Aaron Judge's Swing Changes

[CoachJD]

This is easier than you think...

This is why I had 32 lessons from Friday to Sunday...I'm wiped...but these are some direct quotes:

Why was our previous coach telling us to chop to the ball?
I brought the Donaldson video up about hitting the top of the ball and the hitting instructor walked me out the door
I can't video my DD's lesson
I'm not allowed to ask questions during lessons
The price is $85\hour and you pre-pay with no refunds. I don't guarantee results.

CP

I like that "I don't guarantee results" line. It really covers your butt if you're working with a kid who's just terrible or you don't know what the hell you're talking about.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

I like that "I don't guarantee results" line. It really covers your butt if you're working with a kid who's just terrible or you don't know what the hell you're talking about.

I conclude virtually every lesson with the same message .... during the lesson the kid learned how they can make themselves better ... we recap on what was learned ... and I state verbally that they are responsible for their improvement ... not their mother, not their father, not their bothers, not their sisters, not their friends, and certainly not Betty ... and while all of those individuals may try to be helpful, they are the ones that are responsible for their success. The message couldn't be any more clear ... they need to take ownership.

 

[jryan15]

Well there you go ... you "stay coiled" and the result is that "the swing is launched with the hands" .

Lol, I did elaborate in much more detail previously.

This is how I see that automated pattern: Assuming you coil and stay coiled, the swing is launched with the hands (swivel), and when you go ALL-IN with swivel, your back/scap gets recruited and leads to pelvic tilt which frees up the coiled rear hip and allows the glutes to drive the hip around via the rear leg. I'm no Dr., but I attribute it to something like thoracic extension with a rotational element. For people with responsive glutes, this happens automatically (if you are coiled). For quad dominant people like DD and I, it would only happen rarely when the stars aligned.

I've had few PM's trying to understand some of the rear hip stuff so I'll try and elaborate in more detail yet. I might even try and remake a video to explain what I mean.

So close observers of swings do see how the elite hitters have hip movements that happen before they launch the barrel which begs the question in the concept that I've laid out, when does that happen? In the section above in blue, I talk about how the scap/back interacts with the pelvis and tilts it in a way to allow the rear hip to slip and turn the rear leg (and the upper torso) around and into the zone. The early hip turn is a function of this.

So most people who actually try and learn what it means to coil will find that they coil back in the rear hip and hit a spot where it is max'd out, no more ROM. Most people from that point are stuck and assume that that coil will need to uncoil to swing. However, there is a way to keep coiling back (well kinda). As your rear hip max's out, you keep pulling back with your lower back and up through your scap. This is called "continuous pullbacks" and as you continually pull back the scap/lat interact with the pelvis and tilt it ever so slightly.

When this very slight pelvic tilt happens, the rear hip "slips" and the rear leg starts turning inward (IR like). The glutes which were already pulling back against a max'd rear hip now pullback against a rear hip that has slipped and is free to turn (down the back side of the ball of the femur). This action results in a very explosive and snappy rear leg turn and since the rear hip is max'd out, that snappy movement of the rear leg also yanks the entire upper torso around and into the zone.

This is what I mean about an automated rear hip / leg movement. I know it sounds complex, but this is exactly what happens when an elite overhand throw occurs. Just stand up and do a practice throw, your going to coil back your rear hip and then pullback with your throwing arm scap and when you do, your rear leg is going to automatically turn inward.

This is hip slip... It is the pelvis tilting, the coiled rear hip freeing up, and the glutes will continue to drive the rear leg around. Thus very similar mechanics that result in very similar external movements.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Thank you for clarification. So you instruct a hitter to "stay coiled", and that the result is that "the swing is launched with the hands" by an action in the "back/scap".

You're actually getting closer.

 

[jryan15]

Thank you for clarification. So you instruct a hitter to "stay coiled", and that the result is that "the swing is launched with the hands" by an action in the "back/scap".

You're actually getting closer.

I'm not the one who is lost .

If you truly wish to extend this conversation, it's time to get on the other side of this q&a. So again please post a clip with a frame counter and state which frame you are considering launch and elaborate with details to support your assessment.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

I'm not the one who is lost .

If you truly wish to extend this conversation, it's time to get on the other side of this q&a. So again please post a clip with a frame counter and state which frame you are considering launch and elaborate with details to support your assessment.

No interest on my part.

 

[chrispots]

CP, you gave 32 lessons over 3 days. At 1hr per lesson (which is what I do), that works out to over 10 hours of lessons per day. That beats my 8hrs/day for the last couple of days.

Please don’t tell me that you taught a swing in which the body behaved as a whip with the tip of the whip (i.e., the hands) launched the swing. Did you teach that? I doubt it … I don’t believe a lot of my repeat hitters would repeat if I taught the ‘tip of the whip’ was what was responsible for launching the swing.

If you do teach that the hands launch the swing, then please let me know … I have a few follow-up questions for you.

75% of my lessons are pitching...and I have a full time day job too...the joys of owning your own facility...

You have no idea what I teach...let's put it this way...you don't don't go from a 15 minute travel time demographic to a multi-state demographic in 18 months because your students suck...

Your follow up questions are pointless bait...

You exist no where in cyberspace but on forums...

I'm right here: Softball Training: Pitching, Batting, & Fielding Lessons | WNY FASTPITCH

and here: NIAGARA FRONTIER GIRLS SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION

and here: wny sting

Where are you? Show me a youtube video of your work...

CP

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

75% of my lessons are pitching...and I have a full time day job too...the joys of owning your own facility...

You have no idea what I teach...let's put it this way...you don't don't go from a 15 minute travel time demographic to a multi-state demographic in 18 months because your students suck...

Your follow up questions are pointless bait...

You exist no where in cyberspace but on forums...

I'm right here: Softball Training: Pitching, Batting, & Fielding Lessons | WNY FASTPITCH

and here: NIAGARA FRONTIER GIRLS SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION

and here: wny sting

Where are you? Show me a youtube video of your work...

CP

LOL ... you avoided answering the question ... as I guessed you would.

 

[chrispots]

I guess this is one of the ways our concepts different and maybe something that people don't get about HI. No movement patterns are taught. Yes, we talk A LOT about the rear hip, but other than coiling, we are not ever talking about a hip move...unless you ARE doing a hip move...in which case we say, stop doing that and stay coiled... Basically it's a way to setup, stay setup, and how to launch. The resulting pattern is just that, a result. Not something you do, no muscle memory required.

I see a lot of similarities in the rear hip and upper/lower leg mechanics of high level throwers, softball pitchers, and great hitters. I guess I can see where "The Floss" could be considered for a hitter's hip action, but not for OH throws and softball pitchers. This would imply very different mechanical sets resulting in very similar external movements which I think is unlikely.

To me, the similarities in these athletic movement patterns are the result of near identical under-the-hood core mechanics.

You are WAAAAAY over thinking this...the Floss has NOTHING to do with the swing...in order to do the floss...you have to learn the movement pattern...think occupational therapy for a minute...

I've read this in a few different spots...and I'll summarize in my words "you can't take pieces from X and pieces from Y and plug them into your swing."

Pick a "religion" and show some faith...CP

 

[chrispots]

LOL ... you avoided answering the question ... as I guessed you would.

Nice defelct...."Mr 10K" internet posts with zero work shown...

show it...I have hours of video that I can provide...

JUST SHOW ONE of YOUR hitters

Cabrera is NOT one of your hitters

CP