What is "Turning the Triangle"?

[Hitter]

Some people call it "turning the triangle" others call it "maintaining the box". I never actually understood the maintain the box analogy until at a Bustos clinic. She used a small square (I believe the base off some hitting tee) she used a girl to demonstrate. With the arms at 90 degrees she placed a corner of the square between the girls arms so when viewed from the side it looked like a diamond. Then when batter makes first move with lead elbow and slots the rear elbow she has them stop and holds the square base up again. Still fits perfectly between arms but now is a square instead of diamond, and she explained this was maintaining the box. I always did think it looked more like a triangle. Hope this explaination works along with bucketpapi.

Daddy O

We used a Schutt Travel tee and I held it against her elbows as she was leading with the knob of the bat inside the ball.

An engineer parent was quick to point out that even though the box/ travel tee is square it is a triangle in his opinion.

Thanks Howard

 

[ifubuildit]

The "Box" terminology came from Paul Nyman. Or at least that is where I first came to understand it. Its the combination of the front arm parallel to the chest and the bat at set up. If the hitter looks down between the chest and the front arm it forms a "Box" right in front of them. I never associated it with hand function or any other swing parameter other than when you swing you dont want to break the box. (In other words stay connected during the swing) This is also where the term turning the box came from IMO.

Dana.

 

[cartersball]

The "Box" terminology came from Paul Nyman. Or at least that is where I first came to understand it. Its the combination of the front arm parallel to the chest and the bat at set up. If the hitter looks down between the chest and the front arm it forms a "Box" right in front of them. I never associated it with hand function or any other swing parameter other than when you swing you dont want to break the box. (In other words stay connected during the swing) This is also where the term turning the box came from IMO.

Dana.

Dusty Baker's book You Can Teach Hitting (The Systematic Approach to Hitting) was the first mention of the "Box" created by the front arm radius/ulna and humerus, shoulder line (both shoulders) and rear arm humerus. This is circa 1992 so I would say it is safe to assume he was teaching this before he wrote the book.

 

[ifubuildit]

Carters

Thanks for the history. Baker is one I have not studied.

 

[SBFAMILY]

Dana , after Bustos did this in my group I got your connector and made a small plywood base , to demo the box. Young girls struggle with this.

 

[durwood]

just wondering if anyone had pictures or site with pictures of this. young girls having trouble following this.

 

[cartersball]

Does this help?? If not let me know I will try to find some others.

 

[Wellphyt]

Does this help?? If not let me know I will try to find some others.

Excellent clip cartersball.

In this clip I see Bonds' front elbow/forearm get up very early in the swing as the back elbow lowers. Once the front elbow gets up, it stays up through contact. IMO, Bonds begins to flip the triangle, just prior to shoulder rotation. He continues to flip it until his back elbow is max down and his front front elbow/forearm is max up. Flipping the triangle this way is really a palm flattening movement. It is the quickest way to get the hands flat.

I can't emphasize enough that Bonds' first upper body move as he begins to swing (the term swing used loosely) is to begin flipping the triangle to flatten his hands. This is the movement I discovered last fall and the movement my DD is now learning.

IMO, Flipping the Triangle is not the same movement as Turning the Triangle. Turning the Triangle is what my DD use to do. The two movements are very different and will yield different results.

 

[Hitter]

Excellent clip cartersball.

In this clip I see Bonds' front elbow/forearm get up very early in the swing as the back elbow lowers. Once the front elbow gets up, it stays up through contact. IMO, Bonds begins to flip the triangle, just prior to shoulder rotation. He continues to flip it until his back elbow is max down and his front front elbow/forearm is max up. Flipping the triangle this way is really a palm flattening movement. It is the quickest way to get the hands flat.

I can't emphasize enough that Bonds' first upper body move as he begins to swing (the term swing used loosely) is to begin flipping the triangle to flatten his hands. This is the movement I discovered last fall and the movement my DD is now learning.

IMO, Flipping the Triangle is not the same movement as Turning the Triangle. Turning the Triangle is what my DD use to do. The two movements are very different and will yield different results.

The triangle Crystl demonstrated was when the knob was leading the elbows or being connected. She showed it from the side view with the back elbow stacked over the elbow and the lead elbow up and bat at the bat lag position and flat with palm up and palm down.

Thanks Howard

 

[Chris O'Leary]

I can't emphasize enough that Bonds' first upper body move as he begins to swing (the term swing used loosely) is to begin flipping the triangle to flatten his hands. This is the movement I discovered last fall and the movement my DD is now learning.

IMO, Flipping the Triangle is not the same movement as Turning the Triangle. Turning the Triangle is what my DD use to do. The two movements are very different and will yield different results.

I would just focus on turning the triangle.

Flipping the triangle can unnecessarily complicate the swing. It's much simpler to start with the bat on plane, or near plane, and the hands flat.