One of my readers sent me this Perry Husband video…
Interesting how he compares the impact positions of bunting to the swing.
He mentions some things in this video:
Bending the arms as a “shock absorber”,
Bent limbs are “weak”,
Is he promoting a straight arms at swing impact?
Stretching rubber bands – “Every muscle in my body is elastic”, and
Bat speed is not enough, and a hitter needs to couple that bat speed with controlled forward movement.
What are your thoughts on any one of the above points? Please comment in the “Leave a Reply” section below…
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Swing Study reveals how majority of hitters are correcting 'racing back elbow' bat drag within 1-2 weeks WITHOUT overhauling swing mechanics OR buying fancy and expensive hitting aids.
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https://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/hitting-performance-labs_c90c0362088ef1d3d528f3078f4f8ac1-300x75.png00Joey Myershttps://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/hitting-performance-labs_c90c0362088ef1d3d528f3078f4f8ac1-300x75.pngJoey Myers2015-05-06 03:49:462018-05-17 18:03:50“Bunt” Your Way To Repeatable Power?
Baseball Training: 3 Easy Steps To More Barrel Time On Pitch Plane (Dylan’s Case Study)
One of my online lessons Dylan from South Florida. Notice the change in front knee bend at landing (swings are synced).
I’ve heard during baseball training a thousand times, “Be short to the ball!” If I put a nickel away every time I heard that, then I’d have my 3 old son’s first year at Stanford saved up. A barrel on pitch plane longer means:
Higher BABIP (or Batting Average on Balls In Play), AND
Cutting down on strikeouts.
In this baseball training video, we’re going to lengthen barrel time on pitch plane by tweaking these THREE things:
Importance of landing gear (setting the stage),
When does the barrel accelerate? (enter pitch plane early), AND
Timing of Power-V (stay on pitch plane)…
Difference in pitch plane between baseball and fastpitch softball? Yep! Pitch plane is an imaginary line from the pitcher’s release point to the catcher’s glove. In baseball, the pitcher’s release point is raised 10 inches (by regulation). In fast-pitch, a pitcher’s release point is at about the pitcher’s hip, while standing on flat ground. So there’s not as distinct a downward pitch plane in fast-pitch softball, as there is in baseball.
Importance of Landing Gear (setting the stage)
Vlad Guerrero (.316 career BABIP) landing with bent front knee. Photo courtesy: Past Time Athletics (YouTube)
Foot work is pretty high on my action item list in sitting down with a new hitter. Initial baseball training boils down to getting on the plane of the pitch by bending the knees:
Fight Position – at landing front knee should be bent and stacked over the ankle.
Final Turn – front leg straightens while back leg bends to about 90-105 degrees.
Consider something Homer Kelly said about this in his book The Golfing Machine:
“KNEE ACTION – Knee Action is classified on the basis of (1) combinations of bent and straight conditions and (2) the Reference Points selected at which these combinations occur. The combination and the Reference Points selected will determine the slanting of the Hips during the Pivot. The slant is up in the direction of a straightened Knee. The slant of the Hips affects the degree of the Hip Turn. Actually, the primary function of Knee Action – as with Waist Bend – is to maintain a motionless Head during the Stroke.”
When Does the Barrel Accelerate? (enter pitch plane early)
Victor Martinez (.316 career BABIP) quick on the pitch plane…check out how close his barrel is to catcher’s glove! Photo courtesy: ExplosiveBaseballSwing.com
“Be short to the ball!” is one of those cues that gets misinterpreted. Most baseball training pro instructors, players, and coaches preach being short to the ball. But what they should be saying is be quick to the pitch plane with the barrel. Because of the following natural factors…
Troy Tulowitzki (.320 career BABIP) in the Power-V well passed contact. Photo courtesy: MLB.com
The last baseball training piece to boosting BABIP and reduce strikeouts is to keep the barrel on pitch plane. “Power-V” is another misinterpreted coaching cue. Hitters are sometimes told to be at extension with both arms at impact. This is false. The Power-V should be achieved 3-9 inches passed impact, depending on pitch location and speed. This ensures maximum inertial force transferred from body to barrel to ball.
The bottom line?
