Jose Bautista hitting article.

[Work=wins]

In the slingshot example, to me it's the slingshot itself that gets loaded and unloaded. The rock is merely an instrument that is placed in side. Much like the swing. It isn't the bat that is being loaded. The bat is merely the instrument being used. To me, loading is more about power generation than anything else. I'm not interested in loading the bat or my hands for that matter. If you stated that the core was loaded. Or that the obliques were loaded. Or that the rear hip/leg was loaded, that would make more sense to me.

But if your analogy works for you, who am I to argue. As a person that studies the greats and what they say, I'm sure you have noticed that many use different descriptions. We can take their words and try to understand them in ways that make sense to each of us, but they each have their own variations.

Nice. FP I was never a great descriptive writer or person for that matter so there’s that. But the way I see/feel the barrel being pulled through via core stretch makes it ‘feel’ like the barrel gets ‘slung’ forward. Just my feel. Thanks for the convo. As always.

 

[julray]

So what is the barrel being loaded with and how is that being released? As I stated in my previous post, the bat is inanimate and incapable of storing energy. So what is being "loaded" and how is it being "unloaded". Is the barrel where these so called "magic beans" are stored that you keep talking about? (Sorry, couldn't resist...)

Note: I agree the hands go through various articulations throughout the swing, but most of them are simply pass through positions that happen naturally as a result of good mechanics. Also, I like the Braun drill and use it often. But probably for different reasons then you. I find it to be a great way to focus on "short to/long through" or swinging "out from" as some would call it.

I don't understand Ryan Braun when he says, I focus on hitting the inside lower half of the ball. He said he does this to reduce slicing the ball. I would think hitting the ball there would induce more slice

 

[Work=wins]

I don't understand Ryan Braun when he says, I focus on hitting the inside lower half of the ball. He said he does this to reduce slicing the ball. I would think hitting the ball there would induce more slice

Not FP. But I’ll explain. Hitting the bottom half of the ball is to create backspin. Remember these guys don’t chop down. Hitting the inside doesn’t really happen. They are hitting the back of the ball when they try to hit the inside of the ball. The cue is to create a straight line to the ball.

Down to creates the smallest loop possible to be short in the ‘vertical’ plane of the pitch.

The reason why they go oppo to learn path? . Its to work the arc of the swing at its largest and just decrease as the ball get closer or more inside. Straight lines.

The problem is people are looking for tips to improve their hitting. But the pro tutorials are always a step above what people are looking for or said better they are on ‘another level’. The pros fundamentals are intact( most young hitters don’t have the fundamentals down). So the pros focus on the things that they work on from day to day. If your balance and sequence are right you won’t ‘chop down’ or ‘stay back’ or ‘dip’ ‘drop your hands’ ‘lunge’ etc etc.

Hopefully this helps.

 

[Dmx1]

I have read recommendations of loading the hands. What do I do with my hands to load the hands? Describe the feel in the hands of the hands being loaded.

 

[Work=wins]

‘try to create bat speed with your shoulders’. Sequence is what he’s talking about. The scap GETTING pulled into the spine.

The hands REACT to this.

Derosa is incorrect when he says ‘guys load their hands down or back’. Kinetically anyway. I can see why he says he does though. Once again the pros skip over fundamentals because theirs are so GOOD. I do find myself skipping things sometimes as well when I instruct. Not on purpose.

Quote from the talent code:

‘Get a coach that loves to coach fundamentals... after all those are the building blocks to your skills’

The swing starts from the ground force created when the negative move is initiated and works through the back leg to the frontside of the body which in turn works to the back shoulder area and eventually through the arms, hands and through the bat.

The starting line is the frontside. Frontside resistance creates a good negative move(among other things). I have said many times along with TDS (JD clip) that getting that first move right is CRUCIAL which can make the sequence almost an automatic. Not quite. There is more. The player will be on the right track at least. Which keeps a dad or instructor from applying band-aid after band-aid for a faulty fundamental sequence. Running in circles is done on the field AFTER you hit not in the cage or on the tee.

JD Martinez full sequence

 

[FP26]

Not FP. But I’ll explain. Hitting the bottom half of the ball is to create backspin. Remember these guys don’t chop down. Hitting the inside doesn’t really happen. They are hitting the back of the ball when they try to hit the inside of the ball. The cue is to create a straight line to the ball.

Down to creates the smallest loop possible to be short in the ‘vertical’ plane of the pitch.

The reason why they go oppo to learn path? . Its to work the arc of the swing at its largest and just decrease as the ball get closer or more inside. Straight lines.

The problem is people are looking for tips to improve their hitting. But the pro tutorials are always a step above what people are looking for or said better they are on ‘another level’. The pros fundamentals are intact( most young hitters don’t have the fundamentals down). So the pros focus on the things that they work on from day to day. If your balance and sequence are right you won’t ‘chop down’ or ‘stay back’ or ‘dip’ ‘drop your hands’ ‘lunge’ etc etc.

