More early batspeed?
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- Jun 8, 2016
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FYI, I don't think that was a tweet of appreciation from Marco..
Can somebody show me what a swing at a moving ball would look if the hands didn't go from "A to B"...???? Nobody hits a moving ball with their hands staying at "A"..The issue is the barrel path which results if the hands are pushed from A to B without any rotation of the knob (from whatever source you think appropriate)
Pretty much this but to me it is more that the center of pressure doesn't shift past the bodies' midline (e.g. you don't have more pressure on your front foot at launch than you do your back foot). Saying the weight shifts just makes the engineer in me shudder...
1 legged makes sense IMO within the 2 engine (HI) principal since there are no other dependencies.
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I don't think one actually torques the handle/bat with the hands. They (hands) setup a rotational point for the barrel to be turned. I'm going to buy a PVC pipe, 4 to 5 ft, that Stone uses, to help create this rotational point. I'll tell you later how/if it works well to help create this rotational point.
- Jul 29, 2013
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Ok here's two cents...maybe more...
the HOFers in the video...Jim Thome says, "All these guys hitting homeruns...I used to work on hitting low line drives to short stop." Imagine how good he might have been if he had focused on hitting homers starting in spring training each year? As though that might be a worthwhile goal? I think they get caught up in overdoing it and don't want to mess up their swing, but all that shows is that they really don't know what they're doing (magic?)
If we teach our kids to do what the HOFers say rather than what they do, wouldn't that be setting up a hurdle that some may never clear? Isn't that what I'd do if I knew how to do something and maliciously wanted you to fail so I tell you to do the opposite? SO what you're saying is I should tell you the correct way and then you'd fail? WTH?
I taught my kid to hit homers from an early age. In her 18yo year of playing FP she hit .360 with 40% being homers, 40% were doubles, and 20% singles. I can tell you, it was a blast! Who would want to deny their dd that experience by teaching her to hit low line drives to SS (the best infielder)? I'm sorry, but that doesn't make sense!
Torquing the handle....if the hands move in relation to each other it can be a passive movement or an active movement. I suggest you try it and see what happens. For me personally. I hit the ball far harder when I actively torque the handle. (Mankin THT) (TM tip and rip)
BTW, did anybody notice how the batters in the first 3 videos almost had their arms completely barred???? OMG!!!
the HOFers in the video...Jim Thome says, "All these guys hitting homeruns...I used to work on hitting low line drives to short stop." Imagine how good he might have been if he had focused on hitting homers starting in spring training each year? As though that might be a worthwhile goal? I think they get caught up in overdoing it and don't want to mess up their swing, but all that shows is that they really don't know what they're doing (magic?)
If we teach our kids to do what the HOFers say rather than what they do, wouldn't that be setting up a hurdle that some may never clear? Isn't that what I'd do if I knew how to do something and maliciously wanted you to fail so I tell you to do the opposite? SO what you're saying is I should tell you the correct way and then you'd fail? WTH?
I taught my kid to hit homers from an early age. In her 18yo year of playing FP she hit .360 with 40% being homers, 40% were doubles, and 20% singles. I can tell you, it was a blast! Who would want to deny their dd that experience by teaching her to hit low line drives to SS (the best infielder)? I'm sorry, but that doesn't make sense!
Torquing the handle....if the hands move in relation to each other it can be a passive movement or an active movement. I suggest you try it and see what happens. For me personally. I hit the ball far harder when I actively torque the handle. (Mankin THT) (TM tip and rip)
BTW, did anybody notice how the batters in the first 3 videos almost had their arms completely barred???? OMG!!!
- Nov 16, 2017
- 406
- 63
Both. Ted Williams is the prime example. He understood both and that is why he hit 400. Teach both. Teach them that what they feel can and often will end up being completely different than what happens. I often say to a player sometimes you have to trick your own brain to get the right results. In the end, it is the results. So a good coach can understand a frame by frame breakdown of a great swing but a great coach can tell a player that is dropping hands and swinging under to swing down on the ball. They don't want a downward chop like swing but they know that "adjustment" will result in the desired swing.
Sometimes to correct a bad mechanic you have to over correct with a bad mechanic. You just can't get to an elite swing without many steps in between.
I had a parent say to me you have changed your hitting from when they were 10U to now they are 14U. What you teach a 10U player who drops hand and swings up is not what you teach a 14U player who is looking to add intention (ie: staying up the middle / oppo) .
The science is real regarding a swing. Attack angle (not launch angle), path, load (gather), etc. But knowing how to relate the info INDIVIDUALLY is art.
If you are trying to achieve proper bat path, it is easy. Get out of the cage and on to the field. Put a tee behind home plate and go out to rc fieldl and instruct the hitter to drive the ball to the grass in the air. Switch to lc field. Repeat. When a hitter can do this consistently then front toss with same goal. Linedrive to the grass. (Aprox 110 feet) This is for 12 y/o. Adjust expectation (distance) to age and size. The secret is the consistency. My DD will be 95 percent off the tee and 85 percent off front toss dependent on my tossing ability. But I expect her to turn my bad tosses into linedrives. The trajectory and carry of the ball tells the story.
- Jun 8, 2016
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You can't say "Imagine how good he would of been" if he concentrated on hitting HR's in spring training. I mean, who doesn't want to hit a HR on every swing. So why would Thome focus on hitting the ball hard the other way? There are so many greats that do the same thing, Freddie Freeman, Manny Ramirez, Vlad jr in warm up focuses on hitting the ball hard the other way in is 1st couple rounds, etc.
Here's Freeman
Valddy
Braun
What I'm saying, is maybe we need to listen and not just discount what these guys are saying because we all think we know more just by looking at the result of a frame by frame swing. I watched a Trout interview not too long ago where he says he stopped taking BP at one point because he was trying to muscle it up and hit the ball far as he could on each swing. As a result he slumped. To resolve this issue he went back to the Tee and focused on hitting balls hard up the middle and right CF. Focused on staying inside the ball.
In regards to teaching our DD's to hit HR's. I'm glad you had success with your DD, but I think this is a bad approach. Even the best in the world make this mistake, going to the plate thinking HR and popping the ball up or rolling over on a weak grounder. Like Vladdy says in his video, just trying to get the barrel on the ball and hit it hard.
When the greats focus on hitting the ball the other way, line drives just over SS's head. They are focusing on staying inside the ball, staying through the ball etc. Do you believe Thome practices hitting line drives to the SS because that's what he wants to do in a game? Come on man.
- Jul 29, 2013
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Remember that all these guys are capable of hitting homeruns, so maybe their focus is staying relaxed which is a good point.
On the other hand, if you want to teach your dd to hit it hard, what good will it do to teach her to take nice easy swings that result in soft line drives to ss? Do you think she'll ever hit one out with that approach? Maybe by accident. Then if she trys to hit it out she'll be in unknown territory. I say, perfect practice makes perfect. If you want to hit homers, practice hitting homers.
So yes, I can say "imagine how good he might have been."
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