Hitting Training For Baseball & Softball Swing Trainers | Hitting Performance Lab

Baseball Batting Tips: Small Hitter’s Way To Power (featuring Wilin Rosario)

, ,

Wilin Rosario Baseball Batting Tips: Big Power Without Being, Ahem, BIG…

 

Wilin Rosario Baseball Batting Tips: David v. Goliath

David v. Goliath photo courtesy: Blog.HeatSpring.com

Question…

How do you defeat a man who stands 9-feet, 9-inches tall?  What if this man had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing 125-pounds; on his legs he wears bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin is slung on his back.  His spear shaft is like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighs 15-pounds.

I’ve just described Goliath from 1 Samuel 17.  So how does David, a boy shepherd, defeat this huge man with one blow?  

Besides young David being a man of God, he was an expert marksman with the sling shot…

“Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.” – 1 Samuel 49

3-times NY Bestselling author Tim Ferriss said that being effective is doing the right things.  And being efficient is doing things right.

Unmatched physically, and standing up to Goliath, David was “effective” by using a slingshot.  And being an expert marksman (efficient) with the weapon, made Goliath look like he brought a knife to a gun fight!

So what do baseball batting tips and Wilin Rosario from the Colorado Rockies have to do with the story of David & Goliath?

You a “Small” Hitter?

Wilin (pronounced Wil-een) “Baby Bull” Rosario is a small hitter compared to behemoths like Albert Pujols (6’3″, 230-pounds), Giancarlo Stanton (6’6″, 240-pounds), and Miguel Cabrera (6’4″, 255-pounds).

Rosario stands 5-foot, 11-inches, and weighs in at 220-pounds, according to FanGraphs.com.

Sure, 220-pounds isn’t tiny by any stretch.  But 5-foot, 11-inches sure is, especially by today’s standards…hence the nickname “Baby Bull”.

Just for fun, let’s compare specific offensive metrics between Wilin Rosario to Miguel Cabrera.  Metrics are according to ESPN’s HitTracker.com…

Baseball Batting Tips Comparison: Wilin Rosario & Miguel Cabrera

Look at the difference between their average True Distance and Ball Exit Speed homers in 2012…

A couple things to note:

  • Wilin Rosario had 426 plate appearances to Miguel Cabrera’s 697.  Rosario hit a home-run every 15.2 plate appearances, while Miggy hit one every 15.9.
  • Miggy’s 16 extra dingers may have brought down his average True Distance and Ball Exit Speed numbers.
  • By the way, 2012 was when Miguel Cabrera won baseball’s heralded Triple Crown.

But surprisingly, on paper, Wilin Rosario shouldn’t even be in the same room with Miguel Cabrera!  So what is empowering a small slugger like Rosario to compete with the Goliaths of baseball?

Proven human movement science.

 

Baseball Batting Tips #1: Stop Standing Still!

Wilin Rosario Baseball Batting Tips: Forward Momentum

Look at the vertical yellow line, and how far forward Wilin Rosario gets before he makes his turn…

One thing Wilin Rosario does really well is he “un-weights” the bat.

There are two ways he does this:

  1. With forward momentum, and
  2. Slight barrel tilt toward the pitcher just before the fall.

CLICK HERE to see the results of a Zepp swing experiment when I tested a longer stride against a wide no-stride approach.

 

Baseball Batting Tips #2: BIG Power in Using the Skeleton

Wilin Rosario Baseball batting Tips: Catapult Loading System

Watch how Wilin Rosario: 1) Shows his numbers to the pitcher, 2) Hides his hands from the pitcher, and 3) Creates a downhill shoulder angle before front foot hits the ground.

Spinal engine mechanics are key!

Here’s how Wilin Rosario uses his skeleton, by:

  • Showing the pitcher his numbers,
  • Hiding his hands, and
  • A downhill shoulder angle.

I call this the Catapult Loading System.  CLICK HERE to see the results of another Zepp swing experiment when I tested showing the numbers versus NOT showing the numbers.

So how does a small slugger compete with a big one?

Being effective is strictly following human movement rules proven by science.  And then being efficient within those guidelines.

Just like David was effective using the sling shot against a foe twice his size.  And, only needed one shot (efficient) to take the BIG guy down.

