There are a few “gurus” out there promoting a rearward barrel acceleration, which I agree with but ONLY on pitches middle away/down in the zone. Teaching young hitters the concept over the past few years, with no disregard for pitch depth, some of my most clean mechanical hitters were having challenges getting to the inside pitch.
Rearward barrel acceleration is good, but MUST not be a blanket teach for all pitch depths. The best hitters, like Mike Trout, alter the timing of the barrel’s release off the back shoulder. Here’s a similar post I went in more depth on this concept with many examples.
Mike Trout swing case study: hitting the “catcher’s glove”. Photo courtesy: MLB.com
Enter the softball drills content of this video. Here’s what I tried to do in the above Mike Trout swing case study:
Select Mike Trout home-run swings that were based off similar pitch type, location, and pitch speed,
Same game would assume same catcher and catcher’s position relative to the hitter,
Same camera view, and preferably the same camera zoom setting,
Comparing inner third of plate pitch location barrel path versus outer third, and
Same pitcher would help control timing variable.
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86-mph FB? outer third part of the plate, mid-thigh high
Homer to LCF
Pitch #2:
Vincent was the pitcher
90-mph FB, inner third of the plate, mid-thigh high
Homer to LF
A softball drills note on Mike Trout’s “alligator arm” swing on Pitch #2:
Okay if late on the inner half of the plate (purpose is to barrel up ball and that’s what Mike Trout is doing on pitch #2),
NOT okay if doing off a tee, if on-time during soft-toss, or during dry swings (basically when timing is irrelevant or minimal), and
CLICK HERE for a recent post on how to fix alligator arms, and how to practice what Mike Trout is doing with hitting the different “catcher’s gloves”.
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https://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Improve-Turn-Behind-Vs-Push-Barrel-MLB-Level-Bat-Path-Modern-Swing-For-Baseball-Softball-Hitting.png423800Joey Myershttps://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/hitting-performance-labs_c90c0362088ef1d3d528f3078f4f8ac1-300x75.pngJoey Myers2022-08-15 09:15:052022-08-16 05:22:21Improve Turn Behind Vs Push Barrel MLB Hands Above Level Bat Path Modern Swing For Baseball & Softball Hitting | Drills To Fix & Get Rid Of Bat Drag
Baseball Swing Path: How-To Increase A Hitter’s Strikeouts?
Notice the Chris Davis baseball swing plane is up, up, UP. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports
Is Chris Davis taking more of an extreme uppercut on the baseball swing plane?
Is he not cutting down on his swing with 2-strikes?
Is he using an excessive barrel tilt, before he launches into the turn, much like Josh Donaldson did between the 2013 and 2014 seasons? CLICK HERE for this Athletics Nation post titled, “Josh Donaldson: Changes in Approach & Mechanics”.
Is he more susceptible to swinging at pitches out of the strike zone than say a Joey Votto? CLICK HERE for this great “Joey Votto on Hitting” FanGraphs.com article about the changes he made to his baseball swing path in 2013.
Or, is his baseball swing plane so stubborn as to not adjust to higher Effective Velocities (EV), according to this fantastic analysis by Perry Husband…
SCIENCE-BASED TRAINING:
Improve your hitting strategy dramatically by applying human movement principles.
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Also, CLICK HERE for a Joey Votto video analysis I recently did. He is the ultimate Pitch-Plane Dominator!
Here’s another perspective, from a guy I admire because he will readily admit he was wrong – on national television!!
Check out the following video of Carlos Pena offering an explanation to the increase in MLB hitter strikeouts…
Look, hitter’s are dealing with hitting a pitch that, beforehand, they DO NOT know what:
Pitch it is,
Speed it is, and
Location it is.
Sure, there are probabilities, but they’re almost NEVER 100% sure (stealing signs and/or a pitcher’s ‘tells’ aside).
Illustration from Ted Williams’s The Science Of Hitting book on matching the plane of the pitch. The bottom image can even serve as the extreme uppercut if flipped upwards.
Hitters have to build a large margin for error into their swings, if they want to succeed.
Then it got me thinking…
Sometimes we can learn more from what not to do, than what to do.
Coaches & instructors, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Please ‘Leave a REPLY’ in the comments section below to the following question…
What are the 2 biggest baseball swing path mistakes you think hitters make that lead to higher strikeouts?
🚀 Unlock the Secrets: FREE VIDEO on Mastering Powerful Oppo Field Hits & Pulling
Are your hitters struggling to effectively hit to the opposite field or pull the ball with power? Discover our breakthrough techniques now!
Get instant access to our exclusive FREE VIDEO: 'Mastering the Art of Pulling & Going Oppo'. Learn how to maintain explosive ball exit speeds while mastering directional hitting.
https://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/baseball-swing-path-science-of-hitting-e1445286939501.jpg325500Joey Myershttps://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/hitting-performance-labs_c90c0362088ef1d3d528f3078f4f8ac1-300x75.pngJoey Myers2022-08-15 09:00:162022-08-16 04:37:47Cut Down On And Strikeout Never Again Baseball Softball Perfect Swing Path Breakdown Hitting Drills To STOP Striking Out & Struggling At Plate
Michael Brantley: NEVER Worry About Batting Average Again?
2014 Michael Brantley photo courtesy: MLB.com
Last week, I received a question from Brian Petrick that birthed this post:
“What do mlb players need to do to hit for a higher avg consistently and cut down on k’s. Not many .300 plus hitters today.”
I have to thank my Sabermetrics friends at RockiesZingers.com – namely Richard Bergstrom – for introducing me to a key metric that better measures how consistently a batter hits the ball rather than Batting Average. Enter BABIP. FanGraphs.com says this about BABIP:
“Batting Average on Balls In Play (BABIP) measures how often a ball in play goes for a hit. A ball is “in play” when the plate appearance ends in something other than a strikeout, walk, hit batter, catcher’s interference, sacrifice bunt, or home run. Several variables that can affect BABIP rates for individual players, such as defense, luck, and talent level.”
In this video post, we’re going to analyze:
Why analyze Michael Brantley (lefty hitting outfielder of the Houston Astros)?
What’s the difference in his 2013/2014 swings? AND
How can he improve his repeatable power?
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According to FanGraphs.com he’s 6 foot, 2 inches, 200 pounds. Not a big guy by today’s standards. 2014 was the first time he was selected to the American League All-Star team.
