- Jun 8, 2016
- 16,118
- 113
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.
If a mental cue for someone, regardless of how far removed it is from what their actual swing looks like, produces a productive swing then I am all for it.
The brain is funny thing. The problem becomes when someone uses a mental cue on a developing hitter which is far removed from what a good swing looks like.
In this case the old adage of be careful what you wish for, it might come true sometimes applies. Remember most of these MLBers
using these mental cues you speak of probably had good swings long before anybody ever asked them about their swings and what swing thoughts they use
and for the "older" guys (Bonds,Gwynn) they probably didn't see a slow motion video of their swings until they were in the Majors. I am a decade or so younger
than Bonds and I didn't see a video of my swing until my college coach took a video (VHS.. )