Ideal contact point, body angles & hand positions

[uwa26]

This is a good thread. Every hitter is different and imo you shouldn’t try to make them all be exactly the same. However, I think most will agree that staying short to the ball (how short seems to be the question) is best. Extension through contact is key. Ideally we would like contact on an inside pitch out in front of the plate. But how far in front? Well I think that’s the beauty of a quality swing with extension after contact. The idea is that if you’re a little late you can still make solid contact. A little early, still make solid contact. Hitting is all about timing (and getting on plane with the ball) but we know that often times timing will not be perfect. So we want a swing that will give us the best chance. I saw a Freddy Freeman video of a tee drill he was doing. He was setting up an inside pitch but deep. His goal was to drive the pitch up the middle. Call it an inside out swing if you wish but I think most good hitters have at least somewhat of an inside out swing. What about the outside pitch? Well most are letting that pitch travel considerably more (get deep). And if your timing is really good on that pitch then your swing is nearly identical to a pitch on the inside part of the plate. The difference is timing and the direction of your extension. Basically I like extension towards where the ball is pitched. So for a righty extension on an inside pitch should be roughly toward the shortstop and toward the second baseman on an outside pitch. JMO

 

[uwa26]

Hitting the ball deep,

View attachment 17082

I don’t really consider that deep. Looks like near perfect to me. A pitch down the heart of the plate that is being hit back up the middle.

 

[Coach Dan]

Would like to see photos of anyones thoughts on ideal contact points for an average fastball center cut over the plate. I don't want to muddy the waters with if it was a change or a cutter or anything else about zone position. Just looking for anyone to show a picture of what they think an ideal position of where the body and hands are and where that barrel contacts the ball.

If you are like Arlo Guthrie and can take 'twenty seven eight-by-ten colour glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each one was to be used as evidence against us' by all means please do.

I don't care about how the hitter got there either, just a photo showing ideal contact points.

My curiosity is more around how far hands should be away from body, the angle of the barrel to the front forearm, shoulder angles, the angle from front foot all the way up to head, etc.

 

[Cornbread]

You want a swing pattern that will allow the ball to get as deep as possible. You want to commit your legs to every pitch. If in sequence, you can put the brakes on with the upper body (hands). If your swing pattern allows the ball to get deep, you have more adjustability in your swing. You see the ball longer and can make the necessary adjustments based on speed and location. Most young hitters have to have early committal to the ball with hands, mostly due swinging from the top down and coaches yelling “hit it out front”.

 

[Shawn]

You want a swing pattern that will allow the ball to get as deep as possible. You want to commit your legs to every pitch. If in sequence, you can put the brakes on with the upper body (hands). If your swing pattern allows the ball to get deep, you have more adjustability in your swing. You see the ball longer and can make the necessary adjustments based on speed and location. Most young hitters have to have early committal to the ball with hands, mostly due swinging from the top down and coaches yelling “hit it out front”.

I think this is what’s missing in my swing is the lower body starting on every swing. I get the weight back fine and not to far back, although I think it needs to start forward sooner. I think I have to much “loading”.

 

[_MIA_]

I think this is what’s missing in my swing is the lower body starting on every swing. I get the weight back fine and not to far back, although I think it needs to start forward sooner. I think I have to much “loading”.

Not understanding how you are determining the bold without hitting a moving ball. If you have big actions or load slow, you just need to start your gather earlier so you can move out on time. However without a moving ball you don't really know what "on time" really means.

 

[Shawn]

Not understanding how you are determining the bold without hitting a moving ball. If you have big actions or load slow, you just need to start your gather earlier so you can move out on time. However without a moving ball you don't really know what "on time" really means.

That might be part of the problem. Perhaps if I visualize a pitch that might help.

 

[Shawn]

Not understanding how you are determining the bold without hitting a moving ball. If you have big actions or load slow, you just need to start your gather earlier so you can move out on time. However without a moving ball you don't really know what "on time" really means.

Pattar

I will post today’s swing tomorrow which I don’t like and compare it to Rendon. I will go over what I mean by to much loading in my thread.