The problem for us small hitters (I’m 5’10”, 175-pounds) would be when the big sluggers start doing this stuff 😉 lol

4 Comments/by

NEW Zepp Swing Study Reveals How Some Hitters Are Adding 48 Feet To Batted Ball Distance (HINT: and it’s Not ALL in the Hips)

,

Attn: Baseball & Softball Coaches or Parents…

I’m sure you’ve heard the following:

  • “Power is ALL in the hips”,
  • “Load and explode the hips”, and
  • “The hips lead the way”…

Well, I’m here to say I’ve fallen for the same misleading claims that the hips hold the secret to repeatable power.  After digging into the science of human movement, reading books like:

I found out how wrong I was listening to the “old guard”.  In this video, I’ll reveal:

  • The shocking study showing that it’s NOT all in the hips,
  • Where does power come from?  And,
  • The Do’s & Don’ts

See what we did with a group of hitters recently teaching this very thing, that got HPL some press time:

 

The Shocking Study Showing that It’s NOT All in the Hipsbuster-posey-experiment-zepp-comparison

This particular test looked at how spinal engine mechanics, timing of torque, and how natural springy material in our body can produce consistently higher bat speeds, without getting stronger.

Check out the 3-shocking experiment findings below:

  • Finding #1 (Zepp app screenshot above): My average bat speed over the experiment increased by 6-mph (every 1-mph of bat speed = 8 more feet of batted ball distance),
  • Finding #2: My top out bat speed increased by 6-mph (from 82 to 88-mph), AND
  • Finding #3 (Zepp app screenshot above): My hand speed increased by 2-mph!

 

Then, Where Does Power Come From?

The results from the bat speed study can be proven by the following video blog posts I did at the Hitting Performance Lab:

Here are two hitters that “show their numbers” to the pitcher very well:

Andrew McCutchen showing his numbers

Andrew McCutchen (5’10”, 190-pounds, 2013 NL MVP)

AND,

Mike Trout showing numbers to the pitcher

Mike Trout (6’2″, 230-pounds, 2014 AL MVP)

 

The Do’s & Don’ts

I’ve found with my local and online hitters that the cue “Show your numbers to the pitcher” works very well.  Here are some commonly asked questions to its application with both baseball and softball hitters…

When to show the numbers?

Here are the options:

  1. A hitter can either show them from the start, like Hunter Pence of the San Francisco Giants and Josh Donaldson of the Oakland A’s.
  2. They can show them as soon as they pick up the front foot like Andrew McCutchen, Buster Posey (photo above), and Mike Trout, OR
  3. Show them as soon as they fall forward into the stride like Dustin Pedroia.

My recommendation is either option 1 or 2.

Lose Vision with the eyes?Alex Gordon landing front leg open

When the hitter shows their numbers, make sure they don’t lose eyesight with the back eye.  If they do, then their showing too much of their numbers.  For other explosive rotational athletes, like a Shot Putter, losing sight of the target isn’t as big a deal.  But a batter is hitting an unknown pitch, so vision with both eyes is critical.

Landing Closed & Front Shoulder Flies Open?

This is because the hitter is landing with a closed front leg and toe.  CLICK HERE for a similar Alex Gordon (of the Kansas City Royals) Experiment I did using the Zepp Baseball app.  Landing with an open front leg and foot allowed me to maintain higher levels of bat speed and increase top out bat speed by 2-mph.

Basically, land closed with the shoulders (“block” them from opening), and land open with the front leg and foot, and by George, you’ve got it!

 

Introducing the Catapult Loading System Online Video Mini-Course

The Catapult Loading System Mini-Course

Sick of struggling with getting your hitters to hit the ball hard with more consistency?  This is a simple 7-module online video mini-course that will help hitters weighing less than 100-pounds, hit the ball consistently over 300-feet in 60 days.  You’ll be able to dramatically increase power without sacrificing swing quality.

CLICK the Link below to…

Get Access to The Catapult Loading System Mini-Course

8 Comments/by
Hitting Training For Baseball & Softball Swing Trainers | Hitting Performance Lab

Pitching Instruction Secrets For Hitters VIDEO (Madison Bumgarner)

, ,

Pitching Instruction: 3 Simple Factors to Great Hitting (Madison Bumgarner Approved)

 

Pitching Instruction Secrets For Hitters (Madison Bumgarner)

Madison Bumgarner using human movement science in the 2014 World Series. What can hitters learn from him?

