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Jan 6, 2009
6,587
113
Chehalis, Wa
manny is doing a BR drill. He did nothing like that when he played.

View attachment 23205

This is great. Manny with a high back elbow and hands, he has to swing down more. Just like Cruz and Howard with a high back elbow and hands saying their approach is down and through.đź‘Ť

And then there was Ted Williams and Carew with low hands. Ted hands are more inline with the pitch. To him the swing was up, matching the plane of the pitch. His barrel worked down in back, but his hands are aligned to the ball flight.


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Jul 16, 2013
4,659
113
Pennsylvania
There quiet until the swing is initiated. Then you grip the bat accordingly.

Shawn,

It's pretty clear that there are some posters that are really not interested in having a conversation about this. Even when we try to explain our thought process, they twist our words to mean something else. Seems pointless to me to continue this.
 
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Jul 16, 2013
4,659
113
Pennsylvania
FP26, I always tried to hit the top of the ball (not pounding into the ground) and hit line drives.. It worked really well.. I was 5'7" 150 and lead our Amateur team in hitting for 3 years including avg and power.. My last year I lead the team in Homeruns.

Here, is my little bro's numbers (18 years younger) his senior year DII (sorry not DI) utilizing the same approach with me attempting to fill the void as his dad/hitting coach since our dad passed away when he was 12 years old... He was also 3rd on that team in HR's..

So having the goal of hitting the top of the ball that the pros speak of has some merit..

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First of all, I am sorry to hear about your father. My father passed a way a few years ago and it was a very difficult day. I could not imagine losing him at such a young age. I just lost my mom 3 weeks ago, and it's still heavy on my heart.

Secondly, I never said the thought process doesn't have merit. What I have been trying to get across, repeatedly, for years... is that I am trying to understand what you and others are saying by not taking everything so damn literally. On the other hand, not only do you and others want to take all of my comments 100% literally, but then, in some cases, you actually say I said things that I never said. The impression I get is that I am attempting to have a conversation about this, but that you and others would rather just throw stones.

When I think about hitting the top of the ball, this is what I envision. I'm quite sure this is not the type of swing you are promoting, or the type of result you are looking for. But he most definitely hit the top of the ball... Are pros thinking or practicing hitting the top of the ball? Possibly. Do they actually hit the top of the ball? Not often. If they did, they wouldn't be pros any more.

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TDS

Mar 11, 2010
2,926
113
FP26, all the guys who speak top of the ball gives them a reference/target on the ball.. These guys are not trying to hit HR's but line drives.. HR's occur when they miss the target.

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TDS

Mar 11, 2010
2,926
113
Okay. How does that contradict anything I said?

Have you ever tried the Bonds progression drill where you hit in front of the plate then progress out to hitting through the wall ? What do you think the purpose of the drill is ?

I see it as he is attempting to impart backspin on the ball while swinging "down to", with no loop in the barrel path.
 
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TDS

Mar 11, 2010
2,926
113
Reminder for those trying to understand some of the discussion/debate here..

The difference between the two approaches is where you get on plane. The modern style tries to get on plane deep and turn into the ball, the old school swing down gets on plane but the plane is established out front with the bat in lag position.

New School

Get on plane from behind and use shoulders to plane the pitch. And then turn like crazy into the ball (hopefully)

View attachment 23163

Old school

Mike is on plane and for the whole length through the zone. The HANDS get to the plane of the pitch. With the bat in lag position this allows Mike to be on plane for a long time and have excellent adjustability.

View attachment 23164

Each of those players bats is going to spend a long time in the path of the pitch. The difference in approach is Mike can use his hands and react where Josh is guessing and hoping to run into one (his words). Josh's stuff does work (Tewks) but it is not HOF. It is not Trout, Bonds, ARod, Gwynn, etc.
 
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May 12, 2016
4,338
113
Shawn,

It's pretty clear that there are some posters that are really not interested in having a conversation about this. Even when we try to explain our thought process, they twist our words to mean something else. Seems pointless to me to continue this.
I ask questions because you and Shawn are miles apart when it comes to TTB. Just trying to get some clarity of the different definitions floating around. Shawn's version seems to be a replica of TM... while yours seems to be something entirely different. It's hard to have a conversation when you don't know where the goalposts are, just trying to establish that.
 

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