Posted by: rql () on Sun Oct 5 18:13:48 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
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> During the home run derby this year Jim Edmonds spoke about how Pujols only tries to hit the ball up the middle. As you've stated previousely this is poor advice. Let me ask you and everyone this question. If Pujols were struggling would you ever deem it appropriate to be quicker with the hands? Probably not, thus well meaning coaches with your philosophy might do more harm than good. When Pujols, Morgan, Bonds, Williams say get quicker with hands, it would be wise to understand what that means, than to cast it off as bad advice. Do you think quick hands is bad advice for all?
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> "We see what we want to see." In Pujols the top hand is a major player in accuracy and power, the difference is that he loads his for power, like throwing a ball. Most just throw darts with the top hand.
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> Coach C
>.Coach,I believe having quick hands are very important,the hands are what gets the bat to the ball and I like a fast effortless bat.I also believe that the hands are the king and it is the body that is the slave that gets the hands where they want to be when they want to be there.So some never think about body in fact when I hit I would think look away and react in when I was trying to cover the whole plate so I never thought about body, particularly shoulders, yet today when I watch old ESPN tape of myself for training purposes I see all points clicking and I never knew shoulders existed back then.I well say I am still trying to figure out how to teach accuracy,I wonder if that is the god given gift to some and if they learn to train hard and correctly life becomes a dream to them.