Posted by: rql () on Tue Oct 7 10:56:15 2003

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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> > > Hi Coach C
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> > > You stated: "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.” – I agree with you. A great deal of this site’s information is devoted to explaining how the hands (as a unit) should stay back at the back-shoulder during initiation while the top-hand (THT) is used to accelerate the bat-head back into the correct swing plane.
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> > > Having “Quick Hands” is most often defined as the quick extension of the hands toward the ball while the body remains quiet. This action would better fit your last point – “Most just throw darts with the top hand.”
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> > > Note: I have always recommended that batters should attempt to hit the ball straightaway (even outside pitches). If their timing is a little early, they will pull the ball – a little late results in hitting to the opposite field.
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> > > Jack Mankin
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> > When I hear people try to teach "quick hands", this is what I generally see.
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> > http://www.quickhands.net/pics.html
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> > I expect this is not what Coach C means, hopefully, but he might want to find different words to avoid this association.
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> This would be pushing the knob and not throwing the barrel. No appreceable power is being supplied by the top hand/backside. Throwing the barrel with control and accuracy puts the body in the right position.....Balance.
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> Thanks
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> Coach C

>>coach c the best way I can see your point is that when I played I thought clear the hips and throw the barrel.However when you say throw the barrel and when I saw myself later on film I was [driving the barrel with my top hand staying ahead of the fuel source the back shoulder]This sequence is what I see all great hitters do and it feels to some like throwing because the hands are leading the way.The problem I think some have with thre throwing idea is that if you only say throw the top hand the then some could take that so literal that there is no shoulder turn being created.The shoulders may come around but it would be more because of the follow thru bringing them around than initiation of swing turning them.