I want to focus on Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants, and how the pitching instruction he’s received may help hitters develop repeatable power.  Pitching instruction for hitters!

I read somewhere that when Ted Williams was asked how a hitter could get more efficient with their swing.  He responded by saying to study a pitcher’s delivery.  In this pitching instruction for hitters post, we’ll look at 3 human movement laws, the:

  1. Head start,
  2. Spinning ice skater, and
  3. Compressed spring.

 

The Head Start

Pitching Instruction Secrets For Hitters (Madison Bumgarner)

Madison Bumgarner “falling” photo courtesy: HNGN.com

Known to proven movement science as the Conservation of Linear Momentum, aka Forward Momentum (FoMo) or the Un-Weighting Principle.  Madison Bumgarner employs Gravitational Forces with a nice easy fall down the mound.  Gravity doesn’t care if you’re a Shot Putter…Trapeze Artist…Lacrosse player…or a hitter.  As sure as the sun rises and sets, Gravity will be there to flow-with OR fight a hitter’s movements.  Here’s what happens when we:

  • FIGHT Gravitational Forces (wide no-stride, sit back) – Reciprocal Inhibition occurs.  Muscles and connective tissues typically used to accelerate movements will reverse, slowing them down.
  • FLOW-with Gravitational Forces (FoMo) – Free ride.  Makes the Final Turn seem easier.  Increases max bat speed.  And turns a hitter’s body into a projectile missile.  Thanks Bob Hall from Canada for the latter metaphor!

Madison Bumgarner Pitching Instruction for Hitters Factor #1: Mad-Bum has a nice easy fall down the mound with minimal push with the back leg.  Too much push activates Reciprocal Inhibition.  Hitters employ a fall by committing the body-weight to the stride leg at landing, or the Fight Position.

 

The Spinning Ice Skater

Known to proven movement science as the Conservation of Angular Momentum.  Madison Bumgarner is also known as the Candor.  As you can see from the photo of him above, his arms are stretched completely away from his body.  Imagine an ice skater who jumps off the ice, bringing her arms in, and spinning really fast.  She’s increasing what’s called her angular momentum, or rotational speed.

Now, imagine the same ice skater as she’s falling back to the ice from her jump, and she lengthens out her arms and one of her legs to slow down her body’s rotation.

This is referred to as increasing her moment of inertia, or inertial force.  You can’t maximize both rotational speed and inertial force at the same time.  They have an inverse relationship.  When one is up, the other is down.  Although, we can optimize both…

Madison Bumgarner Pitching Instruction for Hitters Factor #2:  Mad-Bum opens his “wings” like a condor right before his torso begins rotation.  As his torso starts rotating, he bends at the elbows and cuts his inertial force in half.  This gives his turning speed a boost.  Hitters like Hunter Pence, can do this by keeping a slight bend in the front arm at the initiation of the Final Turn.  Once the barrel’s on the plane of the pitch, then it becomes more important to increase inertial force (extending the front arm) rather than turning speed.

 

The Compressed Spring

Pitching Instruction Secrets For Hitters (Madison Bumgarner)

Madison Bumgarner showing his numbers photo courtesy: MLB.com

According to Thomas Myers (no relation) from AnatomyTrains.com, fascia is:

“Fascia is the biological fabric that holds us together. Fascia is the 3-D spider web of fibrous, gluey, and wet proteins that hold them all together in their proper placement. Understanding fascia is essential to the dance between stability and movement – crucial in high performance, central in recovery from injury and disability, and ever-present in our daily life from our embryological beginnings to the last breath we take.”

Fascia is to the human body like steel is to the building industry.  It’s very stiff and resist immediate change in shape.  CLICK HERE to see if Andrew McCutchen loads this springy connective tissue.

Madison Bumgarner Pitching Instruction for Hitters Factor #3: 

Mad-Bum compresses the spring in two ways:

  1. Slight uphill shoulder angle, and
  2. Shows hitter his numbers.

A hitter like Hunter Pence will do this slightly different in three ways:

  1. Slight downhill shoulder angle,
  2. Shows pitcher his numbers, and
  3. Hides the hands from the pitcher.
4 Comments/by
Hitting Training For Baseball & Softball Swing Trainers | Hitting Performance Lab

Adam Jones VIDEO: High K%? Do These 2 Things…

, , ,

Adam Jones: TWO Actionable Tactics To Decrease Strikeouts

 

Adam Jones: High K%? Do These 2 Things...