Michael Brantley’s 2013-2014 stats were a perfect example to answer Brian Petrick’s question from earlier (photo of stats to the right)…
138 point jump in OPS (On-Base + Slug%),
BABIP has gone well above average,
GB% went down, LD% went up, and FB% went down, while
Home-run to fly-ball% more than DOUBLED!
Walk% went up, and
Strikeout% almost cut in half!
Yes, according to my stat table, the 2014 season isn’t done yet. But the amount of “hits” he accumulated in 2013 (158) is virtually the same as 2014 (151). Hits are a major part of the BABIP equation. So, what is he doing differently with his mechanics?
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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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After Brian Petrick sent me that question, I obsessed over how-to build consistency into a hitter’s swing (increase BA & BABIP) that could also cut down on strikeouts. My hypothesis was to get the barrel on pitch plane EARLIER (closer to the catcher), which would translate to more margin for error afforded by the batter.
Take a batter being late on a fast-ball, for example:
If the barrel entering the impact zone is closer to the catcher, driving the pitch to the opposite field is an option.
However, if the same barrel enters the impact zone closer to the pitcher, the hitter is more likely to swing and miss or hit the ball weakly.
Both Michael Brantley’s 2013 & 2014 swing videos show he’s entering the pitch plane closer to the catcher, and staying long through impact. But upon closer inspection, we can see he’s “staying shorter” longer through the Final Turn, in 2014. It looks like he’s
“standing up” in his 2013 swing.
You see, the torso sets the upward swing plane, NOT the hands. By bending his back leg more at impact (around 10-degrees closer to a right angle than in 2013), makes a HUGE difference in consistently staying on plane of the pitch longer. Take a quote from page 36 of Homer Kelly’s book, The Golfing Machine:
“A rotating motion will pass through a given point if the axis is tilted properly, instead of having to apply a compensating vector force to drive the rotating element off its normal plane towards the desired plane line.”
Homer Kelly, an aeronautical engineer for Boeing back in the 1930’s, applied scientifically proven human movement principles to the golf swing.
How Can he Improve his Repeatable Power?
2013 Michael Brantley photo courtesy: MLB.com
According to FanGraphs.com, Zip (U) and Steamer (U) statistics predict Brantley will hit 20-21 homers in 2014. This would double what he did in 2013. The same predictive stats show he’ll finish between .846 to .849 in OPS (On-Base + Slug%). Conservatively, this would be a dramatic 118 point rise!
With the following FOUR mechanical tweaks, we could see Michael Brantley – with his body type – hitting over 30 homers per year:
You saw the difference bending the back leg more at impact does to key offensive numbers like BABIP, BA, and Strikeout%. Also just as important is how close to the catcher a batter’s barrel enters the pitch plane, and how well his “stay through” is after contact. Brantley already does these well.
However, at the very least, if Michael Brantley engages the natural springy fascia material within his body (mechanical tweak #’s 2-4 from above), then he can be one of the top-10 hitters in the league!
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/2014/08/Michael-Brantley-Swing-Breakdown-How-Turn-Vs-Push-Barrel-Control-Hitting-Drills-Can-Affect-BABIP.png423800Joey Myershttps://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/hitting-performance-labs_c90c0362088ef1d3d528f3078f4f8ac1-300x75.pngJoey Myers2022-08-10 09:00:342022-08-15 05:09:16Michael Brantley Swing Breakdown: How Turn Vs Push Barrel Control Hitting Drills Can Affect BABIP Luck Formula | Hands Above, Dumping, & Short To Ball Good For Baseball Softball Hitters?
Here’s what we’re talking about in this Fernando Tatis Jr baseball swing analysis:
Fernando Tatis Jr Baseball Swing Analysis Part-2 photo courtesy: MLB.com
Distance between feet – Getting to a balanced position on our stride,
Staying sideways with lower half – most still want to pivot on back foot instead of with the hip, and
Front arm shape – Arm bar a problem?
The following is the transcription from the above video. Time stamped of course, so you can skip ahead if you’d like. And in case you missed Part-1, then check it out Here.
Enjoy!
00:38
Remember, in part one, we went over some fangraphs stats, Fernando Tatis Jr. We talked about catapult loading system principles and how he uses them in his swing. And we also talked a little bit about staying sideways there as well. We will go in a little bit more depth in this video.
Distance between feet – Getting to a balanced position on Fernando Tatis Jr baseball swing’s stride
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Let’s talk about the distance between the feet and getting to a balanced position in the stride. First, I wanted to give you a little context between these pitches, the one on the left, I think both of these are 2020. The one on the right we talked about in part one, but this one is a low and in breaker. Slower than average pitch.
01:18
And then this one over here, if you remember was a fastball up and in. Just to give each context there. On the left, we’ll go… there’s three swings over here. The first one will be this one, and then the other two I don’t have the pitchers view on, so we will look at the distance between the feet.
01:37
One of the things that elite hitters have in common is they get distance between their feet at stride landing and during their turn. A lot of young hitters tend to either be too narrow, don’t get a long enough stride or if they skip their back foot they skip too far, creating more of narrow feet during the turn itself.
01:55
Elite hitters don’t do that, elite hitters will create distance between their feet. It makes for a more athletic position and allows them to be able to, if they want to use their knees to get to pitches down in the zone like a Cody Bellinger or an Anthony Rizzo or Dustin Pedroia, they can do that. With narrow feet during the turn, it’s not going to happen.
02:16
So as this also applies to getting to balance at your stride landing, you’re going to notice that in Fernando Tatis Jr baseball swing, that he is not going to be very heavy on that front foot as he lands. You can see that, and we’ll get to this a little later in the video, this idea of shifting foot pressure. But if we look at this little ride or float, we like to call the float, Matt Nokes calls the ride and then the stride or the fall we call it the float in the fall.
02:49
You can see that there isn’t a 100% commitment to the front leg yet. It’s a little bit more uncommitted, feeling out, being more controlled, and there’s different drills that you can do for this you can put weight on the front foot, like a band pulling the front foot forward or the band pulling the hitters body forward wrapped around their waist, and the coach is out in front pulling the bands, and the hitter’s got to resist the band. Got to resist gravity from landing too hard and heavy on that front foot.
03:17
But that’s what you’re going to see. You’re going to see that distance between the foot and as he begins his turn, you will see him maintain the distance between his feet. Look out over here. Very light and hover-y with that front foot at landing. And you see there’s a little bit of a glide or skip of the back foot.
