Be the Best You Are clinic in NJ - Patty Gasso

[MountieSB]

Coach Gasso is a great coach!

 

[Greenmonsters]

Accurate or not, it speaks volumes that she was referring to Robinson Cano and the HLBB. That's a huge advancement from old school SB hitting philosophies and coaching!

 

[Lenski]

I have a hard time believing Patty Gasso actually said that. Maybe your friend misunderstood what she said? Her team doesn't hit like that.....unless they're mashing the ball in the ground via the slap or if they're bunting.

 

[rdbass]

A good coaching friend of mine just returned from the "Be the Best You Are" clinic in NJ and told me Patty Gasso was giving a session on hitting. She said a good way to check to see if a hitter isn't "spinning" is if her nose is IN FRONT of her belly button at contact. She either showed or told the crowd to look at videos of Robinson Cano at the HR derby and she said his nose was in front of his belly button at contact.
I found pictures and videos of Oklahoma hitters at contact, and almost all of them had their noses BEHIND their belly buttons at contact, and I didn't find the Cano derby clip, but I found others with is nose behind his belly button at contact.

I just don't understand how coaches say some of these things. My friend started using this cue with his team at the batting cages tonight. It's frustrating.

 

[MountieSB]

I'm wondering if she meant in front of their belly buttons from the "top" view? Meaning there is a bend in the waist that keeps the nose in front of the belly button (L to R, nose closer to home plate than the belly button), NOT the position from front to back. That would make more sense to me.

 

[redhotcoach]

Patty, since you are looking at the gifs we are making, here is a few more. The nose position at contact is not a consistent point. Too many variables. If someone is "spinning" (an action) you should easily see that their rear side is not engaged. A stop in video is not a good, or consistent indicator...and if someone uses "nose in front of the belly button" as a teaching point, I can imagine the possible results they will get.

 

[MountieSB]

Patty, since you are looking at the gifs we are making, here is a few more. The nose position at contact is not a consistent point. Too many variables. If someone is "spinning" (an action) you should easily see that their rear side is not engaged. A stop in video is not a good, or consistent indicator...and if someone uses "nose in front of the belly button" as a teaching point, I can imagine the possible results they will get.

That's what I told my friend last night before I thought about the overhead view. Getting fooled by an offspeed pitch will change your upper body in relation to lower body. Making adjustments whether offspeed or not will change the nose-to-belly button relationship.

Maybe it's the next BB-A$$ - BB/Nose! (I kid.)

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

A good coaching friend of mine just returned from the "Be the Best You Are" clinic in NJ and told me Patty Gasso was giving a session on hitting. She said a good way to check to see if a hitter isn't "spinning" is if her nose is IN FRONT of her belly button at contact. She either showed or told the crowd to look at videos of Robinson Cano at the HR derby and she said his nose was in front of his belly button at contact.

To have the 'nose' physically ahead of the 'belly button' at contact would rob a hitter of torso extension and lead to a host of swing issues.

When you attend clinics arm yourself with the Hanson Principle. Be polite and soak in all the information you can ... and then filter out the garbage like this with the Hanson Principle.

 

[Lenski]

I am of the belief she did not say it.

 

[MountieSB]

I am of the belief she did not say it.

She did, in some context. Why would I (or my coaching friend) make that up?

My friend e-mailed Patty this morning asking for clarification. I'll post her response when he gets it to me.