Posted by: Andy () on Mon Nov 27 10:42:37 2006

> Todd,

I'm right there with you on this argument most of the time. But Pujols is clearly different. He is a freak, even by MLB standards. He does have the common mehcanical traits that all good hitters have, but his "gifts" are clearly what puts him at a level that few have ever approached.

I think that the greatest flaw we have out there today is the thought that what seperates great hitters from the pack is their "gifts." There are so many common traits amongst major league hitters that they are impossible to ignore once studied. Their gifts allow them to adjust quicker and the athleticism makes it easier to repeat swing mechanics, but the mechanics can and should be imitated. Why wouldn't we want to imitate the best?
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> > >To be honest Mike, I don't think that it Pujols' swing that makes him great. I think that Pujols' enormous gifts of physical strength and coordination allow him to take good swings over and over. There is nothing mechanically that seperates him from the other "ordinary" all-stars. He is somehow more gifted than everyone else with his hand-eye, timing, etc. As much we all like to break things down mechanically, hitting is probably only half mechanics..the other half is "gifts" (timing, hand/eye, strength, flexibilty).
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> > There is an article in GQ about his talents. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2006-08-22-pujols-science_x.htm
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> > Can someone break down Pujol's swing for me? What are the things he does great in his swing that seperate him from every other hitter? What makes him differnt, but obviously one of the greatest hitters of all time.