Adam Jones “stay through” photo courtesy: MLB.com

I wanted to compare two hitters who have reversed walk and strikeout percentages.  Adam Jones and Victor Martinez.  Can efficient OR inefficient mechanics have an effect on a hitter’s strikeout rate?  In this post we’ll:

  • Compare & contrast key offensive statistics,
  • Actionable tactic #1: how low can you go?
  • Actionable tactic #2: bringing sexy back…

The clip I used of Adam Jones is him hitting an outside 90-mph fastball to center-field.  According to FanGraphs.com Jones is 6’3″, 225 pounds.  A BEAST!  Whereas Victor Martinez is hitting an inside 93-mph fastball to right-center-field.  FanGraphs.com lists V-Mart at 6’2″, 210 pounds.

 

Compare & Contrast Key Offensive Statistics

In this article I used Michael Brantley’s example, of how to boost Batting Average, or Batting Average on Balls In Play (BABIP).  Although Adam Jones is a BEAST and does a lot right statistically speaking, there’s two mechanical elements that may lend themselves to improvement.  In the following stat table I want to pay particular attention to:Adam Jones v. Victor Martinez

  1. How virtually non-existent Adam Jones’s walk percentage is,
  2. How Jones’s Strikeout% fairs to V-Mart and the League Average, and
  3. The difference between both hitters’ Ground-ball% (GB%).

I’m using Victor Martinez’s mechanics as a model for Adam Jones.  Why?  When you want to reduce strikeouts, look to the guy who is the best in the game.  Victor Martinez has hit 30 homers, as of this writing, and only struck-out a “lean” 39 times…ALL season.  There are two key mechanical differences that I feel may be contributing to these numbers…

 

Actionable Tactic #1: How Low Can You Go?

Victor Martinez on pitch plane

Victor Martinez pitch plane photo courtesy: MLB.com

In baseball, the mound lifts a pitcher’s release point by 10-inches.  On top of that, the pitcher has to throw the ball to a squatting catcher.  To increase margin for error, and cut down on strikeouts, a hitter’s body has to get low on the pitch plane early.  THEN, stay on the pitch plane at least six to twelve inches passed impact.  In other words, get shorter, and stay shorter.

Getting low isn’t as important with fast-pitch softball.  The pitcher’s release point (mid thigh to hip) is almost on line with the catcher’s glove.  The pitching rubber will remain on flat ground and same distance from the plate, so hitters will experience less pitch plane arc at the higher levels.

As you see in the video, Adam Jones gets low but doesn’t stay low on the pitch plane like Victor Martinez does.  V-Mart starts low, glides forward, then stays low through his Final Turn.  This mechanical inefficiency – of Adam Jones – may contribute to his higher than average GB%, Strikeout%, and virtually non-existent Walk%.

 

Actionable Tactic #2: Bringing Sexy Back

Adam Jones taller Fight Position

Adam Jones “taller” Fight Position photo courtesy: MLB.com

The Catapult Loading System NEEDS the following three ingredients, up to the Final Turn…hitter:

  1. Shows numbers (their back) to pitcher,
  2. Hides hands from pitcher, and
  3. Has a slight down shoulder angle.

These three ingredients charge the springy fascial connective tissue in the body.

Victor Martinez shows his numbers longer than Adam Jones does.  I showed in this Tony Gwynn video that Gwynn keyed in on keeping his front shoulder in, which allowed him to stay on the ball longer.  Keeping the “spring” loaded longer may explain the difference in the GB% above.  Jones starts on plane, but finishes off (he “stands” up).

The key to efficient mechanics on a downward pitch plane is to get low.  Evidenced in the video, also showing the hitter’s numbers longer can have a reducing effect on higher than average strikeout and ground-ball percentages.

