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Sep 29, 2014
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I think in principle this makes a lot of sense. This instant in time between toe touch and heel plant accompanied by back foot pressure and release and elbow slotting is that sweet spot that hitter really have to "feel". If you analyze a lot a swings I don't think you will find a "perfect" spot or sequence. I have seen everything from beginning the rear foot release and elbow slot as toe touches on one end of the spectrum to at heel plant player taking an extra millisecond pause to wait and even reach back ever so slightly before any part of their body releases. I think this is just one of those thing you just know it when you see it if a player leaks (releases too early) or is really late (although honestly I can't think of any good swing that's really late).

A lot of this is timing Donaldson actually did a sports science clip on hitting where he talked about always trying to release at exactly the same point every pitch no matter what using his high leg kick as a timing mechanism where he puts it down quicker for a fastball but if its off speed he waits to put his front foot down...since his timing from toe touch all the way through the swing remains the same the only thing he has to adjust is when his front foot hits the ground. This means he has only one adjustment to make which seems a lot simpler and an interesting concept.

One thing that is talked about here a lot though is the role of the hands and I do think one thing is consistent no matter what is going on with toe/heel touch, rear foot pressure/release and elbow beginning to slot the hands do not go forward; again some actually reach back but if the hands start to go forward then you can't recover. I actually think this is where a lot of the lunging and awkward swings come from no matter what your lower body is doing you still have the option to keep your hands back a millisecond extra and recover (I think when you see a little hitch in a players swing on an off speed pitch and hear someone say "he adjusted to the pitch" that is what you are seeing) once your hands move this is the true point of no return. Now granted you can't release your whole lower body and keep your hands back there forever we are only talking about a small adjustment, if the pitcher as taken off 20% of the speed you aren't going to make that up but maybe you adjust enough to foul that pitch off a get another pitch. I don't know that you can adjust your swing to toe touch, heel plant, wait, wait, wait, wait then release if your normal pattern is one wait...maybe your can get one extra wait in there but that's probably it; now accompany that with another little wait with your hands and maybe you can still drive the ball when fooled...but then I think things start getting out of your normal sequence and you get some of those ugly looking swings you see on good off speed pitches.

I guess what I would be really interested in is if you think there is a "right" spot in other words is it always the exact moment the front heel comes down that we can expect the back heel to come up...or do you think the point he is trying to make is that any point in time is OK for the rear heel to come up as long as it is anytime "after" front heel plant so it puts you in a better position to make an adjustment.
 
Last edited:

rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
83
Not here.
Didn't watch video. Responding to the question.
Hitters aren't 'sitting'. Hitters are in the act of getting 'sat'.
 
Jan 6, 2009
6,587
113
Chehalis, Wa
djcarter,

I think the toe touch and back heel coming up is the timing you want. You work and adjust off of that timing.
 

rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
83
Not here.
There's an old saying, "you gotta sit to hit".

Ok...that's why it's an old saying. It's not what good hitters do.
8a0mbNa.gif

On the right gif can you point out where Bonds is 'sitting'.
 

Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,854
113
What are your thoughts on the video. I wanted to start coming up with good topics to discuss,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKNjsmtJRlc

Shawn, wrt the video and Carpenter, when he is discussing that, I teach that. I use things like high back chairs where my hitters work on that sequence (I use stills of Votto) and go in slow motion. The chair is simply a support for them to hold on while working on that sequence. From there, they jump in and hit front toss. They go back and forth.
 
Sep 29, 2014
2,421
113
djcarter,

I think the toe touch and back heel coming up is the timing you want. You work and adjust off of that timing.

So if someone had a sequence of toe touch, heel down then back heel up would you consider it late? It seemed to be what the video was mentioning that sequence as a solution to enable hitters to better adjust to pitches...is the fear they could be late on a fastball where there is no adjustment to.
 

Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,854
113
So if someone had a sequence of toe touch, heel down then back heel up would you consider it late? It seemed to be what the video was mentioning that sequence as a solution to enable hitters to better adjust to pitches...is the fear they could be late on a fastball where there is no adjustment to.

What you are describing here is "heel-toe" and I believe that Hudgens was the first to discuss this. I got a lot of mileage out of this over the years with one thing that I add long ago. In the "Elvis move" I teach, the back knee is driven downward toward the front ankle for a brief time as the back side resist.
 

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