Posted by: Teacherman () on Sun Oct 5 07:09:33 2003

>>> Great bit by Pujols tonight on ESPN, talking about how to handle fast pitching. Keep the lower body quiet and be quick with the hands......let the pitcher do the work. He added that when he doesn't feel quick with his hands, he'll start jumping at the ball with his body. Joe Morgan agreed with Pujols. Pujols also added that when he's quick with his hands the body does what it's supposed to. Different strokes for different folks, but he is the National League Batting Champion.
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> The trick in being quick with hands is to not muscle the ball, but have loose quick hands. Driving past the ball is usally a result of a lower body that is doing too much work, creating bat drag and pull, plus poor balance. Taking controlled swings (10%, 20%, 30% and up)teaches one how to program the lower half correctly and feel the way the hands should work, in my opinion. <<<
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> Coach C
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> Well, it appears that Pulols, Joe Morgan and you are restating the linear theme of ‘throw the hands across a still body’. Pulols may have said: “Keep the lower body quiet and be quick with the hands.” -- But I believe a man’s actions speaks louder than his words. So let us take a look at his swing. Go to - http://webpages.charter.net/nickkio/Pujols01.mpg
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> Coach C, I am looking at a frame (bar slide about 2/3 of the way) that shows his hips and shoulders have rotated 70 to 80 degrees while the “hands are still back” at the back-shoulder. If fact, the back-forearm is still nearly vertical. -- I see no “quick hands and quiet body.”
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> Mike Epstien asks a great question, “Do we teach what we see?” I think it might also be wise to ask, “Do hitters swing like they say?”
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> Jack Mankin

Is his explanation a result of doing everything well with his body (unbeknownst to him?) so that all he has to do is concentrate on the hands? Is it because what he does with his hands was his "ah ha!" when going through the learning process, whereas someone else, while learning, may have been doing the hands right and his "ah ha!" was getting the hips to move properly.

I've seen this (and done it myself). When you learn a new segment of the swing that really turned YOUR swing around, you assume everyone else is doing it wrong and you use it as your buzzword or cure all.
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