Note the gentleman in the stands with the hat and Mariners shirt on (red arrow) as Mike Trout’s head moves forward to landing. Photo courtesy: YouTube user: PastTimeAthletics.com
Learn how to keep head position and eye on the ball with stride length for baseball and softball swings. Discover MLB players load stride hitting versus no stride batting drills. PLEASE NOTE: it is our position at HPL that the stride mostly contributes to timing, NOT power.
The most common objection I hear from my hitters is their coaches are dumping on them for using forward momentum. Because – they say – there’s too much head movement! These coaches keep saying the perfect swing shouldn’t have head movement.
In a way, they’re right! But there’s a bit of confusion as to when head movement is okay…and not okay. You see, the perfect swing, has head movement. ALL dynamic movement does. Did you know our head bobs up and down when we walk and run? Try watching television upside down and you’ll see it clear as day.
Click Here for a SABR.org study titled: “Baseball Swing Stride and Head Movement Relationships”, from SAMUEL J. HAAG, an assistant professor of Kinesiology and Health Sciences at Concordia University, St. Paul. The study concluded:
“The present findings suggest stride height and stride length are not associated with displacement of the head during the baseball swing in experienced collegiate baseball players.”
But it’s the timing of head movement that matters. In this post, we’re going over:
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Proprioception. I know it’s a big ugly word. But it has A LOT to do with the perfect swing. At least when we talk about head movement. Experiencing proprioception is easier than saying the word itself!
Try this…
Stand up, lift one leg, and close your eyes… You feel your standing ankle and foot wobbling to balance your body? This balance happens without you having to think about it. It’s an unconscious process, like breathing. Here’s how balance without thinking breaks down when looking at the perfect swing…
Let’s apply proprioception to where the two scenarios left off above… In Scenario #1, to bring the body back to balance, the brain shifts the weight forward during the Final Turn. In other words, the heads moves later.
In scenario #2, to restore balance, the brain shifts the weight back during the Final Turn. Because of the transfer of linear into angular momentum, the head will become the center axis of rotation along with the spine.
We sacrifice head movement early, for little to no head movement later.
Do an experiment with the two scenarios above. Record your swing using the Coaches Eye or Ubersense app. Try and swing as hard as you can under complete control. And note the change in head position between the two scenarios. In a perfect swing, you’re going to have head movement. But the question is, when do you want it? BEFORE or DURING the Final Turn?
CLICK HERE for a great FanGraphs study that Dan Farnsworth did on June 17, 2013 titled “Breaking Down the Swing: Best Hitters of 2012”. Scroll down a ways and start reading under the section: “Keep Your Head Still”.
Farnsworth compiled a list of the top 50 hitters from the 2012 season according to Fangraphs’ Batting component of WAR. He looked at side views of each of these hitters from highlights of the 2012 season in which each player hit a homerun. You can read the details of how he compiled his measurements in his post.
As Farnsworth says, the main complaint coaches have with Forward Momentum, or early head movement, is that moving the head forward “speeds up the ball”. This may be true…
But during the stride, the hitter hasn’t made a definitive decision to swing yet. So again, if you know head movement is inevitable during dynamic movement, then when do you want it to happen? BEFORE or DURING the Final Turn?
Does a quarterback “rolling out” to throw to a fast moving receiver have head movement? Yes, until his plant leg hits the ground before throwing. Does a soccer player have head movement quickly dribbling the ball down the field to get closer to the goal, weaving in and out of defenders? Yes, until their plant foot hits the ground to kick. I can go on and one with Olympic Throwers and Shot Putters!
Really think about the answer to that question.
When you watch the following videos, pick out someone or something in the stands behind the hitter to use as a frame of reference in watching for head movement. The following examples were the TOP-5 OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging Percentage) hitters in 2014:
Absolutely a great article, Joey! Ruth, Gehrig, Williams, Mays, Mantle, Aaron and Bonds all had strides, some longer than others. Even the poster boy for the no stride swing, Albert Pujols, is back to striding again. David Wright no longer hits HRs. Could his no stride swing, during which he never gets his front foot open enough, to blame? Certainly it is not the distance of the fences at Citi Field. A hitter needs linear momentum and he needs angular momentum. The question is the degree. It’s all about dynamic balance.
Hey Joey.
I reckon those who are not familiar with proper “SPINAL ALIGNMENT” are also not familiar with how the upper torso from the top of one’s head to the bottom of one’s spinal column should be positioned during their body movements through weight shift etc. and yes I wholeheartedly do agree with you concerning the simple fact that it is not how one study’s but what one study’s and also who one study’s from that counts, I have learned to and do seek out the best of the best to learn the best of the best of what I want to learn, this I learned many moons/seasons ago from former major leaguer, Johny Hopp who I played for during my short self destructive minor league career.
I also have learned to apply as you say proven human body movement science to hitting, pitching and other body movements of one’s game.
Learning these things takes away the uneducated and opinionated guessing game that is ingrained in most peoples minds.
My philosophy is, if you cannot show a player how to correct and adjust, “SHUT UP” and do not tell him/her what you might think he/she is doing wrong which most likely what you tell him/her is wrong in the first place, find someone who knows and does not just throw an opinion out there which is what most instruction is all about nowadays anyway.
Keep your very informative info coming.
Great Base Ball-N
Don Ervin
Don, you hit the nail right on the head. I don’t care if someone’s baseball/softball experience is 5 years or 25 years…the point is that if they have a grasp of human movement principles, then I’ll listen to what they have to say. Also, I took your email address off your comment because I don’t want SPAM bots sending you extra mail 🙂 Anyway, I think people can contact you by clicking on your name/link. I could be wrong. Just looking out for a like-minded coach 😀
Fall forward and ” Catch your Head”. The swing happens between your heel/foot and your head. From there you compress mechanics (middle-in) or expand mechanics (outer 3rd/out and low)
UTUBE MLB slow mo and you will see a foot and a head frozen dead still in time while the action ensues.
I saw David Wright hitting the other night and thought it was quite different than before. The accordion effect and springy facial components were there, but it just lacked that umph! No fomo nor release of the backside tension explains a lot. I didn’t have the angle to see the fomo or the back foot.
Great piece, excellent production!
I Just had a conversation with a coach who is using the squish the bug method. I referred to five videos in this article and used the word proprioception to explain what happens to the back foot and leg during a perfect swing. When the conversation was over the coach said he is going to shit-can the bug method…..As a member of the Hitting Performance Lab, I’m calling this my first home run. Joey Myers what would you call it, a hit, double, triple, HR or strike out.
Gerty
Joey I use this exact picture of mike trout from a video. The coach behind him playing peekaboo is the marker to show forward movement. Love this.