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Apr 20, 2018
4,581
113
SoCal
I like the feel of a straight line to help stop sawing across ball but in reality the hands arc until they are thrown off the tilt a whirl.
 
Oct 13, 2014
5,471
113
South Cali
I like the feel of a straight line to help stop sawing across ball but in reality the hands arc until they are thrown off the tilt a whirl.


Exactly! The straight line portion I’m referring to is up until the barrel is released or launched. Turning left (rhh) or turning right (lhh) early is actually taught by some and is nothing more then a cast of the top hand and a sub optimal way to adjust.

‘Hands to the ball’ or ‘knob to the ball’ makes sense when this is realized. It’s knob to a release point but it’s not hard to figure out once a player is taught to stay ‘straight’ and get to contact points at the right time/depth.

Yes there are some gifs out there where the hands will make a slight turn due to an adjustment. But the thought and training regimen is ‘straight’. Not ‘sawing’ or turning more.

Personally I teach to swing on the backside of the body all the way through. Meaning, if you beat on an inside pitch, don’t turn but stay straight and try not to pull. Hit it up the middle. Enter the ‘Mike Lowell drill’.

This is pretty much common knowledge. Just trying to shed some light on the ‘straight’ cue as well as ‘knob to ball’ cues.

As tony Gwynn said ‘swing the knob’ aka get the knob to a release point so it can be ‘swung’...

All is lost if the core torque and balance isn’t in place though. At least at the upper levels against upper level pitching.
 
Apr 2, 2015
1,198
113
Woodstock, man
14658

The hands go in a circle. There is no A to B. This info has been around for 15-20 years. Jack Mankin knew about this.

(also notice this ball is off the outside of the plate)
 
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Oct 13, 2014
5,471
113
South Cali
View attachment 14658

The hands go in a circle. There is no A to B. This info has been around for 15-20 years.

(also notice this ball is off the outside of the plate)

No dispute that the hands ‘go’ in a half circle. But once again it’s knob to a release point’. Then ‘swing the knob’ the bat follows right behind it.

The ‘knob to’ portion is straight. The release will have a curve to it. In most cases.

A to B plays.
 
Jan 6, 2009
6,587
113
Chehalis, Wa
His hands move towards the plate because that’s where the pitch is. Outside. Straight line.

Yes the hands move toward the plate because the pitch is outside. That is true, and on inside pitches they don't have the exact same action. On pitches that are really inside, the hands slide forward.
 
Apr 2, 2015
1,198
113
Woodstock, man
14659

If this were straight overhead, you would see this is a perfect circle, like all the others.

The biceps stay close to the torso, and the torso rotates around the spine. So, it's a circle.

Of course, hitters adjust when they are fooled by timing or if the ball is off the plate or otherwise outside the strike zone. They will contort their body, and push the elbows out/up/away if they need to for those purposes.
 
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Jan 6, 2009
6,587
113
Chehalis, Wa
giphy.gif


Hands move toward the plate.
 
Oct 13, 2014
5,471
113
South Cali
View attachment 14659

If this were straight overhead, you would see this is a perfect circle, like all the others.

The biceps stay close to the torso, and the torso rotates around the spine. So, it's a circle.

Of course, hitters adjust when they are fooled by timing or if the ball is off the plate or otherwise outside the strike zone. They will contort their body, and push the hands if they need to for those purposes.

The actual action is not a circle. It’s is straight. Other wise there is slop.

Do you teach to swing in a circle? Never heard of that before. Unless you teach to get to a position and rotate? That would be what RH was referring to as getting ‘sawed off’ or as others say ‘cutting your swing off’. The action is straight as possible. Shortest distance.
 
Apr 2, 2015
1,198
113
Woodstock, man
14660

This is A to B - shortest distance. This is what fastpitch players were taught 10-20 years ago by top coaches and players. My kids were taught this by a well known player. I used to teach until I saw Mankin talking about 'circular hand path'. BTW, this is what your swing will look like after you do fence drills.

No MLB player hits like this. The overhead video evidence shows their hands go in a circle.
 
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