Looking for a Tewks video

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Apr 11, 2015
877
63
julray, I know the question was asked of Five, but if I might....the video in question is when Bobby was just starting to get the idea of "barrel to the ball", "TTB", and "Shift AND Swing" vs "Shift THEN Swing" down as many of us had/were experimenting with back then...and he was also just starting to get out in front of the camera, and trying to figure out the best way(s) of trying to get his point(s) across early in his coaching career.

With all of this, and all of us...over time things change, and the more we all worked with the concepts, the more comfortable we became with them, and also started incorporating our own teaching styles and terms into them, and why in the later Tewks video you just posted (2013) Bobby has a more in depth understanding of the various swing types...having worked with a lot more hitters than he had prior to the filming of the first clip that was posted (2010)...some of whom were now playing at the highest level of the game, and credited Bobby for a lot of their success in getting there (Colabello).

As far a Antonelli, while I really like his presentations on the material...he like so many others (Justin Stone is another) were late to the party, and have benefitted from all of the "early party-goers" who literally battled in the trenches of the these forums in taking something that was bitterly disputed to something that many are now seeing, and using...even if they try to argue that they are not, but have rather created something "new" that's earthshaking or revolutionary. There's nothing wrong with that btw, as even much of what many of us battled about (and still do to a much lesser extent) can also be attributed to some of the things old Ted William's was trying give us way back in the day with his book "The Science of Hitting".

So hopefully this gives you a little background into why it may appear that what Tewks said/showed in the first video might not be the same as he, and others are talking about now in later videos out there. But it's also the reason his first clip was 2 minutes and 17 seconds long, and his subsequent ones are 20-30 minutes long once he gained a much deeper understanding of the material, and had much more experience in the presentation process in order to be able teach it at the highest levels.

There's plenty of good instructors out there (and plenty of not-so-good ones as well)...the big difference in the good ones, is how long have they been teaching what they're teaching, and how well do they really understand the material...versus just parroting something someone else had shown or told them at one time or another. Perfect example: the "one-legged" swing. To this day we still have some very old forumers who believe that "one-legged" literally means that some believe the swing takes place only on or with "one-leg", which is so far from the truth it's laughable, but yet they still try to pretend that that's the belief of some, and still poo-poo it today because they never took it upon themselves to understand it in its proper context or learn how it's used to actually help many a hitter. Just saying....


Best of luck, hope that helps clear somethings up a bit,
MB
 
Jul 16, 2013
4,659
113
Pennsylvania
Yep got the part about push and no SB's video looks nothing like a push pattern, quite the opposite in fact.

In this video Tewks talks about 3 types of swings, push, pull and Elite
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W_4nI31DmI

IMO.. in this video Tewks is demonstrating more of the pull type swing he refers to in the video above
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udhH9pke5jM

While Antonelli is demonstrating more of the elite type swing Tewks is referring to in Tewks 1st video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCXVuLlhraw

The first video is one of Bobby's better videos, IMO (bolded above). Honestly there are a number of his talking points that I can relate to. And the actions he is referring to as part of the elite pattern are very similar to what some other people have discussed over the years. "Flashing the knob", "Lasering", and a few other phrases are all slightly different ways of visualizing what he is calling the "elite pattern". Whenever I hear him talking about that, this is the first gif that pops into my mind.

01bOEwL.gif
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,712
113
Chicago
As far a Antonelli, while I really like his presentations on the material...he like so many others (Justin Stone is another) were late to the party, and have benefitted from all of the "early party-goers" who literally battled in the trenches of the these forums in taking something that was bitterly disputed to something that many are now seeing, and using...even if they try to argue that they are not, but have rather created something "new" that's earthshaking or revolutionary. There's nothing wrong with that btw, as even much of what many of us battled about (and still do to a much lesser extent) can also be attributed to some of the things old Ted William's was trying give us way back in the day with his book "The Science of Hitting".

