Model swings

[FiveFrameSwing]

FFS - This is what I am questioning too. If you compare and contrast the time from POC to extension of Megan Willis above with Meg Langenfeld swing, you clearly see Meg "pushing" (your term) the bat through the hitting area longer. I will get some more information on this "push". Questions I have are: Is it to promote better contact, more power, or something else? It's fasinating to me since I have never thought to teach my batters this move but recently it has been added to my DDs swing mechanics and drills by her hitting instructor. Just trying to understand it better.

SoCal ... I'm interested in the answers you receive.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

p.s.

As an FYI, Megan Langenfeld led the 2010 UCLA team with a 0.527 BA. She did that while playing against not just regular D-1 competition, but PAC-10 level competition. Her BA was over 135pts higher than the next highest teammate.

Her OBP was 0.667 … more than 185pts above the next highest teammate … and she was NOT a slapper.

Her slugging percentage was an impressive 1.085 … more than 400pts higher than the next highest teammate.

This lady hit … and she hit frequently … and she hit with plenty of power.

Her swing … up to ‘contact’, was highly efficient IMO.

 

[LongBall]

This is a comparison I like!

 

[Chris O'Leary]

CO ... what you have shown here is the action from 'contact' on. I already stated that this was a 'push' and that I wasn't sold on it.

View her swing from stance through to 'contact'. Stop at 'contact' ... and take note that she isn't disconnected. She arrived at 'contact' in a nice connected manner ... very efficient ... efficient in terms of virtually no leakage in power.

Here she is at contact ...

She reached contact with a well connected swing IMO.

After contact .... like I said, I'm not sold on that action.

If she's pushing here, it means she's pushing earlier on.

The lack of alignment between the front forearm and the barrel of the bat is an indication of an inefficiency.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

p.s.

As an FYI, Megan Langenfeld led the 2010 UCLA team with a 0.527 BA. She did that while playing against not just regular D-1 competition, but PAC-10 level competition. Her BA was over 135pts higher than the next highest teammate.

Her OBP was 0.667 … more than 185pts above the next highest teammate … and she was NOT a slapper.

Her slugging percentage was an impressive 1.085 … more than 400pts higher than the next highest teammate.

This lady hit … and she hit frequently … and she hit with plenty of power.

Her swing … up to ‘contact’, was highly efficient IMO.

Who cares.

Vlad Guerrero has also done well with an unconventional swing.

However, there is generally a reason why some people are one of a kind, and I have literally never seen another good hitter do what Langenfeld does on an everyday basis.[1]

To all the lurkers out there, your time is better spent copying what most people do, not some one-off swing.

[1] It looks like she may be going the other way with a pitch up and a bit outside. That might explain some of what you see in the clip, but that should be viewed as a lesson in how to make an adjustment, not how to swing at every pitch. Of course, this also make the point of trying to draw conclusions, or base theories, on clips without know the context of them.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Who cares.

Vlad Guerrero has also done well with an unconventional swing.

However, there is generally a reason why some people are one of a kind, and I have literally never seen another good hitter do what Langenfeld does on an everyday basis.[1]

To all the lurkers out there, your time is better spent copying what most people do, not some one-off swing.

[1] It looks like she may be going the other way with a pitch up and a bit outside. That might explain some of what you see in the clip, but that should be viewed as a lesson in how to make an adjustment, not how to swing at every pitch. Of course, this also make the point of trying to draw conclusions, or base theories, on clips without know the context of them.

Who cares? Those that are discussing it care ... which is why they are discussing it.

This mechanic is not "one of a kind" ... I've pointed out this mechanic before with other hitters.

Personally, I feel this lady is doing a very good job in terms of making a connected swing up to 'contact'. I'm interested in what SoCal learns on the topic.

Regarding your assertion that this 'after contact' action may be pitch location related ... I have multiple swing clips that suggest that this is her particular swing mechanic. If you read SoCal's post, you should have also learned that she is teaching/promoting this. Personally, I'd like to learn why people swing this way and what they feel they do to make it happen.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

If she's pushing here, it means she's pushing earlier on.

The lack of alignment between the front forearm and the barrel of the bat is an indication of an inefficiency.

This is almost too funny.

Go through the model swings thread and show me hitters that are routinely able to make contact this deep without disconnecting. This is a good swing.

As for inefficiency ... I repeat ... there is virtually zero leakage of power in her swing ... up through contact it is pretty efficient ... she doesn't just put the ball over the fence ... but I've seen her put it over building structures beyond the HR fence. She hits the ball hard ... her slugging percentage is far above average.

If you think she's pushing earlier ... then why is it she does such a good job of remaining connected. Yes ... I understand that the general concern of a late push is disconnection ... I stated that earlier ... but the question remains, how is it that she pushes late without disconnecting ... in fact, how is it she can exhibit one of the better connected swings up to 'contact', and yet have what 'looks like' a late push?

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

If she's pushing here, it means she's pushing earlier on.

The lack of alignment between the front forearm and the barrel of the bat is an indication of an inefficiency.

CO ... here's the front view of the same swing.

How much greater alignment of the lead forearm and barrel are you looking for at contact?

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

CO: “The lack of alignment between the front forearm and the barrel of the bat is an indication of an inefficiency.”

CO: “You can tell from the angle of the bat relative to the front forearm at contact that this is an inefficient swing”

Yet, this is the front view of the swing at ‘contact’ that you are talking about.

What you claim to view doesn't match up to real data.


CO: “the push is killing the whip”

Yet her batting statistics place her as one of the best hitters in terms of BA, OBP and SLG … while playing at the highest level for college play. Her slugging percentage is abnormally high and is over 400pts higher than the next highest hitter on her team.


CO: “If she's pushing here, it means she's pushing earlier on.”

Yet when you go through her swing frame-by-frame, from her ‘stance’ to ‘contact’, you don’t find evidence of an earlier push. In fact, she arrives at ‘contact’ with the rear forearm-to-bicep still pinched, which is another indication that she hasn't pushed earlier.

What is my point?

My point is ... that I’m not a believer in her “after contact” mechanics either … but I’m not going to make up stories to state she’s doing something that she isn’t doing.

Please … let's use real data. Don’t just determine that you don’t like her swing and then make up negative stories about it.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

CO: “The lack of alignment between the front forearm and the barrel of the bat is an indication of an inefficiency.”

CO: “You can tell from the angle of the bat relative to the front forearm at contact that this is an inefficient swing”

Yet, this is the front view of the swing at ‘contact’ that you are talking about.

Hogwash.

The relevant angle is this one, the one I used, not the one you have so carefully chosen.

Alignment comes in two forms.

She's rotating in plane at the POC, as your frame points out. However, and as the clip I used points out, the barrel of her bat never whips around to come in line with her front arm.

That is an indication of sub-optimal whip, and the push (and leak back elbow) is the cause.