Posted by: george stanley (saint_george13@yahoo.com) on Wed Feb 27 12:07:37 2008

> > > > let's hear it!!
> > >
> > >
> > > George,
> > >
> > > Kind of a general question, don't you think? Alot, depends upon pitch location. Basically lets start with the bat angle. The bat, at contact has to be in a position that will allow a ball to be hit to RF. Obviously, I would prefer not to hit a ball on the inside part of the plate to RF, but if I am forced to in order to move a runner over I need to get my hands inside the ball and turn the bat in my hands until the angle of the bat will drive the ball to RF, hard to do. Now if the pitch is middle - away it is a little easier. I would start my swing like always and ride my back leg allowing the ball to get a little deeper. Keep my body behind the ball and my hands inside the ball while turning the barrel to the ball. "Inside seam Drill". The hips and shoulders will not rotate as much as they would on a ball you pull.
> > >
> > > IMO if you know what you need to do in order to hit the ball where you want to, Know what angle and where the bat needs to be, if you truly know what your hands have to do to control the bat to the proper angle, they will and your body will do what it has to do in order to prepare itself for the task.
> > >
> > > IMO the hands control the bat, they provide the quickness, they provide the "go". They also, control the angle and set the plane. The hips power the swing but the hands control it.
> > >
> > > I know that some people on this site will disagree with me. They will say the hips and shoulders control the swing. If that is so, then I say take your hands out of the swing and try to hit with your hips and shoulders. The bat will just lay on the ground. The only thing in contact with the bat is the hands. The hands start everything.
> > >
> > > Graylon
> >
> > Graylon,
> >
> > Very well said!
> >
> > Jimmy
> .>1st you must be sure your referring to a right handed hitter,next you have to ask are you referring to hitting oppo with linear or rotational mechanics,and are you trying to drive the ball or hit and run and move the runner.Either lead with the knob and extend the hancs and drag the barrel with late wrist snap,or use rotational mechanics with correct arm adjustment for outside radius with deeper contact.Inside pitch with rotational mechanics is ala jeter who rotates like crazy and draws his hands in tight to body dragging the barrel behind but in tight and flares it over 2nd very consistently.

jimmy jimmy jimmy,

just like your misguided friend gray, you gotta shopping list of stuff to do if you want to go opposite field..
1. lead with the knob
2. extend the hands
3. drag the barrel
4. snap your wrists later than usual
all those actions will slow your batspeed while at the same time you're hoping for good results.. when you undertake so many different changes to your regular swing, good things do not usually happen, statistically speaking. you are more likely to fail a greater percentage of the time than you will succeed..
why not just turn your stance a little more toward RF & look for that middle away pitch you can hit hard without changing ANYTHING?
KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID.. that is a mindset which serves baseball players as well as most people in most situations... to complicate or convolute the actions with more & more information is a surefire recipe for disaster resulting in faliure.. to simplify without losing any of the basic intention will result in a greater success rate...