Posted by: george stanley (saint_george@yahoo.com) on Thu Dec 6 10:48:22 2007

> > >>>A former player of mine (at the high school level) is now playing in the San Diego Padres farm system. When he comes home during the off-season, I pick his brain to see what the professionals are teaching, hoping that I can learn something new. A major point of emphasis (as far as hitting goes) is what type of spin is imparted on the ball when it leaves your bat. Does it hook, slice, fade, or travel in a straight path? They discourage a batted ball that hooks or slices. They emphasize keeping your hands "inside" the ball, as opposed to taking your hands towards the ball. By keeping your hands inside the ball, you should produce a ball that travels straight or slightly fades. If you take your hands towards the ball (hitting around the ball; possibly just terminology), you will hook or slice. In my mind, the angle and trajectory of the bat, at contact, would vary, depending on which approach you take. The hooking/slicing ball will not carry as far as the one that travels in a straight path or slightly fades. I wish I had seats behind the Cardinal's dugout (Busch Stadium) when McGwire hit home run #62 in 1998. I am curious as to whether that ball had a hook or a fade. It definitely had topspin.<<<
> >
> > Hi Curt
> >
> > I think it would be a mistake to develop batting mechanics based on the type of spin that would be imparted into the ball. To hit the ball hard and consistently, good mechanics should deliver the bat inline with the pitched balls line of flight. Since an 85 MPH fastball is angling downward at about 11 degrees, the bat should be angling upward about 10 to 15 degrees. If the swing was a little high on the ball it will leave the bat with “top spin” making the ball dive. A little low on the ball will impart “back spin” and the ball will carry farther. --- So Mark’s ball must have had “back spin.”
> >
> > Good mechanics should also bring the bat perpendicular to the ball’s line of flight at contact. The “hooking or slicing” of the ball is determined by the bat head being ahead or behind at contact. --- Yes, an “inside out” swing will deliver a ball that slices, but the power and bat speed you give up makes it not the best choice.
> >
> > Jack Mankin

hey curt!
i don't know anyone who tries to hit the ball anywhere but on the button.. to think anyone has any control over whethere the ball hooks or slices is to have the kind of control pro golfers have.. after all the ball is not moving so they don't miss completely, or foul one off..

a hitter has enough problems getting there on time without worrying about whether the ball hooks or slices... this is the result of hitting the ball off the button, either late or over the top .... & what percent of the time does a hitter do that?.. 90 times out of 100, would be a generous guess.
that is the nature of the beast, that you cannot hit the ball perfectly on the button every time... hello?!!?!? to think that MLB batting coaches want to stop hitters from hooking or sliciing the ball boggles the mind & enforces my idea those guys are just political animals who are very similar to 15th century doctors: minimizing the exchange of ideas for fear someone will find out how little they know..thus they end up for the most part just trying to guard their job. 80% of the time you swing, the pitcher has put the ball in a spot where it is not possible to hit the ball on the button with less than your perfect timing, & perfect swing... so you do what you can with it.. basically what they are doing is to criticize someone for not hitting the ball on the button..
well that's an awful big boat that EVERY hitter is in most of the time.. better they should concentrate on what part of the stance or swing is making a hitter late to the ball, which is the most frequent event when a hitter swings the bat.. but what do i know?

when you come over the top, you will hook the ball, but you cannot slice it.. it MUST impart a spin going the opposite direction of your power hand.. that is, counterclockwise for RH, clockwise for a LH.. you can only slice when you get an inside out swing on the ball.
according to that LOGIC, mcguire's ball had a slight hook.

re:jack's comments,any upward angle to a swing comes AFTER a downward swing.. that is, the upside of the pendulum swing .. don't get the idea you can start from your belt & simply unload upwards.. your bat speed will be diminished to the point you will be late to most everything not down/in.. also the inside/out swing sometimes is the only kind of swing that will get you there on time.. you are a victim of varying circumstances from pitch to pitch.. of course you must adjust accordingly.. i have to laugh when people talk about a certain swing not being good or bad.. it depends on the count, the type of pitch, the location, what you are trying to do (move the runner from 2B, or hit a sac fly to score the man from 3B).. TO MANY VARIABLES TO PUT A GENERAL RULE ON ANY TYPE OF SWING.. what do you think?