Baseballance?

[FiveFrameSwing]

BB … the use of the product for catchers, as you describe above makes perfect sense. That is a ‘dynamic balance’ issue, which is what this product looks to be suitable for working with.

In terms of a pitcher establishing initial ‘dynamic balance’, I think the product would work for that.

In terms of hitting, the product looks suitable for assisting in establishing ‘dynamic balance’ within the ‘stance’.

Other than that, I don’t see the product solving a host of other issues … and if the intent is to use the product to promote certain swing mechanics, then I suggest the user think twice … as the development of hitting mechanics, while out of balance, is something that is unlikely to happen. The body will place a higher priority on seeking balance over the planned activity of swinging a bat.

Just my opinion at this point in time … open to factual information that would convince me of the products other uses.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

I think you ought to buy one and check it out for yourself. Then you can try anything you want with it. What BB chooses to show in their demos wasnt designed or intended to address those things you question.

So your choices are take my word for it or get one for yourself.

Pretty simple decision if you want to know.

IFBU, I'm willing to be proven differently, but from a hitting perspective, I only see this product as useful in terms of helping a hitter establish dynamic balance within their stance. I'm not going to purchase a product that demonstrates inferior swings, and solves an issue that can be solved considerably cheaper. So the gauntlet is cast ... convince me of the value of this product beyond establishing dynamic balance within the stride. Looking forward to your explanations and descriptions.

 

[ifubuildit]

I have no intention of trying to prove you differently. All I am saying is try it for yourself and develop your own thoughts and applications for it. This has nothing to do with demonstration of inferior swings or videos on a web site. That is your interpretation/misrepresentation of what is being demonstrated.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

I have no intention of trying to prove you differently. All I am saying is try it for yourself and develop your own thoughts and applications for it. This has nothing to do with demonstration of inferior swings or videos on a web site. That is your interpretation/misrepresentation of what is being demonstrated.

Misrepresentation?

Nice try IFBU.

IMO, some of the claims I've read on this product point more towards misrepresentation.

In terms of hitting, the product looks suitable for establishing dynamic balance in one's stance. Beyond that, it can, as we've seen, lead to inferior swing traits.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

IFBU … take a look at this swing.

Does anything stand out to you? Anything that you see in this swing that is not in-line with a HLBB swing pattern?

Notice how he gets his momentum going forward. He uses the upper body.

Is that what you want to promote? I hope not. The sequence being demonstrated here is way out of sync with the HLBB pattern. If this is what the product teaches, then it is more hurtful than helpful IMO.

Notice how the “Stretch” portion of the swing has the upper body moving in completely the wrong direction. This is more of an anit-Stretch. That isn’t a minor detail. What we see is exactly backwards to what Dixon considers the difference between being “exceptional” and being “good” (i.e., average). If this is what the product teaches, then it is more harmful than helpful.

Notice how the front leg externally rotates out of sync with the rear arm. Again, another trait that you don’t want reproduced if your goal is a high quality swing.

Notice the chopping down motion. Is that what you want reproduced? Are you looking to promote a swing plane that is “short through the zone”? I hope not … but that is what we see here. We see a swing that minimizes the path of the barrel being in plane with an incoming pitch.

There is more ... but the point is, the swing being demonstrated with this product suggests that unnatural tendencies are being encouraged while the user fights to maintain their balance.

What I believe we see here is a kid struggling to maintain his balance. He simply has no choice. Once the body is out of balance it will place a higher priority on re-balancing itself … and at the detriment of the intended task at hand … which in this case is the act of swinging a bat. What we see here is more of an example of how not to swing a bat.

The product does have one very useful purpose. I see it used properly in the catching demonstration. Trying to widen the use of the tool may promote sales, but it may also ruin some swings in the process.

