Posted by: Jon (jonwilliams@fuse.net) on Sat Sep 13 09:56:11 2003

Are there any correlations between a proper baseball swing and a proper golf swing? Or do the differ entirely?
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> > For golf, I try to have a soft grip and a relaxed upper body. I turn away and turn back trying to keep the club on plane.
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> > However, I also try to "release" my right hand (I'm right handed) through impact so that the toe of the club passes the heel. Further, I try to create "lag" in my golf swing ((where I keep the "L" shape of the relatively straight left arm and the club shaft)), so that I can create power and release the club late in my downswing to create the most clubhead speed. This might be referred to as a "whip-like" motion.
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> > Do these thoughts work for a baseball swing? My first thought is no. But I'd like to hear a compare/contrast discussion from the expert.
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> > Jon
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> Jon,
>
> Having played both sports my whole life, here is my perspective. I'm sure you're familiar with the term "over the top", it has been my experience that baseball is equally plagued with this problem. In baseball the problem can be masked, because the bat head is round and allows for some mistakes, thus fooling the vast majority into believing they are doing well. In golf, there is very little forgiveness, because of the square face and the fact that golf is target oriented. In baseball I believe the stroke should be from in to out, but for me it doesn't occur from pulling the knob. There is a sense that this is occurring by casual observers, but for me it's caused by the turning of the torso and the clearing of the hips. My hands couldn't be any looser at the initiation of the baseball swing and in fact I feel a tremendous amount of power at contact from top-hand (I bat both). I'm a huge fan of Ben Hogan's teachings (three right hands). I most definetly have this feeling in my stroke. The lag or delayed release is something that I control by trying to go middle or even the other way. This mentality has kept me from releasing the barrel too soon and having the barrel come around the ball. In golf I create the same feeling by trying to take one side of the course out of play. I play golf right-handed and aim for the right side of the fairway, this allows my to draw the ball back towards the middle.
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> Jack may comment, but I've heard him say that the hips need to clear more in baseball. I don't agree with that, to me the point is relative to the point at which one comes into contact with the ball. Golf, between the feet, baseball more towards the front foot on pitches down the middle.
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> The same mechanical action that I do in golf, lower body balance, connection to the ground, figure eight weight distribution between the feet during the swing and effortless power is exactly the same for me in baseball.
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> May I ask what your baseball backround is?
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> Respectfully,
>
> Coach C


I played little league up through high school and legion ball. I realized I wasn't good enough to play major college ball and didn't want to stay around home and play for a local small college. So I moved to golf at that point. Started playing golf around age 20. I'm now 35 and I have boys age 9, 7, and 5. I was never taught hitting mechanics when I was a kid...nothing beyond "throw the barrel at the ball" or "throw your hands at the ball", or "try to point the knob at the ball". I watch hundreds of MLB games each year and realized that I need to study the details of what initiates the swing and what occurs through impact. Looking from a generic perspective on tv, there appear to be a lot of hitting styles and so I'm curious if there are real truisms about the baseball swing as there are in golf. I mean if you look at pro golfers there are some technically sound swings (Tiger) and there are some weird swings (Furyk) but all the guys sort of look the same when they're in the slot and at contact.

Jon