Is Hands/Knob to the ball Dead?

[JDBerry]

It's dead to those who are even semi-educated about the swing. However, talking about hand path is generally a waste of time.

Uh-huh. You mean like the coach who was asked to speak about hitting at the ABCA meeting this year? The same college coach who was invited to a couple of MLB clubs to go over his ideas about hitting?

Or, perhaps the college softball coaches that promote a diversified hitting style so the batter is on ball on whatever pitch?

It's not dead or a waste of time to them

 

[nanotech14]

Uh-huh. You mean like the coach who was asked to speak about hitting at the ABCA meeting this year? The same college coach who was invited to a couple of MLB clubs to go over his ideas about hitting?

Or, perhaps the college softball coaches that promote a diversified hitting style so the batter is on ball on whatever pitch?

It's not dead or a waste of time to them

ABCA, American Border Collie Association? okay just messing with you. I have to ask what coach? Went to the site and looked, no names jumped out at me from the softball side.

 

[JDBerry]

1) In the swing process, what is the "thing" that is mentally positioned to get to contact in these clips?

a- Is it in the barrel? i.e. - I need to get the barrel "here".
b- Is it in the knob? i.e. I need to get the knob "here".
c- Is it in the hands? i.e. I need to get the hands "here".
d- Is it in the arms? i.e. I need to get the arms "here".
e- Is it in the shoulders? i.e. I need to get the shoulders "here".
f- other?

2) Where/what is the spatial reference for "here"?

a- Is it the ground? i.e. I need to get the "thing" from above "here", where "here" is high/low relative to the ground?
b- Is it a part of the body? i.e. I need to get the "thing" from above "here", where "here" is high/low or close/far to the hip or chest (for examples).
c- Is it the ball? i.e. I need to get the "thing" from above "here", where "here" is relative to the perceived ball location.
d- other?

That is not hands inside the ball. Not hands to the ball.

A linear hand path has a slightly less open body at contact. The front arm is more bent as the knob/hands travel closer to the body in more of a line than an arc

IMO, neither is right nor wrong, just depends on the batter. I do know some college softball instructors want the tightest/most compact swing.

 

[JDBerry]

ABCA, American Border Collie Association? okay just messing with you. I have to ask what coach? Went to the site and looked, no names jumped out at me from the softball side.

Rocke Musgraves

 

[NoonTime]

Rocke Musgraves

ABCA Clinic Recaps - Rocke Musgraves - BaseballSoftballUK

 

[Cowpoke]

Rocke Musgraves

Is this the one?:
ABCA Clinic Recaps - Rocke Musgraves - BaseballSoftballUK

Says this:
Coach Musgraves was incredibly passionate about hitting technique, how to coach it and how to coach approach. It was awesome to hear how, despite being very experienced, he invested time into evaluating what he had been coaching for years by taking a closer look at the swings of MLB hitters. He realised that some of what he had been coaching wasn’t in fact what the best hitters in baseball were doing and he was humble enough to change things.

 

[pstein]

Uh-huh. You mean like the coach who was asked to speak about hitting at the ABCA meeting this year? The same college coach who was invited to a couple of MLB clubs to go over his ideas about hitting?

Or, perhaps the college softball coaches that promote a diversified hitting style so the batter is on ball on whatever pitch?

It's not dead or a waste of time to them

Look at the swings. There are very few good softball swings. I have no idea what "diversified hitting style" means.

The Manny gifs are an excellent example of how high-level hitters adjust to location.

 

[JDBerry]

Look at the swings. There are very few good softball swings. I have no idea what "diversified hitting style" means.

The Manny gifs are an excellent example of how high-level hitters adjust to location.

There are very few good softball swings? Why?

 

[jbooth]

I call the knob a flashlight. During the linear phase and she starts to turn the barrel, at this point she will shine her flashlight on the ball. This doesn't mean she is literally taking her hands towards the ball, she is just using the flashlight to promote getting on plane quick and maintaining bat lag. Then the barrel gets released.

Exactly. You point the knob at the ball, then you throw the barrel at the ball. You do not take the hands to the ball while the knob is pointing the flashlight at the ball. Nor, do you take the hands to the ball by pushing or pulling them at the ball.

The hands go toward the ball, in a sense, but only as a result, or part of the act of the barrel being thrown.

He throws the barrel in this sequence. The hands go toward the ball, because the momentum in the barrel pulls them that way.

The arms/hands guide the barrel to the ball, AS the barrel is being thrown at the ball. The hands do not pull or push at the ball. They throw the barrel and follow the direction of the throw.

You TRY to keep the hands close to the body, and have them arc WITH the torso rotation, but sometimes you have to let the hand path straighten, in order to get the barrel to the ball.

You try to do this; he isn't taking his hands to the ball. He is throwing the barrel at the ball while keeping the hands arcing with his torso rotation;

 

[mann]

That is not hands inside the ball. Not hands to the ball.

A linear hand path has a slightly less open body at contact. The front arm is more bent as the knob/hands travel closer to the body in more of a line than an arc

IMO, neither is right nor wrong, just depends on the batter. I do know some college softball instructors want the tightest/most compact swing.

An inside pitch has a more Open, body than an outside pitch. The swing is Away from the body, on an outside pitch, and nothing turns, as much.

I really like this thread, and how you guys are keeping it civil.

I have a coach near me, that teaches hands to the ball, still, and he Still, teaches step open for inside, step towards the outside pitch, with the hand to the ball, hit the ball at full extension type swing.

I use the hand set that JD describes, for my slappers, when I want inside out, run the knob, right across their body.

And in some college clinics, around my parts, the first thing they teach, is to fire the knob, right across the body, first and foremost, then flick the wrists, resulting in contact against fast pitchers. resulting in putting the ball in play.
Weak hits, that work against soft defenses.

To me, its the wrong road to go down, and is like the magic tonic wagon coming through town, quick fix, but all smoke and mirrors.