Posted by: Dumont (doomzday2@hotmail.com) on Sun May 29 02:50:22 2005

> Hello all. Today after my game my father told me I struck out because I was swinging too hard. He said that I was trying to knock it out of the park. He also said that when you swing like I was swinging I missed the ball by a couple of inches. He also said that when I swing that way my bathead is way behind my hands insted of being closer or parrallel to my hands. I just want to know if I am swinging too hard or it is a different problem Any advice is deeply appreciated.


Well when you swing too hard, or when you perceive as if you are swinging hard you will not perform your best at the plate. Why? When you try and knock the ball out of the park your muscles tense up and you waste energy. And that's why I say that you are perceiving as if you are taking a power swing. The best way to hit a homerun is to not try and hit a homerun. This is confusing I agree. And why would anyone say this? I beleive that hitting the barrel of the bat on the ball is more important then swinging hard and maybe catching the barrel. Precision hitting over huge cuts. My best advice on your approach at the plate is to get the best mechanics possible. Practice them. And then experiment with your perception of effort at the plate. What do I mean by this? At batting practice take swings with your "perfect" mechanics. On some hits try 100% to knock the ball out of the park. On some 50% perceived effort. On others 25% perceived effort. You might discover that your contact swing is actually your power swing. If it isn't by chance I can guarantee you that you will become a more consistent hitter. I can almost guarantee that you will be surprised by the results. There is some scientific backing to my theories. And I play so I know that it works. I've said this before. The 100 meter sprinter is smooth, strong,relaxed and technically sound. So should a baseball swing. MCGwire was strong, pretty smooth and relaxed. And he hit a ton!!! Griffey same thing. Effortless. These guys aren't some of the best hitters for nothing. Think about this. So practice your mechanics/ different perceived effort levels at the plate/ and concentrate on hitting the barrel of the bat on the ball. So yes look at the ball as long as you naturally can during the swing. And last but not least... measure your bat speed with a radar gun a) with your "homerun cut" b) with a smooth swing. I hope this heep of info helps you out. I got this info from: Physical Fitness degree, various books on mental performance in sports, playing ball for over 20 years, hockey, and reading these forums. Later!!!