Enquist

[redzuk]

Sue Enquist has an established record of success so I checked out her dvd's for some drill ideas. Anyone know, did she come out and state that some of her old fundamental concepts were flawed before or after those dvds?

Anyway what was the core flaw that Enquist came to realize.


Carl

 

[Mark H]

If you are speaking of hitting, both Enquist and Candrea conformed their ideas of a good swing to Don Slaught's ideas of what a good swing is. Their new stuff can be found in the Right View materials.

I'd further suggest that, rather than accepting a GREAT resume I'd always check everything anyone tells you about hitting or pitching against video of elite hitters. Lots of video. It's not a perfect test for reasons we could have another thread about but it becomes necessary when you consider a couple of things. One - just as you said, she, and other credentialed successful experts have changed what they believe. If they were wrong before, could they be wrong again? Two - credentialed successful experts vehemently disagree with each other..so how do you sort that out? I'd suggest using video of elite hitters as a cross checker as you read everyone's stuff.

Here's a few. Siggy's Hitting Clips - ImageEvent

 

[Amy in AZ.]

The game just changes. I don't think you can define anyone as having been wrong. They had a really great record of success, their whole careers.

During the 60s we were taught a "baseball swing." That was all the dads knew to teach.

Then, the experts started thinking that it would be better to hit a lot of ground balls, because with the wooden bats that we were using, fly balls were outs.

Rotational is back on vogue, now. With the hot bats, woman can actually park some balls beyond the fence.

The men that post on a SP board are all totally linear. They say to get rid of the baseball swing. I still am not sure why they hit linear - or if they are. But, you will be run out of town if you post something rotational there.

 

[Mark H]

I don't know what rotational and linear means any more since I can give you several different definitions from different gurus myself. As to them being right or wrong, they said X back then and they say Y now. Y matches up much better with what I think I see in video of elite hitters so I'm delighted. Kudos to Don Slaught on that one.

 

[SBFAMILY]

I have learned most of my hitting from Bustos and her coach. It is a Linear swing with rotational concepts. I do use RVP , but CB doesn't use everything that RVP teaches.
So I do agree somewhat with you Amy. But not all men teach that way.

 

[redzuk]

I wouldnt have said she was wrong. I read somewhere that after many hours looking at tapes of all her best batters she noticed they did something in common regardless of what she taught. So she made a statement that she had been teaching hitting wrong and gave a power point presentation that showed what the best hitters did and how it was different than what she taught, id sure like to see that power point.

I'm not coaching the team, looking for some drills for a niece. All they do in practice is hit off of a machine some. Its varsity and thats enough at this level. But i dont really want to give her any advice or fill her head up with rotational vs linear kind of stuff.

From Enquist dvd's, I like
1. hitting off a tee with a short barrel bat. focus on contact front inside of ball- inside pitch
2. side toss where the hitter coils when tosser drops hand
3. side toss bouncing a tennis ball at the hitter
4. hit off tee with scarf under front arm
5. down on a knee, one arm swing off short tee.
6. practice swings to contact point, palm up / palm down. knuckles forward. knowing contact point.
7. practice a half swing, snapping hips open keeping some bend in front elbow and hands back by armpits. hips leading shoulders.
8. self toss. player tosses to back outside of of plate.

A lot of the other drills look interesting but i can see potential negative effects. I dont see anything bad about those above. Just getting more swings in I think will help. She likes to go out and hit off a tee, this would give her something to focus on.

Carl

 

[Mark H]

I have learned most of my hitting from Bustos and her coach. It is a Linear swing with rotational concepts..

Case in point. Rotational and linear are terms that have long since become useless because there are several different definitions. A short list would be Epstein's definitions, Lau's definitions, RightView's definitions, Mankin's definitions and I'm sure I've merely scratched the surface. For instance, here's the part of the swing Right View/Slaught describes as linear Photo 11 of 31, Analysis Accurate? Sort of. Dixon called this "forward by turning". Is it linear? Is it the forward by turning part of a swing Epstein or Mankin would call rotational? Who cares would be my answer. This is why I've avoided the terms as much as possible for years even before Right View did the last know redefining of the terms. They have always been marketing terms even back during the Ted Williams, Epstein, Lau days.

I do use RVP , but CB doesn't use everything that RVP teaches.

Good call.

 

[Mark H]

During the 60s we were taught a "baseball swing." That was all the dads knew to teach.

Then, the experts started thinking that it would be better to hit a lot of ground balls, because with the wooden bats that we were using, fly balls were outs.

Rotational is back on vogue, now. With the hot bats, woman can actually park some balls beyond the fence.

.

That IS an interesting historical perspective though I'd have to agree with Candrea/Enquist/Slaught the fp swing is the MLB swing. Baseball guys would tell you the "linear" punch and judy hit it on the ground and run came along with metal bats in youth and college baseball and artificial turf in the pros. I would say wood bats would require using the body as much as possible given the heavier bat and the stronger muscles in the body as opposed to the arms. I would agree with hitters unlikely to hit home runs having a little less tilt back on their axis in order to elevate the ball less but that's still true today in both bb and fp at all levels.

 

[Mark H]

I wouldnt have said she was wrong. . ... she made a statement that she had been teaching hitting wrong
Carl

OK. I'll just say I agree with Sue here.

 

[redzuk]

OK. I'll just say I agree with Sue here.

Cant deny what she accomplished, so what did she do right?

Carl