Hopefully this helps.

I agree with most of this with some minor exceptions...

I'm not a believer in backspin. Not that it doesn't happen. Just that it isn't something I focus on. My goal is to square up as many balls as possible, and ideally square them up slightly below center on the ball. If that creates backspin in the process, fine. I do not want to swing down because that creates a slice and too many popups.

I agree with the comments concerning path, more precisely barrel path. I promote TTB, but it isn't the "bop the catcher on the head" extreme that some seem to push. TTB will vary based on pitch location, and the path for an outside pitch is slightly different than the path for the inside pitch. I like focusing on hitting oppo because it promotes an "out from" swing type instead of an "around the body" type swing. Like many other phrases, "around the body" isn't necessarily always a bad thing, even though it is portrayed as such. But learning to swing "out from" increases a players chances to hit balls in all zones with authority.

I also agree with the comments about the pros. When listening to most pros, it is important to understand that there are certain fundamentals they take for granted. Without understanding the fundamentals, some of what they say may not make complete sense.

 

[james27503]

So Albert says the ‘plate’. ‘Knob ‘to’ is the down... this so the hands stay above the ball. So we don’t drop them. The ‘horizontal direction’ if you will is determined by pitch location.

I will admit ‘knob to the ball’ is super general like many hitting cues.

There is simply no way to justify what Albert is saying. It is completely different from what JD is saying. JD goes out of his way to demonstrate it. My thoughts are guys like Albert were told by their coaches (like most of the rest of us) when they were young to swing down and knob to the ball. However, they didn't have an XBOX, or the internet, or God knows what else. They had BASEBALL. And through sheer trial and error and God given talent they found what works and it became what they do(which is TTB). So they remember some coach telling them that and not even realizing they are actually doing something completely different. Then they think, well that works for me, and keep passing on the same nonsense.

Sandlot days are over for most kids in the states due to the competition of time with so many other activities. That is why proper instruction is now way more crucial to the next generation of players. If a kid swings as AP suggest in that video and doesn't figure out through trial and error he is simply going to be terrible. If and when he hits it, it will probably be a hard grounder to 2nd base and an easy out.

I start out all my tee ball players with front elbow up and back elbow down with the bat by the deltoid (8:06 on the JD Video). All the other teams have the kids smacking the ball down in the dirt and right back to the pitcher and my little group of kids is hitting liners. Takes 10 minutes to change a 5 year olds swing and get him/her on the right path.

 

[rdbass]

 

[Work=wins]

There is simply no way to justify what Albert is saying. It is completely different from what JD is saying. JD goes out of his way to demonstrate it. My thoughts are guys like Albert were told by their coaches (like most of the rest of us) when they were young to swing down and knob to the ball. However, they didn't have an XBOX, or the internet, or God knows what else. They had BASEBALL. And through sheer trial and error and God given talent they found what works and it became what they do(which is TTB). So they remember some coach telling them that and not even realizing they are actually doing something completely different. Then they think, well that works for me, and keep passing on the same nonsense.

Sandlot days are over for most kids in the states due to the competition of time with so many other activities. That is why proper instruction is now way more crucial to the next generation of players. If a kid swings as AP suggest in that video and doesn't figure out through trial and error he is simply going to be terrible. If and when he hits it, it will probably be a hard grounder to 2nd base and an easy out.

I start out all my tee ball players with front elbow up and back elbow down with the bat by the deltoid (8:06 on the JD Video). All the other teams have the kids smacking the ball down in the dirt and right back to the pitcher and my little group of kids is hitting liners. Takes 10 minutes to change a 5 year olds swing and get him/her on the right path.

Is that your best explanation? Doesn’t really deserve a response. These guys are PROS!! Think about that for a second. Would you tell a professional musician or
Chef or martial artist they don’t know what they do? LOL.

Regardless if right or wrong. They know what they do! LOL again.

 

[james27503]

Is that your best explanation? Doesn’t really deserve a response. These guys are PROS!! Think about that for a second. Would you tell a professional musician or
Chef or martial artist they don’t know what they do? LOL.

Regardless if right or wrong. They know what they do! LOL again.

There are a bunch of professional musicians that don't/can't read music. They play by experience and feel. Eddie Van Halen is famous for making up guitar riffs that fit no musical theory. When asked about it, he just says well it sounds good to me.

If you can watch AP explain that swing and then watch him actually swing and somehow come up with that is the same thing then lol at you. There are a billion examples of great players who can't coach a lick, and players that were never that great that make great coaches.

If they know what they do as you say, then the only explanation that makes any sense is AP is purposely trying to mislead everyone. Do you think that is going on?