03:46
Here’s another swing. You can see this really controlled fall, it is a fall because you will see him unweight that back leg completely with the skipping of that back foot or the scissoring into that back foot. But at first before the stride foot lands, you’re going to see this very tentative with the weight. He’s going to get to the end of his hip, front hip and that’s going to allow him to rotate without having to shift more during the turn as he rotates.
04:31
A lot of hitters, young hitters, will get to landing and then they’ll continue to shift forward with their hips as they’re turning the barrel. In both baseball and softball. We want to get to the end of that hip, front hip. As we land, that’s it. There’s no more shifting of the hip, of the weight. We should be done shifting, then as we start to turn, that head should stay still, shouldn’t move anymore once a stride foot hits the ground.
05:07
Here’s the fourth swing. You can see this hover, he’s still committing his weight forward, but it’s controlled. Again, we can stand out in front of this hitter, and we can wrap a band, resistance band around their waist, we can hold the handles and pull them forward and they have to resist our pull forward, that is a way to help with this… not committing that weight 100% at stride touchdown.
05:37
We’ll get the hip to the endpoint, which is right there. And then as the turn starts, and on this pitch Tatis is a little bit out in front looks almost like a Jose Bautista swing. But that is a way to stay balanced and making sure we maintain distance between the feet.
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Staying sideways with lower half – most still want to pivot on back foot instead of with the hip
05:57
Now let’s talk about staying sideways. There’s this tendency for hitting coaches out there, and for usually the older kids, the younger ones that are under coached tend to do this correctly. But the ones that have been over coached a little bit will tend to want to pivot on that back foot. And these coaches are teaching them to pivot on the back foot to get the hips through. And that’s not what we’re looking for.
06:20
The hips aren’t, rotation of the hips, maximum rotation of the hip isn’t where power is coming from, not most of the power anyway. The hips and the pelvis are about 33% of the equation when it comes to the spinal engine. Thoracic spine, the spine is split into three, the cervicles – the neck, thoracic – the middle, the bigger part of the spine, and then you have the lumbar is the lower part.
06:43
Those three sections, along with the shoulders, and the pelvis surrounding that are where most of the power is. The pelvis and the hips are a very small percentage of that, 33% or so, if you split it in three. What we see is this shifting foot pressure, you’ll see where you got foot pressure on the outside of the back foot, inside of the front foot up to landing.
07:14
And then same over here. This is a different angle. But you can see the inside of the front foot here, can see it over on the right and outside, it’s starting to shift. And then as the turn starts, the foot pressure on the part of the foot will shift completely opposite side. Back one will go from outside to inside. You can see the insides already starting to shift here on the left pane. Same thing on the right pane, you’re also going to see the front foot do the opposite, it’s going to go from the inside to the outside.
07:47
Staying sideways and making sure we get to the end of the front hip at landing. We’re going to see that bowing in here. The inside of the back foot when we see kids turning that back foot. By this point, the foot is almost vertical. And they’re turning what we say is with the middle of the foot instead of the inside of the foot. What we should see is what Fernando Tatis Jr baseball swing analysis is doing, one on the left you’re seeing a little bit more vertical but then he pushes that heel down and stays inside.
08:25
Remember this pitch was the breaker the slower breaker down and in. He was a little bit out in front of this you can tell just by where the barrel is entering the zone. It’s not knocking off the real catcher’s glove, which is back here. It’s actually between the back-foot catcher’s glove and the belly button catcher’s glove. A little bit out in front, over here on the right, can see the same inside back foot, you can see the front foot clearly go from inside to outside, pushes that back heel behind him.
08:59
The hips are for direction, not for 100% complete rotation. That’s not where the power is coming from, the hips set directional force. Here’s another swing, same thing outside of the back foot inside of the front foot. You’re going to see that all the way until about landing, and then we’re going to see the shift happen inside of the back foot outside of the front foot. push that back heel behind them.
09:29
Fourth swing, outside of the back foot, inside of the front foot going to stay sideways, we’re not going to pivot on that back foot. Like most young hitters do that coaches have taught him to do that. The youngest hitters 7, 8, 9… They tend to do this on their own if we don’t touch them. Same shifting the foot pressure. This one he actually scissors is a little bit more out in front than he was on that first swing, and you can see big time skip and hop, don’t like the hop so much, but this is just a compensation, you didn’t see that in the other three swings, but he is scissoring here to keep his balance on this swing.
10:13
You can see our lower half, combination of distance between the feet. This allows the hitter to keep a balance into their stride by staying sideways, and in doing so, shifting our foot pressure from outside of the back foot, inside of the front foot to, during the turn inside of the back foot, outside of the front foot allows the pelvis in the lower half to control and guide our directional force.
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Alright, let’s talk about is the arm-bar okay? I hear a lot of coaches out there like to teach the adjustable swing, meaning look away, adjust in, or look in and adjust the way. And when you start facing better pitching that just doesn’t work. We can’t get to balls and be able to maximize our ball exit speed inside with an elbow bent at 90 degrees.
11:08
You’ll see in the four swings of this Fernando Tatis Jr baseball swing analysis; he’ll do a very good job of maintaining the shape of that front arm. Maintaining the shape of the front arm will allow consistency in the performance of the swing. And the longer the front arm, the longer the lever is, an engineering principle, the more the force gets multiplied at the end of the lever. It’s both power or ball exit speed, batted ball distance, and consistency.
11:40
We can get to an inside pitch, or a pitch up in the zone with a straight barred out front arm, but it’s when the hitters barrel enters the zone is what really matters. It’s not about the length of the front arm if it’s getting locked out. As much as it is when the barrel enters the zone, and the coaches that teach the barrel to get into the zone super early, knocking off the real catcher’s glove. Are going to have a hard time getting the barrel to the ball on the inner half part of the plate or getting to the ball on the middle up part of the zone.
12:16
But it’s not because of the front arm shape, it is because of when the barrel is entering the zone. The best hitters in the world change, instinctively, we can teach it but instinctively change when their barrel enters the zone. That’s another topic for another video. But let’s look over here at our first swing. Fernando Tatis Jr baseball swing analysis, you’re going to see that front arm shape almost from the start of the turn.
12:45
Again, this one is a breaking ball that was probably 80-ish miles an hour, located down and in the part of the zone. You can see the arms fully locked out, see where the barrels at? Barrel is tight to the back shoulder. And then you’re going to start to see him unwind and release the barrel, like I said earlier in this video, is going to be somewhere between the back foot catcher’s glove… If you can if you can imagine a catcher’s glove in line with his back foot, and a catcher’s glove in line with his belly button.