7 Comments/by
Corey Dickerson

Corey Dickerson VIDEO: #1 Most Critical Hitting Position

, ,

Corey Dickerson: 3 Human Movement Laws That Dominate

Comparing Corey Dickerson 2014 OPS & OPS+ stats to Mike Trout & league average

I wanted to analyze a young lefty slugging Colorado Rockies outfielder by the name of Corey Dickerson.  Standing and weighing in at 6-foot, 1 inch, and 205 pounds, Dickerson isn’t a big guy by today’s standards.  And comparing key offensive indicators (photo on right), puts him in decent company…

FanGraphs.com says this about OPS & OPS+:

“OPS is the widely used metric measuring a hitter’s contact, patience, and and power.  Since OPS+ adjusts for league and park effects, it’s possible to use OPS+ to compare players from different years and on different teams.”

Corey Dickerson: #1 Most Critical Hitting Position

Corey Dickerson photo courtesy: MLB.com

How efficiently a hitter gets into their Fight (landing) Position can dramatically effect their OPS and OPS+.  In analyzing Corey Dickerson swing, we’ll see how he uses THREE scientifically proven human movement laws to dominate his Fight Position:

  1. Gravitational Forces,
  2. Transferring Forward Momentum, and
  3. Spine engine mechanics.

We’ll also look at what repeatable power elements are missing in his swing…

 

Laws That Dominate #1: Gravitational Forces

Imagine standing in the middle of a trampoline.  Push your body weight into the canvas by bending your knees slightly, and jump 2-inches off the surface.  Now, use all your body weight, squatting down like your butt’s going to touch the canvas, and jump 2-feet in the air.  Notice how pushing harder into the surface, gave you a higher jumping result?

These are Gravitational Forces at work.  By pushing into the ground (trampoline canvas), the surface pushes back with an equal and opposite force.  Corey Dickerson amplifies Gravitational Forces by “getting shorter” and dropping his body-weight into the earth when he lands into his Fight Position.  The ground gives thanks by giving him a push back!

Following…

 

Laws that Dominate #2: Transferring Forward Momentum

Corey Dickerson "floating" to his Fight Position

Corey Dickerson “Float” photo courtesy: MLB.com

In science, this is commonly referred to as the Conservation of Linear Momentum.  In Corey Dickerson’s case, here’s how it works:

  1. First, he transfers his weight back and Floats (timing) before falling forward,
  2. He gets a swing “head start” by moving his body-weight towards the pitcher, and
  3. Then commits to weighting his front leg before transferring Forward into Angular (rotating) Momentum at the Final Turn.

Corey Dickerson lands with an open hip-knee-toe to set up the turning of the pelvis.  His front knee is bent and stacked almost over his ankle allowing him to push into the ground (Gravitational Forces).  This will make way for what’s called “Blocking” during the Final Turn.  Next…

 

Laws that Dominate #3: Spine Engine Mechanics

Corey Dickerson Fight Position

Corey Dickerson “Fight Position” photo courtesy: MLB.com

Blocking the shoulders from opening too soon is critical to repeatable power.  Tony Gwynn calls this “staying on the ball”.  And Corey Dickerson does the basics (a la Gwynn).  He’s not loading his torso’s springy material optimally.  I believe he’s leaving 10% of his repeatable power on the table.  Here’s how he can improve his Fight Position:

  1.  Raise back elbow above top hand during fall, to get a more downward shoulder angle,
  2. Show his number to the pitcher more clearly, and
  3. Hide his hands from the pitcher a little better.

The Fight Position is one of THE most critical points in the swing.  As you can see, Corey Dickerson uses THREE (2.5, lol) scientifically proven human movement laws before he lands his Fight Position.  To me, at least 70% of hitting faults can be fixed here.  Make sure you’re swinging smarter by moving better!

9 Comments/by
Hitting Training For Baseball & Softball Swing Trainers | Hitting Performance Lab

Shin Soo Choo VIDEO: Can Front Arm KILL Bat Speed?

,

Shin Soo Choo Missing Power?

 

Shin Soo Choo Missing Power?

Shin-Soo Choo photo courtesy: MLB.com

Shin Soo Choo is well-above average when it comes to On-Base Percentage, .389 over a ten-year span.

He also averages 37 doubles per season over the same career span.  However, his 162-game average for home-runs is ONLY 19.

Keep in mind that Shin Soo Choo is 5’11”, 205 lbs. (all stats are according to Baseball-Reference.com).  Let’s look at:

  • When to bend, when not to bend (rotating speed v. moment of inertia),
  • How Shin Soo Choo may be dumping bat speed pre-impact, and
  • How-to increase rotational speed at home.

