What role if any does "bat wrap" play in turning the barrel?

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Apr 17, 2012
806
18
Wi
I read a lot of the hitting threads and I like many have a hard time grasping the turn the barrel concept. I notice in a couple young ladies swings on here (bat dragon and the most recent one) along with Cabrera and bonds that when they load the bat goes back behind their head. does that help with eliminating barrel dump and help with the turning aspect that is talked about here? What role does it play. Many also point the knob back toward the catcher too.
 
Jul 16, 2013
4,659
113
Pennsylvania
I believe that is what he is talking about. I read something a while back that referred to "bat wrap". It described it as "cutting the pony tail in half" with the barrel of the bat. I have also read something from Crystl Bustos where she referred to it as "bat slotting" or "bisecting the helmet" with the barrel. I believe it was her "7 steps of hitting" if I remember correctly.

In any event, I would be interested in hearing the answer from the experts as well. My personal opinion is that the "barrel loading" as the video refers to it, does help with turning the barrel. DD moves the barrel towards a 45 degree angle (not quite) with the knob of the bat pointing towards the catcher during the negative phase of her swing. I refer to it as loading her hands. And it occurs at a time I have heard others describe as "walking away from the hands". If not correct, it would be nice to know. Thanks.
 

redhotcoach

Out on good behavior
May 8, 2009
4,706
38
To me, bat wrap is what top down, spinning, bat draggers do. They wind up to unwind.

Bat load, or hand load, tightens up the resistence in the rear side coil. Some tighten or are pretight with little barrel movement
Granderson_HR1_3Bview.gif


Some tighten with move visible movement.
Manny_As_ST.gif


If the resistance or coil in the rear side is tight, the turning rear leg is pulling on the hands and barrel, so no slack or "dump". So the barrel load could be thought of as slack removal, done to the degree necessary to remove the slack between the rear leg and hands.
 
Last edited:
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
I believe that is what he is talking about. I read something a while back that referred to "bat wrap". It described it as "cutting the pony tail in half" with the barrel of the bat. I have also read something from Crystl Bustos where she referred to it as "bat slotting" or "bisecting the helmet" with the barrel. I believe it was her "7 steps of hitting" if I remember correctly.

In any event, I would be interested in hearing the answer from the experts as well. My personal opinion is that the "barrel loading" as the video refers to it, does help with turning the barrel. DD moves the barrel towards a 45 degree angle (not quite) with the knob of the bat pointing towards the catcher during the negative phase of her swing. I refer to it as loading her hands. And it occurs at a time I have heard others describe as "walking away from the hands". If not correct, it would be nice to know. Thanks.

Loading the barrel does promote turning the barrel ... and it promotes other positive aspects in the swing as well .... e.g., segmentation, the power of the swing and plate coverage.
 
Jul 16, 2013
4,659
113
Pennsylvania
Thank you RHC and FFS. Honestly one of my biggest challenges when I found DFP was (and still is) learning the terminology. There are so many aspects of hitting that I know by other names. Not to say that my understanding is anyplace in the ball park with many of you. There are many people on DFP that have forgotten more about hitting than I will ever know. From my perspective, I consider "wrap" as hand load that places the bat barrel behind the head. The gif of Cutch is a good example. Just like load/coil, etc. I consider 3 things; weight shifting back towards the rear leg, some clockwise hip twist, and hand load. I have learned all this to be part of the term "negative". Again, not debating minutia here (my example is an over simplification), just giving an example of the terminology I learned over the years. I am still in the process of converting myself to DFP terminology. Thanks to all of the experts on this site for helping me learn!
 
Last edited:
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
Terminology ... for me, 'bat wrap' is excessive loading of the barrel, as in breaking down the hinge angle and 'wrapping' the bat too far around the body. The term slotting of the barrel is common and folks will teach various barrel slots.
 

rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
83
Not here.
Terminology ... for me, 'bat wrap' is excessive loading of the barrel, as in breaking down the hinge angle and 'wrapping' the bat too far around the body. The term slotting of the barrel is common and folks will teach various barrel slots.

Bat wrap and bat trap is not good. Loading by BHUT helps with the proper load. Helps also with turning the barrel.
Manny_As_ST.gif
 
Jul 16, 2013
4,659
113
Pennsylvania
Terminology ... for me, 'bat wrap' is excessive loading of the barrel, as in breaking down the hinge angle and 'wrapping' the bat too far around the body. The term slotting of the barrel is common and folks will teach various barrel slots.

So it is essentially a matter of degree. The action of wrapping the bat a little but maintaining the hinge angle, is fine. But wrapping it too far is when it becomes a problem... Just keep the hinge angle intact.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,478
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top