For those analyzing BB swings for a reference to hit in FP

[Towny9]

@Bullseye There are plenty of baseball and softball people who can’t teach reading any type of pitch (over or underhand). If @Hillhouse and others would stop teaching pitchers to throw all their pitches with the same mechanics reading them would be much easier haha.

On a serious note whether baseball or softball - there is no substitute for seeing the different pitches as often as you can in batting practice. Having someone who can throw them is invaluable.

 

[Bullseye]

There are plenty of baseball and softball people who can’t teach reading any type of pitch (over or underhand).

Finding a hitting coach being able to relay softball feedback from their hands on experience is valuable information.

 

[justanotherguy]

Who agrees that there is just the swing?

There can be only one.

(As in yes, one swing for both.)

 

[radness]

So now I am getting confused by some of your positions. I say that there is only the swing and it doesn't matter about where the pitch is released since the strike zone is the same for both sports and the plate is the same.

How about some of you taking a position now? Which members say that there is a baseball and softball swing and that they are different? Who agrees that there is just the swing?

Everyone would probly agree there are many different swings. Right?! Not everybody uses same mechanics.
That said,
There could be one swing for both.
There could be one swing that needs to make an adjustment.

IS making an adjustment still the same swing after making that adjustment?

Definitely interesting to read some people said it's the same swing with an adjustment. Which should be made to be more level.
If you made an adjustment to level out your swing that means you have made a change in your swing.


Thats the only debatable part that i found interesting.
Some say even when making an adjustment its the same swing.

Hmmm guess that depends on if some think changing there elbow, or hands, or whatever is actually changing?

Could ask what would you change to level your swing?

 

[BigSkyHi]

Everyone would probly agree there are many differrnt swings. Right?!

There could be one swing for both.
There could be one swing that needs to make an adjustment.

IS making an adjustment still the same swing after making that adjustment?

Definitely interesting to read some people said it's the same swing with an adjustment. Which should be made to be more level.
If you made an adjustment to level out your swing that means you have made a change in your swing.


Thats the only debatable part that i found interesting.
Some say even when making an adjustment its the same swing.

Hmmm guess that depends on if some think changing there elbow, or hands, or whatever is actually changing?

Could ask what would you change to level your swing?

The only thing I concentrate on to hit pitches in different locations is the body posture during the swing. Don't want a level swing cuz I'm a swing slightly up type.

 

[Towny9]

Has anyone ever hit off the old school 2 wheel jugs machine? When we used to hit off it coach would always put the bottom wheel spinning way faster than the top wheel which put some serious backspin on the ball. Whenever someone would hit it for the first time they were almost always underneath it as the backspin kept it from dropping as much. You had to make a conscious effort to get more above the ball than you though you had to. Now that I think about it - It also wasn’t coming off the mound so it was released from lower. To @Cannonball’s question - I wouldn’t say I changed my swing in that instance, but I definitely changed my target to above the ball to compensate for the machine. What I perceived to be above was actually the middle resulting in hard hit balls.

 

[julray]

So now I am getting confused by some of your positions. I say that there is only the swing and it doesn't matter about where the pitch is released since the strike zone is the same for both sports and the plate is the same.

How about some of you taking a position now? Which members say that there is a baseball and softball swing and that they are different? Who agrees that there is just the swing?

One swing but... and yes the ball needs to come into the strike zone, both Baseball and Softball. However path does need to be considered.. since most people agree the barrel should be on that path as long as possible since the hitters timing isn't perfect. Paths are different for baseball and softball. Majority of the pitches do tend to come down slightly(different opinion on riseball) in both baseball and softball.. but one does have a flatter trajectory. If you want success in baseball or softball you need to consider this.

 

[BigSkyHi]

Has anyone ever hit off the old school 2 wheel jugs machine? When we used to hit off it coach would always put the bottom wheel spinning way faster than the top wheel which put some serious backspin on the ball. Whenever someone would hit it for the first time they were almost always underneath it as the backspin kept it from dropping as much. You had to make a conscious effort to get more above the ball than you though you had to. Now that I think about it - It also wasn’t coming off the mound so it was released from lower. To @Cannonball’s question - I wouldn’t say I changed my swing in that instance, but I definitely changed my target to above the ball to compensate for the machine. What I perceived to be above was actually the middle resulting in hard hit balls.

Someone may appreciate these real old pitching machine and tees. To me the guy was a genius. The section on swing above and below off the tee is wow.

- HITTING the Baseball, WATCH and Learn - Sports Science Original 1994!

 

[Towny9]

@BigSkyHi that guy was way ahead of his time. The rotating tee with high and low pitches was amazing, but probably tough to get in the trunk haha.

The part about swinging above and below balls I use quite a bit in hitting instruction. Whenever a player pops a few up in a row I will ask them to hit me a ground ball. I bet 90% of the time the next swing (the attempted ground ball) is a line drive. I will also ask kids to miss above or below the ball by as little as possible and the same thing usually occurs - a line drive. I am a firm believer that sometimes what we think is the middle of the ball is not the middle of the ball.

Same over correcting can be applied to pitching when missing spots consistently in one area.

 

[Bobby Shirer]

Everyone would probly agree there are many different swings. Right?! Not everybody uses same mechanics.
That said,
There could be one swing for both.
There could be one swing that needs to make an adjustment.

IS making an adjustment still the same swing after making that adjustment?

Definitely interesting to read some people said it's the same swing with an adjustment. Which should be made to be more level.
If you made an adjustment to level out your swing that means you have made a change in your swing.


Thats the only debatable part that i found interesting.
Some say even when making an adjustment its the same swing.

Hmmm guess that depends on if some think changing there elbow, or hands, or whatever is actually changing?

Could ask what would you change to level your swing?

Same swing? There are so many variables involved, the same player swinging at the same pitch over and over could probably not swing exactly the same way twice.