Posture

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Sep 17, 2009
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What comes first? Direction or tilt? That is how tilt is created. It’s really a no teach. The front leg and front elbow do the adjusting in good swings.

Learn how to use your hands.The hand/barrel path dictates tilt.

Here’s a good tutorial on why a push is a push. Also why knob to ball gets a bad rep. Casey is perfect with his analysis.



Edit: learn how to use your hands and how to ‘load’ them.


There's a lot to unpack in this video -- most of it not good. Let's start with his main idea that the slotting elbow somehow 'holds back' the hands. He says so many things that just aren't good:

'it's almost a two part swing'
'it's such a violent act (referencing the slotting of the elbow)'
'this delay of the elbow holds the bat lag'
'that back elbow is independent of your hands'

Yet from 1:05 to 1:10 when he says the primary ACTION the hitter is executing is the elbow slotting, you can literally see the hitter's hands torquing the barrel, and the elbow responding to that turning of the barrel.

It is NOT the 'holding back of the elbow' (whatever that means) that lets the lower half get ahead....it's the rearward barrel turn that does it. You don't slot and whip. That's not how any whipping action occurs (ie, a bullwhip). It's ideally tip it forward, turn it rearward, whip it forward.

Basically, Casey's saying a bunch of words words words that aren't reflecting what is actually happening even as he looks and points at it

He's getting closer. He admits 'knob to the ball' can be a very dangerous cue if wrongly applied. Can't argue with that. He says the hands are so important. Yep.

But then he describes a two-part swing that is 1) elbow slot 2) hands release. Nope. That's not it. He's STILL (mis)analyzing freeze-frame positions vs. understanding an executed movement.

And then of course Harold says the hitter 'does a lot of things you can't teach' which basically translates to 'yeah, I still don't know what the hell is happening in the swing.'

My two cents...
 
Jan 6, 2009
6,591
113
Chehalis, Wa
work=wins,

The torso/shoulders might tilt a little extra to get to a pitch. Although for the most part posture/tilt is set before the hands officially start.

Blast sensor calls it PCR, plane, connection, rotation. You can measure postural effects of the swing.
 
Oct 13, 2014
5,471
113
South Cali
There's a lot to unpack in this video -- most of it not good. Let's start with his main idea that the slotting elbow somehow 'holds back' the hands. He says so many things that just aren't good:

'it's almost a two part swing'
'it's such a violent act (referencing the slotting of the elbow)'
'this delay of the elbow holds the bat lag'
'that back elbow is independent of your hands'

Yet from 1:05 to 1:10 when he says the primary ACTION the hitter is executing is the elbow slotting, you can literally see the hitter's hands torquing the barrel, and the elbow responding to that turning of the barrel.

It is NOT the 'holding back of the elbow' (whatever that means) that lets the lower half get ahead....it's the rearward barrel turn that does it. You don't slot and whip. That's not how any whipping action occurs (ie, a bullwhip). It's ideally tip it forward, turn it rearward, whip it forward.

Basically, Casey's saying a bunch of words words words that aren't reflecting what is actually happening even as he looks and points at it

He's getting closer. He admits 'knob to the ball' can be a very dangerous cue if wrongly applied. Can't argue with that. He says the hands are so important. Yep.

But then he describes a two-part swing that is 1) elbow slot 2) hands release. Nope. That's not it. He's STILL (mis)analyzing freeze-frame positions vs. understanding an executed movement.

And then of course Harold says the hitter 'does a lot of things you can't teach' which basically translates to 'yeah, I still don't know what the hell is happening in the swing.'

My two cents...

I will agree Casey trips on himself a bit. But as far as what is happening at slot. He gets it right. Harold said ‘it’s not taught’. He’s right. If you get knob to ball right as well as barrel path, it really is a no teach. Elbow slot and long through will be the result. Like I said, get the load right in balance , then knob to ball is the only thing that matters. That’s what Casey’s message was in the video. Here he says it again. Try to listen to it without bias. But go by how much you know about the sequence and mechanics in general. He speaks of the sequence. He doesn’t include everything. But he says I want to point out ‘why’ Davis is so good. Just like Mustakas. He’s not giving a hitting lesson. He’s keying in on a few things broadly.



