Fix Dropping Back Shoulder Tilt & Swinging Under Baseball Or Fastpitch Softball? | STOP: Hands Drop, Swing Uppercut, & Hitting Well In Cage And Batting Practice But Not In Games
In this JD Martinez swing breakdown, discover if we need to fix dropping the back shoulder or if “tilt” is a natural part of the swing. Learn how to fix swinging under the baseball or fastpitch softball by STOPPING the dropping of hands and a swing uppercut. You’ll also see how to fix hitting well in the cage and batting practice but not in games. Learn how to make swings more “game-like”.
JD Martinez Swing Analysis: 3 Quick Ways To Solve Dipping, Transitioning Swings, & Dropping Hands
In this JD Martinez swing analysis, we’ll be answering the following reader questions:
- How much of a dip in swing is too much?
- How can we get the same results from what we see in the cage to the games?
- Drills to keep hitters from dropping hands?
Also, I referenced the Ground-ball rant in the video detailing why I think ground-balls are gross for hitters. Think about this: what would happen to current MLB average ground-ball rates for hitters (currently 46%) if ALL pitchers suddenly started pitching up in the zone, instead of down in the zone?
Below is the video outline and referenced links…
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How Much of Dip in Swing is too Much?
- Goldilocks Golden Rule
- Trouble with excessive upper cut
- Controlling Launch Angle Goal: batted ball leaves bat same height as pitch at impact
For the post I referenced in the above video for this section CLICK, “Baseball Batting Drills To Stop Dipping The Back Shoulder”.
How can we get the Same Results from what we see in the Cage to the Games?
- Training principle of Specificity
- Make it harder in the cage
- Post that addresses this
For the post I referenced in the above video for this section please CLICK, “Baseball Batting Cages: How To Transition Practice Into Game Swings”.
Drills to Keep Hitters from Dropping Hands?
- Effective versus ineffective hand path to the ball
- Hands drop drill
For the post I referenced in the above video for this section please CLICK: “STOP ‘Hands Drop'”. Also, here’s Dr. Mark Cheng explaining Reactive Neuromuscular Training (RNT) as “reverse psychology for your body”.
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Joey,
No, no, no, no…! We do not want to teach kids to swing down, or up for that matter. Try to correct them when they make it to high school. Not easy. Teach matching the swing plane to the pitch plane and forget about capitalizing on infield errors. Is winning a Little League game that important?
I can’t argue with the results achieved by J.D. Martinez in recent years, however, I first questioned why the Red Sox would draft him as he is a opposite field hitter (not what you would be looking for with the Green Monster staring at you at Fenway 315 feet away) but he conquered right center field at Fenway Park. Not sure of the stats but I’d say that most off his HRs are to the right of center field, particularly on fastballs. I’d venture to say that his HRs to left field are on offspeed pitches.
In looking at his swing, he hits almost out of a Power V, arms almost extended at contact in the shape of a V. Is it me, or is he coming off pitch plane?
We have had this conversation numerous times about the role of the front shoulder, elbow, and hand in setting the pitch plane. How can he pull a high velocity MLB for a HR with a swing like that?
Also, something you have emphasized, it seems that he’s violating Kelly Starrett’s one-joint rule.
Joey, you have the best stuff out there and you have connected the dots – with your spinal engine references, hunch posture, ‘X’ pattern, etc. – between Ted Williams’ SCIENCE OF HITTING and the Epstein hitting system, the pioneers in this discussion.
Joe, I think what JD Martinez does well is matching the plane of the pitch. The goal of batted ball coming off the bat same height as ball comes in. That has a lot to do with his well above .300 BA. Thanks for your continued support my friend!
“The goal of batted ball coming off the bat same height as ball comes in.”
What exactly do you mean by that?
Can’t argue with the results. Martinez just looks different in doing that, something that I might not teach. His swing is similar to Bryant. Judge, Betts, Donaldson, Turner, Pujols, and others don’t look like Martinez at contact. Their arns are positioned differently than Martinez’s arms.
In response to question about “The goal of batted ball coming off the bat same height as ball comes in.”…
If ball is 1-foot off ground at impact, then it comes off bat 1-foot off ground. If ball is 5-feet off ground at impact, then it comes off the bat 5-feet off ground. It’s a swing intention.
What about the launch angle? A 30 degree launch angle would take the ball higher, no?
Yes Joe, homerun launch angles, depending on ball exit speeds, are between 25 and 35 degrees. Ball exit speed is king though. So I like my hitters’ batted ball direction intent to be same height as incoming pitch (from ground at time of impact), so they protect themselves from the non-productive popup.
Hmmmmmm….
Dipping hands… Drop hands…
If we use our spine does it matter… If we use our lead side to get on plane and our rear side to Hulk smash… Than what????
Our forearms should be fighting to see which ones breaks the handle….
Our hands follow our spine…
And if our hands are not listening to our spine than it’s not the hands I would be worried about…
Tag your it ?
Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Bonds, and Donaldson dropped/drop their hands.
Martinez amazes me. Power V swing, head position, and above 90 degree back leg angle are something you wouldnt teach a hitter.
Yep Joe… It amazes me when pros don’t do it entirely right… What I think is how many hours of work that they put in to get professional results… Doing it right is Healthy, more productive and less time consuming to perfect…. But now when I see differing approach I always think… how much work did it take to do that…. That’s where science comes in to… If we doing the scientific or hosts way… it cuts into that productive curve and more importantly while being healthy…
Not hosts but JOEY way… spell check messed that up…
There are ranges of movements. The more I see, the more this is more apparent with human movement. However, there are boundaries to those ranges, and beyond that we start to move into the unhealthy or ineffective range.
By the way Joe I love “dropping my hands” as long as I stay connected… If I could I would have my hands touch the ground so as long as I stay connected….
?
Haha, the hands can drop but they must be moving forward as well. Of course, spinal engine drives everything, but that doesn’t mean compensations don’t occur outside of that engine that must be fixed and put back on the right path.