The #1 baseball training MISTAKE to increasing BABIP and cutting down on strikeouts is to “be short to the ball”. What you want the hitter to do is:
Set plane early by landing with a bent front knee,
Maintain plane during Final Turn by straightening front knee and bending back one,
Be quick with barrel to pitch plane, and
Stay on plane by getting to Power-V passed impact.
Grab 'Finger Pressure' Video
Frustrated with fixing BAT DRAG? Beat it!
Swing Study reveals how majority of hitters are correcting 'racing back elbow' bat drag within 1-2 weeks WITHOUT overhauling swing mechanics OR buying fancy and expensive hitting aids.
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Baseball Hitting Case Study: Cole Watts – 17-years-old
Baseball hitting case study: Cole Watts Fight Position comparision
Cole’s dad Matt contacted me about setting up two in-person 45-minute lessons with a break between. They were coming from the Bay Area, which is about a 2.5 hours drive from me. Cole had been getting instruction from a Mike Epstein certified instructor, and they both have been following my video blog.
According to dad, Cole’s results were hitting the ball hard into the ground, and at-best, a low level line drive. In Cole’s baseball hitting case study, we’ll analyze:
Challenges faced,
Differences achieved after two sessions, and
How we trained…
Challenges Faced…
First, Cole is tall, 6 foot, 3 inches, and growing. Being so tall, a hitter like him will be facing a “pitch plane” dilemma. CLICK HERE to watch video analysis comparing 6’3″ Adam Jones to 6’2″ Victor Martinez, and how to fix Jones’s above average strikeout and ground-ball percentages.
When I hear a player is taller and having trouble driving the ball consistently, I look at how efficient they’re getting the barrel level on a downward pitch plane. Are they:
After our baseball hitting sessions, here’s where Cole made some changes:
Gaining stride distance – committing body weight to front leg,
Getting lower into Fight Position – flexing front knee more at landing,
Body lag – opening lower half at Fight Position & blocking his shoulders.
Benefits…#1 will give Cole more bat speed and allow his head to stay still during the Final Turn. #2 will empower Gravitational Forces to amplify Cole’s pelvic turn. #3 will naturally spring load his body (body lag) to transfer more energy into the baseball. The one thing we weren’t able to fix – in our short time together – was staying shorter through his impact and finish.
How We Trained…
How we train is just as important as what we’re training…if not more! At the end of our baseball hitting sessions, our 5-swing rounds consisted of training one mechanical variable with three mechanical constants. Defined…
Mechanical Variable – if we’re working “showing the numbers”, then on odd swings 1, 3, and 5 we show the numbers. On swings 2 & 4 we don’t.
Mechanical Constant – if we’re working on “showing the numbers”, then this is done on ALL 5 swings.
I call each mechanical piece, a layer. We start simple with one layer, which by itself becomes a variable. As we add another layer, then the old one becomes a constant, while the one added is the next variable. This is called interleaving. Only one variable layer at a time. The rest will be constants. Here were his layers, using the fine Art of Variance:
Stretching his stride out beyond his “gamer” front marker,
Landing shorter with committed body-weight,
“Flashlight” on middle front thigh, open towards the pitcher,
Showing (or “blocking”) his numbers longer.
We sandwich the wrong mechanic with the right one, so the brain can note the difference. If Cole wanted repeatable power, then hitting “tall” on the pitch plane wouldn’t work. He made so much progress in a short amount of time. Keep working hard kid!
Adam Jones: TWO Actionable Tactics To Decrease Strikeouts
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:
How virtually non-existent Adam Jones’s walk percentage is,
How Jones’s Strikeout% fairs to V-Mart and the League Average, and
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 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 photo courtesy: MLB.com
The Catapult Loading System NEEDS the following three ingredients, up to the Final Turn…hitter:
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.
Grab 'Finger Pressure' Video
Frustrated with fixing BAT DRAG? Beat it!
Swing Study reveals how majority of hitters are correcting 'racing back elbow' bat drag within 1-2 weeks WITHOUT overhauling swing mechanics OR buying fancy and expensive hitting aids.
Click button below to access FREE video that has been downloaded over 20K times!
https://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/adam-jones-follow-through.png408642Joey Myershttps://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/hitting-performance-labs_c90c0362088ef1d3d528f3078f4f8ac1-300x75.pngJoey Myers2014-09-12 04:21:012019-01-21 05:23:41Adam Jones VIDEO: High K%? Do These 2 Things…
Carlos Gonzalez: A Killer MLB Power Strategy You Can Use Too…
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:
Compare 5 key offensive numbers (based on a 162-game average),
See what Car-Go and Arenado’s swings have in common, and
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:
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 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!!
