Posted by: killer978 (blondeangel42872@aol.com) on Sat Apr 3 10:34:02 2010

> Hitterish....................
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> I'd be interested to know how many have ever really reached the conclusion that, while there may be some commonality between the swings of big leaguers, there are normally as many differences as well. Don't confuse this with Set-up....I'm talking about the way a swing is executed.
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> I very much enjoy the conversations of this web-site and have appreciated other perspectives, because I surely don't have all the answers. However, I do have some perspective.
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> RQL, Major Dan, Tom Guerry and Jack have always made me think ( a good thing ).
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> My perspective of the baseball swing is that it has always been an expression of balance for that individual. Clearly hitting a fast moving object tests the limits of one's boundaries as it relates to balance. This is how we can account for the difference in swings such as A-Rod, Pujols, Berkman, Bagwell, Bonds, Ruth, Williams, DiMaggio, Molitor, Rose, and the other 10's of thousands that have played the game. While I do buy into Jacks model, I would also suggest that that approach does not work for all. Spinning the back foot, driving the back foot forward, having the back foot airborne, leaving it on the ground, staying connected (arms to body), chicken winging, throwing the hands, driving the hands, leaving the hands back, hitching, not hitching, hitting with an upright posture, getting lower to the ground, sitting on the back leg, on and on, can all work, provided the body stays in balance. Let me explain.....Often times the illusion of fast hands often comes from over activity of the lower half (it's the body's way of trying to catch up to itself. Pujols, who in fact is very active with the lower half makes up for it with fast hands. Palmeiro on the other hand is extremely quiet with his lower half, thus his hands travel less distance giving the illusion that they are slow, but they are not. It's a balancing act that the body must discover. Does anybody believe that if we left our kids alone, they would look the same in 20 years, of course not, because their bodies would be more attune with the balance required. In fact, it's the well meaning coach who gives the wrong advice more times than not that keeps the kids out of the balance they need. Such as use your hips, when they already are, or the coach that say's your late.....make your hands go faster (normally this sound advice gets the lower body overactive) compounding the problem. Truthfully, there are so many variables in a perfect swing that need as much attention, but get far less airtime, such as grip for the batters swing type, pitch recognition, mental approach, batter's demeanor (or personality of the hitter), and there over-all positive outlook (parents, friend or coach driven).
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> From the time I played wiffle ball as a kid..up through college baseball I've played this game with my hands and feet. Fortunately, it was when I learned to tie the two together that set me apart from my peers. Does anybody really think that hitting a dancing wiffle ball can be done without the use of the hands. On the other hand if we played with a beach ball what system would we use then.
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> The key element for me is to recognize that when the body is over-active, the hands must make up the difference and catch up (difficult, but it can be done), on the other hand, a quiet body gives the hands more time, but they still can fire. I also don't think we should teach THT, it's the hands way of initiating the swing. Some THT a lot (Strawberry, Julio Franco), while others do/did very little (Nomar, Molitor). While I do agree with a lot of Jacks theories, it is wrong to say that firing the hands is incorrect for all. The key is to fire the hands in balance and that takes practice and good coaching. THT is a none issue to me and runs the risk of hurting more hitters than helping them.
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> McGwire, Carew, A-Rod, Brett, Cobb, Molitor, Musial, Ramirez, Mattingly, etc... all used their hands based on the way they used there lower halves, the hands make up the difference for what the lower half dictates in a great swing. Jack advocates taping the hands to the body which helps give the feeling of both halves working together, but many others, including myself do it a little different. I can't hit with tape on (just kidding Jack).
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> As a general rule high ball hitters are handsy (active lower half�s), low ball hitters are not.
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> The only perfect swing that exists is one that attains perfect balance, with max bat speed and .....oh yea the most important thing, perfect contact. Learn the latter one first and the others will get better with practice. I would not advocate bat speed until a hitter can hit......anyone can swing. You have to learn to be hitterish first!
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> Jack....you and I disagree on one point. The hands should drive the shoulders and body.....I think you believe the body and shoulders bring the hands. That would work for me with a beach ball, but not with a dancing wiffle ball (a lot like a baseball). This debate has been going on in golf for years by the way, so it doesn't mean I'm right...........clearly many disagree, but it works for me. Keep up the good work and I'll keep listening and try to be convinced.
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> Thanks,
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> Coach C