Florida Gators Hitting ...

[rdbass]

I agree. The reason it works is because when you pull the bat back, you often pull everything else back against the rear leg. When you turn the barrel, the rear leg pulls. It's a good way to get the feeling.

Based on Your HI level experience correct ?? Or what You have read?

When I see the 'showing the bat' & 'pulling the bat back' I keep thinking that some how this could/would tie into the BB/A$$.
The 'showing the bat' & 'pulling the bat back' to me 'sets/starts' a hitter with the BB/A$$. It also is a way for a hitter to pull back and get 'over' the top of the rear leg instead of pulled back against the rear leg. I also see when done correctly a way for a hitter to get a 'running start'. If nothing else it seems to get the hitter into the proper hand set. JMHO.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Showing the bat early is becoming more and more the norm in college softball. To argue against it is kind of stupid.

The benefits are it puts the defense off balance, not knowing whether or not a bunt is coming. At younger ages it does put some pitchers off balance. Once experienced, it does give the hitters a sense of rythym in timing the pitches. That is the benefits. They are not to be denied.

My DD does not do any of this. If she was 5 years younger, I would be teaching her to show her bat every time. Even though she is a power hitter. But this tactic only came to light the last few years. The tactic is spot on.

My only disagreement, is it is not something which should be turned on and off. Show the bat every time, or don't show it at all.

What is stupid is your implication that someone is arguing against a particular mechanic, when what is being pointed out is that the timing is so far off that there is no benefit. To ignore basic timing is what truly is stupid.

On a similar topic ... this form of hitting has become somewhat widespread as of late. I have hitters who have ASA coaches are pushing this and I can say from this experience that many coaches don't quite get the benefit or application of this approach ..... and what we see here is an example of not understanding the benefit to be extracted. This approach, performed incorrectly, can lead to degrading a hitter's swing mechanics. The true intent of the mechanic is not to change the basic swing sequence or firing.

 

[gophert]

I heard the announcers, I think Amanda Scarborough, comment on showing the bat regarding a college hitter. She said that the technique was used to help shorten their swing, to keep it from being too long. I sometimes disregard a lot of what most announcers say, but it made logic sense. What are your thoughts?

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

I heard the announcers, I think Amanda Scarborough, comment on showing the bat regarding a college hitter. She said that the technique was used to help shorten their swing, to keep it from being too long. I sometimes disregard a lot of what most announcers say, but it made logic sense. What are your thoughts?

A barrel 'fired' and 'released' properly will have the traits that some refer to as "short to, long through". It isn't uncommon to desire such traits in one's typical swing.

 

[gophert]

A barrel 'fired' and 'released' properly will have the traits that some refer to as "short to, long through". It isn't uncommon to desire such traits in one's typical swing.

Do you think that showing the bat actually helps them do it more consistently? I've seen some in 10U recently. More of like a fad than anything because at the young age they look like they never get back to a good hitting position and then they can't get the bat on it fast enough.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Do you think that showing the bat actually helps them do it more consistently? I've seen some in 10U recently.

For some hitters, it can be one of the easier ways to get the general sequence correct.

More of like a fad than anything because at the young age they look like they never get back to a good hitting position and then they can't get the bat on it fast enough.

I hear you.

It isn't a fad. It has been around for decades. What we are seeing is the promotion of the mechanic by many that aren't understanding what the mechanic is meant to achieve.

I can personally state that I've seen hitters attempting to mimic this that have destroyed their ability to "get back to a good hitting position".

You run into this ... people attempting to mimic something that they've seen, yet they haven't actually taken the mechanic into the batter's box to properly understand "their understanding" of what they are teaching.

 

[Rocketech1]

The Yankees don't have any slappers either. You should email all the top division 1 teams and tell them cut that out too...

Pretty silly argument.

It's fairly universally acknowledged that the baseball swing and the fastpitch swing are essentially the same. So what I am trying to understand is the logic behind the theory that fastpitch batters showing the bat over home plate and pulling it back is advantageous to the swing. Here are some of the argument but I don't find them too compelling.

You can see the ball better?

You can shorten your swing easier?

You get a better load / stretch and fire?

The D1 coaches are experts and have to know what they are doing?

MLB is a different game than fastpitch and that is why they don't do this?

Did I miss any theories?

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

RT1 ... I believe there are examples of this being performed in MLB. RDB ... do you have an example you can post?

 

[Spartans21]

Pretty silly argument.

It's fairly universally acknowledged that the baseball swing and the fastpitch swing are essentially the same. So what I am trying to understand is the logic behind the theory that fastpitch batters showing the bat over home plate and pulling it back is advantageous to the swing. Here are some of the argument but I don't find them too compelling.

You can see the ball better?

You can shorten your swing easier?

You get a better load / stretch and fire?

The D1 coaches are experts and have to know what they are doing?

MLB is a different game than fastpitch and that is why they don't do this?

Did I miss any theories?

Well I guess that's where we differ. I don't believe all D1 coaches are experts but I think Tim Walton and Pat Murphy are as good as they get. I don't think many people on this forum get hundreds of thousands of dollars to teach the game, or had anywhere near the amount of success they had. If they do something, there is a reason.

"Cabrera doesn't do it, so you shouldn't do it" isn't good enough for me...

 

[Eric F]

Do you think that showing the bat actually helps them do it more consistently? I've seen some in 10U recently. More of like a fad than anything because at the young age they look like they never get back to a good hitting position and then they can't get the bat on it fast enough.

In 10U, I see it used more often to try and distract the pitcher and get her to throw a ball. IME, it doesn't work as often as coaches think it will.