 

When to Bend, When NOT to Bend (rotating speed v. moment of inertia)

We’re talking about the Conservation of Angular Momentum.  Take Olympic ice skater Adelina Sotnikova, who won gold in the 2014 Winter Olympics for instance.  Here’s how she increases her rotational speed:

delina Sotnikova 2014 Winter Olympics

Adelina Sotnikova photo courtesy: NBC Sports

  • She moves her arms into her center of rotation (Rotating speed increases, moment of inertia decreases).
  • To go slower, she moves her arms and a leg away from her center of rotation (Rotating speed decreases, moment of inertia increases).

Moment of Inertia (or MOI) just means a body’s tendency to resist angular (rotating) acceleration.  Rotating speed and the moment of inertia have an inverse relationship.

 

How Shin Soo Choo May Be Dumping Bat Speed Pre-Impact?

Let’s apply the answer of “when to bend” to hitting…in hitting a pitched ball, we don’t know what:

  1. Location,
  2.  Speed, or
  3. Plane the pitch is arriving on beforehand.
Shin-Soo Choo Arm Barring

Shin-Soo Choo photo courtesy: MLB.com

Unlike golf, hitters have a split second to commit and accelerate their barrel.  So in the first part of the Final Turn, a hitter MUST accelerate the barrel quickly with the torso using a bent front arm.

The second part of the Final Turn – when the barrel gets on plane of the pitch – the front arm begins to straighten to increase the moment of inertia (resisting rotational acceleration).

And of course, the front arm straightening at impact will depend on pitch location…lower or outside the zone, more straight at impact…versus, inside or higher, more bent at impact.

A hitter’s post-impact objective, MUST be to get both arms extended.  This would ensure proper transition of Centripetal (center-seeking) v. Centrifugal (center-fleeing) Forces.

Therefore, keeping the front elbow bent from the start of the Final Turn is critical to increasing turning speed and barreling the ball, particularly in high EV zones (Effective Velocity – Perry Husband).

 

How-To Increase Rotational Speed at Home

Here are a couple spine engine mechanics we could work on at home that would give us a repeatable power advantage at the plate (and what Shin Soo Choo isn’t doing).  Before the stride foot touches down, we need to:

  1. Have a downward shoulder angle,
  2. Show the numbers better, and
  3. Keep a slight bend in the front arm.

Fixing this can take Shin Soo Choo’s 162-game average of 19 homers to over 30 for sure.  Basically, it makes his swing more adjustable to higher perceived velocities, if we’re talking about Perry Husband’s EV system.

14 Comments/by
Hitting Training For Baseball & Softball Swing Trainers | Hitting Performance Lab

Jose Abreu Power Secret Found In Unlikely Place?

,

Does Jose Abreu Use a Unique MLB Power Technique?

 

Jose Abreu Power Secret Found In Unlikely Place?

Jose Abreu photo courtesy: MLB.com

I received an email recently from a top-5 Shot Putter in the mid-80’s named Rob Suelflohn.  He threw for over 70 feet!  A pretty special feat.  CLICK HERE to see YouTube footage of Rob.

He contacted me after watching a couple of my analysis videos.  Shortly after, he purchased The Truth About Explosive Rotational Power course to refine his Shot Put technique, as he still competes in Masters Shot Put competitions.

Wait…a Shot Putter buying my course on hitting?!

What really struck him about my mechanical breakdown was that I was speaking his same language, even though I was discussing a completely different competitive human movement.

Or is hitting really that different than Shot Put?

This video compares Jose Abreu to Randy Barnes (holds world record in the Shot Put).  We’ll look at:

  • Methods v. Principles,
  • Top Secret Power: Springy ‘X’ Pattern
  • Jose Abreu v. Randy Barnes

 

Methods v. Principles

Randy Barnes Shot Putter 1996 Olympics

Randy Barnes 1996 Olympics (won gold) photo courtesy: PBS.org

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said,

“As to the methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.” 

In hitting, methods are the drills we do.  Just do a search for “baseball (or softball) hitting drills” on YouTube and you’ll find plenty.  Principals are human movement rules governing EVERY athlete in motion.  As Ralph Waldo Emerson put it,

“The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.” 

