Bonds ... catching the ball with the bat.

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

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

Oct 13, 2014
5,471
113
South Cali
Been busy driving all day. My last post was rushed. I didn't mean on plane early, I meant setting direction early. So sorry for my hasty post. Happens when I rush.

I don't post at BBD. I read mostly. Old threads, BM stuff was/is good. 1CA is good as well. I am here for the sole purpose of being a better coach. Nothing else interests me. But I do get some good laughs when those boys go at each other.

This is a quick post . I'll read through the rest and check back in. Thanks.
 
Jul 16, 2013
4,659
113
Pennsylvania
Interesting conversation. I think some have an issue with the "swing down" mentality because they tend to take things too literally. It's all in the interpretation. I find the same with the launch angle discussion. Some people take this too literally as well. The truth is that every ball that makes contact with a bat is going to have a "launch angle". It doesn't matter if it is a home run, a pop up to the catcher, or a bunt. They all have measurable launch angles. The goal in my opinion is to develop a swing that results in a high percentage of barreled balls that have a launch angle within a certain range. Launch angle is a result...
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,037
0
Portland, OR
FP26, for my personal hitting sessions, I find that the swing down mentality gives me the highest percentage of squared balls. For me it is a feel of the ball coming into my sites (gun site) where the barrel is fired downward.
 
Apr 11, 2015
877
63
Keep the hands up ... work/throw/swing the barrel down to the ball ... NOT the hands down to the ball, but the barrel down to the ball.

This is why I am personally more "barrel centric" as opposed to being "handle centric" ... but that's me.
I'm all for "barrel centric" as well...as I define it, being consciously focusing on barrel path, and subconsciously controlling it with the hands/handle.

I still have a big problem with "swinging down to the ball" no matter how it's spun, when the first movement of the barrel is in the opposite direction to the ball (if one teaches "turning the barrel") from the "Position of Power" that Hudgens teaches or the RVP "connection point position" as you post often (if I understand that correctly as being the same).

So how does one teach a kid to "swing down to (or even 'through') the ball" from their initial launch position, if the barrel needs to start heading in the opposite direction before turning "to" or "through" it?

I think your "Around" (and eventually "Along") is a far better representation of the barrel path, than any that by simple word definitions puts the wrong initial direction in developing hitters' minds.

"Barrel path" is key to getting the swing we're looking for, and anything that's "knob" or "hand" centric is a very difficult teach of the majority of young hitters to wrap their head around, and get correct. JMO...other's MMV.
 
Last edited:
Oct 13, 2014
5,471
113
South Cali
I teach a knob approach. It's what makes most sense and most likely ensures a proper load and release of the barrel. Whip is the goal. You whip with the handle not the tip.

Golf instruction is very similar . If you have a club head centric thought. Your path will be anything but consistent . They attack down to on the inside portion of the ball with a handle dominant swing/release. Teaching whip of a barrel/club head is best understood from a handle/knob approach.

You use the knob/handle to whip not the tip.
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,037
0
Portland, OR
I'm all for "barrel centric" as well...as I define it, being consciously focusing on barrel path, and subconsciously controlling it with the hands/handle.

I still have a big problem with "swinging down to the ball" no matter how it's spun, when the first movement of the barrel is in the opposite direction to the ball (if one teaches "turning the barrel") from the "Position of Power" that Hudgens teaches or the RVP "connection point position" as you post often (if I understand that correctly as being the same).

So how does one teach a kid to "swing down to (or even 'through') the ball" from their initial launch position, if the barrel needs to start heading in the opposite direction before turning "to" or "through" it?

I think your "Around" (and eventually "Along") is a far better representation of the barrel path, than any that by simple word definitions puts the wrong initial direction in developing hitters' minds.

"Barrel path" is key to getting the swing we're looking for, and anything that's "knob" or "hand" centric is a very difficult teach of the majority of young hitters to wrap their head around, and get correct. JMO...other's MMV.

MB, the notion of 'swinging down' isn't for everyone. Over the years I looked into the notion several times and tossed it aside. I do use the notion with several hitters currently, with the objective of realizing a compact swing with the hand-path that we are after.

From the RVP-Connection-Point-Position (i.e., upright power-vee) the barrel is thrown/swung into what can be thought of as an inverted-vee … added in ‘magenta’ below.

Downswing_Barrel_Down_Hands_Up_Inverted_Vee.gif


I find the notion of “keep the hands up” to be a big assist in helping hitters swing through an upright power-vee. I find it helps with the hand-path for hitters that like a mental objective … as opposed to a physical movement objective.

Likewise the notion of “swing/throw the barrel down to the ball, NOT the hands” is also a good objective for those that prefer an objective based swing objective.

Combined … “keep the hands up, swing/throw the barrel down (not the hands)” helps hitters realize a good hand-path.
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,037
0
Portland, OR
I teach a knob approach. It's what makes most sense and most likely ensures a proper load and release of the barrel. Whip is the goal. You whip with the handle not the tip.

Golf instruction is very similar . If you have a club head centric thought. Your path will be anything but consistent . They attack down to on the inside portion of the ball with a handle dominant swing/release. Teaching whip of a barrel/club head is best understood from a handle/knob approach.

You use the knob/handle to whip not the tip.

Work=wins ... what is the 'base' of the whip you are describing? What is the 'tip' of the whip you are describing?
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
42,865
Messages
680,328
Members
21,523
Latest member
Brkou812
Top