13:15
He releases it somewhere in the middle of those, being a little bit out in front of this ball and this ball being on the inner, the lower inner part of the zone. See the front arm shape there, is a different angle, but you can still see he pulls in just a little bit here you can see he’s a little bit bent. But he works it to get in, it’s very minimal. That will screw up consistency a little bit, if we have a hitter that’s doing this all the time. Fernando Tatis Jr is doing this to be able to catch up to this fastball. And this one was remember, located up and in, in the zone, a fastball up and in…
13:27
A little bit, but we don’t see a 90-degree chicken wing getting to this ball especially at a contact. You can see that front arm shape is complete, almost completely barred out to get to this ball. And he’s got something we’ll talk about another video wrist snap, beautiful wrist snap, you can see in this swing, same thing. Watch that front arm shape. From the start of the turn, you see the front arm shape, almost completely barred out slight bend can be argued with it.
14:25
Can see barrel’s entering the zone, again we don’t have a pitcher’s view of this pitch, but you can see is entering the zone off his back foot. He’s releasing that barrel off his shoulder and then slamming it into the back-foot catcher’s glove, not in the real catcher’s glove because real catcher’s glove you can see is farther away. But he’s releasing it off his back-foot catcher’s glove.
14:51
But look at the shape of that front arm. Got a lot of consistency there and you have a long lever so that at impact it’s going to amplify the force at the end of that lever. Last swing, front arm shape, started the turn, you can see it’s almost completely barred out. He’s a little out in front on this one, remember, probably more out in front than the other three swings.
15:27
You can see the blur of the bat, is happening again, he’s releasing this into the belly button catcher’s glove. Because he’s out in front, we’ll see that on timing. When they’re out in front, we’ll see the barrel get released later into the zone, not early. Later. You see that front arm shape is completely barred out on this one. Trout does this too. If he’s out in front, and the balls middle away or middle down, you’ll see that straight up front arm, but he’s a little different when it comes to middle in, middle up especially if it’s something hard. Plus velocity, you’ll see a 90 degree bend in that front arm…
16:04
But you can see boom, completely arm barred with the front arm at impact. This is going to amplify the force at the end of that lever. And because he’s keeping a consistent long shape with that front arm to get to this ball, it’s going to lead to some consistency. And in this Fernando Tatis Jr baseball swing analysis, those of you who have been charting him in the 2020 season, have seen the consistency throughout the season. Albeit a shortened 60 game college season. We’ll see what happens in the playoffs.
16:38
Just a quick recap of this Fernando Tatis Jr baseball swing analysis video,
We talked about the distance between the feet getting into a balanced position on our stride.
We also went into staying sideways with the lower half a little bit more depth, because most still want to pivot on the back foot instead of with the hip, the front hip we talked about.
And front arm shape, is the armbar a problem? And we saw in four separate swings that Fernando Tatis Jr. in his baseball swing does a very good job of keeping a longer front arm, which helps with consistency and batted ball distance.
Make sure that we’re swinging smarter by moving better, and before I let you go…
'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.
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https://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/fernando-tatis-jr-baseball-swing-analysis-part2-e1601580598695.png281500Joey Myershttps://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/hitting-performance-labs_c90c0362088ef1d3d528f3078f4f8ac1-300x75.pngJoey Myers2022-08-08 09:30:472022-08-08 22:09:56Fernando Tatis Jr. Swing Breakdown: How To Use Legs In Lower Half, Stride, Hip Rotation, And Arm Bar For Baseball & Softball Hitting
Is “Swinging Down” Okay Since Alex Rodriguez Said So?
Before you watch the above video interview with Perry Husband, please watch the following 7-min video of Alex Rodriguez sticking-it-to-the-hitting-man lol (I promise you, it’s rather entertaining)…
Wow! The Social hitting community had a blast with this video. Coaches talking how:
Cool his blue pool (which turned purple periodically throughout the video), and green lush backyard were…
Alex Rodriguez YouTube channel titled, “HOW TO HIT HOME RUNS | TIPS FOR THE BEST APPROACH AT THE PLATE”
He added some sweet after effects into his video…
He may have had a couple bottles of wine (not glasses) pre-shoot, probably at the cautioning of his gal-pal J-Lo…
And the elephant in the room, how he seemed disconnected describing the elite swing…
There was A LOT to unpack in A-Rod’s video…here’s what he covered in only 7-mins:
Real v. Feel – How to get the ball up…Swing down to get the ball up…swing down for “line to line”
How to be effective as a hitter(Launch Angles, Line to Line) – forget “Launch Angle”, “Line to line” (beat the shift)…Legs underneath you with leverage, knee down to the ground…Think with “Ferris Wheel” launch angle…Ferris Wheel & “blind spot”…can’t catch up to fastball up?
Sabermetrics v. Experience – Top 4 of last 5 winning teams, #1 in contact, least in K’s…Sabermetrics v. Experience…”an out is an out”, “K’s are overrated”…”Made to measure” approach, contact is king.
SCIENCE-BASED TRAINING:
Improve your hitting strategy dramatically by applying human movement principles.
Learn not only how and what to train but also the science behind the methods.
So now back to the video analysis Perry Husband and I did (tippy-top video) of A-Rod’s video analysis. Here are some bullet points of what we cover:
Does hitting 100-mph ball exit speed mean you’re maxing out? How do you know what your max is?
How applying tested human movement principles validated by REAL Science results in almost instant changes to key metrics,
Why hasn’t analytics given more value to Perry’s Effective Velocity?
Are there instances that “swinging down” is okay to teach hitters?
Why fastballs down, hit on the ground, reveal some of the highest ball exit speeds & why curveballs are some of the farthest hit balls…
As always, the following are quick reference points you can use to jump around in the supplemental analysis:
At about the 0:00 minute mark, talking about Alex Rodriguez explaining feel and “swinging down”, “squishing bugs”, and knee going to the ground, A-Rod said only way to lift is to “go down”
At about the 5-min, 30-sec mark, three major issues A-Rod brings up in the video: 1 ) Real v. Feel, 2) How to be effective as a hitter, & 3) Sabermetrics v. Experience, coaches go to one side or the other, A-Rod is right and wrong at the same time, lets get player (ahem, A-Rod) on tee and measure ball exit speed and launch angle – test it! Let’s quantify and prove it or disprove it, early barrel dump works if pitchers aren’t elevating fastballs, very little on internet is testable, guys not liking ball exit speed and heavy ball tee swings for evaluation – Why not wanting a baseline? Just because you’re hitting 100-mph exit velocity, is that your maximum? How do you know without a baseline?