Grab 'Finger Pressure' Video
Frustrated with fixing BAT DRAG? Beat it!
Swing Study reveals how majority of hitters are correcting 'racing back elbow' bat drag within 1-2 weeks WITHOUT overhauling swing mechanics OR buying fancy and expensive hitting aids.
Click button below to access FREE video that has been downloaded over 20K times!
https://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/carlose-gonzalez-spine-angle.png382492Joey Myershttps://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/hitting-performance-labs_c90c0362088ef1d3d528f3078f4f8ac1-300x75.pngJoey Myers2014-05-15 04:02:562019-01-21 05:34:24Carlos Gonzalez Killer Power Strategy Video
Does Chris Davis Hit Backwards? Common Mistake #4 (of 4)…
Chris Davis deep barrel photo courtesy: MLB.com
The last installment to the Hitting Backwards: 4 Common Mistakes Hitters Make video series, looks at the swing of 2013 MLB home-run leader Chris Davis.
“Being short to the ball” is disastrous to repeatable power. We can be ‘compact’, but ‘swinging down on the ball’ in order to be ‘short to the ball’ is NOT what the best do.
Get “on pitch plane” with the barrel as soon as possible is what I tell my hitters to do.
In this Chris Davis video, we’ll look at:
The science of barrel path,
5 Problems with being “short to the ball”, and
When the barrel should accelerate.
The Science of Barrel Path
Center spinning axis (the spine and torso)
Centripetal Force = center-seeking (arms and hands)
CentrifugalForce = center-fleeing (barrel)
Grab 'Finger Pressure' Video
Frustrated with fixing BAT DRAG? Beat it!
Swing Study reveals how majority of hitters are correcting 'racing back elbow' bat drag within 1-2 weeks WITHOUT overhauling swing mechanics OR buying fancy and expensive hitting aids.
Click button below to access FREE video that has been downloaded over 20K times!
Some write off what Chris Davis does here as being above average in size and weight, in other words, “he’s just strong and can get away with doing it like this.” I beg to differ…Aaron Miles told me that a downward traveling barrel (to impact) hitter doesn’t last past AA-ball.
Here are 5 PROBLEMS with ‘being short’:
Is Ryan Braun ‘being short to the ball’ by today’s conventional standards? Photo courtesy: MLB.com
Jab v. Knockout punch
Rather get hit by a train going 30mph, or motorcycle going 60mph?
NOT in hitting zone very long
Weakness to off speed and breaking balls
Focuses barrel acceleration at the wrong time
When the Barrel Should Accelerate
Here’s how Chris Davis transfers energy and uses Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces in his swing:
Potential Energy – made up of his height, weight, joint mobility and stability, bat length and weight.
Kinetic (moving) Energy – he un-weights the bat with forward momentum, then transfers that into angular (turning) momentum…
Barrel – because of the barrel’s moving inertia, Davis fights center-fleeing Centrifugal Forces early by keeping his front arm slightly bent to increase the speed of his body’s rotation, AND to accelerate the barrel. Then as his barrel “turns the corner”…
Ball – …it gets on plane early, body to barrel to ball energy transfer is almost complete…Chris Davis finally gets long through contact with his arms (center-fleeing Centrifugal Forces).
If after reading this Chris Davis video post, you missed Parts 1-3, here they are:
Frustrated with fixing BAT DRAG? Beat it!
Swing Study reveals how majority of hitters are correcting 'racing back elbow' bat drag within 1-2 weeks WITHOUT overhauling swing mechanics OR buying fancy and expensive hitting aids.
Click button below to access FREE video that has been downloaded over 20K times!
…We’re comparing the “Fight” position of one of my young hitters to Robinson Cano. You’ll discover a little known technical flaw limiting explosive rotational power. Cleaning this up gears the body for a more effective turn.
We’re going over:
What is an optimal “Fight Position”
Hitter compensations associated with a bad Fight Position
How-to get into a good Fight Position
It’s amazing how many flaws happen before the Final Turn evens takes place. I would say 75% of the mechanical breakdown can be solved before the Final Turn takes place. Robinson Cano has such a friction-free swing that it’s critical we copy his pre-turn positioning. He’s one of the most consistently powerful guys in the game, and not very big by today’s standards.
