Posted by: Sam R. () on Wed Jul 19 09:12:25 2006

Hi guys,

You both gave examples of some of the coaching tips I mentioned that are often overstated and "under" stood.

Guru- if you could refer me to any videos or pictures of the level swing or "straight across the body swing" you indicate that would be great. Considering a CHP is preached here (even advocated by you I believe) then we would agree the straight across the body just adds more confusion to what coaches should be telling kids today.

Again, based on your description, I can't find any that equate to a level swing. I don't know what a crouch or coil has to do with keeping something level and then you mention an upper cut to boot? Again- none of that equates to a level anything and my continued point as to why these types of coaching tips really don't help kids understand something. It leaves things too wide open for common sense to say ..."say what?"

Dave nice explanation of hitter's body staying behind the ball. Harold Reynolds needed only do same but he didn't did he? He simply kept repeating it without explanation as if it were "scripted" and not anything he knew something about.

Dave, you gave a nice description of hands staying inside the ball but again, is there ever an instance where a hitter can hit the ball with the bat with his hands outside it? The answer is NO which is what kids immediately know anyway so the rest gets tuned out for lack of credibility from the coach telling them to keep their hands inside the ball.


> > This post got lost in the shuffle. I thought it would be worth running it again.
> >
> > OK Hitting Guru, Jack,Anyone? Please tell me "what is level" in a level swing??? The bat? the shoulders? the hands? the hips? the head?
> >
> > I see this as just another overstated batting cue nobody can really explain? I don't have a single clip or photo of any of those things I stated above as "being level" throughout or even at Point of contact. So what am I missing?
> >
> > While I'm at it. How many times did Harold Reynolds say on HR Derby night "see how so & so is staying behind the ball?" What as opposed to staying in front of it??? He should have stated "what was staying behind the ball" so a kid watching it could know what the heck he meant. I happened to have a room full of Babe Ruth age players watching the derby and none of them could tell me what he meant either?
> >
> > How about- "kept his hands inside the ball" Really?
> > So how many players have ever kept their hands outside a ball and hit it??? Point is (again to kids and many coaches) every hitter at Point of contact absolutely has their hands inside the ball!!!!
> >
> > Sorry, had enough with these stupid unexplained comments we keep hearing that nobody does a decent job of interpreting. So I can't wait for some good explanations from this site.
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Sam R. For the most part, the level swing is a swing in which the hitter starts with his bat about shoulder level and swings straight across his body in order to make contact. Because the swing plane starts up for the most part, the hitter has the tendency to hit the top half of the ball because most pitches are below shoulder level. This in turn makes it difficult to lift the ball, unless the hitter is able to connect with a high pitch or the hitter is able to center or hit the bottom half of the ball. This is why strength is more important when applying this method. Some hitters are able to hit with more power if they start from a crouched and or coiled position. (Julio Franco, Rickey Henderson, Cecil Cooper, George Brett, Davey Lopes)
>
> This upswing is used to loft the ball because of its rotation aspects and loop in the swing. It also maximizes the use of gravity as the ball will carry to some degree even though it is decending rapidly.