another 10U swing

[RayR]

You are claiming Torres as your hitter? I am going to go out on a limb and say that Torres was already pretty good before you ever knew his name. And I am going to guess that he was already genetically wired to move pretty well. If you illuminated something for him to keep him in the bigs and become a very good hitter - kudos to you - but....Still doesn't mean you can teach a 12 year old girl and get her better...

Don't know why you are so quick to judge what others teach - especially not knowing the ability of the player or the context. I am learning everyday another way to get the same basic points across - mainly to 12 to 17 YO girls. I understand that you just learned something at a recent clinic, but you wouldn't know it by the tone of your posts...know it all...

Gotta go now - another lesson with a live 12 YO girl...

I've been coaching baseball for 12 years and softball for 3.

My top hitter played in the world series this year. His name is Andres Torres and he hit .350 in the NLCS and .318 in the WS.

I'm also on my second major league scouting gig.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

You are claiming Torres as your hitter? I am going to go out on a limb and say that Torres was already pretty good before you ever knew his name. And I am going to guess that he was already genetically wired to move pretty well.

Andres Torres was a .210 hitter and on his way out of baseball before we met.

You can read about it for yourself in Sports Illustrated...

Andres Torres is becoming invaluable to San Francisco Giants - Joe Lemire - SI.com

Don't know why you are so quick to judge what others teach - especially not knowing the ability of the player or the context. I am learning everyday another way to get the same basic points across - mainly to 12 to 17 YO girls. I understand that you just learned something at a recent clinic, but you wouldn't know it by the tone of your posts...know it all...

Gotta go now - another lesson with a live 12 YO girl...

I'm certainly not a know it all, but I am experienced and in my experience too much focus on the hands too soon can cause lots of problems (for both boys and girls).

That is especially an issue for girls who generally don't have the upper body strength to just muscle their way around flaws the way some boys can.

 

[lhowser]

O Leary,

I have enjoyed your website a great deal. Wish you would improve your style of communication on this site but I have to give you credit. From the Sports Illustrated article this is awesome:

Torres' favorite is Pujols. He is in such awe of Pujols' swing that he'll not only watch his at-bats but go online and use Google to find out more. In early 2008 he found some flipbooks breaking down the Cardinals first baseman's swing frame by frame and out of the blue called the website's creator, a St. Louis area suburban dad named Chris O'Leary who has read voraciously about hitting but has no professional background, and said, "Hey, I read your stuff. It really made a lot of sense. Tell me more about this connection thing."

Though his cell phone number is listed on his website, O'Leary was stunned to receive a call, particularly from a ballplayer -- especially this one. "As soon as I got off the phone with him, I Googled him just to see what was up," O'Leary said. "I had never heard of him."

Connection is a hitting term for the idea that the hands should rotate in sync with the back shoulder on a swing, to generate power from the whole body. Pujols is perhaps the most perfect practitioner of this. As O'Leary explains, the hitting cue thrown around many commentators and instructors -- extension -- is often used incorrectly, as extension is not the cause of a good swing but the effect.

Torres found a sympathetic ear in O'Leary and the two have traded a few dozen calls, texts and email over the past two years, even working out together in Puerto Rico in Jan. 2009.

Very cool

 

[Chris O'Leary]

O Leary,

I have enjoyed your website a great deal. Wish you would improve your style of communication on this site but I have to give you credit. From the Sports Illustrated article this is awesome:

Very cool

Focusing on connection, and de-emphasizing his hands, was really the big idea for Torres and one reason why I don't emphasize the hands.[1]

His biggest problem was that he was taught to throw his hands at the ball and swing with his hands, which meant he had basically no pop.

[1] By connection, I mean rotating the hands with the back shoulder through at least the first 1/2 to 2/3 of the swing. Of course, in order to keep the hands at the back shoulder, and keep the hands from sliding back too far and the front arm barring out, the hands cannot be dead.

 

[lhowser]

[1] By connection, I mean rotating the hands with the back shoulder through at least the first 1/2 to 2/3 of the swing. Of course, in order to keep the hands at the back shoulder, and keep the hands from sliding back too far and the front arm barring out, the hands cannot be dead.

To me this is an excellent explanation of one very important aspect of the swing. I note especially the first 1/2 to 2/3 of the swing. A few years ago i had my daughter focus to much on connection and she wasn't releasing the hands. currently I find if you can get around the corner connected you are in pretty good shape.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

currently I find if you can get around the corner connected you are in pretty good shape.

And if you disconnect and release the hands before you turn the corner you are toast.

Most attacks on my views are straw men that ignore the phrase "the first 1/2 to 2/3 of the swing" and try to make people believe that I think that you should never release the hands or extend.

 

[RayR]

I don't dispute the "first 1/2 to 2/3 of the swing" at all. I share lhowser's experience of

A few years ago i had my daughter focus to much on connection and she wasn't releasing the hands

Tonight we threw bats! You see the body figure out how to really throw a bat with power and then hit the ball harder. You don't need to eliminate the hands as you learn to use the body has been my point from the get go.

BTW, you never thanked me for setting you up to toot your horn...I don't dispute that you work with Torres as I read the article by chance when it came out, but would love to see some before and after of Torres if you have them. You can pm me if you wish.

Don't forget the hands!!!

 

[Chris O'Leary]

I don't dispute the "first 1/2 to 2/3 of the swing" at all. I share lhowser's experience of

Tonight we threw bats! You see the body figure out how to really throw a bat with power and then hit the ball harder. You don't need to eliminate the hands as you learn to use the body has been my point from the get go.

BTW, you never thanked me for setting you up to toot your horn...I don't dispute that you work with Torres as I read the article by chance when it came out, but would love to see some before and after of Torres if you have them. You can pm me if you wish.

Don't forget the hands!!!

Before's and after's are here...

My Experience With Andres Torres

 

[lhowser]

Tonight we threw bats!

Friday I am thinking about throwing basketballs (with 10 year olds). I have a group with really great potential. Friday I want to work on weight trasfer. A number of them are caught up in a static pre-stide start reaching out with the front foot on the big toe BUT camping with weight on the backside.

This I personally do not like at all. It causes a hip slide and a number of other problems.

I want them to feel (like Howard might say) weight transfer while keeping the torso coiled and back.

I may have them hold a basketball in both hands with hands on either side of the ball. Standing sideways I will have them stride while taking the ball back just past rear hip. then I am going to have them rotate hips and ball together and throw the ball to partner in front of them.

or...

I may just have them hit off tees again.

 

[RayR]

Try medicine balls. Requires them to use the lower body more. Or you could hit off the tees again...

Friday I am thinking about throwing basketballs (with 10 year olds). I have a group with really great potential. Friday I want to work on weight trasfer. A number of them are caught up in a static pre-stide start reaching out with the front foot on the big toe BUT camping with weight on the backside.

This I personally do not like at all. It causes a hip slide and a number of other problems.

I want them to feel (like Howard might say) weight transfer while keeping the torso coiled and back.

I may have them hold a basketball in both hands with hands on either side of the ball. Standing sideways I will have them stride while taking the ball back just past rear hip. then I am going to have them rotate hips and ball together and throw the ball to partner in front of them.

or...

I may just have them hit off tees again.