Hands away from the arm pit isn’t an absolute.
Not sure what you mean about hands behind the rear elbow, not seeing that at all. The hands are even with the back elbow, not a bad thing.
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Hands away from the arm pit isn’t an absolute.
Not sure what you mean about hands behind the rear elbow, not seeing that at all. The hands are even with the back elbow, not a bad thing.
1. It's only 'absolute' if you want good leverage, and hands tight to the body per Conservation of Angular Momentum (imagine an ice skater slowing down with outstretched hands) (the scale may not be exact, but it's close enough for this)
and, further. the hands must remain near the armpit until the back elbow takes it's place near the torso at hip slot. (think of the ice skater)
2. It's obvious his hands are behind the back elbow here. (imagine how goofy a boxer would look punching someone like this)
Many of these same rules apply to baseball pitching, golf, and probably tennis and more.
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That’s not hands behind the elbow. It’s a level forearm with the elbow directly in line with the hands. When I first told Tim Olsen about having a box formation, it included the back elbow/forearm position as part of the box. Not just the box formation everyone came to know as a view from the side.
Hitters to check, Griffey, Ohtani and Olsen off the top of my head.
AJ, was getting stuck with long and slow and had no chance at pitches up/in the zone.
AJ, showing the changes/adjustments he made to have a chance at up/in (free hands).
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Cannonball
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- Feb 25, 2009
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While I don't know the history behind these two clips, from how I coach hitting, my observation would be that he comes into connection, points the knob and then delivers the barrel. (I don't want to take away from the discussion at hand but wanted to point my observation out. I have never seen these clips before.)AJ, was getting stuck with long and slow and had no chance at pitches up/in the zone.
AJ, showing the changes/adjustments he made to have a chance at up/in (free hands).
- Jun 8, 2016
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If I recall correctly, in that interview he (AJ) basically said the way he was loading his hands with his handset he was "hiding them behind his head" too much. He changed his handset so that the load didn't do that anymore. What he is showing in the bottom gif is what the new handset allowed him to do on inside pitches that he couldn't do before.
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- Jun 8, 2016
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1. Based on my marks, that's not even close. (however... it's possible I marked the elbow wrong, it's hard to tell in that image)
2. Griffey, you may be correct, hands may be slightly behind, it's hard to tell (I could not find a game swing from the side where I can see his feet - to check for position at toe touch)
Ohtani, hands not behind (this is a side angle where you can tell what he's doing)
Here's Matt Olson, hands not behind (who is Tim Olsen?)
PS, also Ronald Acuna has hands basically even with the back elbow. Even he could use better leverage.
Most MLB hitters do not have absolutely perfect leverage.
If you start at toe touch with the hands behind the elbow, you have to make a major correction mid swing (which Griffey and Acuna do). Youth hitters never do this - it's a fatal flaw that stops them from advancing.
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If you keep the 90 angle with lead arm the hands cant get hands behind the elbow. Players the armbar as part of their load can get hands trapped. That being said, Griffey basically arm barred his way into the HoF.