Sort of related to this point: From what I've seen all these guys are like 90-95% on the same page. Maybe even more than that. I'd say watch them all. When you see that much agreement, it's a safe bet they're all pretty much on the right track (or we're all wrong and nobody knows anything about anything). Then figure out who "speaks to you" the best. I've watched and like Stone and Tewks just fine. I use their videos. But for me, my go-to hitting videos are obviously Domingo Ayala's. :)

OK, my "favorite" is Antonelli, but not because I think his info is better than others. I just "get it" more often and more quickly via his videos. I can't say why. But the point is, I think there is value in a bunch of guys teaching the same stuff (as long as what they're teaching is good). If one person isn't for you, another might be, and you'll still be getting the good info.
 
May 3, 2014
2,149
83
Juan Soriano is a must follow. He keeps it simple and he shows the progressions of a large amount of his hitters.

Just one example

[video]https://www.instagram.com/p/BrUOTBxABr5kXzjCm4QVGVQ66PRQk33hWD-5S80/[/video]
 
May 12, 2016
4,338
113
The first video is one of Bobby's better videos, IMO (bolded above). Honestly there are a number of his talking points that I can relate to. And the actions he is referring to as part of the elite pattern are very similar to what some other people have discussed over the years. "Flashing the knob", "Lasering", and a few other phrases are all slightly different ways of visualizing what he is calling the "elite pattern". Whenever I hear him talking about that, this is the first gif that pops into my mind.

01bOEwL.gif

That is a great gif.. and so easy to see the "elite pattern" in that swing. However I find the initial move where the bat goes directly back over the shoulder towards the 3rd base dugout(right handed) hard to teach. Teaching to pull instead of push is easy, but that initial movement I am having some issues with. Also I see this initial movement a lot in baseball, but not so quite evident in softball. I see more of the pull swing that Tewks refers too and some push as well.

In regards to lasering or flashing the knob, I don't understand how that's related to the initial move I am referring to. I think you can still laser or flash the knob and have a pull swing. The only big difference I see between the "pull" and elite swing is the initial movement of the barrel (i referred to above). I know that's key, it's the running start that I am so interested in and where I believe the early power/bat speed is generated.
 
Last edited:
May 12, 2016
4,338
113
julray, I know the question was asked of Five, but if I might....the video in question is when Bobby was just starting to get the idea of "barrel to the ball", "TTB", and "Shift AND Swing" vs "Shift THEN Swing" down as many of us had/were experimenting with back then...and he was also just starting to get out in front of the camera, and trying to figure out the best way(s) of trying to get his point(s) across early in his coaching career.

With all of this, and all of us...over time things change, and the more we all worked with the concepts, the more comfortable we became with them, and also started incorporating our own teaching styles and terms into them, and why in the later Tewks video you just posted (2013) Bobby has a more in depth understanding of the various swing types...having worked with a lot more hitters than he had prior to the filming of the first clip that was posted (2010)...some of whom were now playing at the highest level of the game, and credited Bobby for a lot of their success in getting there (Colabello).

As far a Antonelli, while I really like his presentations on the material...he like so many others (Justin Stone is another) were late to the party, and have benefitted from all of the "early party-goers" who literally battled in the trenches of the these forums in taking something that was bitterly disputed to something that many are now seeing, and using...even if they try to argue that they are not, but have rather created something "new" that's earthshaking or revolutionary. There's nothing wrong with that btw, as even much of what many of us battled about (and still do to a much lesser extent) can also be attributed to some of the things old Ted William's was trying give us way back in the day with his book "The Science of Hitting".

So hopefully this gives you a little background into why it may appear that what Tewks said/showed in the first video might not be the same as he, and others are talking about now in later videos out there. But it's also the reason his first clip was 2 minutes and 17 seconds long, and his subsequent ones are 20-30 minutes long once he gained a much deeper understanding of the material, and had much more experience in the presentation process in order to be able teach it at the highest levels.

There's plenty of good instructors out there (and plenty of not-so-good ones as well)...the big difference in the good ones, is how long have they been teaching what they're teaching, and how well do they really understand the material...versus just parroting something someone else had shown or told them at one time or another. Perfect example: the "one-legged" swing. To this day we still have some very old forumers who believe that "one-legged" literally means that some believe the swing takes place only on or with "one-leg", which is so far from the truth it's laughable, but yet they still try to pretend that that's the belief of some, and still poo-poo it today because they never took it upon themselves to understand it in its proper context or learn how it's used to actually help many a hitter. Just saying....


