If you talk to John Tschida, he will tell you at a D3 in Mn. (cold) he doesn't get the elite players, so he teaches a downward swing or a placed groundball. Watch his cone drill. So he wins games without the power game and hard to debate his success. Not everyone is an elite hitter, so you play the cards you are dealt. We start the elbow high and adjust down to take this pitch away from the pitcher. Many still throw this pitch as a high strike. If someone watched the college finals last year they will recall the riseball pitcher that had multi riseballs, and could throw it for a strike. So if the pitcher throws it for a strike or blue is calling it a strike, you better know how to hit it.
Different Hitting Philosophies
- Thread starter CycloneSoftball22
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Take a second look at the swing path he's recommending for a riseball. That isn't how the swing works. Get in the batter's box and attempt to duplicate exactly this swing path ... ... ... you will quickly rule it out. An application of the Hanson Principle would also filter this out.
The majority of people here argue that the rise-ball isn't rising when it arrives at the strike-zone. Some of us disagree. I think it is just not rising as fast, but reflects a typical parabolic arc (friction and gravity are forcing it to lose speed and arc to an ever increasing degree). So I believe it is flattening out at the plate, but still rising slightly. Most here believe in something more extreme. So why would anyone who has that view, buy into a swing that chops down through the ball? I am just saying I see a lot of illogical fallacy here! Why don't you just take a 20% uppercut through a fastball?
Like I said before, I think he is a great defensive coach. I just think this is a gimmick or lack of understanding.
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FiveFrameSwing
Banned
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RayR
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The shame of it is - it is a gimmick that is promoted all over the country as to how to attack the rise....I am not sure how most hitters set up for a rise and can hit anything else....
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RayR
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I have always found this interesting. I agree with you but it takes a Manager and Parent to understanding what’s happening. Strikeouts happen and are OK.
One player on our Team should be our best hitter but the dad shows his displeasure when she strikes out, then she becomes defensive and she gets in trouble for not swinging aggressively. She doesn’t have a chance during games. They work on hitting more than anyone and she would be able to hit the blank out of the ball if she was left alone during the games and some strikeouts were OK.
Critical_swing_points
I will stick with Bonds technique. As I understand Tewks disciples, gifs #1 and #3 most closely reflect "barrel to the ball". #2 and #4 reflect loaded hands, barrel back. I adhere to this philosophy for reasons already stated. I even demonstrate this in clinics. The barrel loaded gives more whip, power, and the ability to adjust to pitch movement or bad judgement. I think the "whip" element is easy to see here. The Bonds photos pretty much bear this out as well.
gif #2 shows the most "linear" technique. I think the fourth hitter in the gifs is Jessica Mendoza. She wore #2 jersey. Kelly Grieve is also LH and wears #2 but she is a blonde. Mendoza did a pretty fair job!
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RayR
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Steve, the clips were to illustrate the hand path is not down....
I do agree there are different barrel turns taking place....
I do agree there are different barrel turns taking place....
Ah, now that makes sense and it is even more appreciated! If their hand paths were down, as we both believe to be "suspect" to put it nicely, then it is difficult by any analysis to believe there was any contact. The only pitch that may have been a strike was #2. For this "string drill" to work, the hands would have to start above the ear, and in gif #1, over her head. That "ain't" quick to the ball!
This is not a riseball drill, as some posted on this site by John Tschida. The balls on a rope drill and it drill 57 on his DVD, it is a casting drill and the balls are to teach you how to hit a ball without casting ! Interesting he is 573 and 98, 3 National championships and twice NFCA Coach of the year, so who would you want to learn from. He like many are taken out of context. His DVD's are listed in this month's CHAMPIONSHIP PRODUCTIONS.COM It has all softball training DVD's. He covers 110 different drills. He also played softball professionally and his stats are very good. The milk crate drill is simple and a neat way to get the correct back leg and foot action so the kid gets instant feedback.
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