Whatever happened to maintaining the box??

[Dragoncoach]

I had a post early on 'Model swings'. It's a down angle swing that produces the most power and HR hits. It's baseball 101, converted to softball. If anyone saw my DD, the first question would be WTF, then after a few hits, " hmmm, that's working pretty good". It looks very unorthodox, but when your hitting .600 in HS and traveling, it will sure turn some heads.

Could you post a vid?

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Could you post a vid?

Sure could, if my wife hadn't dropped our vid-camera in the lake. I'll try to take one with my iphone, but not sure if it will do justice with the bad pixels or if you can see the angle without slowing down the frames.

 

[Wellphyt]

Every FP coach and commentator I hear these days talks about the importance of keeping the "hands inside the ball". I know some on here don't like that phrase, but it is the phrase most commonly used to describe the opposite of "casting the hands", which many coaches in FP believe is not good. So, keeping the hands "inside the ball" is good, while "casting" is bad.

One of the benefits of doing Epstein's "Enforcer Drill" is that it makes the hitter aware that the only way to keep the hands inside the ball is to maintain the box by leading with the front elbow and tucking the back elbow. If a hitter wants to be short to the ball they need to get the back elbow tucked and the front elbow up early. This move is the "getting the hands flat quickly" move that some of us believe to be very important.

I have changed my thinking somewhat on maintaining the box to the point where I don't emphasize it anymore. What I emphasize instead is "setting the box" early, which is the same to me as getting the hands flat. I believe it is beneficial for the hitter to maintain the box at least up until the hands begin to turn the corner. Once the hands begin to turn the corner I believe a hitter's instincts and athleticism kick in and basically take over the swing as they make the necessary on-the-fly adjustments.

This most likely means that on an inside pitch the box will be maintained, but on an outside pitch down at the knees the hitter will release the angles in their elbows and wrist as they direct the barrel towards the ball.

I would agree with Mike that many of the swings being posted in the other thread show hitters making on-the-fly adjustments to balls ouside the strike zone.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

One of the commentators at the WCWS gave a demonstration of "inside the ball". They showed a swing clip that they considered to be an ideal swing ... and in my opinion it was a good looking swing with a "tight HPP". Then the commentator demonstrated the concept in slow motion ... and what they demonstrated was very different ... what they demonstrated was having the hands go directly to the ball and then pivoting the barrel around their hands when their hands got extended. The commentator then returned to the video clip and explained that this was what she just demonstrated.

From my perspective, the difference was exactly the difference that Tewks described in his "Barrel To The Ball" video. The announcer took a video clip of a hitter using "barrel to the ball" and then demo'd "hands to the ball".

I do hear the announcers speak favorably of "hands inside the ball" ... but in majority of the swings what I see is what Tewks demonstrates as "barrel to the ball".

 

[Wellphyt]

One of the commentators at the WCWS gave a demonstration of "inside the ball". They showed a swing clip that they considered to be an ideal swing ... and in my opinion it was a good looking swing with a "tight HPP". Then the commentator demonstrated the concept in slow motion ... and what they demonstrated was very different ... what they demonstrated was having the hands go directly to the ball and then pivoting the barrel around their hands when their hands got extended. The commentator then returned to the video clip and explained that this was what she just demonstrated.

From my perspective, the difference was exactly the difference that Tewks described in his "Barrel To The Ball" video. The announcer took a video clip of a hitter using "barrel to the ball" and then demo'd "hands to the ball".


I do hear the announcers speak favorably of "hands inside the ball" ... but in majority of the swings what I see is what Tewks demonstrates as "barrel to the ball".

I saw the demonstration and I agree. I have to turn the volumn down as the commentators drive me nuts.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Yeah ... my wife laughs every time she hears Michelle speak of the rise-ball "jumping". You'd think she would have clued in by now.

I did find yesterday's game interesting. UCLA kept up a heavy assault of throwing screw-balls. Arizona kept adjusting .... I'll have to review the video, but from memory they tried moving off the plate (RH hitters, LH did the opposite), opening up, and moving up in the box. Finally AZ struck pay dirt and jacked back-to-back HRs. Arizona was far from 'mindless' ... they weren't just thinking 'see the ball, hit the ball' ... they were adjusting ... or at least it looked that way to me.

 

[Cannonball]

FFS, great assessment. The Butlers were sitting around wondering when Arizona was going to make a run with their adjustments. We noticed that their hitters did have a "plan" when they entered the box. Then, after moving up and catching the screwball before it had time to get to the black, they drove the balls with authority. I think a lot of us "coach the game" when watching. I know I do. So, my first statement to all of my hitters is, "Can she beat you with the fastball?" Second question, what is her best pitch THAT SHE CAN BEAT YOU WITH? For some, the answer is a change. For some, it is a pitch with movement like a drop, curve or screwball. Next, question, "What type of adjustment are you comfortable making within the game?" Those questions together constitute my dd's "plan" for each at bat.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

CB ..... I did notice some hitters moving up in the box. The logic is likely as you said ... to get to the screw-ball before it moves to far inside on you.

I've seen the same logic applied to the curve & slider(cutter/drop-curve). Moving up in the box allows you to get to it before it moves too far away from you.

The advantage of being up in the box, IMO, would be to neutralize the drop, curve & screw. The disadvantage is that you are more susceptible to the rise-ball, as well as raw speed.

Against someone throwing a heavy stream of screw-balls, curve-balls or drop-balls ... would you recommend moving up in the box for someone that can handle the pitcher's speed. The issue then would be in being susceptible to rise-balls ... and the UCLA pitcher threw her screw-ball on 3 different planes, which would seem to expose those that moved too far up.

The obvious question is where is it best to stand in the box?

 

[Chris O'Leary]

CB ..... I did notice some hitters moving up in the box. The logic is likely as you said ... to get to the screw-ball before it moves to far inside on you.

I've seen the same logic applied to the curve & slider(cutter/drop-curve). Moving up in the box allows you to get to it before it moves too far away from you.

The advantage of being up in the box, IMO, would be to neutralize the drop, curve & screw. The disadvantage is that you are more susceptible to the rise-ball, as well as raw speed.

This doesn't work.

All you are doing is making every pitch more effective.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

CO ... I'll acknowledge that making adjustments in box placement is a weakness of mine. I don't do it ... pretty much my reasoning has been that it resets the hitters data-base and therefore makes it more difficult for them.

At the same time, I see teams making adjustments on subsequent at-bats. I intend to give the notion more thought and welcome input from others.

Whether you agree, or disagree with making subsequent adjustments, you likely have an optimal positioning in the box. What is it?