Pure barrels or cut!

Ok, been in this discussion for a few decades. Just a different way of describing it. In less than .4 tenths of a second, I just can't buy into the notion that someone intentionally hits just below the center of a ball on purpose. It is my contention that they look to center and drive the ball on all swings. There is also the continuing argument about swinging down on the ball. Are hitters swinging down on the ball or are things like pelvic tilt and lateral tilt helping a hitter get on plane? To what degree does a hitter's hands come into connection and then leave connection as the hands adjust to put the barrel on the ball? It various on each pitch. I'll read this thread and maybe learn something.

james27503 said:

Donaldson cuts the crap out of the ball.



My eye says that if Donaldson pure barrels this ball he would have hit a line drive 4 feet high. But because he catches it straight through on the bottom 3rd it is long gone.

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Nice observations. It's all in the mind you know. Give the kids a chance to learn on their own to find the feel of crushing it. Edit: Learned how to hit bombs trying to hit rocks across the Yellowstone River.

james27503 said:

I believe the cut swing is what gets way more balls out in softball vs the pure barrel.



Sierra is cutting these.

Gonna experiment myself, figure this mess out, then teach my DD. Last year Emma my DD hit her first homerun in 12U and she hit a ball like this. She didn't do it intentionally, but that is what happened. When she barrels the ball she hits a nice line drive but its carry is limited due to her age, size, and strength.

I used to watch this video and think WTF is Lauren talking about. She was talking about the swing we see Sierra making above.



So do any of you teach this specifically, and if so what do you do?

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Watch how Romero preps her hands before the 1st swing.

It's much better to have a positive attack angle and create backspin by hitting the ball below center. Being on plane results in a better chance to make contact and reduces the downsides of less than perfect timing, leaving only errors due to bat/ball contact point.
Swinging downward across the path of the ball exagerates any timing issues as evidenced by the super high pop ups in the infield, lazy fly balls, and the complete lack of any top spun grounders or sinking line drives. Also the contact point becomes more critical to produce the perfectly "cut" ball.
Cutting the ball is much easier off a tee and in slow pitch.

james27503 said:

Cause sometimes you don't hit the bottom 3rd of the ball.

My point is, I think the best MLB players and softball players like Sierra Romero and Lauren Chamberlain are not thinking get on plane early. Get behind the ball. And this thinking is evident in their swings. The way they attack the ball is different than the TTB mindset. Their path cuts through the ball and the barrel doesn't follow the balls exit path.

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I agree it is different than TTB and match plane. It is something I have been considering as I continue to teach TTB, getting on the path but I notice it too. As I mentioned earlier Allysa DiCarlo is not even close to cutting and she crushes the ball.

This is one of my favorite at-bats from one of college softballs best hitters Charlotte Morgan. Definitely turning the barrel behind the ball mentality (though she appears to be thinking cut swing in her prep)



And Aaron Judge does not have a cutting approach



Shoulders MORE MERRY-GO-ROUND - cutting vs MORE NORTH AND SOUTH - Rock the baby - pure barrel

I would take "down to"







any day over

Ball hit below the ball centerline=backspin
Ball hit above centerline=top spin
Ball hit dead nuts centerline=knuckle

Balls hit deep on the plate to the outfield will spin 9 to 3 right. 3 to 9 lefty. In front of the plate backspin. A top spin ball to the outfield is typically a nasty line drive. High flies will have a little variation but I don't want to give away too many secrets

What effect would hitting the ball above center line but with a down angle "cutting" direction. With the size of the softball, would the ball compress around the top of the bat causing backspin

Cannonball said:

Ok, been in this discussion for a few decades. Just a different way of describing it. In less than .4 tenths of a second, I just can't buy into the notion that someone intentionally hits just below the center of a ball on purpose. It is my contention that they look to center and drive the ball on all swings.

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.4 tenths of a second is not much.. with that being said trying to hit the center of the ball vs just below the center of the ball would make very little difference in that time span. May as well try hitting just below center? Now how accurate are hitters at hitting just below center or center is another argument

625ender said:

Ball hit below the ball centerline=backspin
Ball hit above centerline=top spin
Ball hit dead nuts centerline=knuckle

Balls hit deep on the plate to the outfield will spin 9 to 3 right. 3 to 9 lefty. In front of the plate backspin. A top spin ball to the outfield is typically a nasty line drive. High flies will have a little variation but I don't want to give away too many secrets

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How far does the below, above have to be in relation to the center line to create a rising line drive or a sinking line drive?