 

[baseballance]

Five-

I will give you some factual information--- the kid (once again demonstrating the board the day it was delivered from the manufacturing facility--think I have said that 5 or 15 times, but you aren't hearing it) .........but the kid in the picture hit 17 homeruns in 22 games as a 10 year old with that HORRIBLE swing. That is factual information. I can send you the scorebook for the all-star run that led to a state championship if you would like concrete evidence. That swing path works because he finishes high. There is more than one school of thought on the values of one swing over the other. The videos you are showing mean nothing because they were not taken in an instructional or work-out setting. You can disagree with the device, but I will gladly take that kid and his swing at the plate with the game on the line-----the chopping is an optical illusion. Two three run homeruns in the state championship game, one a walk off. Whatever you do, please don't mess with his swing. I agree, I don't want him hitting off the BASEBALLANCE in the game, but it must have helped him once he got on flat ground in regards to balance and weight transfer. None the less, if you find the swing wrong, please don't tell the kid.......

 

[baseballance]

If you notice, the board, in your videos rocks forward excessively and early. We can teach from that and the hitter can feel that. This device is a bottom half tool. Swing path has nothing to do with the BASEBALANCE. Never has and never will.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

BB ... the fact is that the swings performed when using the baseballance product do not resemble the kids' game swings.

The chopping is not an optical illusion. It is the swing they were performing while using the baseballance … it is a swing highly inferior to their game swings.

The kids were clearly receiving instruction when using the baseballance. You can question the quality of that instruction ... but it was clearly instruction.

Your hope shouldn’t be with the kids finding out that their swings were poor when using the baseballance product, but that they don't build muscle memory from their swings using that product ... as their swing with the product are highly inferior to their normal swings.

 

[baseballance]

Seriously? You are going to tell me that the kid in this video was getting instruction. He was on the board for as long as you see it, that night. You have done a very good job of explaining your point of view throughout this entire blog, others agreeing or not. Despite that, you did have a basis for your arguments which is why I am so surprised by your last comments. You have no idea what this kids game swing looks like or how it compares to the one on the BASEBALLANCE. You also have no knowledge of the level of or type of instruction this kid has ever gotten. What pushed you to the point of making wild assumptions and unfounded remarks? Swing path is worked on at a totally different time through different means, then combined. Please don't pretend that you know the level of instruction this kid has received, a knowledgw of his game swing or how that relates, resembles or differs from the swing you see here. Additionally, don't claim that the BASEBALLANCE produces a "poor swing" until you have a foundation on which to base it. Again I ask you, if the pitcher to catcher movement creates your "chop", then why is the same swing employed when the board rocks dugout to dugout? Regardless of your like or dislike for that swing, it preceeded any instruction or use of the BASEBALLANCE.

Very self-righteous.

There are videos of that kid taking a round of BP on the YouTube Baseballance Channel. I made it easy for you, I broke them apart, pitch by pitch so you wouldn't have to work so hard to break it apart and micro-assess them. Each video is about 3 seconds long. Go ahead and break them down. He spends a lot of time on the BASEBALLANCE working on his lower half, but i will not claim that every one of his swings is perfect. I am sure you will find those that aren't and make a generalized statement about how the BASEBALLANCE caused the problem. Before you do that, challenge yourself to find one that is right, from the same set and tell us how the BASEBALLANCE may have impacted it.

I understand, through your own explanations of yourself, your philosophies and beliefs and feelings about what's right and what's wrong, but have yet to see or read anyone that has rushed to your defense or any visual evidence of great hitters you have produced. Maybe that has to do with rule number one of teaching hitting, which you obviously don't adhere to--- if someone is hitting, let them hit. Rule two might be: not all hitters approach things the same way. The goal is to have hitters hit, not emerge from a cookie cutter mold that may or may not result in hitters standing on bases at the conclusion of their at bat. Is it you all those guys point to after crossing home plate or reach second on a double? I often wondered why so many people did that, I think I am starting to understand.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

BB … it isn’t about a cookie cutter approach … and it isn’t about changing someone that is proficiently hitting, which is what I hope people don’t end up doing with this product.

This chopping down motion demonstrated by these boys (and also the pro that used this product), while using the baseballance product, will not work at a high level. Fortunately neither of these boys swings like this normally. This appears to be more of an artifact of them using this product and performing a swing while out of balance. It should be your hope, IMO, that they do not engrain these swing mechanics into their normal swing.