Here’s Robinson Cano in the 2013 home-run derby:
Back view: Notice how his hands push back towards first base dugout, and elbow comes up and out of the way…
Front view: see how he’s hiding his hands from the pitcher and showing his numbers
Grab 'Finger Pressure' Video
Frustrated with fixing BAT DRAG? Beat it!
Swing Study reveals how majority of hitters are correcting 'racing back elbow' bat drag within 1-2 weeks WITHOUT overhauling swing mechanics OR buying fancy and expensive hitting aids.
Click button below to access FREE video that has been downloaded over 20K times!
…We’ll be comparing one of my eleven-year-olds Ian to Robinson Cano:
If he’s “hiding his hands” from the pitcher,
How his front elbow is creating barrel path mayhem,
How Robinson Cano uses the Catapult Loading System, and
What does Ian need to work on?
In this Robinson Cano Baseball Hitting Mechanics Video…
I wanted to show a snapshot in time of one of my eleven-year-old hitters. Ian is working on staying short with his limbs – pre-landing position – in order to turn faster. His front arm tends to move back towards the catcher too much, which causes it to bar out and turn his torso slower.
We can break the swing up into two steps: 1) To landing (or the Fight Position), and Final Turn. 75% of consistency and power is taken care of in Step One. Here’s the drill Ian will use in the video for correction…
Break It Apart Mirror Drill
Get into stance with front shoulder facing mirror or picture window,
Get to fight position (Landing), and
Make sure you’ve hidden your hands from view – like a boxer would when he’s going to deliver the knock out blow.
CLICK HERE or watch below, another one of my Robinson Cano baseball hitting mechanics YouTube videos that I did for SwingSmarter.com:
'Add 40-Feet' To Batted Ball Distance
Swing Study reveals how tens of thousands of hitters are adding 40-feet to batted ball distance by using one simple strategy.
Click the button below to access the FREE video that's been downloaded over 30K times!!
In This Baseball Hitting Video Trick For Longer Drives,
…I analyze one of my young hitters Jarred, comparing his most recent swing to another about six months prior:
We analyze how consistent he’s being with his Float, Fall, and Fight Position (Landing),
How his spinal alignment got better, and
What baseball hitting drill he needs to be working on to clean up his Fight Position.
In the beginning, Jarred was one of those hitters who came in turning and burning on every pitch. Head flying out. Shoulders doing the same. Very inconsistent with his power. Once I got him to realize the swing isn’t all about muscle activation, but about using the forces of gravity to give him a “head-start”, he started seeing the ball rocket off his barrel.
You see, it’s all about technique. Not athleticism. Sure the latter helps. But it doesn’t mean a small hitter can’t out-slug a bigger one…just look at how Andrew McCutchen (5’10”, 190lbs*) beat out Paul Goldschmidt (6’3″, 245lbs*) for the 2013 NL MVP.
(*Baseball-Reference.com)
For more baseball hitting video trick information, CLICK HERE to watch a four-minute video where Dr. Kelly Starrett reveals a simple Spine Integrity Test you can do with your players right away.
Also, I’d be forever grateful if you SHARE THIS POST to Facebook or Twitter. The more people we can help educate the BETTER! You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe to my YouTube Channel HitPerformLab above. And of course, if you have any questions or comments on this post, please direct them below…thanks for watching!
'Add 40-Feet' To Batted Ball Distance
Swing Study reveals how tens of thousands of hitters are adding 40-feet to batted ball distance by using one simple strategy.
Click the button below to access the FREE video that's been downloaded over 30K times!!
https://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/baseball-hitting-video-trick-for-long-drives-hitting-performance-lab.jpg360480Joey Myershttps://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/hitting-performance-labs_c90c0362088ef1d3d528f3078f4f8ac1-300x75.pngJoey Myers2013-11-20 23:55:392018-12-03 17:09:22Baseball Hitting Video Trick For Long Drives
![Baseball Training VIDEO: #1 Hitting Mistake To Boosting BABIP [Case Study]](https://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/baseball-training-pitch-plane-dylan-case-study.png)
:
…I analyze one of my young hitters Jarred, comparing his most recent swing to another about six months prior:
