Pure barrels or cut!

[BigSkyHi]

What effect would hitting the ball above center line but with a down angle "cutting" direction. With the size of the softball, would the ball compress around the top of the bat causing backspin

I would guess a 4-foot ground ball with hellacious top spin that the infielder better field the 2nd hop to the side because it's coming up.

 

[BigSkyHi]

The one common thing I notice looking at swings is the relationship of the top hand to the armpit when the bat lag is released. Believe when these hitters you don't believe talk about down to, they just may be talking about getting down to that slot.

 

[625ender]

What effect would hitting the ball above center line but with a down angle "cutting" direction. With the size of the softball, would the ball compress around the top of the bat causing backspin

Easy G2. That balls going straight to the ground and popping right back up. The ball has to spin one way or the other. Knuckling being the exception of course.

 

[625ender]

How far does the below, above have to be in relation to the center line to create a rising line drive or a sinking line drive?

The more you hit towards the center of the ball the less revs you'll have. The more you hit towards the top or the bottom of the ball the more revs will have. Weve all seen someone top and ball and watch it dance on the plate or better yet a pop the the catcher that goes straight up. The hardest ball on the field to catch it a straight pop up to the catcher. Even MLBers have issue with them because of the spin

 

[_MIA_]

Another thing to consider here, Alan Nathan has done some work which shows that for typical exit velocities in baseball, there is a maximum backspin rate (for a fixed exit velocity) above which the distance the ball travels starts to actually decrease (due to increased drag on the ball). In other words you can have too much of a good thing when it comes to backspin. I am sure the same is true for softball as well albeit with different quantitative results.

This study and some other interesting ones regarding "optimizing" the swing can be found here:

Physics of Baseball - Optimizing the Swing

 

[Bobby Shirer]

bottom 3rd at contact.

View attachment 18781

ball goes up, bat still pointing down to extension

View attachment 18782

The bat is moving upward behind the ball regardless of where the end is pointed.

 

[BigSkyHi]

The more you hit towards the center of the ball the less revs you'll have. The more you hit towards the top or the bottom of the ball the more revs will have. Weve all seen someone top and ball and watch it dance on the plate or better yet a pop the the catcher that goes straight up. The hardest ball on the field to catch it a straight pop up to the catcher. Even MLBers have issue with them because of the spin

Easypeasy play for the catchers unless there is wind. Ball comes back to the them so just face the backstop.

 

[Bobby Shirer]

.4 tenths of a second is not much.. with that being said trying to hit the center of the ball vs just below the center of the ball would make very little difference in that time span. May as well try hitting just below center? Now how accurate are hitters at hitting just below center or center is another argument

What's the difference in aiming at and hitting the center vs aiming at and hitting one inch below center? If you can be accurate doing one, there's nothing preventing you from being accurate doing the other. Right?
That's probably what you said but I haven't had my coffee yet.

 

[Bobby Shirer]

How far does the below, above have to be in relation to the center line to create a rising line drive or a sinking line drive?

Depends on how much you want it to rise or sink. More is more. There's a point at which you can go too far. The pop up at the plate has a ton of backspin but is hit so far below center that it doesn't travel horizontally. That sucker rises!

 

[Bobby Shirer]

The one common thing I notice looking at swings is the relationship of the top hand to the armpit when the bat lag is released. Believe when these hitters you don't believe talk about down to, they just may be talking about getting down to that slot.

Top hand meaning the one attached to the front arm? ...palm down at contact?