Posted by: ssarge (ssarginson@earthlink.net) on Sun Oct 31 23:31:01 2004

This may be basically duplicative - I responded earlier, but it didn't seem to post? If you received earlier version, please just use this one instead, and disregard the previous. Please don't post both.

Thanks,

Scott


"I understood that brett was asking how to improve contact."

That was my understanding as well.


"Who are you to invaladate my opinion anyway?"

I actually thought my tone was pretty positive - if not, I apologize. It was not my intent to be otherwise. However, "who I am" is a guy responding to a post in a public forum. I feel that's the point of such a forum.

If your opinion is invalidated, I would think that is because of reader reaction to a divergent opinion, irrespective of any intent. Do you see this differently?


"I didn't read that brett was expressing he was having mechanicl problems."

Me either. That's why I posited that giving advice prematurely was sub-optimal. As I indicated, there could be any number of reasons for not making contact. The lack of enough practice - your assumption - is certainly one potential cause. As is eyesight. And maybe a couple of dozen potential mechanical problems.


"I was giving my advice. This advice could help brett ."

Could. IF lack of repetition is his issue. As I expressed, I fear that if lack of repetition isn't his issue, he'll do himself harm.


"I don't care what your background is."

Is this directed to me? If so, I'm not sure of the relevance, or how to respond. It seems to me that the issue is the efficacy of the advice - as determined by readers of same. I suppose part of that evaluation process is naturally a consideration of the poster's credentials. But I think that is best left to others to determine - based on a body of work - rather than reciting a resume.


"A hitter has to get to a certain ability himself through hard work."

Agreed, and that is what I thought I said in the first of my two enumerated points? In fact, I don't think 250 swings a week is anywhere near ENOUGH work for those desiring to be elite hitters. Developing hitting skill is a trial-and-error process. However, I assume you would agree that process can be expedited to some extent by working on the right things?


"I think sometimes some of you guys"

I'm not sure who "you guys" are, but I represent no one other than myself. As such, my posts and opinions must withstand public scrutiny, just as is true for you and everyone else posting.


"make things to complexed for players that lack a lot of reality that is built from getting to a certain level themselves."

Assuming that "to complexed" means "too complex," I agree that is a problem when discussing hitting. Which is why I very much advocate the use of video, as I indicated to Brett. Most people learn better with pictures than simply with words. I think the use of video is a huge simplifier, and I believe it is the logical next step for someone in Brett's position.


"I think you should worry more about finding out what bretts training program is for hitting"

That's a fair point. I should have done this. In my defense, the non real-time nature of this forum makes that difficult. As a courtesy to the forum, I "shortcutted" rather than trying to steer Brett to a forum where instant dialog could make communication much easier (as could posting a clip for review).

You apparently do understand Brett's training program, since your recommendation was simply that he do more of it. Can you shed some light on this?


" maybe that's more important than trying to make me wrong."

I have no desire to do this. In fact, I think you are paranoid. As Mark Twain said, "you'd worry a lot less about what people thought of you if you realized how seldom that they did."


"I think you think you have all the answers."

In fact, I don't even remotely believe this. I think I have some of the answers about hitting, some of the time. I know for a certainty that I am sometimes wrong. Despite this, I am willing to put my ego and knowledge on the line by posting. Through that process, I am sometimes demonstrated to be wrong, and I grow from this and become a more knowledgable instructor.

My thoughts about hitting have changed dramatically in the past year or so - meaning I was either wrong before; I was right before and am wrong now; or I have always been wrong, and am still wrong - but differently. I think I am making progress, though. I will add that I have a process for evaluating my hitting beliefs, which is the extensive frame-by-frame video study of the world's elite hitters. In that process, I learn new things constantly, change some beliefs, modify others. That I have a framework for my beliefs, a process to challenge them, and a willingness to change them might be a little unusual among hitting instructors (regretably). But hardly unique.


"I didn't know you were the chosen one."

Erik, I really don't want to dignify this with comment. It is obvious that you are less than pleased that I didn't support the use of your commercial product. Get over it. I made it very clear that my assessment was based on studying video to see how elite hitters actually swing. I did not base my opinion on how hitters think / say they swing, but rather on what they actually DO. I did not base my opinion on commercial endorsements, because I don't think that is a good basis point.

If the use of video is a sub-optimal manner to evaluate elite hitters - and the appropriate training tools, please demonstrate why that might be.

If you use video and come to a different conclusion, please post that and teach us all something. As I said, it's a process. Maybe I'm looking at the wrong clips or something.

Otherwise, please allow me the freedom to express my opinion, just as I do you.

Scott