Swing out from the body

[Shawn]

I think this is a good clip of shifting pivot points. I think 5frames and I see it the same way.

 

[Spartans21]

In your opinion is the shifting pivot points something that needs to be taught to a player? I think a hand pivot point and rear hip pivot point is essential to teach in order to produce a good swing. To be honest I am most interested in areas that need to be taught to players, and learning the most effective ways to convey it to kids.

 

[Shawn]

In your opinion is the shifting pivot points something that needs to be taught to a player? I think a hand pivot point and rear hip pivot point is essential to teach in order to produce a good swing. To be honest I am most interested in areas that need to be taught to players, and learning the most effective ways to convey it to kids.

I don't think they need to taught. The rear pivot point is the most important and what happens to the front leg/hip is a direct result. My front leg action happens as a result of the back leg/hip. I think the rear hip/leg create a force against the front leg that causes the front leg to firm up very rapidly causing the hips to pop.

The lead arm might need some coaching.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

A portion of the body should be moving in the opposite direction in which it is attempting to swing an object.

Think of it from a pitching perspective ... a windmill pitcher releases the ball near the low point in their windmill ... the arm is essentially going down, and the body is posting to go slightly up ... compliments of front side blocking/posting/resisting. That assists in leading to whip.

A golfer does the same thing ... their swing is essentially down ... and they release into a front side posting action that raises their body. Their swing and the body are actually moving in opposite directions. (There is more ... but let's not over complicate it)

In the softball/baseball release the direction is out towards the field ... so there is a body segment that needs to be moving in the opposite direction to that.

Below is a GIF of a professional hitter. I've placed a 'red' dot on the front hip at one point, and then a 'green' dot on the front hip later. The point is it is the front hip that rotates backwards as the barrel is swung forward.

Most folks simply focus on the rear hip going forward ... and they can do that because for many people the front side blocking action is natural and doesn't need to be taught. In fact, teach people a "forward and walk away from the hands sequence" and many times the blocking process turns on without having to mention it.

This action isn't isolated to just Tulowitzki's swing. It's part of virtually all good hitter's swings.

Here's Loney's swing showing the same 'red' and 'green' dots on the front hip ...

Here's Gonzalez's swing ....

Here's Bonds' swing ....

Just pointing out that the body's of proficient hitters know that it needs to move some element rearward to send the barrel forward ... most hitters do that with their front hip through a blocking process.

 

[FP26]

Good stuff FFS. I will wait patiently for your discussion of the front side scap. It seems like you are heading in that direction...

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Good stuff FFS. I will wait patiently for your discussion of the front side scap. It seems like you are heading in that direction...

Just as there is a rear-side lateral side bend as the hitter gets their swing underway, there is a front-side lateral side bend as hitters move forward (i.e., walk away from their hands) and take the slack out of the system. Some hitters pre-set this, but many do not. Those that go forward with level shoulders put themselves at a disadvantage relative to what they are capable of.

 

[FP26]

Just as there is a rear-side lateral side bend as the hitter gets their swing underway, there is a front-side lateral side bend as hitters move forward (i.e., walk away from their hands) and take the slack out of the system. Some hitters pre-set this, but many do not. Those that go forward with level shoulders put themselves at a disadvantage relative to what they are capable of.

That's a good point, and I still see some youth coaches teaching "level shoulders". But I think what the front scap does next is equally important. A retraction of the front scap just prior to launch assists the rear scap in its job. Both scaps will complement each other when used correctly.

 

[Turbo74]

I see a lot of girls in particular, stopping or blocking their front side core movement, and then launching their hands/arms at the ball. For me, it was important to stress to my DD to power the swing with the core all the way through, including an emphasis on her front side, and then explain how the hands/elbows work out from the body, independently. Looking for that front side foot turn is also an important movement I can watch for in my kids, as the swing can occur so quickly.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

See if this feel of the lead hip being tied to the rear elbow, with the lead hip leading, makes any sense to you.

Follow up ....

 

[julray]

The reason I posted this Bonds clip was to show the hand movement toward the plate. I thought this might have something to do with swinging out from the body.

I'm confused again with the term swinging out from the body....lol. This is what I always thought swinging out from the body meant proper extension (long through) regardless of the pitch, inside, middle, outside...

People on here are talking about outside pitches and swinging out from the body, it reminds me of casting. RDBass posted an animated gif of a circular pattern with scissors indicating where the rotation stopped and extension occurred. I always thought that out from the body meant proper extension at the point the Scissor cut occurred, not getting your hands across the plate. Isn't that kind of like those instructors that preach knob to the ball?