If he was torquing the barrel. It would have been blurring. But it wasn’t. Not until the initial turn was done. EVERY GOOD SWING BLURS AFTER THE INITIAL TURN OF THE BARREL AND THE HANDS COME FORWARD. They don’t want rearward barrel speed, they want deep instant barrel speed. The initial turn of the barrel is direction not torque. Happens when he slots. Coincidental?? Don’t think so.



The barrel lagging with the elbow underneath is fundamental. The ‘delay’ he speaks of is really the lower half running start (separation). What everyone wants. He even explains it. That’s where everyone screws up knob to ball. He says it himself. No load.

Separation is an on going mechanic from forward move until toe touch/foot down.

If one is a ‘torque/turn’ the barrel get on plane deep guy’ this doesn’t make sense. Again if your on plane deep then tilt would happen before direction. Doesn’t happen with any pro hitters I have seen.

If you don’t believe in a two part swing I guess you don’t believe Ted Williams ‘hips ahead of hands’?? Sounds like 2 parts to me. They certainly don’t go at the same time do they?



The barrel doesn’t pick up speed until he slots.It turns a bit, then picks up speed.
Direction-Slot-Speed.

This guy does the opposite. This is why he waits as long as possible on his back leg and throws everything at the ball.This would be a one piece swing. No running start. Back elbow behind the hands on all swings. He needs the ‘race’. Push swings work. But mainly oppo hitters. Can’t get the barrel around fast enough for the most part. Luckily he’s 6’8 280lbs with 310 rf fence. No agenda. Just picked the first pusher I could think of.

 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
Basically I agree with @efastball here in the sense that what most everyone would assume to be some of the main components of a good swing e.g. coil, hold/continue to coil (depending on how much is preset) as one moves out in a good balanced position will put your body in a position to be able to hit all pitch locations effectively. There will be some adjustment/direction of the hands (look at the Miggy clip I posted) but with regards to posture, proper coiling actions will result in maintaining posture. Hitters that don't maintain good posture over the ball typically bleed their coil as they move out.
 
Last edited:
Oct 13, 2014
5,471
113
South Cali
work=wins,

The torso/shoulders might tilt a little extra to get to a pitch. Although for the most part posture/tilt is set before the hands officially start.

Blast sensor calls it PCR, plane, connection, rotation. You can measure postural effects of the swing.

Shawn,

Not speaking of the load. Speaking when swing launch occurs. I am speaking of tilt catcher/pitcher. The hands ‘turn’ the barrel then the shoulders tilt. Show me a hitter who does the latter first. There isn’t one. Hard to measure INITIAL HAND DIRECTION with a speed sensor. Gonna need more tech than that.

The shoulders ‘get outta the way’ of the hands. The shoulders are just energy transporters . They aren’t used for direction.

‘Keep that front shoulder in Johnny!’

‘Don’t drop the back shoulder Johnny!’

 
Oct 13, 2014
5,471
113
South Cali
Basically I agree with @efastball here in the sense that what most everyone would assume to be some of the main components of a good swing e.g. coil, hold/continue to coil (depending on how much is preset) as one moves out in a good balanced position will put your body in a position to be able to hit all pitch locations effectively. There will be some adjustment/direction of the hands (look at the Miggy clip I posted) but with regards to posture, proper coiling actions will result in maintaining posture. Hitters that don't maintain good posture over the ball typically bleed their coil as they move out.


Only problem is not all coil. Some guys load more linearly. Style imo. Posture at foot down is set by the balls location/speed. Tilt is something different. It’s a no teach. The hands set the plane of the swing. Posture and tilt, djfferent right?
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
Only problem is not all coil. Some guys load more linearly. Style imo. Posture at foot down is set by the balls location/speed. Tilt is something different. It’s a no teach. The hands set the plane of the swing. Posture and tilt, djfferent right?
The OP was talking about posture over the ball...not talking about tilt.
 

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