Best of luck, hope that helps clear somethings up a bit,
MB

Thanks MB, not trying to discredit Tewks one bit, I did notice the date. Evolution is amazing. The first video is a great vid by Tewks, Antonelli's videos I find a little more fine tuned and better presented.
 
May 12, 2016
4,338
113
Juan Soriano is a must follow. He keeps it simple and he shows the progressions of a large amount of his hitters.

Just one example

[video]https://www.instagram.com/p/BrUOTBxABr5kXzjCm4QVGVQ66PRQk33hWD-5S80/[/video]

I'm already following and what he teaches it has helped a lot. However, again in the swings his girls reproduce I see more evidence of the "pull" swing and not the "elite" swing Tewks refers to and Antonelli displays in his video.
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
That is a great gif.. and so easy to see the "elite pattern" in that swing. However I find the initial move where the bat goes directly back over the shoulder towards the 3rd base dugout(right handed) hard to teach. Teaching to pull instead of push is easy, but that initial movement I am having some issues with. Also I see this initial movement a lot in baseball, but not so quite evident in softball. I see more of the pull swing that Tewks refers too and some push as well.

In regards to lasering or flashing the knob, I don't understand how that's related to the initial move I am referring to. I think you can still laser or flash the knob and have a pull swing. The only big difference I see between the "pull" and elite swing is the initial movement of the barrel (i referred to above). I know that's key, it's the running start that I am so interested in and where I believe the early power/bat speed is generated.

I believe what you are describing as an 'initial move' is a bit more integrated.

If you are having a difficult time teaching this action then check your hitter's hand-set and check your hitter's "short-hands action".

If the hand-set is poor, then it will be a difficult task.

In terms of short-hands ... if the focus is primarily on the top-hand & rear-arm, as is the case in Bobby's demo, then that can make it difficult ... both forearms are actively engaged in putting the lead-arm forearm 'on plane' ... and that should be taking place during the initial pull of the torso ... which I don't believe Bobby explained.

The lead-arm is a swinger ... a focus primarily on the top-hand/rear-arm here is a mistake imo.
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
Bobby describes the ‘pull pattern’ with the lead-arm already up. In other words, with the “short-hands action” already by-passed.

He's correct ... in this position the torso-engine is 'pulling' and the early portion of the forearm/hand engine is by-passed.

The thing is ... I don't see that very much. Actually, I only see that in drills.

Bobby describes the flattening incorrectly imo. His demonstration comes across to me as promoting the barrel flattening being a separate action occurring prior to the pulling via the torso-engine. Instead the ‘flattening’ occurs during the initial pulling with the torso-engine via the ‘short-hands action’. When Butter spoke of ‘forearms’, the "short-hands action" was (or should have been) the early part of what he was attempting to describe imo. Get that “short-hands action” embedded in your swing … which is really the ‘elite pattern’ … and you’ll create some attractive barrel speed from behind that will have the ball jumping.
 
Jul 16, 2013
4,659
113
Pennsylvania
That is a great gif.. and so easy to see the "elite pattern" in that swing. However I find the initial move where the bat goes directly back over the shoulder towards the 3rd base dugout(right handed) hard to teach. Teaching to pull instead of push is easy, but that initial movement I am having some issues with. Also I see this initial movement a lot in baseball, but not so quite evident in softball. I see more of the pull swing that Tewks refers too and some push as well.

In regards to lasering or flashing the knob, I don't understand how that's related to the initial move I am referring to. I think you can still laser or flash the knob and have a pull swing. The only big difference I see between the "pull" and elite swing is the initial movement of the barrel (i referred to above). I know that's key, it's the running start that I am so interested in and where I believe the early power/bat speed is generated.

In my opinion, the pull pattern can be associated with a hitter that focuses too much on connection. I see connection as a pass through position. But if it is overcooked it can impact other things.

To me lasering is just a matter of which end of the bat you are focused on. Oftentimes the barrel end is easier because movement is much more pronounced. Movement on the hands end of the bat is much more subtle. After all, when placed in the hands the bat acts kind of like a lever. So it's just a matter of what makes more sense to you. As [MENTION=14743]CoachJD[/MENTION] was alluding to, much of this is just different ways of understanding and approaching the same movements.
 

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