Posted by: Coach C () on Sun May 16 21:07:08 2004

on another forum i frequent a thread has started about shortening up the swing or changing the swing on a two strike count...what kind of coach would suggest changing a swing because of pitch count? This "coach" suggesting shortening up striding less etc etc slapping or whatever it takes...and these shmooes teach our kids.Should a hitter EVER change his swing because of pitch count?
> > > >
> > > > There can be no concious effort to shorten the stride in the swing in my opinion. However there can be an effort to decrease the effort given to the swing and this will in fact, shorten up the stride. The swing when all parts are flowing is dynamic and the only thing that can change in a dynamic flow is the effort given to that flow and tempo. Think of it this way.......you have a 6-iron and need 170 yds to the green or you take that same club to lay short of the water in front of the green...130 yds. The tempo and rhythm of that swing would remain flowing, but the effort level would change. What your feet would be doing is of no consequence to the shot, but you would say you feel it. Many a big leaguer has articulated that they feel better in giving 70 to 80 percent in there swings, regardless of the strike situation. Then others talk about going to 70 to 80 percent with two strikes. Some hit at 100 percent all the time. Personally, I hit at 80 percent all the time, so I would never change the stroke with two strikes. I hope this makes sense.
> > > >
> > > > One last thought..........hitting is dynamic, there is no single piece that works seperate from the other, so concentrating on a specific part....hands, stride, etc, will only break down the flow of a good swing and create a mechanical stick figure. This is a huge problem in video analysis (IMO), people look for certain aspects, not understanding that what we really see in great atheletes is a body that is working from the inside out, then backside to front. Tempo, flow, graceful free flowing movements....that when one watches them it appears that everything is contributing to the action.....not one aspect. Most kids break down by not learning the arm action of the swing and how the body must be in a certain position for the arms to swing in a free-flowing motion.
> > > >
> > > > THT.CHP, scap loading, etc are all great observations and the folks that come up with those terms should be commended, but the application of those concepts by most ameteurs ends up putting the emphasis is one particular area, again destroying the flow. These concepts can not be manufactured, but they happen as a result of a good swing. This is why people suffer from wrist binds, lunging, dropping the shoulder, etc. I think the scientists are correct in there observations for the most part, but where they come up short in my book, is breaking it down piece by piece. It can not be learned in a timely manner that way and in most cases it will be understood incorrectly.
> > > >
> > > > This was way more information than you asked for, but I wanted you to be clear that 99.9 percent of hitting gurus give cues that emphasis one aspect and that is a warning sign to you. Some cues I like are "see your hit before you stride", "keep the body moving at all times" (not just the feet but everything), "swing smooth" etc, and yes, while it would seem contrary to my earlier statement I like to have them hit hard in practice to feel the whole body contributing.
> > > >
> > > > Good luck to you, but more importantly your kid!
> > > >
> > > > Coach C
> > >
> > > Coach C
> > >
> > > That was a well-stated commentary. A long time ago, you said you had a sure-fire, simple method of eliminating wrist binds. About that long ago, I asked Jack about it and he said he would consider the issue and post some advice on how to avoid them. He never did, so I was wondering if you would share your thoughts on the topic.
> > >
> > > Melvin
> >
> > Many moons ago I stated that the legs provided no power in the swing, but there contribution can not be understated (I can elaborate more on this some other time). If I told 100 people to lead with the hips, 99 to 100 would do it by trying to turn the legs to drive the hips. This is what causes wrist bind in my opinion. The pelvic area is in fact the center peice of the swing (IMO) and without the hip sockets engaging properly, the body will sway/lunge/slide......this is what creates the over the top move in golf (and in baseball). To eliminate wrist bind, the pelvic area must lead so that the hands drop in from the inside (The golden move). For this move to occur the lead toe and heal must engage the ground and the feeling of the front side is crucial...., but it should not be felt so much in the knees, but rather the weight should be felt in the hip sockets. Additonally, engaging the ground with the lead heal is crucial. MOST PEOPLE FEEL THE TORQUE MOSTLY IN THEIR KNEES AND MISTAKE IT FOR THE HIPS........... the is why people slide and sway (IMO). For me the concept of BHT/THT/Scap initally got me focused on what the hands were doing, but it wasn't until I began to undertand some of the things that made me a good golfer and applied them to baseball, that I made huge strides (no pun intended). Today I beleive the hips lead, but trying to have them lead by turning the feet or pushing off the backside to a firm frontside.....no longer holds water with me (To each his own). Wrist bind and all of the other things these folks mention...I believe have nothing to do with training the upper half....it has to do with teaching middle of the body to lead the swing. There may be some exceptions to this rule, but a good hip turn will not drag the rear foot (on the toe) to heal up. DRAG is the key word here......a dragging back foot means the hips are dragging too and there is no pelvic thrust to generate batspeed and explosiveness. Just watched Sosa hit a bomb against the Padres..........WOW!
> >
> > In your quest to avoid wrist bind, my advice is to not look for the answers in the hands. I believe THT/BHT/Scap load is the result of good swing and NOT the creater of the good swing. It goes back to what I mentioned in the earlier post.......the swing is one part from the center out.....not the outside in, which is what we see when we watch video. For the record, I make my own opinions and could give a rats butt about science when I'm swinging, but I do realize that the world needs ditch diggers too! Just kidding..... I love all of the science types and would not have gotten this far without them making me think......they made me think about what they were right about, but also what I thought they were wrong on.
> >
> > If wrist bind still plagues you and your looking for the answer in the wrists.........it's time to look somewhere else....in my opinion.
> >
> > One phrase that always brings me back in golf is to feel that my knees are light, this makes them responders instead of initiators and gets me going again.
> >
> > Here's how you can normally tell a good golfer form a poor one (there can be exceptions). Watch them hit out of a bunker from 200 plus yards. Hackers dig there feet in (big holes...as much as 8 to 12 inches), watch what the good golfers do.
> >
> > Hope this helps and good luck,
> >
> > Coach C
> >
> > Hey Coach C,
>
> We eliminated wrist bind in my daughter's swing by loosening her grip of the bottom hand. this allows the knob of the bat to slide under the palm down bottom hand and end up at the center point of the palm and wrist at contact. by allowing this sliding of the knob under it prevents the wrist from turning down and allows the bathead 6 inches more angular displacement. if the wrist binds and turns down it takes the bathead down with it and popups occur. your thoughts?
> regards, Rich

