Lag ... and how it pertains to the swing.

[FiveFrameSwing]

Don’t attempt to ‘hold lag’. Develop structured organized arms. Have peaceful wrists. Peaceful wrists … relaxed wrists … coupled with rotation … leads to lag. During rotation the barrel will naturally resist that rotation and will stress the wrists to the maximum … you do not contrive or hold this lag … you allow this lag to develop and then use it as part of the energy transfer process to smash the ball as you attempt to get rid of that lag quickly.

 

[slugger3]

https://noontimebaseball.com/miguel-cabrera/


https://zippy.gfycat.com/NiftySpanishLark.mp4

^^^OK, this one will show up, but it's not in a looping gif...can't...figure...out...


I can't get this gif to show up..."Miggy Side SloMo" on pg 2 of the Miggy gifs...

 

[rdbass]

 

[slugger3]

rdbass...Thanks man!

OK, this is what I'm talking about with wrists powering the barrel through the ball...

If you guys say his wrists are loose...and are not contributing to powering the bat through the ball...then we'll just have to agree to disagree...

Thanks

 

[Greenmonsters]

rdbass...Thanks man!

OK, this is what I'm talking about with wrists powering the barrel through the ball...

If you guys say his wrists are loose...and are not contributing to powering the bat through the ball...then we'll just have to agree to disagree...

Thanks

The wrists power the barrel just like a tail wags the dog. Once that barrel has been launched, there is nothing the wrists can do, even if you wanted them to, to affect the barrel at contact (or later)! Think of the effort and force it takes to check a swing - and that's before the barrel has been launched! Look at ULL hitters - they work to stop the barrel to prevent a full follow through, yet they aren't lacking for power.

You owe it to your DD to at least take a look at Frazier's no hands home run and read pobguy's explanation in the thread link below. Admittedly, it seems counter intuitive and can be hard to grasp, but it is what really happens.
https://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-hitting-practical/18090-hand-action-contact-16.html

 

[slugger3]

Greenmonsters, out of the following tools, do you use your wrist to help "power" or "drive" any of the tools into an object?....
Hammer, sledge hammer, maul, pick axe, axe for splitting wood...
Or do you hang onto the tool with "loose" wrists?

ETA: How about one of the smaller hammers...the ball peen hammer?
What percentage of "power" from the wrist is applied when using the ball peen hammer, vs. loose wrists?...
Is it 90% loose wrist with a subtle grip to hold onto the hammer?...Or is it 90% powering wrist to help drive the ball peen hammer into the brad nails we use to hang pictures on the wall?

 

[tjintx]

It would depend on your goal.?
If your goal is maintaining good wrist angles then the amount of resistance felt and resisted changes with the size and weight of the tool.
so, preparing for greater resistance should be done in the bigger muscles, not so much the smaller, distal muscles..

 

[Ken B]

Or do you hang onto the tool with "loose" wrists?

I would say you release/whip the tool with loose wrists

I used a maul and sledge hammer at one of my jobs and preferred loose wrists to transfer power. I'm not sure driving a brad with a hammer is a fair comparison.

It might help to think about a golf swing, tennis serve, trebuchet, overhand throw or underhand pitch. Each of these uses a hinged mechanism to whip the club head/racket/projectile/ball. Swinging a bat through the ball is no different. Good sequence and mechanics win out over muscling every time. I suppose the pitching equivalent to snapping the wrists is "hello elbow." It's much easier to generate speed when the distal segments are loose and whippy

 

[Greenmonsters]

Greenmonsters, out of the following tools, do you use your wrist to help "power" or "drive" any of the tools into an object?....
Hammer, sledge hammer, maul, pick axe, axe for splitting wood...
Or do you hang onto the tool with "loose" wrists?

ETA: How about one of the smaller hammers...the ball peen hammer?
What percentage of "power" from the wrist is applied when using the ball peen hammer, vs. loose wrists?...
Is it 90% loose wrist with a subtle grip to hold onto the hammer?...Or is it 90% powering wrist to help drive the ball peen hammer into the brad nails we use to hang pictures on the wall?

If you want to use any of those tools most efficiently, the wrists should not be used as a driver or power source. Think about a simple hammer, if you're like me it probably takes me at least twice the number of blows to drive a nail into a 2x4 than it does a professional house framer. And there's no way I'd be able to do it all day like the pro because I am using too much wrist and not relying on the bigger muscles. Use a longer framing hammer or a longer handled tool like a sledge hammer or axe and this should be even more evident.

Relative to hanging pictures, I use a tack hammer and control the blow with my wrist so that I don't miss and put holes in my wall. I don't want to see your walls if you're swinging a ball peen hammer for that task!

 

[rdbass]

I showed a friend of mine who is a golf coach and very good golfer how to pull back the scap during the back swing and start down keeping it pulled back. He started hitting the ball even better than he normally hits it. He really loved the feeling of support he felt at the top. It allowed him to use the bigger muscles to swing he club (his words). Honestly, it never occurred to me until a few days ago (when I was looking at a Dustin Johnson swing) to pull back the scap in the golf swing. For me - it's not ingrained quite yet but when I tilted in the rear hip socket I was able to get off some really good shots.

[video]https://youtu.be/nN_07bOzll8[/video]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nN_07bOzll8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
And really no different than this

Lag is created as the swing stays on the side of the body - the hands/wrists should be active - not locked

I showed a friend of mine who is a golf coach and very good golfer how to pull back the scap during the back swing and start down keeping it pulled back.

If it's possible because I know you said you 'showed' your friend but, could you explain what you showed him.