Teaching the high level pattern

[Mike-Coach Q]

Learning to TTB perpendicular to the forearm leads to In varying degrees;
1. Taking the arms out of the swing.
2. A consistent place to launch the barrel from.
3. Engages the back muscles in the swing.
4. A more consistent bat path.
5. Done right it can take the loop out of the swing.
6. Launch quickness
7. Clean up rolling over in the swing.
8. Dropping the hands.
9. Better plate coverage
10. More power
11. Cure baldness but I’m still working on this one

 

[TDS]

Right after you… It’s not insults. It’s you and TDS thinking you know the HLP swing. When you clearly don’t. You have no approach. You have idea what is a good swing. I’ll keep saying it and you’ll ducking the question like always. I will post more swings in the future.

Shawn, You do realize not one HLP hitter matches high level.. I would have stayed out of the thread had HLP hitters been used.

You have proven in your full circle that you still don't understand what the best in the game do.

 

[TDS]

As a piece of the larger picture, is TTB an agreed upon concept? Just how and when it happens in question? I don't want to derail this, but as this is where Mike has begun the focus, I was just wondering.

Borrow, NO that's a term used by Rich and his followers.. Rich forces supination of the top hand forearm while the best are able to whip the barrel from an adjustable hand pivot point.

 

[Mike-Coach Q]

Don’t TTB
1. rollover
2. pull the shoulders out early
3, Drop the hands
4. push the hands
5. no bat speed
6. no barrel control
7. poor barrel bath
8. dump the barrel
9. on and on

I don’t teach Pro’s
I’m not the marketing manager for HLP.
I teach young kids that want to play better for their team and out frustration and a desire to help I dove in to HLP.

This is my journey and a few kids I teach. I thought it could be of use to others Doing the same a few years behind me. I’ve made lots of mistakes and trying to help others avoid them. Debating the merits of HLP is not the focus, If you want that start you own post on Richards evil empire and how he’s ruining the youth is America and swings all over the world.

 

[Borrowingminds]

Borrow, NO that's a term used by Rich and his followers.. Rich forces supination of the top hand forearm while the best are able to whip the barrel from an adjustable hand pivot point.

Thanks TDS.

So a HPP to create whip is agreed upon? I don't state that with any sarcasm, I want to understand without any particular agenda blinders (as I obviously have become partial to HLP AS MIKE TEACHES, as he maintains a mind of his own, but also what yourself and WW rings true to me), particularly as Mike rolls through this process.
For the sake of where Mike is at the moment, is it agreed that there is a suddenness to a high level swing that can not happen without a hand pivot involved? If so, where we are now is some think it should be optimized behind the "corner," and the other is adjustable how?

 

[TDS]

Thanks TDS.

So a HPP to create whip is agreed upon? I don't state that with any sarcasm, I want to understand without any particular agenda blinders (as I obviously have become partial to HLP AS MIKE TEACHES, as he maintains a mind of his own, but also what yourself and WW rings true to me), particularly as Mike rolls through this process.
For the sake of where Mike is at the moment, is it agreed that there is a suddenness to a high level swing that can not happen without a hand pivot involved? If so, where we are now is some think it should be optimized behind the "corner," and the other is adjustable how?

Borrow, yes from my perspective the hand pivot occurs during the whip when the barrel passes the hands.. The whip is sudden. The hand pivot needs to be adjustable dependent on pitch location.

 

[Eric F]

Thanks TDS.

So a HPP to create whip is agreed upon? I don't state that with any sarcasm, I want to understand without any particular agenda blinders (as I obviously have become partial to HLP AS MIKE TEACHES, as he maintains a mind of his own, but also what yourself and WW rings true to me), particularly as Mike rolls through this process.
For the sake of where Mike is at the moment, is it agreed that there is a suddenness to a high level swing that can not happen without a hand pivot involved? If so, where we are now is some think it should be optimized behind the "corner," and the other is adjustable how?

I have spent the last 4 years watching and listening to Mike teach, and we have shared a lot of discussion about the swing during that time. IMO, it is accurate to say that this is "HLP by Mike", and is not a direct duplication of all of Rich's teachings.

For my DD, learning how to TTB around a HPP added a quickness to her swing that was not present before. While she significantly improved in her ability to respond to high-velocity pitching, it took her a little while to learn how to control her timing when facing not-so-fast pitching. Once she got that sorted out, things really started falling into place.

While my DD may not be a poster-child for Rich's HLP, she's an example of HLP concepts being implemented and adapted in a way that is unique to her. Likewise with Haley. Both Maddie and Haley have been under Mike's direction for the same mount of time (although Haley has had many more sessions with Mike), during the same time period of their lives, yet their swings look fairly different.

 

[clemenslee1]

After many long conversations with Mike, good ones and not so good ones LOL. I believe that there are many principles of HLP that are present in all swings. That can help a player improve dramatically. Is it a "Pro" pattern maybe maybe not. IMO I do see elements of the principles of HLP in pro swings. The problem arises when a coach etc. takes a Pattern such as HLP or otherwise that they believe in and says that every player fits their pattern and only their pattern. All others are wrong. We cannot cookie cut the swing in that way. Teach the pattern you teach and try your best to provide something of value to the player to help them improve. If someone else doesn't agree then that's OK

 

[Towny9]

I have spent the last 4 years watching and listening to Mike teach, and we have shared a lot of discussion about the swing during that time. IMO, it is accurate to say that this is "HLP by Mike", and is not a direct duplication of all of Rich's teachings.

For my DD, learning how to TTB around a HPP added a quickness to her swing that was not present before. While she significantly improved in her ability to respond to high-velocity pitching, it took her a little while to learn how to control her timing when facing not-so-fast pitching. Once she got that sorted out, things really started falling into place.

While my DD may not be a poster-child for Rich's HLP, she's an example of HLP concepts being implemented and adapted in a way that is unique to her. Likewise with Haley. Both Maddie and Haley have been under Mike's direction for the same mount of time (although Haley has had many more sessions with Mike), during the same time period of their lives, yet their swings look fairly different.

I think the part about adjusting to slower pitching is important. When we talk about high-level Division I softball and professional and high-level baseball - The biggest differentiator to good Hitters and average hitters is their ability to hit velocity. At those levels even the offspeed is fast compared to average levels.

When I used to see high velocity I described it as cheating my hands early. I believe what I may have really been doing was turning the barrel earlier. I know against faster pitching I check swung a whole lot more. These terms were not around when I was a player, But I think there are things that can be learned from all patterns.

 

[Eric F]

After many long conversations with Mike. I believe that are many principles of HLP that are present in all swings.

The HLP is not the invention of something new. It's an attempt to identify, distill, and communicate the components that are common in the swings of elite hitters. Sometimes getting people to feel unfamiliar movements requires drills which exaggerate those movements. It looks "new" to people because it isn't the same material we have seen taught for generations. The argument can be made that hitters learned how to have an elite swing without the HLP teachings. This is true, but what if there was a way to shorten that path, and your young hitter could be a more successful hitter earlier? From my observations, learning HLP concepts with Mike definitely shortened Maddie's path to a good swing.