At about 14-min 30-sec mark, 3-dimensional hitting – verticals, horizontals, and timing or pitch velocity, where does power come from (according to A-Rod)? what do certain mechanics contribute to verticals, horizontals, power, or timing? Testing a hitter off the tee with regular ball, then heavy ball, then test it LIVE with ball, can see where hitter is deficient, out of 7-8 new kids (current hitters Perry is working with) have increased avg. 7 to 8-mph ball exit speed almost instantaneously, cleaning up mechanics aren’t like getting stronger and more coordinated, which takes more time,
At about 22-min 30 secs mark, Launch Angles are numbers without brains and coaches treat it like a character in a movie! Has Aaron Judge or Giancarlo Stanton ever hit a ball at their max in a game? “Ferris wheel” swing and the “blind spot”, what happens when the low fastball disappears, from TM’s perspective what is the “Ferris wheel” swing or is he using the WORST metaphor ever?! “Merry-Go-Round” versus “Ferris Wheel” swing, having a little bit of both depending on pitch height, depth, and timing, 150 locations within the strike zone – can you take same swing to each of those?
At about 30-min mark, Perry talks about his swing was in low-80’s in Ball Exit Speed when 100% purely rotational swing, but in the high 80’s low-90’s when releasing backside, there are consequences to mechanics you choose, are you afraid to test it? Perry is starting a club doing a bunch of different tests and demos on the mechanical side and effective velocity (show hitters what they’re missing), 18 of 19 Reds losses came on an EV inefficient pitch,
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At about 35-min, 30-sec mark, what’s your hitting operating system? Best hitters in the world miss 80% of the time and hit it on the screws 20% of the time, is your hitting OS to reduce strikeouts above everything else? What are you giving up because of your primary hitting OS? Looking away and adjusting in works IF pitchers keep throwing fastballs outside and/or down, and leaving off speed stuff up, what happens when Trout doesn’t see one fastball down? Or one off speed or breaking pitch up? Why hasn’t analytics given more value to Effective Velocity? Because they don’t acknowledge measurement of timing,
At about 43-min mark, how can a pitcher be effective with Trout, he chooses to adjust to pitches not sit on them, he gives up a longer front arm on pitches up and in to get extended on down and away, how do you move away from the “adjustable” swing, 2015 Trout hit 6 bombs in the up/in box – made adjustment to pitchers changing, Trout almost has a recession-proof swing,
At about 50-min mark, if did study May of 2019 – fastball use top of strike zone would be up, couldn’t do 100% ferris wheel or 100% rotational, A-Rod is right and wrong at the same time, “swinging down” is okay for uppercut hitters, the brain is one step behind the brain, however in REAL swinging down on the ball DOES NOT make it go up consistently – center to center contact does (or slightly below center), gotta get hitters better at verticals, horizontals, and timing, can’t be 100% metrics OR 100% experience, “econ” hitting coaches? Linking Sabermetrics to the Scientific Process – asking question, form hypothesis, research subject, gather and compare data, then come to conclusion,
At about 57-min mark, Perry discusses how overrated backspin is and the importance A-Rod gave to it, why fastballs at bottom of zone have high exit velocities on the ground – from hitter’s perspective fastballs have backspin, struck grounders don’t change direction of pitcher’s spin…same with curveballs, Dr. Robert Adair in The Physics of Baseballsaid CB’s are hit the furthest – think about it, from hitter’s perspective CB’s have topspin, and when a hitter puts “backspin” on it, this doesn’t change direction of pitcher’s CB spin, so a pitcher should reverse that, locate fastballs up and curveballs down,
At the 1-hour, 2-min mark, Perry’s starting paid membership club at 65% OFF*(for limited time only) to get people started, daily Monday through Friday, demos, study of hitter or pitcher, at bat that stood out from EV standpoint, 15-20 min video that shows in personal locker, do for baseball and softball,
At about 1-hour, 6-min mark, I talk specifically how to lock the front arm out – direction-wise – to get ‘showing numbers’ and ‘hiding hands’ as well, killing three birds with one stone
*The regular price on that will be $299 for the year, but the first 100 will get 2/3 off or $99 for the year. They get their own personal online locker where the videos will be delivered Mon through Friday. 15-20 minute videos that will feature pitching strategy on sequencing, pitch design, hitter profiles, pitcher profiles and breakdowns, at bat of the day with data and Ev breakdown. In other words, the truth about what’s really going on within the game, timing breakdown.
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“Braves star Freddie Freeman gives in-depth tutorial on how to hit off a tee” Video
If you liked this Freddie Freeman swing analysis, then you may want to take a look at this…
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Learn fun youth baseball and softball hitting practice plan station drills for 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 year olds, & High School.
13 Tips On How To Build A Productive Hitting Practice
My 6yo son Noah did this in his class. I love “I hit a line jrive.” So cute! 😍
I don’t have a lot of experience coaching teams like some do, but I do think I have a unique perspective on this…
Since 2013, I’ve been teaching human movement principles validated by REAL Science to local and online hitters. Over the past 4+ years I’ve been running small private group hitting lessons ranging from 2 to 6 hitters per group, for 75-minutes. And before that I did MANY 1-on-1’s.
And the last 5 years I’ve had the honor and pleasure of coaching my son’s teams (including all-stars) since 7u baseball. t-ball, machine pitch, and the transition into kid pitch. This year I was asked to part time as head varsity hitting coach for a local High School. I couldn’t do full time because I was head coach of my son’s little league team plus all my local and online lessons.
I’ve learned a lot about how to put together a productive practice for hitting, fielding, and throwing. Here are my notes – I hope they can help get you started in the right direction…
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First of all, what is one of the most important concepts to work on at practice? Playing catch. CLICK HERE for an interview with legendary Hall of Fame collegiate baseball Coach Bob Bennett, where he goes into depth on this progression-regression.
