So you are saying MLB players dont think about launch angle?
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So you are saying MLB players dont think about launch angle?
So in your opinion the swing launch is determined at some point after release.. Of course thats easy. However do you believe that swing launch can be adjusted in a swing to meet the break of the pitch. Basically can a good hitter recover from initially starting their swing (getting on plane) on a pitch they think is waste high.. But drops to mif thigh? Can their swing be adjusted so the swing launch is where it should be?
Cannonball
Ex "Expert"
- Feb 25, 2009
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In my opinion, "launch angle" is another red herring created by gurus and then picked up by sports casters who continue it. It has always been prominent in the game. Ted Williams described it in The Science of Hitting. The discussions have always been whether hitters actually swing down on the ball. Are they able to hit one specific part of a 90+ mph baseball to impart spin on purpose? Do they match a swing plane exactly? What are the role of the hands in the swing? Suddenly, you have analysis on the MLB station breaking this stuff down and suggesting that this concept is new. Break down Bond's swing and you'll see it. Do the same with Pujols. Remember when Manny Rameriz's swing was the soup de jour? Take a look at his game swings. Do the same with all of the great hitters in the past including the Babe. Watch the shoulder action and see that the shoulders have never been level in the HL swing. Even on the pitch up, the shoulders are not level. Note the various launch angles below and notice the avatar of my kid.
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- Jun 8, 2016
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Not FFS obviously, but imo there are certainly things you can do after launch to try and "save" your swing if you are fooled (there is a gif of Manny getting fooled big time and still hitting a HR). That said the longer you can wait to launch, e.g. the longer you have to recognize the pitch and get the barrel where it needs to be, the better off you are. I think TM refers to LQ (launch quickness) as a measure of how well one is able to do this. Whatever you want to call it, the quicker you can get your barrel up to speed the longer you can wait and the better you can recognize the pitch and launch appropriately for the given pitch.
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Sure launch angle has been around forever.. it's part of the swing right? But sportscasters are talking about it more now because it has become ridiculously steep in some of the new generations swings. And of course it changes depending on the pitch.. but that's my point, it has to be adjustable depending on the plane of the pitch. I'm not saying that it has to match the plane perfectly, but it's no different than do you want to be swinging down in a straight line from A (bat on shoulder) to B (contact).. no. Bat has to be on plane with ball to certain degree to be successful.
When I say level swing.. I don't mean it has to be so level that you can balance a marble on a plane from back shoulder to front shoulder. It's a cue I use for my DD that helps her from swinging under a pitch. Her swing is still slightly uphill. IMO, in the pic you posted below the green line exhibits a level swing.
When I say level swing.. I don't mean it has to be so level that you can balance a marble on a plane from back shoulder to front shoulder. It's a cue I use for my DD that helps her from swinging under a pitch. Her swing is still slightly uphill. IMO, in the pic you posted below the green line exhibits a level swing.
Considering the amount of time a fastpitch hitter has to react.. they really can't wait that long when you have a good pitcher on the mound. That's why I believe a level swing mentality gets them in the best position to react to either drop ball/rise ball. It's a little different in baseball where the pitching plane declines on a greater angle. I believe in fastpitch the hitter needs to stay on top more and react
- Jun 8, 2016
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Reaction time for average D1 pitcher (say 65 mph) and an average MLB pitcher say 90 to 92 mph is pretty much the same. Also I didn't say you could wait a long time I said the longer you can wait the better...
Julray, I think your level first approach has merit at the top of the zone.. Thinking vertical path first to match all pitches in the zone doesn't work. There needs to be multiple paths of get the barrel behind the ball.
