Posted by: Tom Waz (sluggoking@msn.com) on Fri Jul 16 01:17:42 2004

Hello Again,
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> > > > > > > It seems that my desire / need to see anecdotal, collated proof of the benefits of pull-hitting has been actualized. Last night, the derby featured eight contestants: Bonds, Blalock, Berkman, Tejada, Thome, Ortiz, Sosa, and Palmiero. Although only Bonds, Berkman, Tejada, and Palmiero advanced to the second ground, all hitters displayed a common pattern: well-hit balls that were pulled often cleared the fences, while all well-hit balls that were not pulled were outs.
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> > > > > > > The fact that Berkman lost to Tejada by one home run is relevant; what is relevant is both players hit the ball "in the air" to "the natural field," as recommended by Ted Williams / John Underwood in their "Science of Hitting."
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> > > > > > > This is why I still believe that individuals should pull every pitch.
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> > > > > > > Sincerely,
> > > > > > > BHL
> > > > > > > Knight1285@aol.com
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> > > > > > > P.S. Berkman and Tejada pulled some outside pitches for home runs, thereby taking advantage of the shorter field field, and allowing the latter contestant to accumulate a total of 15 home runs in a 10 out round, a new record.
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> > > > > > BHL,
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> > > > > > It's no secret why batters hit balls harder to the opposite field of how they bat. In the most powerful swings the bat should be accelerating from launch to the contact point. The point of maximum bat speed, therefore power, comes just before the wrists roll over. When the wrist roll the bat slows down. If you look at where the bat is pointing at this point, you will see that it is toward left for righties and right for lefties.
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> > > > > > I didn't think there was any question about this fact.
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> > > > > > L. L.
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> > > > > to Black Hole Lexciographer, you said " Berkman and Tejada pulled some outside pitches for home runs, thereby taking advantage of the shorter field field"....are you suggesting that if the OPPOSITE FIELD would have been the shorter field they should have taken advantage of the shorter field by going the OPPOSITE way?...
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> > > > > to bozo (sorry, you didn't sign your name)...you said no one respects BHL's opinion, but you noy only do not state YOUR opinion, but you also don't sign your name?
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> > > > > to louy...you said "It's no secret why batters hit balls harder to the opposite field of how they bat"....studies have shown that a ball hit to the opposite field GENERALLY travel 85 to 90 percent has far as balls hit to the pull field...
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> > > > > to BHL (again)...i don't know if this was what louy had in mind, but trying to pull an outside pitch results in premature wrist roll...
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> > > > >Hi GRC,
> > > >
> > > > Hitting to the opposite field is fine, provided one has the power to clear the opposite field fence.
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> > > > However, individuals who cannot accomplish this task must rely upon pull hitting to "inflate" their statistics.
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> > > > Although I do not wish to be confrontational, I am just curious what "studies" said opposite field hits travel as far as pulled hits.
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> > > > Yet, we all have to disagree on some points.
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> > > > Thanks for backing me up against an unwarranted character attack.
> > > >
> > > > Your friend,
> > > > BHL
> > > > Knight1285@aol.com
> > > >
> > > > P.S. I would like to compliment Louy Louy on stating his case lucidly, even if I dissent with his findings.
> > > >
> > > > As for the anonymous character assassin, I challenge you to tell me why my opinion is stupid.
> > >
> > > BHL, it's been about 6 years since i saw the studies (2 different ones done at different times, different people, independent of each other)...i don't know at this point the source of the studies....however, i have done my own studies of aproximate distances of homerun balls hit to pull field and opposite fields ( i don't remember why i excluded centerfield from my studies)...i found that there was about a 10-20 percent difference (pull field being greater)....
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> > > but one can also easily do their own "studies"....just look at the tape measure shots or "bombs", whether it is h.s., college, minor or major leagues....without even "studying", just "noticing", i have observed the overwhelming majority (i would GUESS maybe 90 percent) were to the pull field....
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> > > and finally, BHL, i know you like to experiment, so i callenge you to do the following:
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> > > go to a batting tee, stand about 1 foot from the plate and try to pull the ball.....now, stand 18 inches from plate, pull the ball....now 2 feet...now 2 1/2 feet....you get the idea....
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> > > with this experiment you should observe a few things ...rather than me tell you what i specifically expect that you will observe ( idon't want you to have preconceived ideas), i will just ask you to pay special attention to the following areas for each of the various distances from the plate...(1) at what point do the wrists start wanting to roll?.....(2) how much extending out of the arms does it take in order to decrease power, and by how much?.....
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> > One must also take into account the angle required between the bat and the incoming pitch needed to pull a ball. There is a reason that the field is much shorter down the lines. The greater the angle between the incoming pitch and the bat the less of the bat's velocity is transferred back to the ball. The angle diminishes to, or near, zero when hitting off a tee and during soft-toss allowing hitters to hit much further down the lines than if they were hitting in a game. - Tom Waz
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> tom, on the one hand i am intrigued by your comments but on the other hand i am confused....(1) what angles are you referring to?....for example, if i am hitting a pitch down the middle of the plate,i may contact the ball when the bat is parallel to the front edge of the plate (i'll call that zero degrees)....on an inside pitch (left handed hitter), i may contact the ball when the bat is parallel to the basepath between 1st and 2nd base...i'll call that +45 degrees...and for an outside pitch i may let the ball get in a little deeper and the bat, at contact might be actually -15 or so degrees....anyway, i'm not suggesting that my particular contact points are necessairily correct, i'm just using them as an example to establish if these angles are what you are referring to....
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> or...are you possibly referring to the angle of the pitch location (upon arrival to the plate)?....for example, if the inside of the plate was an imaginary straight line to the pitcher's hand, then another line from the outside part of the plate to the pitcher's hand would be at an angle maybe 5 or 10 degrees??? would this be the angle you are referring to?.....i'm sorry i don't understand, but hopefully you can clarify, because i will then ahave some follow up questions....thanks....

If you pull the ball straight down the line the angle between the pitch and the hit ball is approx 45 degrees. Since the ball is reflected off the bat at close to the same angle it approaches it, than the bat makes contact approx. 22.5 degrees from perpendicular. For example when you bunt down the line the bat is at an angle somewhere between perpendicular to the pitcher and perpendicular to the 3rd base line.

So since the ball is not approaching or leaving the bat perpendicular to its path some of its velocity is NOT transferred to the ball. Add to that what was discussed on the board last month about the velocity that is lost hitting the ball above 15 degrees and you can see why the fence is only 325 down the line and 410 down the middle. - Tom Waz