Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Thu Dec 4 08:14:50 2003

Pro-Hitter asked me to post this clip for discussion. It is a home run he hit against South Carolina.
> > > >
> > > > http://webpages.charter.net/nickkio/USCHR%231.mpg
> > > >
> > > > Nick
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > Worst swing I've ever seen.
> > >
> > > And...one of the best adjustments to pitch location ever made.
> > >
> >
> > Teacherman,
> >
> > Please explain your assessment.
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Andy
> > >
>
>
> Andy,
>
> What I am referring to is it appears to me than your adjustment to the inside pitch (and probably off speed since you are way out front) was done very nicely.
>
> The swing itself is far from textbook, IMHO, but why? My opinion is, you had to make an adjustment to an unexpected pitch. And, your mechanics, which are very good (professional grade), allow you to make the necessary adjustments to hit this ball and hit it well. I am surprised this ball stayed fair though.
>
> I believe you went linear in this swing because of pitch location. Which is a good thing. Because your mechanics are solid, and the fact that you don't go linear in your good swing, allows you to do so when necessary. If the pitch would have been in your happy zone you'd have hit the **** out of it with a good rotational swing. But it wasn't and since your swing starts rotational, you can make linear adjustments to tough pitches. You can't do that if your swing would have started linear. You would have had no "adjustors" left to make the split second changes that are necessary to hit tough pitches.
>
> In THIS swing I believe your arms are swinging the bat, not your body. One can tell by the fact that the plane of shoulder rotation does not match the plane of the swing (bat). Your shoulders rotate nicely but your bat plane is downward. The shoulders and bat are on two separate planes. It's impossible to have downward swing plane and remain connected to torso and shoulder rotation. In a connected swing the bat plane is perpendicular to the axis of rotation. Your bat in this swing is far from perpendicular.
>
> Therefore, my assessment is.....great job. A great adjustment to a tough pitch. Got the barrel on it and kept it fair.

Teacher and Pro-

I suspect this is a more of a representative than unique/adjustment type swing.I am always amazed at/my bias is how similar a given person's mechanics are swing to swing except for some dramatic bail out/cue shots.

I think the bat stays too vertical too long and risks what jack calls "waving" instead of accelerating smoothly into the plane of the lead arm/power plane.This particular angle works well for low inside.

Better scap loading/more pinch will create the smoother lowering of the bat into the desired plane.It will also set you up for better/fuller coiling as the elbow slots which then gives you the ability to turn to contact instead of a less full turn then getting off the merry go round early.