Perfect swing?

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Jan 6, 2009
6,591
113
Chehalis, Wa
I need some schooling here...
This is not a baited or loaded question...how is an open stance a loading technique?
Thanks

In McCutchen's case as well as any who have an open stance you can feel the back hip/torso when winding up. In the case above he is starting with the weight back, behind the back foot, and then he clicks back slightly. Closing up from the open stance creates an easy forward by coil. And like I said it creates a better stretch in the back hip and lower torso.

There are many, many, hitters who start slightly open. The feeling of the front hip being open creates a better awareness of the back hip/lower torso. You feel the coil at a different level, makes you more aware of the loading taken place.

Of course there must be a good stable back leg/hip when you start to load. As McCutchen is showing. He doesn't have to move very far back to initiate the loading. Very stable and turns it into FBC very quickly.

If anything takes place an open stance should lead to an easier/almost an automatic FBC.

You also create a rtythym with the upperbody. The feeling of closing up, creates a rythym in the upperbody load.
 
Last edited:

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
I subscribe to the philosophy of different strokes for different folks, so there is not such thing as a "one size fits all" perfect swing...
 
May 3, 2014
2,149
83
I would venture that most fastpitch hitters are bottom hand dominant type hitters. They look to create momentum either through a forward move and/or a very pronounced early hip rotation.

TvhXPE.gif

3hnZuq.gif

HvfL30.gif
 

ian

Jun 11, 2015
1,175
48
Looking at swings a little differently now - Bottom hand or top hand hitters (as explained by a Japanese fellow on twitter). McCutchen looks to be a bottom hand hitter. Lots of forward momentum. More like the old time hitters. Also - I like the way his coil turns the rear knee back and helps open the rear hip joint (stretch) so it can then contract (close) more forcefully. All of this to help hitters find their more natural path instead of insisting they hit a certain way.

Compare to a top hand hitter like Trout - McCutchen's front scap really gets stretched away from his spine compared to Trout setting up the bottom hand pull. Also compare the barrel turns. Which one looks sharper?

NGkgSO.gif
Cutch-side-angle-slow.gif

https://youtu.be/dUe2dK9uGbY

This swing looks better than both of them.
 
May 3, 2014
2,149
83
It's neither good nor bad to be a bottom hand hitter. It's a style based on your natural abilities. Brett, Gywnn, Strawberry, Williams, Palmiero and McGwire were all bottom hand hitters. Currently, there seems to be more top hand power hitters in the pros as the idea of a compact A to C has been more popular. Pujols, Bonds, Ortiz, Trout, Freeman, Votto, Longoria etc

What screws people up is mixing the two styles unless you are Harper. Harper has a strong bottom hand pull coupled with a strong top hand push. Bautista used to be more of bottom hand guy until he transformed into atop hand hitter. So, either style is good.
 
Last edited:
Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
It's neither good nor bad to be a bottom hand hitter. It's a style based on your natural abilities. Brett, Gywnn, Strawberry, Williams, Palmiero and McGwire were all bottom hand hitters. Currently, there seems to be more top hand power hitters in the pros as the idea of a compact A to C has been more popular. Pujols, Bonds, Ortiz, Trout, Freeman, Votto, Longoria etc

What screws people up is mixing the two styles unless you are Harper. Harper has a strong bottom hand pull coupled with a strong top hand push. Bautista used to be more of top hand guy until he transformed into a bottom hand hitter. So, either style is good.

How do you recognize/distinguish the two when watching video?
 
Last edited:

rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
83
Not here.
Andrew's been my DD's 'model' for a long time(see older posts). STYLE.....his style swing model fit with getting my DD towards her goal. Posters need to look for a 'model' that would fit their DD's future, present swings. Example...open stance was good for a 2 eye look at the pitcher. Open stance helped with DD's coil & SNF.
McCutch may not be every hitters model but, there is a model at there for every hitter. Spend some time and look.
 
Jan 6, 2009
6,591
113
Chehalis, Wa
anyone else like to comment on McCutchens swing?

Anyone confused when I said he starts with the weight behind the back foot? Because I don't mean toward the catcher. The weight is behind the back foot toward the dugout.
 

Staff online

Forum statistics

Threads
42,831
Messages
679,491
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top