What’s one of the best drills to learning how to play catch that costs ZERO dollars, and you don’t need a partner? Check out this Tweet –
An example of best training anyone can get is right here. Kid did this for over 2 hours easily. He played various games with self. He developed more this day then any games could provide and it cost 0$. Polite young man who is passionate about game. pic.twitter.com/WpJ1d3Efr0
To make the above throwing and catching drill better? Put multiple targets (could be shapes) in different locations up and down, left and right, on the wall using frog tape.
Three hitting focuses we used with 7u machine pitch: 1) Feel what swinging “up” feels like, 2) Feel what swinging “down” feels like, and 3) Swing across their face, not chasing their face. The latter was because almost half the hitters were pulling their head. Later we added the three plate timing drill to help them understand what “swing earlier” or “swing later” means (CLICK HERE for this post which showcases the 2-plate drill – you’d add one more plate). This takes care of 2 of 3 hitting dimensions. I talk about 3-dimensional hitting in this post.
Main hitting flaws I see most often in youth hitters (based on one-on-one and group hitting lesson experience): barrel path verticals, horizontals, and timing (see 3-D hitting above), pulling head out (swing across face not chase face), stepping out (CLICK HERE for this post), fear of getting hit by the ball (CLICK HERE for this post).
If working on one or two things, focus on those specific things while ignoring any other flaws that may crop up. Get to 60-80% movement proficiency and execution on either soft toss or LIVE toss, before moving onto the next thing. Make your focuses a constant drum beat. Remember, the swing, or any other aspect of the baseball or softball game, is an elephant and you don’t want to eat it all at once!
Our challenge for 7u was one practice per week for only one hour. We did four stations (about 3 players per station): 1) Taking ground-balls while throwing and hitting multiple targets (we weaved frog tape in shape of a 1, 2, and 3 on the chain link), 2) 5 Tee swings with Hitting Jack-It weight on bat (high tee – hit it down, low tee – hit it up), 3) Ground-ball communication between corner and middle infielders, and 4) LIVE hitting on field with “soft” ball machine (to get used to machine pitch).
Depending on age, don’t overdo practice. I would force practice times into 60 to 90-mins up to age 12u. 90 to 120-mins 7th and 8th grade. 2 to 2.5-hours max in High School. And I would say no more than 3 hours in college – weights would be extra. Force yourself to pick THE most essential things to work on. Long practices at youth level scream coach doesn’t know what they’re doing, and that not using time wisely. Most likely A LOT of standing around is the culprit. CLICK HERE this post for a refresher on what most “essential” means.
One of the best bang for your buck hitting drills EVERY coach MUST have in their hitting stations is overload training. CLICK HERE for an interview post I did with the father of over/under load training applied to baseball and softball hitters.
Any coaches have any other advice on how to put together a productive practice for hitters I didn’t mention? Please share in the comments below… (Thank you in advance!!)
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Debating the intricacies of hitting a baseball (or softball) can be as bad as discussing religion or politics. This is why we look to proven human movement science first. Hitting a baseball NOT easy, but we can make it easier. It has a lot of failure built into the fabric. The objective of every coach, instructor, or parent should be to build as many “fail-safes” into the system as possible.
We’re going to explore the following, as they relate to impact:
Perry Husband & Effective Velocity,
90-Degree Angle to the Spine Rule NOT True?
University of Miami Study: The Biomechanics of the Baseball Swing
Conclusion…
First I want to start by setting the table…
Perry Husband & Effective Velocity
“Pluses” take-away from hitter’s reaction time, “minuses” add to hitter’s reaction time (images are pitcher’s POV). Photos courtesy: HittingIsAGuess.com
The one thing I like about Perry Husband’s contribution to hitting a baseball is he goes by “data, not feelings”.
He’s made a science out of a hitter’s reaction time. Perry Husband has accumulated, “Over 10 years of study and testing of amateur hitters and two years of intense study of major league at bats in a 4 million plus pitch database”. At his site Effective Velocity, Perry Husband explains his Effective Velocity system for pitchers:
“The Downright Filthy Pitching Series is a very in depth study of speed as it relates to the hitter’s reaction time. Initial velocity is the speed of the ball as the radar gun sees it, perceived velocity is the speed of the ball as the mind’s eye sees it and Effective Velocity is the speed it actually is. Effective Velocity (EV) is the initial velocity plus the location effects of the pitch due to different locations having different reaction times…A 90 MPH pitch can and does equal many different speeds, depending on where the pitch is located. “
His data (photo above) suggests that a hitter has to be quicker to pitches up in the zone, and in. And pitches down in the zone and away, give a hitter more time to adjust. Perry Husband reports from his findings:
“Did you know that the highest exit velocities off Major League hitters’ bats come off the pitches in the lowest part of the strike zone? How about that the most homeruns hit are off pitches at the very bottom of the strike zone as well?”
Over the past year, I’ve softened to some of Perry’s hitting a baseball mechanics. His information is vital to understanding if…
SCIENCE-BASED TRAINING:
Improve your hitting strategy dramatically by applying human movement principles.
Learn not only how and what to train but also the science behind the methods.
90-Degree Barrel Angle to the Spine Rule NOT True?
Giancarlo Stanton: 90-degree barrel to spine rule. Note: outside pitch slightly up in zone. Photo courtesy: MLB.com
CLICK HERE for the post that explains this Rule. The preceding post link refers to the barrel, not the front arm to spine angle. There are FOUR ways a hitter gets to pitches at the top/bottom of the strike-zone, and/or inside/outside of the plate…
Tilting at the waist with the upper body (the lower the pitch, the more the tilt),
Another reader got upset saying that I’m teaching two different swings. And enlightened me about his extensive study into the brain, and that taking a bent arm from the initiation of the swing and changing the shape to straight is impossible for the brain to do. Click Here for a conversation Perry and I had on the arm bar.
Remember, Perry Husband said that the highest ball exit speeds and home-runs were off of lower pitches? Do you think it could be because the front arm was able to extend at impact? Creating a longer lever and allowing for a smooth transfer of bat speed (angular velocity) into ball exit speed (inertial force). These are fundamental rules in the Conservation of Angular Momentum.
Look, if our goal as coaches is to get hitters 100% on-time, 100% swing effective, then we must take a serious look at the front arm bar. High exit velocity is key to batted ball distance, and without it Launch Angles alone won’t score more runs. Besides, how many commercial and/or passenger airplanes get off the ground without high horizontal velocity? CLICK HERE for an interview we did with Perry Husband about his system.
