- Jun 11, 2015
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Looks like harper is just doing a little hand/eye warm up and the softballers are practicing knob bunts.
How should a ball spin when hit off a tee?
- Thread starter CoogansBluff
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There is some value in the "hands/knob to the ball" concept. We want the hands taking a short and direct path from launch to contact.
IMO...Ian's guess that Harper is doing it as an eye-hand coordination warm-up is a logical and valid approach to the drill. The problem happens when the concept gets over-blown, and players are taught to push the knob across the front of their body as a component of an out-front swing pattern.
IMO...Ian's guess that Harper is doing it as an eye-hand coordination warm-up is a logical and valid approach to the drill. The problem happens when the concept gets over-blown, and players are taught to push the knob across the front of their body as a component of an out-front swing pattern.
- Oct 10, 2011
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Do you have any examples of anyone hitting with a knob to ball/out front swing in a game situation ?There is some value in the "hands/knob to the ball" concept. We want the hands taking a short and direct path from launch to contact.
IMO...Ian's guess that Harper is doing it as an eye-hand coordination warm-up is a logical and valid approach to the drill. The problem happens when the concept gets over-blown, and players are taught to push the knob across the front of their body as a component of an out-front swing pattern.
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No, I don't, but we've seen that type of swing posted many times in the hitting forms by parents looking for help for their DD. I've also seen those kinds of swings out on the field, and being taught in local cages.
- Oct 10, 2011
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I was just curious because I've seen it taught on a tee but couldn't think of an example where it showed up in a live at bat.
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- Jun 11, 2015
- 1,175
- 48
There is some value in the "hands/knob to the ball" concept. We want the hands taking a short and direct path from launch to contact.
IMO...Ian's guess that Harper is doing it as an eye-hand coordination warm-up is a logical and valid approach to the drill. The problem happens when the concept gets over-blown, and players are taught to push the knob across the front of their body as a component of an out-front swing pattern.
Looking at the gif, I dont see a lot of 'knob to the ball'. I see hands above the ball and hands inside the ball.
Knob to the ball and then turn the barrel? I dont like 'knob to the ball'.
You're giving us an example of exactly how cues often get mutated and/or misused. I said "knob/hands to the ball", and you interpreted that as "knob to the ball then turn the barrel" instruction. That's not what I'm talking about.
What I see Mig doing is taking his hands in a short and direct path from launch to contact (which is what the gif is intended to illustrate). I have found that some of the young hitters I work with, who start their swing with a looping hand path, are helped by the concept of "hands/knob to the ball". I certainly don't advocate the cue for all hitters. Nor do I advocate pulling the hands across the chest, pushing the knob at the ball, or hands level with the ball at contact as components of a good swing.
As I have said before, the instruction that goes along with a cue is the important part. The words of the cue, applied literally, can lead to some significant flaws. CoogansBluff gave us a great example of a cue that works for his DD ("vertical bat"), but used in a literal context would be a disaster.
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- Jun 11, 2015
- 1,175
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I think you misinterpreted what I wrote. Its completely ok with me if someone chooses to use knob to the ball as a cue to improve hand path. I think hands inside the ball is a better description of what actually occurs in a swing and there for a better cue for direct hand path. If a player did actually move the knob to a ball in the strike zone as cued, bad things would happen.
I apologize for my misunderstanding. I agree that "hands inside the ball" is a better description of that actually occurs in a good swing, but now we're changing the conversation from instructional cues to swing descriptions. In my experience, the two do not always align.
- Jun 11, 2015
- 1,175
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No need to apologize for your misunderstanding, im here to help. Hands inside the ball IS a cue for direct hand path and at the same time describes what should occur in a swing. Not changing the conversation. The cue aligns with the action. The same cant be said for knob to the ball. I dont like knob to the ball.
Speaking of changing the conversation lol, how should the ball spin off the tee? Haha
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