Hey Rich,

Loosening the grip.......outstanding!!! This goes to the heart of the issue. By tightening the lead hand grip it freezes the lead arm and the whole shoulder bone connected to the shin bone kind of thing. Loose muscles are fast muscles and this discovery on your part is what we some day must all realize (some never), that loose is fast. Now albeit for me to say what grip pressue should be, but I can say for certain that when I want to hit harder I have to think faster and not stronger. I fully understand what you have done with your daugther and without question I am not surprised at positive results.

Getting back to my original post......what you essentially have done by loosening the grip in any fashion is asked something other than the hands to contribute to speed and more importantly produced a better swing plane.

Throughout the history of golf......many have talked about have a strong left hand grip or the weak one. Many a tour player today play the left hand grip differently from the counterparts, but they all have one thing in comman.....PGA Tour. To me the difference is this......the degree the player uses their hands in the swing....it changes how the wrists will role significantly. This is for another day.

Rich.....I know very little compared to scientists, but when a swing looks right, the ball flight is right and the player excels....I'm smart enough to see it.

I know very little at this point about your daughter, but I trust she is doing well, just looking to get better. However, at some point...if you look for it in great hitters.....the pelvis, not the legs and hands always leads. You have to look for it hard and then you will see it. This makes teaching stride length and hand position a little less important than what we thought originally. Good call on the loose left hand!!!!!! Hopefully it holds up in games as well as practice, because that's where the pressure is.

Nice talking to you!!

Coach C