Posted by: BHL (Knight1285@aol.com) on Wed May 26 00:47:33 2004

Hello,
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> > > > Great site, I love the discussion on hitting mechanics. But when it comes down to it, a hitter obviously cannot think mechanics while in the batters box - so what would you say the pros use as an approach when they are in the batters box?
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> > > > Also, what do the pros do to break out of hitting slumps? I see Jeter is still having a slow start compared to previous years, what steps should he be taking to get back on track?
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> > > Actually a player can think mechanics as long as he limits his thoughts to a few. An example for a player would be that he is going to stay closed (not pull off the ball), or finish high (hit through the ball). In addition, a player may want to think about 3 things: (1)get a good ball to hit (get a pitch I can handle (ball or strike)(2)have an idea about what the pitcher throws (if possible, scout the guy ahead of time and have an idea about what kind of pitches he has and his tendencies (3)be quick with the bat (once you get your pitch my a short quick stride and sock it).
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> > > As far as slumps go, the player first has to realize he is in a slump as opposed to just hitting in bad luck. After he makes that assessment then he has to determine is he willing to do the work required to get him on track. This may involve video study, coaches or friends input, just self-analysis of his at bats or a combination of all of the above. Once he has made the commitment he needs to pinpoint what the slump is due to. Is it something he can see that is different or is it his frame of mind. Either way the player may have to do something as radical as changing his stance or if possible changing his spot in the batting order. It must be remembered that the mental part of the game is just as important as the physical. A big reason why some hitters stay in the big leagues and some don't is that they were able to mentally cope on a daily basis. Sometimes pitchers and teams are able to exploit a player's weaknesses. A good example is Soriano of Rangers. One year he is potentially taking Schilling deep to potentially win the World Series and the next year (series) he can't make contact let alone get a hit. Having a positive atmosphere with people who know your swing can help. Prayer would not hurt either.
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> > Hi All,
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> > This site predicates itself upon analyzing the rotational swing, and discussing the errant swing mechanics of one individuals are inclusive to this analysis.
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> > I am sure that Jack can list reasons as to why Jeter is hitting .194.
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> > In my opinion, though, it seems as if he is not dropping the front heel on time. This is because "the dropping of the front heel," according to Mike Epstein, "initiates the swing." Since he is failing to do this, he must, as Steve Ferroli's "Hit Your Potential" suggests, "must make rushed decisions" at every subsequent point in his swing. Epstein believes "timing is everything," and Jeter is just one of many slumping major leaguers illustrating this case.
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> > Cheers!
> > BHL
> >
> > Jeter's inside-out swing has always caused him problems getting around on inside heat. Because of this his margin for error in timing is less than other hitters.
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> When hitters can't get around on the heat, they find ways to make up for it and that results in other problems.
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> Exceptional hand eye coordination and athleticism can make up for less sound fundamentals but when these skills diminish slightly, results diminish greatly. >
> >
Hi SBK,

I knew that one day Jeter's attempts to drive the ball to the opposite field all the time would bring about grave consequences. In fact, now that pitchers know of his perpetual intent to hit every pitch to right field, they are jamming him on nearly every inside pitch. Moreover, some pitchers are firing the baseball just under his hands, causing the bat to splinter at contact.

Now, it is true that he is hitting to one of the shortest fences; however, he is doing so with minimal bat-speed. On the other hand, if he pulled these pitches, collision would occur when the bat has reached its optimum speed. Every opposite field advocate must understand that Jeter's lagging bat-speed is the reason why he is hitting a paltry .190.

By contrast, Ernie Banks pulled every pitch, and became a Hall-of Famer by doing so.

Sincerely,
BHL
Knight1285@aol.com