands move.

Without the proper action at the scap/spine junction you will never get the SnF energy to reach the barrel.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

The turn around for Bautista ...... http://m.thepostgame.com/features/201106/number-crusher-how-blue-jays-slugger-jose-bautista-experimented-his-way-greatness


Gaston and Murphy urged Bautista to trigger his swing by moving his top hand in a small semicircle almost a second earlier than before and allow his wrists to drive the bat through the zone.

"I used to start when the pitcher would let go of the ball," Bautista says. "His position would be like this" -- he freezes his arm at a 90-degree angle, his wrist next to his ear -- "and the ball would come out of his hand and I'd just be late. When the pitcher takes the ball out of his glove [now], I'm moving. I've got all this time to load. My top hand moves at the same rate as the pitcher is cocking his arm."

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

The 'get started early' advise is against every MLB or high level swing instruction I've ever been around.

Take note that this MLBer claims to have heard the advice a million times. Probably an exaggeration ... but his point is that it is common advice.

 

[Eric F]

The 'get started early' advise is against every MLB or high level swing instruction I've ever been around.

In MLB, the concept is 'let it leave the hand' and 'the last ten feet'

Most girls I've seen at 18 gold level have the athletic ability and quickness to launch(uncoil)the upper body even with the 65+ pitching.

80%+ of the hitting woes I've witnessed are being too early and hitting the ball way out front.

I could be way off base on this but that is what I see at every 18u, 18Gold, HS and College game I attend.

What do you see at 10U and 12U rec games?

What I see (as I mentioned previously) is girls waiting to see if the pitch is going to be a good one to swing at before they start their process. IMO, this stems largely from being told - repeatedly - not to swing at bad pitches, so they wait to judge location. As pitching speeds increase, the time available to judge location, and then make the decision to swing, doesn't leave enough time to properly execute a powerful swing pattern. What you're left with is being late or taking a panicked, weak flail at the ball. 45mph from 35' doesn't give a young hitter very long to figure things out before it's too late.

Get the process started. Early. On EVERY pitch...

 

[Eugene Stryke]

I think Josh Donaldson is another MLB'er who turned around his career when he switched to an early and slow load.