Posted by: Joe A. () on Fri Jun 22 16:58:04 2001

Thanks to all that responded to my fastpitch question. Heres 1 other. Besides swinging down into the ball another style im hearing being taught is called the Flat Bat style. It seems to make sense to me. Maybe not for great power but in making contact for base hits. Your bat is held more parallel to the ground, which allows you to be on the same plane as the pitched ball with even less movement it seems than with the bat straight up.
> > > > Its hard for me to describe but to those here that know fastpitch softball, im sure you have saw it...
> > > > When used with this rotational therory taught here, it seems like it would work great .
> > > >
> > > > As I said im not looking for the homerun power that it seems is being mainly disscussed here, but strictly for basehits, line drives, making contact.
> > > >
> > > > Your thoughts on this style would be greatly appreciated.
> > >
> > > Congratulations,
> > >
> > > You are correct about holding the bat flatter. It is especially true of young people and softball players. Young people don't have the strength or speed to move the bat around alot before starting their forward motion with the bat. Having the bat in the launch position in the stance eleminates this. In softball with the quick reaction time having the bat in postion is a big help. Plus the girls are not as strong as the guys and can't move the bat around and still be in a good starting position.
> > >
> > > Holding the bat forward, like near the ear or high and moving it back to a launch position adds nothing. The batter has to stop the bat and go forward any way. Moving the bat alot is a fundemenat flaw for most hitters. But, you wont find any one here to agree with you. They watch the pros and they look good so it "must be right."
> > >
> > > Your right, most people in this site think that homeruns are the ultimate in hitting so they try to teach the methods of homerun hitters. But I always say, the people on this site are about themselves not about teaching kids to hit.
> > >
> > > Don't pay attention to what you read here, except for me.hehehe You teach the kids to keep the bat back and flat. They will hit better, and thats the goal, right?.......right?
> > >
> > > Joe A.
> >
> > quoted one movie critic to me. One day I told him that as far as I could remember, that critic had been wrong about every movie I'd ever liked. I said he was the worst critic in the world, so why did my friend read his reviews.?
> > My friend answered that he too thought the critic was always wrong. He read the critic and when that critic panned a movie, it was a sure sign that my friend would like the movie. In fact acting opposite that critic as more accurate than acting with any of the other critics who's tastes only partly agreed with my friend's own tastes.
> >
>
> Hi all,
>
> Most here see the bigger picture. This 'flat bat' approach, is to create less problems for the coach. Hitters have a very hard time making any adjustments starting and staying flat. As most have already mentioned there is something missing in their swings.
>
> I just love watching my pitchers eat these hitters up, it seems they have a hard time with the breaking pitches.
>
> It's a little strange because the barrel does get flat at hand launch, matching posture, lead arm. Although there doesn't seem to be any real benefits from starting flat.
>
> It depends on the hitter, does starting the barrel flat cause a problem with the posture and barrel alingment? Flat barrel and tilted spine angle?
>
> Or does the flat barrel take away the spine angle (posture adjustments, pitch locations), no tilt in any direction?
>
> The most important aspect maybe the elbow slot. Something Jack talks about in the last part of his video. Can the barrel (elbow, hands) follow the body, can they not drop the barrel (go even flatter) while trying to use the body?
>
> Most I see (observation) get the back elbow away from the body to soon. Have problems with the elbow leading the hands. They then take a muscled up arm swing to correct the problem.
>
> I don't see any real benefits in starting flat. It creates problems with the lead arm staying in the plane of the swing (elbow pops up, knob points in the wrong direction).
>
> I see the flat bat approach as a way to teach something you know nothing about. None of our girls start with the barrel flat, matching their posture, yes.
>
> Like anything, if you take someones warped ideas on how to hit. Force the player to swing in this manner, is the approach correct? Does it work, or is it anything close to what 90% of the hitters actually do? Is there anything correct fundamentally within the approach?
>
> I don't mess with gimmicks when it comes to hitting.
>
> Shawn

Shawn,

I know you don't mess with gimmicks. But, have you tried clarity?

What are you talking about? I know you coach girls. They are the only ones who put up with the touble talk you are spouting

Joe A.