Let's Talk Hitting

Jack mankin

Yoi are right about staying connected Mankins taped a guy up so he could rotate and not use his hands only his big muscles

 

For further reading.
Maybe I've just found something to back up my thoughts...

http://baseballtips.com/lostsecrets.html

 

Bat Speed and Backspin

There are only one thing that determine the quality of an at bat when a player is trying to get a hit and not trying to just move a runner or is in a sitiuational AB, Hit the Ball Hard, and that is done by Bat Speed and Backspin, The batspeed is of the utmost importance for two reasons as it determines if a player can get to the ball on the ground, and how far it travels in the air, which then leads to how backspin plays into the equation because it will determine if ball flight takes off and carries or just goes out and dies into a routine fly ball.
If your teaching hitting you dont worry about Rotational and Lineal, you work on Batspeed and getting Backspin on all contact. I have worked with the smallest kid on our HS team and he can hit it as far and as hard as any of the big boys, this only happens because he creates better batspeed and get backspin on his ball.
Work from the ground up, feet, hips,torso, arms, wrist, bathead in that order and you can't go wrong as that is the way we get our energy, from the ground up and through the body in a kinetic chain of command, break the chain and the energy is reduced, then you will only be working with limited power resource, HANDS TO THE BALL, no,no,no BAT HEAD TO THE BALL, after the the body has released it energy to the hands and wrist which are last in the sequence.

 

Back Spin

While important to the physics of ball travel, can be confusing. The focus on back spin normally results in hitters trying to drive down through the ball, which is not on the pitch plane.

Back spin doesn't come from driving down through the ball, it comes from the contact point on the ball being below the center of the ball as it relates to the swing plane. Ideally we want that contact point to be just barely below dead center of the ball. Keep in mind we don't want to spin the ball off the bat, we want to barrell it up (drive it) preferably with back spin for carry.

 

Where are the hands at launch

I think this web site explains how to get on the plane of the baseball. Troy Giauss and the others on the site show that the swing is not level but a slight upper cut! I have been criticized from some folks that the swing that I teach makes you hit fly balls. I have never seen a ground ball go over the fence!

 

I know we will simply agree to disagree, but who cares about whether the ball goes over the fence? Seriously - I want as many as will reply to tell us whether it's the most important thing! (And yes, I know they're having a homerun derby tonight, NOT a bunt derby. And if I could have a player bat .400 with his 4 of 10 hits being over the fence vs. singles, then yes, I would take the dingers.)


For thought though:
Q - Can you score/win without hitting the ball over the fence?
Done only by hitting a homerun...
A - YES

Q - Can you score/win without reaching first?
Done by BB, HBP, E (F or T) seeing eye single, drag bunt, LD double, etc.
Much more options than just the over-the-fence variety hit.
A - NO

More than one way to skin a cat - but I'll bet it's easier to skin one on the ground instead of in the air!!!

[Sidenote - Arozona's hitting philosphy this season: HOGS (Hard On Ground Swings). Their coach preaches hit it on the ground hard, run the bases aggresively, and keep pouring the pressure on. Sitting around and waiting for the homer not an option.]

Again Mike, agree to disagree.
I will never criticize your love for the game and love for working with kids. Your heart is in the right place. That is never up for discussion.

Oh yeah - I've also never - NEVER - flown before, so maybe the "in air thing" is psychological...

 

I realize most every swing has some sort of an upper cut, but the swings I'm talking about are very noticeable.