The latest guru on Twitter

[rdbass]

On around versus back to forth.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

He is saying the "baseline" should be level and adjust from there..not sure what that even means but I don't think he meant swing level for every pitch. From past threads, I think maybe he is under the impression that the TTB mentality results in an uppercut swing by default..a million different gifs of HL swings for different pitch locations show a different story imo. Heck you can TTB pretty good and still be too flat for most all pitches if you don't do other things correctly..my DD is a decent example of that actually.

I don't know what that means either. Almost sounds like someone is recommending that you start our swinging level and transition mid-swing. I'm not following that notion.

The way I teach TTB (or what I refer to as hand/forearm engine) the 'result' will have the barrel head coming up through the ball. It truly is a 'swing' after all .

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

It's not my perception.. I didn't create the video/pic. It just proves what my perception has always been. Do you really believe I am part of ESPN Sports Science? LOL. Take a look and tell me that riseball drops.. I dare you. I'll make this very simple for you, easy question so there's no avoiding the question by asking another. In that video/screenshot, does the ball rise to contact? Yes or no?

Julray ... a riseball, thrown for a strike towards the top of the zone, will at best be 'level with the ground' as it crosses the plate, and in many instances will actually be losing altitude as it crosses the plate.

 

[rdbass]

everything else will fall in place, body will react appropriately

Some one might be mixing that up with 'the core'..... Magic......

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Thanks I appreciate it.

Drop the barrel.. easy to achieve when thinking swing level and adjusting. Hard to adjust when you dumped the barrel and trying to hit a rise ball
No silly, why would you ever do that? Think level swing approach and react to that pitch by going down and getting it.

When it's all said and done, In my experience a lot of girls who TTB end up dropping the back shoulder too early.. leading to them being under rise balls, rising curve and screwballs. Do I practice and advise my DD to take a level swing? No. But I do ask her to take a look at the pitcher and if she's throwing a lot of rising/floating pitches, maintaining level shoulders and a level swingapproach helps her a lot

There is so much in this post to respond to ... but I'll keep it to this ... "In my experience a lot of girls who TTB end up dropping the back shoulder too early" and "maintaining level shoulders".

This is really bad. A level shoulders approach is one of the quickest ways to ruin a swing.

By too early ... I take it you don't understand how the body/torso is used to initiate the launching of the barrel.

We have a bit of education to get through if this is your current understanding of the swing.

p.s.
Regarding this ... "But I do ask her to take a look at the pitcher and if she's throwing a lot of rising/floating pitches, maintaining level shoulders" ... consider this ... "But I do ask her to take a look at the pitcher and if she's throwing a lot of rising/floating pitches, then flatten the barrel in her stance".

 

[rdbass]

 

[rdbass]

 

[julray]

I don't know what that means either. Almost sounds like someone is recommending that you start our swinging level and transition mid-swing. I'm not following that notion.

The way I teach TTB (or what I refer to as hand/forearm engine) the 'result' will have the barrel head coming up through the ball. It truly is a 'swing' after all .

So are you saying that a batter doesn't start his swing until they know exactly where the ball will cross the plate? In .4 seconds the ball arrives at home plate. So if my intention is to be "up and through the ball", will that swing match every plane tossed at me in fastpitch softball...no, I would have to make adjustments.

What I mean is I tell my DD to think level swing.. this helps her get to most pitches. If I told her my dd that the barrel head should come up through the ball.. she would be lucky to square up a good rise ball.. or even a ball thrown on a flat trajectory. It's the approach that works for her. I guess kind of like those MLBers that demonstrate chopping down on the ball.. do they do that in a game..no.. but that mentality helps them achieve what they are looking to do.

 

[julray]

Julray ... a riseball, thrown for a strike towards the top of the zone, will at best be 'level with the ground' as it crosses the plate, and in many instances will actually be losing altitude as it crosses the plate.

Hey 5Frames, try to answer the question being asked for once.. look at the actual video/pic I posted. Is the ball losing altitude at point of contact? Let me answer that for you since you won't.. no it isn't.

 

[julray]

There is so much in this post to respond to ... but I'll keep it to this ... "In my experience a lot of girls who TTB end up dropping the back shoulder too early" and "maintaining level shoulders".

This is really bad. A level shoulders approach is one of the quickest ways to ruin a swing.

By too early ... I take it you don't understand how the body/torso is used to initiate the launching of the barrel.

We have a bit of education to get through if this is your current understanding of the swing.

p.s.
Regarding this ... "But I do ask her to take a look at the pitcher and if she's throwing a lot of rising/floating pitches, maintaining level shoulders" ... consider this ... "But I do ask her to take a look at the pitcher and if she's throwing a lot of rising/floating pitches, then flatten the barrel in her stance".

I'm all there for being educated, even if it's by somebody who is afraid to answer a question because they know the answer will be contrary their beliefs. Always learning, that's the key.. take a look you may learn as well.

BTW.. chopping down on the ball, knob to ball approach ruins good swings as well.. right? Funny thing is do these major leaguers who demo this actually do that in a game.. no.. but that approach works for them. My DD doesn't maintain a level swing in a game regardless of where the pitch is either (don't know how many times I have to say this), but a level swing approach helps her stay on top of a rising ball or any other ball that floats through the zone. Check out the video I posted earlier in the thread. Thome talks about Trout taking batting practice with pitches being front tossed up around his shoulders, leveling out his swing.. Why? Would he use this swing to hit a pitch around his knees in a game.. of course not. But it will help him with the high fastball borderline in the zone. Thome explains it better than me..