Turning the barrel

[Ken Krause]

FYI, I moved the discussion on hitting a baseball v hitting a softball to a new thread. It looked like an interesting discussion, but had nothing to do with turning the barrel, which is the topic of this thread.

 

[jbooth]

How was my question an argument? I simply asked a question of you, the all knowing OZ. I asked if I could move my elbow back behind me without the scap getting tight? I know I can. In fact it gives me to much of a range of motion. When I say tight I mean connected to the spine. as in a flexed state.

Then I asked if I could pull the scap tight and cause the rear elbow to poke back? For me when I try this. I don't have the same range of movement. The scap gets tight quicker and only moves my hands around the "corner" a little. Creating a quicker connection.

Yes, you can do as you say, but how does that relate to swing? What do you think the scapula contributes to the swing?

 

[jbooth]

Again, this is the practical side. How about this. You stay on the technical side and explain bio mechanically what you see happening and I will stay here and explain how to make it happen. In other words. You will teach people anatomy and I will teach them how to be hitters not swingers.

I don't teach them anatomy. I teach them to swing extremely effectively, because I know anatomy and bio-mechanics. I don't give them esoteric terms and expect other magical things to occur. I tell them how to move.

Quite often, I agree with your PRACTICAL suggestions. In fact I was in agreement with you that body movements cause a downward barrel throw, to level out, but somehow you still said I was wrong.

 

[mann]

Today i worked with a taller new girl, and use "turning the barrel" as demenstrated by Tewks, in his video.

She really liked the cue, and was able to grasp the concept.
I then worked really inside and low, using the same turning the barrel technique, while Tilting. Also used cues like scrunching the side,

and not being afraid to really drop the barrel, i had the tee way low and inside.

This was all after working on seperation.

I would like to thank Tewks, and fiveframe, for this new cue, and technique that does work.

 

[redhotcoach]

Today i worked with a taller new girl, and use "turning the barrel" as demenstrated by Tewks, in his video.

She really liked the cue, and was able to grasp the concept.
I then worked really inside and low, using the same turning the barrel technique, while Tilting. Also used cues like scrunching the side,

and not being afraid to really drop the barrel, i had the tee way low and inside.

This was all after working on seperation.

I would like to thank Tewks, and fiveframe, for this new cue, and technique that does work.

Awesome! I do think Tewks could help you out. I would love to see your girls succeed. JMO go with someone like Tewks....no get Tewks help, and stick with it instead of trying to take bits and pieces from everyone. I still stick with what I said about your dd months ago, she could be close to high level...just tighten it up.

 

[HYP]

Today i worked with a taller new girl, and use "turning the barrel" as demenstrated by Tewks, in his video.

She really liked the cue, and was able to grasp the concept.
I then worked really inside and low, using the same turning the barrel technique, while Tilting. Also used cues like scrunching the side,

and not being afraid to really drop the barrel, i had the tee way low and inside.

This was all after working on seperation.

I would like to thank Tewks, and fiveframe, for this new cue, and technique that does work.

Did I miss something from Tewks? Did he post a drill? Can some one point me to it? Thanks

 

[GunnerShotgun]

Try this experiment in a mirror....stand facing the mirror like it is in the oppo batter's box

Get set up with the bat barrel cocked towards the pitcher a bit and the bat pretty vertical (not quite straight up and down, but close).

Have the label of the bat so you can see it in the mirror

Now turn the barrel slowly so the label turns back towards the catcher....and allow your rear elbow to come down into your side if it wants.

Do this a few times to get it down....keep your hands in place as you do this....you can think of it as you are spinning the bat to turn the label.

Now turn yourself so that the mirror is where the pitcher would be....get in the same position as before but set up the bat to make sure you can see the label of the bat in the mirror.

Now turn the barrel so that the label turns up towards the sky....allowing the rear elbow to come down as it wants to. Same exact move as you did before.

If you did it right - the barrel should have started out nearly vertical and when turned ended up at about 45 degrees...

This is just an experiment to show you that the hands/wrists and forearms can impart a lot of movement on the barrel in the early part of the swing without much involvement from the body...essentially getting it going early without sending it into a path that will hinder your ability to be quick....

In the context of turning the barrel for a swing this move is blended into bringing the barrel to the ball because the lower body would be working and hands would be coming forward before our experiment was over....

If you instruct a player to rotate their lower half and then rotate their shoulders while trying to keep the hands near the rear shoulder you wouldn't get the same movement that Posey does....

For me it is not a matter of does the swing on the right work - it obviously does....but I would rather teach the swing on the left using the hands to create as tight of barrel path as possible....

I am trying to wrap my mind around this as I am going over this with my DD. While I understand the two movements I don't understand the connection between the two.

"oppo batter's box

Get set up with the bat barrel cocked towards the pitcher a bit and the bat pretty vertical (not quite straight up and down, but close).

Have the label of the bat so you can see it in the mirror

Now turn the barrel slowly so the label turns back towards the catcher....and allow your rear elbow to come down into your side if it wants."

So essentially here you are twisting the label back towards the catcher. If my right hand was on the grip of a motorcycle this would be the same as giving it some gas?


"Now turn yourself so that the mirror is where the pitcher would be....get in the same position as before but set up the bat to make sure you can see the label of the bat in the mirror.

Now turn the barrel so that the label turns up towards the sky....allowing the rear elbow to come down as it wants to. Same exact move as you did before."

This seems to be more of a flicking of the wrist backwards, I am not understanding the need to twist here.

Are the two moves a sequence or the same move presented two different ways?

Trying to understand here...

 

[drc9805]

GS, that's the same way I interpreted the moves above and don't see you twisting in the second move either. Maybe your not supposed to twist in the first move but that's the only way I see getting the label to the catcher. If I just drop the bat head rearward with my wrists it doesn't turn the label to the catcher. MTS...please explain.

 

[stv]

Today i worked with a taller new girl, and use "turning the barrel" as demenstrated by Tewks, in his video.

She really liked the cue, and was able to grasp the concept.
I then worked really inside and low, using the same turning the barrel technique, while Tilting. Also used cues like scrunching the side,

and not being afraid to really drop the barrel, i had the tee way low and inside.

This was all after working on seperation.

I would like to thank Tewks, and fiveframe, for this new cue, and technique that does work.

I would like to see this as well.
Trying to get out of that level swing syndrome.

 

[drc9805]

GS, that's the same way I interpreted the moves above and don't see you twisting in the second move either. Maybe your not supposed to twist in the first move but that's the only way I see getting the label to the catcher. If I just drop the bat head rearward with my wrists it doesn't turn the label to the catcher. MTS...please explain.

MTS, Are GS and I doing something incorrectly?