One last thing to look into hitting a baseball…
University of Miami Study: The Biomechanics of the Baseball Swing
Josh Donaldson game winning dinger high inside pitch. Photo courtesy: MLB.com
Major shout out to one of my readers and local lesson parents, Nieszka, for bringing this to my attention. This study was done by Dr. David Fortenbaugh at the University of Miami (CLICK HERE if you want to download the 200+ page pdf). Here’s the gist of how the study was put together:
Study Objective: to compare swings against pitches thrown to different locations and at different speeds.
AA-level Minor League Baseball players (n=43) took extended rounds of batting practice in an indoor laboratory against a pitcher throwing a mixture of fastballs and changeups.
An eight camera motion analysis system and two force plates recording at 300 Hz captured the biomechanical
data.
The swing was divided into six phases (stance, stride, coiling, swing initiation, swing acceleration, and follow-through) by five key events (lead foot off, lead foot down, weight shift commitment, maximum front foot vertical ground reaction force, and bat ball contact).
Twenty-eight kinematic measurements and six ground reaction force measurements were computed based on the marker and force plate data, and all were assessed throughout the phases.
The findings?
According to the Study:
“A large number of biomechanical differences were seen among the swings against various pitch locations. More fully rotated positions, particularly of the pelvis and bat were critical to the batters’ successes on inside pitches while less rotated positions keyed successes against outside pitches. The trail and lead arms worked together as part of a closed chain to drive the hand path. Successful swings had the trail elbow extended more for HIGH IN and flexed more for LOW OUT, though batters often struggled to execute this movement properly. A distinct pattern among successful swings against fastballs, successful swings against changeups, and unsuccessful swings against changeups was witnessed; namely a progressive delay in which the batter prematurely initiated the events of the kinetic chain, especially when unsuccessful in hitting a changeup.”
Hitting a Baseball Conclusion
Miguel Cabrera “power-V” post impact. Arms extended, high moment of inertia. Note catcher’s glove position. Photo courtesy: ToledoBlade.com
So, let’s tie up everything we talked about in hitting a baseball…
On pitches low and/or away, the hitter has more reaction time (Perry Husband research), so tilting at the waist (on lower pitches) and extending the front elbow to impact is key (90-degree barrel spine rule). And because the outside and lower pitches will be hit slightly deeper than inside and higher pitches, the trailing elbow will have more bend in it at impact (Miami Study).
There can be a harmonious relationship between an arm bar, and consistency getting to pitches up and in the zone. CLICK HERE for this post that gets into the different “catcher’s gloves” on how to do this. HINT: it has to do with the “belly button” catcher’s glove.
Readers, I want to hear your thoughts on hitting a baseball in the Comments below…
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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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https://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/hitting-a-baseball-robinson-cano.jpg415525Joey Myershttps://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/hitting-performance-labs_c90c0362088ef1d3d528f3078f4f8ac1-300x75.pngJoey Myers2022-07-11 09:15:432022-07-11 23:50:29How To Swing Bat And Hit Baseball Softball Faster, Farther, & Harder Every Time | Beginner Practice At Home Hitting To Increase Bat Speed, Power, Exit Velocity & In Certain Direction
Discover the perfect baseball and softball swing plane trainer, bat path truth, and barrel turn hitting drills for contact, power, and quick hands. Does a one size barrel path fit all pitches? What is the performance consequence of a deep barrel turn on an inside pitch? Or what is the effect of swinging up to an elevated pitch?
Best Hitters Baseball Barrel Path – Do We Have It All Wrong?
Khris Davis is 5'10" with a ton of power. How does he generate it?Sean Casey shows how his back elbow and bat path help him get it done.
Posted by Diamond Demos on Tuesday, September 18, 2018
…And I’m sorry. But I will say this, most are being misled on the best hitters baseball bat path. The principle you’ll discover shortly also applies to fast-pitch and slow-pitch softball.
In this best hitters baseball barrel path post, we’ll look at:
…according to Diamond Demo video above: “Breaking down Khris Davis”.
We published last week’s Khris Davis swing analysis post because of the Diamond Demo “Breaking down Khris Davis” video. The overwhelming response I received from readers sharing this video with me truly validates the Catapult Loading System seen in the best hitters. Don’t think so? Take a look at the following split screen snapshots from the above video (recognize ANY of the hitters??)…
Observe stride landing positions of JD Martinez, Aaron Judge, & Jose Altuve – ‘showing numbers’, ‘downhill shoulders’, & ‘hiding hands’. Photo courtesy: Diamond Demo video “Breaking down Khris Davis”
And,
Check out stride landing positions of Mookie Betts, Nolan Arenado, & Mike Trout – ‘showing numbers’, ‘downhill shoulders’, & ‘hiding hands’. Photo courtesy: Diamond Demo video “Breaking down Khris Davis”
We won’t spend a lot of time rehashing last week’s post, BUT I do want to bring up an important point that was talked about in the above Diamond Demo segment. And it has to do with best hitters baseball barrel path…
Starting at about the 2-min, 15-second video mark, and continuing to the end, they talk about this idea of Khris Davis getting his barrel in the zone early, and keeping barrel in the zone late. And this is where I’ve lied to you for the last 5-years! I used to teach my hitters this same one-size-fits-all SUPER deep barrel path. But what I found was this IS NOT true of the best hitters baseball bat paths…
SCIENCE-BASED TRAINING:
Improve your hitting strategy dramatically by applying human movement principles.
Learn not only how and what to train but also the science behind the methods.
WHY Hitters Baseball Current One-Size-Fits-All SUPER Deep Barrel Path Approaches are Losing
Let me tell you a story of how I stumbled onto this principle…
In January of 2018, I was working with one of my hitters, who has been working with me since he was 7 years old. He’s 15 years old now, in the 8th grade, and consistently hits with a low to mid 80’s Ball Exit Speed off the Backspin Tee, using a wood bat.
His mechanics are pretty clean compared to my other hitters. At the time, I was teaching my hitters the same one-size-fits-all SUPER deep barrel acceleration path, as many of you are now. One day, we were working on hunting pitch zones, inner third pitches specifically, and he responded,
“Coach, I don’t feel like I can get to that inside pitch effectively. Am I showing my numbers too much?”
This got me thinking, so I jumped on Twitter to look at the best hitters baseball bat paths. Specifically, I was looking for hitters, like the ones on the split screen images above, crushing 94-mph+ on the inner third of the plate, and guess what I saw??