What principles do rotational athletes like Jose Abreu and Randy Barnes have in common to efficiently create repeatable power?

 

Top Secret Power: Springy ‘X’ PatternSpringy 'X' Pattern

One of the principles they use is something I call the Springy ‘X’ Pattern.  Imagine a big ‘X’ on your chest connecting shoulder to opposite hip.  The same goes for the backside.  To load springy connective tissue, called fascia, shorten one leg of the ‘X’ while the other leg lengthens.

Springy fascia is (according to Thomas Myers in his book Anatomy Trains):

  • What the bones and muscles float in,
  • Gives muscles their shape,
  • A spider web or cotton candy-like material, and
  • Made of mostly springy collagen fibers.

 

Jose Abreu v. Randy Barnes

Returning to our original question of does Jose Abreu use a unique MLB power technique?  Nope.  He uses a unique power technique to human movement!  This is also why – according to Wikipedia – Randy Barnes qualified for the 2005 World Long Drive Championship in golf.  Golf!!  He’s mastered the principles of explosive rotational power.  CLICK HERE to put proven human movement science to work in YOUR swing today…

4 Comments/by

Andrew McCutchen Part-3 VIDEO: The Science Of Turning Faster

,

In This Andrew McCutchen Part-3 VIDEO, 

…of the Coaches DON’T Tell You This series, we’re going to: Andrew McCutchen Baseball Hitting Video

  • Discuss when barring the front arm is okay,
  • Explore the science of spinning fast,
  • See how efficient Cutch is at turning, and
  • Look at how to work on this at home.

CLICK HERE to watch the – 2 min, 5 second – PBS Circus Physics video about the Conservation of Angular Momentum, or turning faster.

 

Straightening the Front Arm Out…Good or Bad?

Also referred to as bat drag, arm barring, or casting.  Let me clarify:

  • Arm barring GOOD: to make an impact adjustment to outside or lower pitches, and through extension
  • Arm Barring BAD: before and during the front heel touching down, and before  barrel whips back towards catcher’s glove

 

The Science of Spinning Fast

IF straightening the front arm out before the front heel touches down proves for a faster turn, then why doesn’t controversial 2014 Gold Medal winning ice skater Adelina Sotnikova do this during one of her big turning jumps?

Because it’s inefficient for humans to quickly turn this way, quickly.  When Adelina wants to slow down, she extends her arms and legs away from her body.  In hitting, it’s important to turn fast, stay compact, and do it early.  Before the barrel gets into the zone.  In which case, the front arm needs to stay slightly bent.

 

Did Cutch Pass the Science Test?

In the above Andrew McCutchen baseball hitting video, science clearly says that ‘Cutch’ can have a more efficient Final Turn.  And as we’ll discover what force bleeding compensation he makes – possibly – because of his early arm barring in Part-3 of the Do This For Longer Drives video series.

How Do We Practice a Faster Turn at Home?

  1. Break the swing into two-steps: 1) To the Fight Position (Landing), and 2) the Final Turn
  2. Use a mirror or batting tee
  3. Video analysis feedback – either Coach’s Eye app (free for android) or Ubersense app (free for iphone)
  4. Hitter “hides their hands from the pitcher”, while keeping a slight bend in the front arm
  5. Going into the Final Turn, the hitter will try and “crush the catcher’s glove” without extending the front arm

Stay tuned for the Part-4 VIDEO: Why “Sitting Back” is Devastating to an Efficient Swing in a couple days.  Where we’ll analyze Ryan Braun’s swing…

0 Comments/by
Carlos Gonzalez

Carlos Gonzalez Killer Power Strategy Video

, ,

Carlos Gonzalez: A Killer MLB Power Strategy You Can Use Too…

 

Carlos Gonzalez Spine Angle

Carlos Gonzalez photo courtesy: MLB.com

I’m comparing two Colorado Rockies hitters, Carlos Gonzalez (aka Car-Go) and Nolan Arenado (2014 franchise record 28-game hit streak).  What repeatable power advantage does a guy like Car-Go have that Arenado may not?  Is it height?  Weight?

