Hitting and Hitters Discussion Swing Analysis

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Does anyone care to comment on this swing? Specifically, I'm interested in hearing comments regarding what is happening with the hands during this swing.

 

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I just want to know why he isn't squashing the bug :-? :.

What does everyone think about the top hand release. I personally like it. I think it helps them finish high and helps keep them from wrist rolling. Some people hate the top hand release.

 

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When you lead with your elbow, You pull the bat with your lead hand. ?I think the knob is pulled to the pitcher, while you stay connected to the turn of the core, ?then at the right moment Release the wrists

Would that be what Epstein calls torque?

 

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I cant answer that, been years since I read his book.


straightleg

 

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I'm not to sure that Epstein uses "torque" in his teachings. I know that Mankin is a big on on THT "top hand torque" This is where the top and bottom hands are working in opposite directions, creating torque on the bat.

 

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A discussion about hand torque - this should be interesting. I'll wait to Howard and Elliott chime in. ?

This guy is, IMO, a perfect example of excellent connection principles. Remember that most of those guys in the Derby were shooting for the shorter right field fence (wall). Notice at what point in his swing that he releases his wrists, which is late, causing the angle of the bat to pull the ball to RF. IMO, Howard had the best pitcher of them all - until he ran out of gas (but who wouldn't have?).

I'm hoping Howard and Elliott discuss this, because they both are very insightful about what is actually happening with the hands/wrists, and the control the batter places on them.

P.S. I though this forum was relegated to discussions of "Best walking tacos", but maybe there is some hope...

 

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That's a fairly typical baseball swing by a very strong man. He's looking for pitches on the inner half there because he's trying to hit it out at Yankee Stadium. He's turning quickly and leading with the knob and letting the barrel follow. Nicely done, obviously. No adjustments needed, however, because he's basically hitting off a pitching machine. Lots of girls are great pitching machine hitters but can't buy a hit in a game because they can't adjust to in and out-up and down and a change in speed.

Releasing the top hand is irrelevant. The ball is already gone. It does help in getting out of the box quicker because you just drop the bat on follow through instead of recoiling and then dropping it.

Girls hit themselves in the back because someone taught them to do it. They don't typically watch big league baseball, so they don't know that it's not done by the best hitters. The softball swing against the best pitching, however, has to be shorter than any baseball swing. The hitting yourself in the back thing is part of trying to keep the swing short. It's not necessary, but it's a training aid thing.

 

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The softball swing against the best pitching, however, has to be shorter than any baseball swing. The hitting yourself in the back thing is part of trying to keep the swing short. It's not necessary, but it's a training aid thing.

How, then, does the high-level softball swing differ from the high-level baseball swing?

Also, how does the hitting yourself in the back assist in keeping the swing shorter?

 

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Not sure what occured with this swing, foul, homerun, ??? ?
My personal opinion is he swung to early, and is hitting the ball when he is nearly at extension. ?The front arm barring at contact is proof of this. ?The hands/wrists releasing like they are, are also an example of being out in front of the pitch. ?On a ball that had traveled deeper into the zone, the hands would have stayed back, and you would have seen this action, hands releasing, later in the swing, just slightly before contact.

 

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So we are saying that a baseball swing is longer than a softball swing. I say no way !!! These elite hitters softball /baseball have very similiar swings and all of them are short and quick to the ball. A good swing is good swing no matter what type of bat is being swung or ball is being hit.

 

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Interestingly, my DD is currently working with a male instructor and my son was initially taught by a female instructor. He hit over .600 in freshman baseball last season, with many balls bouncing off the high school fence. Most of his teammates couldn't get the ball out of the infield. Dads flip when I tell them that he was taught how to hit by a girl! That's a fun story that always leaves them gritting their teeth and speechless. Go figure...

Now, how can it be that those two strive for the SAME swing mechanics, and are successful in their respective sport? You often hear "Well, baseball doesn't have a rise ball, so softball girls have to swing different" , which presents the "different angle of the pitch" argument.

So - Truth or Myth - "A fastpitch softball swing is different than a baseball swing". Let's hear some explanations and theories!

 

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The plane of the pitch is different but efficient swing mechanics should be very similiar. I am an extreme rookie in my knowledge of the swing but the things being taught to me and my dd definately have some absolutes IMO and could be transfered to my son as well. There are of course different physical make ups between male/females which could led to some slight differences but not something that looks completely different.

 

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I'll say that they are the same. Anatomically, female's hips are different and this requires them to "sit" more in their stance. Other than that, I'd teach the same swing.

 

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I'm kind of on the fence in the whole "top hand torque" debate. I've heard arguments for and against this concept. Would be interested to see what Howard has to say.

Otherwise, fundamentally sound rotational swing, powered by the body's core, whipping the bat head around in a tight circular path. Pretty much textbook.

My impression of the exaggerated hand action in this clip is that Hamilton was way early and ahead of the pitch, had to kind of back off on the shoulder rotation to compensate, then the bat head whipped around more than it normally would. No surprise, since this was from the home run derby at the All-Star game against basically batting practice speed pitches.

Against live pitching, he probabaly would not have time to make that kind of adjustment and would be burned.

 

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That is my question, really. Is "top hand torque" something that the batter should consciously try to accomplish or is the "bat head coming around" on it's own during extension?

 

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So, is the batter "torquing" the wrists at release-to-contact (forcefully moving the hands opposite directions), or are they simply allowing the force of the bat momentum to uncock their wrists at a certain point? Is the momentum from the bat head pulling the top hand through causing it to pass the bottom hand?

*** Sorry cshilt! I didn't read your last post and I think I just mirrored it!

 

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Isn't the only way for the momentum of the bat to be created is through pressure or torque on the wrists? Hence the saying " he has fast hands " but it is actually the wrists and not the hands creating that last movement of the bat .? Asking the question as well as making the statement.

 

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Howard - good topic - where are you?


straightleg

 

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straightleg....
your thoughts about Howard mirror mine. I'm sure he'll dig in.
I may stop by his house tonight, if he's home, and I'll ask him to present his side of the story...

 

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I took my baseball swing into top-level fast pitch softball many years ago. I did very well with it against local Class A pitching--- which was very good (the best guys threw around 65-75MPH). However, when I would go to the big tournaments, where the best guys were typically throwing over 80MPH--sometimes over 90MPH-- the baseball swing turned into a choked up quick punch-type of thing. It was the only way to get a piece of it. Most humans can barely see it when it's that fast let alone hit it with a bat.

The short punch worked because in softball, as you know, you don't have to hit it very far to get a base hit.

I tend to disagree with the term "short swing" when it comes to the baseball swing. I think it's more of a "quick swing." In either game, it's all about timing--- starting the swing early enough to catch up to the hard stuff and keeping your hands back to be able to handle the off-speed stuff.

As for the hitting yourself in the back thing, from what I've seen of it, they keep the knob of the bat really close to the body as they swing, cutting the reach of the bat short so it whips around and hits the back near the shoulder blade. I guess it's practice for hitting jam shots.