The ones who demonstrated the Catapult Loading System principles well (namely ‘showing numbers’), still did so at stride landing on inside heat! Did you catch that?! ‘Showing numbers’ was irrelevant to crushing the inside pitch.CLICK HERE for a post I did debunking that. So what were they doing different on the inner third?
It had to do with what we call hitting a different “catcher’s glove”. I won’t go into the details of that here because I already did at the following post titled:“Accelerate Barrel Rearward Like Mike Trout”. The best hitters baseball barrel path isn’t about a one-size-fits-all approach to all pitches and timing.
Here’s the DANGER for hitters using a one-size-fits-all SUPER deep barrel acceleration approach…
Signs that pitcher’s are smartening up to countering this seemingly effective low in the zone barrel approach? Pitchers are now using this, which Perry Husband calls Effective Velocity (EV), to exploit hitters with longer barrel paths.
In short, 2018 homers are down, in addition to having a few months in the season where overall offensive strikeouts outweigh hits in the Big Leagues. This is troubling. To give a clue, check out Perry’s video explaining why Chris Davis (Orioles) is having issues with this one-size-fits-all barrel path…
If hitting coaches don’t smarten up to this soon, then they’ll be rendered obsolete, irrelevant to the hitting community, and ultimately out of a job. That’s not an exaggeration, and is where the puck is going, believe me. Now, let’s look at the behavior of different “catcher’s glove” approaches on inner, middle, and outer third of the plate pitches…
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!
On time to deliver the backside through the direction of the ball. He lands a little open all the time, I think he opened more here based on anticipated pitcher release point. Rotate on a line. pic.twitter.com/tiAiYF2Org
Now, how do we train this? I’m going to give you two complimentary drills we use to sync the optimal “catcher’s glove” with the proper direction of force (See – aren’t you glad you read my post to the bitter end!?):
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!
MLB Network and Alex Rodriguez swing analysis interview with New York Yankees player Giancarlo Stanton as he talks hitting approach. Learn concepts applicable to High School pre game routines.
I can’t believe I missed this Giancarlo Stanton swing breakdown video. I remember how on fire he was July of 2018, when he made a certain change to his stance.
Also, other information people search about Giancarlo Stanton (as of July 2022): he’s 32yos, batting average is .245, he’s 6-foot 6-inches, and is American: Irish American, Puerto Rican, and of African American descent.
Here are some thoughts and time stamps from the above video…
At the 0:45 minute mark, A-Rod makes the observation that Giancarlo Stanton works hard. Before, during, and after games, like A-Rod says, “Almost working too much.” I don’t agree with that. As long as the player digs the hard work, and works on the right things.
At the 1:00 minute mark, Giancarlo Stanton gives a little insight into his approach at the plate. Focusing on what he expects to see from the pitcher. I’m assuming this is based on data collection. Pitch patterns and sequencing. Based on what the pitcher is trying to do to him. “Altering” Stanton’s homework a bit. Wants the video analysis he watches to be as fresh as possible, so at least 30-mins before going out to the game.
At the 1:45 minutes mark, A-Rod asks how Giancarlo Stanton’s hitting strategy changes based on ballparks – in reference to his trade from Marlins (big park) to the new Yankee stadium (small park). Is he trying to lift more or just hit line drives? Stanton says he’s still trying to hit line drives. Still have to put barrel on the ball for the short corners. A-Rod tells Stanton that when he used to hit there, he’d pick out sponsorship signs as targets to drive to. Act like a fairway and have targets? Giancarlo Stanton said he likes the bullpen and Toyota sign as a target at Yankee stadium (RCF) – keeps him “inside the ball”. Gives his hands a chance to strike, and get good barrel on the ball.
At the 2:44 minutes mark, A-Rod asks Giancarlo Stanton about the change in his stance – to more closed. Why did he do it? It keeps his direction towards the bullpen. Less chance to pull off – shoulder and hip.
At the 4:00 minute mark, Stanton is asked what his ideal pitch and location is. Slightly in from middle and 92-mph, 4-seamer, straight. Interesting to note, Perry Husband has said a majority of pitchers throw to 88 to 93-mph perceived velocity. They throw to barrels by slowing their fast stuff down and speed up their slow stuff – based on pitch location and sequencing. I’m not shocked Giancarlo Stanton picked 92-mph, regardless of FB, CB, CU, etc. It’s ideal timing zone of most Major League hitters.
At the 5:20 mark, A-Rod asks Giancarlo Stanton how he hits Jacob DeGrom so well. And btw, DeGrom does well with Effective Velocity according to Perry Husband. Be patient and lock in what Stanton is trying to do, not what DeGrom is trying to do. Sometimes you’ll get what you want and sometimes not. He’s thinking right center against DeGrom.
🚀 Unlock the Secrets: FREE VIDEO on Mastering Powerful Oppo Field Hits & Pulling
Are your hitters struggling to effectively hit to the opposite field or pull the ball with power? Discover our breakthrough techniques now!
Get instant access to our exclusive FREE VIDEO: 'Mastering the Art of Pulling & Going Oppo'. Learn how to maintain explosive ball exit speeds while mastering directional hitting.
https://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Giancarlo-Stanton-Swing-Breakdown.png280500Joey Myershttps://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/hitting-performance-labs_c90c0362088ef1d3d528f3078f4f8ac1-300x75.pngJoey Myers2022-07-05 09:00:242022-07-05 18:46:09MLB Network Swing Analysis: Player Giancarlo Stanton Talks Hitting Approach | High School Pre Game Routines For High School Baseball & Softball 2022
book on matching the plane of the pitch. The bottom image can even serve as the extreme uppercut if flipped upwards.
said CB’s are hit the furthest – think about it, from hitter’s perspective CB’s have topspin, and when a hitter puts “backspin” on it, this doesn’t change direction of pitcher’s CB spin, so a pitcher should reverse that, locate fastballs up and curveballs down,
weight on bat (high tee – hit it down, low tee – hit it up), 3) Ground-ball communication between corner and middle infielders, and 4) LIVE hitting on field with “soft” ball machine (to get used to machine pitch).
book is great for winning coaching principles as a whole.
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seen in the best hitters. Don’t think so? Take a look at the following split screen snapshots from the above video (recognize ANY of the hitters??)…
principles well (namely ‘showing numbers’), still did so at stride landing on inside heat! Did you catch that?! ‘Showing numbers’ was irrelevant to crushing the inside pitch. 