Neither.  Look how similar Car-Go and Arenado are physically (resource: Baseball-Reference.com):

  • Carlos Gonzalez – 6 foot, 1 inch, 220 pounds
  • Nolan Arenado – 6 foot, 2 inches, 205 pounds

In this video, we’re going to:

  1. Compare 5 key offensive numbers (based on a 162-game average),
  2. See what Car-Go and Arenado’s swings have in common, and
  3. Reveal the killer MLB power strategy.

 

Comparing 5 Key Offensive Numbers…

Here are key offensive numbers from the charts below, between Car-Go and Arenado:

  1. On-Base% (OBP)…Carlos Gonzalez = .355, Nolan Arenado = .309
  2. Slug% (SLG)…Car-Go = .527, Arenado = .432
  3. On-Base%+Slug% (OPS)…Car-Go = .882, Arenado = .741
  4. Doubles (2B)…Car-Go = 36, Arenado = 40
  5. Home-runs (HR)…Car-Go = 29, Arenado = 15

Sure we have more data points for Car-Go (7-years) than Arenado (2-years).  However, looking at how efficient each moves when swinging the bat, we’ll be able to assess the potential for Arenado’s performance in the future.  In addition to learning how Gonzalez may be able to improve.

CLICK HERE to get a brilliant Sabermetrics point of view for Car-Go 2.0.

What Car-Go & Arenado’s Swings have in Common

Nolan Arenado

Nolan Arenado photo courtesy: MLB.com

These are the human movement rules in common from the analysis:

  • Vision
  • Forward Momentum
  • Tight Turns
  • Engage Catapult Loading System

 

The Killer MLB Power Strategy

In comparing the two swings, what steps would Arenado have to take to hit for more consistent power like Carlos Gonzalez?  One of the secrets to repeatable power lies in the spine angle, which is achieved by the bend in the back knee.  The spine’s angle can allow a hitter to:

  • Get the barrel level on the downward plane of the pitch (slight upswing),
  • Stay in the impact zone longer (increased margin for error),
  • Keep the eyes and head from moving forward during the Final Turn,
  • Fully transfer linear (forward) into angular (turning) momentum (increased bat speed).
  • Drive the ball!!
2 Comments/by
Hitting Training For Baseball & Softball Swing Trainers | Hitting Performance Lab

Softball Hitting Drills Video: Cutch #1 Power Fix

,

In This Softball Hitting Drills: Andrew McCutchen #1 Fix Video (4 of 4),

 

…of the Do This For Longer Drives softball hitting drills series, we’ll talk about:Softball Hitting Drills: Andrew McCutchen #1 Power Fix

  • #1 Fix to consistent power,
  • Science of compressing the spring, and
  • How Andrew McCutchen and others get springy…

 

#1 Fix to Consistent Power

According to Thomas Myers in his book Anatomy Trains, consistent power doesn’t come from conventional softball hitting drills teaching:

  • Load hands back towards catcher,
  • Pull front arm,
  • Fire back hip,
  • Push back knee forward and/or down, or
  • Pull knob straight to the ball.

According to Dr. Erik Dalton in his collaborative book Dynamic Body, the brain-body connection doesn’t work in this way:

“Modern Science reveals the brain does not recognize individual muscle activities due to lack of practical purpose.”

 

Science of Compressing the Spring

The secret to consistent power lies in springy connective tissue called Fascia…Cotton Candy Springy Fascia

  • Cotton candy or spider web-like material,
  • The bones and muscles float in it,
  • Is made up of mostly stiff collagen…which to the body, is like steel to the building industry,
  • Compression and tension forces are acting within the body at all times, and
  • Compressing the spring happens in an “X” pattern across the front and back of the torso.

I call it the Catapult Loading System.

 

How Andrew McCutchen and Others Get Springy

Watch how similar the following athlete movements are…front shoulder down and back to back hip…

Andrew McCutchen – 2013 NL MVP:

Andrew McCutchen Gets Springy

Paul Rabil – USA Lacrosse, fastest throw on record:

Paul Rabil Springy Lacrosse Throw

Jurgen Schult (German) – Discus World Record Holder (since 1986):

Jurgen Schult (German) - Discus WR Holder

So, when doing softball hitting drills, charge the body’s springy fascial tissue.  This is the #1 fix to consistent power.  CLICK HERE if you missed Part-3: losing force transfer with a bad head-spine connection.

7 Comments/by