Bat Path

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May 3, 2014
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Cool, thanks for asking.

Do you remember "HYP" from BBF years ago? He came up with (or at least I first heard it from him) that the swing is "Linear to rotational" to describe it. Most folks immediately thought he was talking about "Nike Swoosh", and that he had it all bassackwards. Ha!

But in reality, he was spot on in that he was describing the movement of the rear hip...in that it moves "linearly" until it turns "rotationally" to launch the swing. Now yes, what he said was "rotational" instead of "extension" which we talked about privately, but the three word cue was solid in getting hitters to think about working the rear hip correctly, and how to use it....and why you see his name "Duncan", as one of the names in "my camp".

Btw, since you did ask me about Cabrera, and I answered you with Bonds...I'm in the process of trying to take the Cabrera clip you used, and trying to break out the "hip extension" in that one if that might help.

EDIT: Ah hell, I get it now, the wording was also all messed up, my bad...does this help at all?

"The rear hip shouldn't be started into extension, until the hitter is doing to so...in order to actually start to launch/swing the bat..."

Or even easier, don't extend the rear hip until you're ready to launch the bat at the ball....IOWs, "hit the ball with your rear hip". 😄

EDIT EDIT: Here's the Cabrera clip's rear hip extension portion...
View attachment 17922
OK Thanks for the answer.

What would be your answer to this Question? I think I know, but I don't want to put words in your mouth.
 

BigSkyHi

All I know is I don't know
Jan 13, 2020
1,385
113
Find it amazing the obsession we (like in you and I) have with power when only 1/3 of the lineup is in the 3-4-5 holes.

Don't see much (if any) analysis or videos of most of the hitters on this list.

Top 10 Highest Batting Averages Since 1941​
1.Tony Gwynn, San Diego (1994).394
2.George Brett, Kansas City (1980).390
3.Ted Williams, Boston (1957).388
Rod Carew, Minnesota (1977).388
5.Larry Walker, Colorado (1999).379
6.Stan Musial, St. Louis (1948).376
7.Tony Gwynn, San Diego (1997).372
Nomar Garciaparra, Boston (2000).372
Todd Helton, Colorado (2000).372
Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle (2004).372
 
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BigSkyHi

All I know is I don't know
Jan 13, 2020
1,385
113
More young people learning to teach with pictures and words. Or if you would like to have a high level fast pitch hitter.


- Abbey Cheek Swing Breakdown
 
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Apr 11, 2015
877
63
OK Thanks for the answer.

What would be your answer to this Question? I think I know, but I don't want to put words in your mouth.
You mean I gotta watch a golf video? Ugh...and I'd rather not get into another "the chicken or the egg" discussion that I know will get us nowhere, and only lead to problems....since as you say, you "know" my answer, as I'm sure I know your "new" one now as well.

So how about we just stick to the rear hip extension, what it is, and what it looks like that was the discussion we were having...(or I was having anyway...lol)?

With that, TDS was kind enough to share a clip of a hitter actually swinging a bat w/o any hip extension....
YLZp7Uu.gif

...but rather him....
As I'm reading this, I'm taking it that you're asking that if the rear half of the pelvis (rear or back towards the catcher part of the iliac crest) in a hitter rotates away (or "juts forward" if that would describe it also...as is the picture in my head of it), is that "hip extension"....for which I'd say "yes it is". If....

That "rotation" or "jut" was the rear leg rotating or jutting the rear pelvis forward, but not if the hitter is using the front leg/hip to simply pull the rest of the pelvis forward on top of itself...which in that case would be "IR" of the lead leg/hip.
Are you able to see the difference in that above hitter in the blue cap's swing, and rear leg/hip action, compared to Cabrera's rear leg/hip in the clip we've been using....
k4xI3PF.gif

....and the same rear hip extension 99% of all HL hitters use most of the time?

Are you able to see the differences in their rear leg/hips, and from where and how each swing was started and powered....and why?
 
Jul 29, 2013
1,199
63
All these stills are after the turn. You keep good spacing with the lower half and hip extension just happens. IF the turn is synced with the barrel.. that’s where the obliques come in. You must get the bat across the body without manipulation of the hands or barrel or hips. Obliques set up everything else. I don’t know why it matters how strong they are? Are we deadlifting? I didn’t think so. So maybe the power driven thoughts should change since we are swinging a bat. Not a sledgehammer. Try to stay in the realm of swinging a bat.
....and yet none of the stills show the bat across the body. All of the bats are still on the back side and all of the shoulders are before or at alignment with the pelvis. So what are the obliques doing since the rear leg is anchored and the hips are stopped?
 
Oct 13, 2014
5,471
113
South Cali
....and yet none of the stills show the bat across the body. All of the bats are still on the back side and all of the shoulders are before or at alignment with the pelvis. So what are the obliques doing since the rear leg is anchored and the hips are stopped?

stills are nonsense. They don’t show actions. They are for the mantle. The swing is all about movements. Stills are the opposite of that. Watch the Tiger slam video.
 
Jul 29, 2013
1,199
63
stills are nonsense. They don’t show actions. They are for the mantle. The swing is all about movements. Stills are the opposite of that. Watch the Tiger slam video.
Stills, my friend, are snapshots in time of positions along the way..... and usually shoot gaping holes in your theories. And that's why you don't like them. You prefer the blur.....distortion. And that's ok! Lol
 
Oct 13, 2014
5,471
113
South Cali
Stills, my friend, are snapshots in time of positions along the way..... and usually shoot gaping holes in your theories. And that's why you don't like them. You prefer the blur.....distortion. And that's ok! Lol

the tiger slam video said the same. Not just me. The truth is you are starting to see it.. you just don’t know how to create it. I will save you some time and tell you to start working on the lower half. Learn how to stop the hips. And it’s not by creating extension. That’s the result.
 

fanboi22

on the journey
Nov 9, 2015
1,138
83
SE Wisconsin
With that, TDS was kind enough to share a clip of a hitter actually swinging a bat w/o any hip extension....
YLZp7Uu.gif

...but rather him....

Are you able to see the difference in that above hitter in the blue cap's swing, and rear leg/hip action, compared to Cabrera's rear leg/hip in the clip we've been using....
k4xI3PF.gif

....and the same rear hip extension 99% of all HL hitters use most of the time?

Are you able to see the differences in their rear leg/hips, and from where and how each swing was started and powered....and why?
I think i may have asked this in another forum after @Bonesaw started expressing opinions on hip extension.

This is not a question just for you Mud but anyone. As I was trying to feel hip extension, i felt like the question that W=W was asking were valid. I felt like my hip ran out of runway and that i got to full extension with no more power.

The difference in the two swings above IMO are the top swing isn't anchored and is posting up with an arm driven swing. Miggy on the other hand is anchoring his back leg and his 'middle' (for a lack of better terms, however i feel the hips do not drive, but are being driven by core muscles - abs and obliques) is what is pulling the rear leg forward. So i didn't think he was driving his hip into extension with his glutes, but rather pulling them with core.

I only comment on this because i tried to feel that movement myself, but it doesn't feel powerful.

So maybe i am just doing it wrong, and the only way i can 'hit with my hip' is if i drive the core to pull the hip to hit.
 

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