Posted by: bk bats (tanel360@hotmail.com) on Wed Dec 1 09:50:19 2010

i came across this discussion while searching for some footage of ted williams hitting. since i still play, and have formulated my own ideas and conclusions, i can't help be feel "compelled" to offer my own ideas.

1. i've read william's book on hitting, "the science of hitting" a few times over the last 40 years, and referenced it countless times.

2. as far as a hitch, i've heard it stated, and i'm pretty sure he states it in his book: everybody hitches a little, and it's only hitch when it doesn't work.

3. from what i've seen of williams swing, i can't say that it is particularly great or spectacular. that's not to say that it is or isn't. or that i'm an expert. prior to ever having seen him hit, i'd always heard about his greatness. when i finally did, i was expecting to see something amazingly different than anything i'd ever seen. but i didn't. or couldn't. what i've concluded is that he was better at what he did than others were at what they were doing.

4. i've learned there are certain basic fundamentals common to everyone when it comes to hitting from his book and my own experience. what i use the most is the "contact" position he illustrates. the position of contact of bat & ball is the same as that of axe & tree. hence, for me, i think about swing an axe & getting into axe/tree contact position when i hit. everything after that figuring out what i need to do to get from my starting position to my contact position against any pitch in the quickest, most efficient way i can.

5. whether stated explicitly or not in his book, it's at least implied, and from what i've just stated, i think it becomes clear that each individual goes to the plate and in trying to hit a baseball, must figure out and develop and evolve into their own type of hitting style. you keep what works, and get rid of what doesn't work.

> > > Where can I obtain film(s) of Ted Williams' swing. I am particularly interested in his
> last at bat and the homer off Jack Fishcer. Thanks.
> > >
> > > wf
>
>
> Someone here was kind enough to direct me to this:
> http://www.raresportsfilms.com/66ted.html
> I find the Ted Williams video a great reference.
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> > > >> hitman, you miss the point...you seem to be fully convinced that "rotational"
> hitting, not "linear" is the way to go...i know from your posts in the past that you do not
> believe in full x-t....but if you were to look at some clips of mantle, ott, and musial, not to
> mention macgwire & griffey jr, they all made contact at full x-t...some people might
> sarcastically as "who would in their right mind want to swing like mantle, ott, musial,
> macgwire and griffey jr"? <<<
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > Hi Bart
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > I have charted the swings �of mantle, ott, and musial, not to
> mention macgwire & griffey jr,� many times and their back-arms were not at full extension
> at contact on pitches from the middle-in. And, they all exhibited good rotational hitting
> principles. On outside pitches I would agree that their back-arms were past the �L�
> position but not fully extended. A trace from Ken Griffey Jr.�s contact video frame is what
> is featured in the �Get Your Arms Extended� article in the �Truism or Fallacy� section. ---
> Bart, I certainly would not have featured Ken Griffey, Jr�s swing if he exhibited linear
> mechanics.
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > Jack Mankin
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > >>>dougdinger, Get the films of Williams and then make up your
> own mind after breaking down his swing. His hitch is a thing of beauty, and Bonds hitch is
> very similar. Call it whatever you want,but I called it a hitch 35 years ago, and still do. It
> was the way he started his load. Too many dead start hitters today that need to be on the
> juice to have any juice.
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > Doug
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > my comments pertained to the last 4 frames before contact, point being
> that i was not referring to a "hitch", i was referring to the swing itself....again, put the 5
> frames of williams side by side other major leaguers and you will see his swing (not hitch)
> was unorthodox....that doesn't mean it was bad, it just means you have to be
> consistent...if you tell a kid that type A seing is the ideal swing, don't come along and tell
> him to also emulate tpye B and type C...
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Bart, In what way would you say that Williams swing was unorthodox in the
> 4-5 frames you are talking about? To be a good hitter at the major league level, you have
> to be consistant, no matter what kind of swing you have. If you have all the film of
> Williams, you will see that the hitch is an important part of his ability to time the ball, hit
> the ball and hit the ball with power. It was with Ruth too and is with Bonds.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Doug
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> > > > > > > i was not talking about a hitch....preswing hitches are generally irrelevant...i
> already specified his unorthodox SWING movements...again, it worked for him and that's
> great, and he was great....all i did was to point out that his SWING (not hitch), particularly
> in frames 1 and 2) were DIFFERENT from what many of us consider the ideal swing....
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Hello
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I am starting to see Bart's point. He has been clear after he was asked
> questions that he isn't precluding Ted or his swing from what is considered good.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I think he is stating, in his own words, something Jack has said: that for
> beginners, forget about pre-bat movement, get the shoulders to move stationary hands.
> Then move on to all the swishing, if you can.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Bart, the use of the word "ideal" makes for a lot of confusion and subjectivity. It
> means something different to everyone.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > For many people here, a lot of swishy bat movement before the swing starts is
> considered good, ideal even.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > As for the things that happen after Ted starts, with the bat head dropping
> dramatically, I know what you mean. The clip I most identify with that movement of Ted's
> comes from his 1970s instructional video. I think the pitcher was lobbing it; after all, Ted
> was well over 50 at the time. I haven't identified the same tendency in game films of him.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Melvin
> > > > >
> > > > > his swing was consistent...he swung different...that's not bad but it was different
> from the conventional type A mlb swing....frankly, i'm running out of patience.....some
> people assume that all great hitters swung the same & the reality is that they either don't
> have clips or they see what they want to see....i made my point, am out of patience and
> hereby terminate this discussion.....
> > > >
> > > > Bart, It was not your discussion to terminate. dougdinger asked where he could get
> film of Ted Williams and I gave him a place to do that. Relax man, you don't have to like
> Ted or Barry or anyone else. How you swing or what you like in a swing is your own
> business. I have every film of Williams that I know of, and have been collecting them for 24
> years. Each AB that he has, something different shows up. Why? different pitches in
> different areas of the strike zone. I will hang my hat on his swing.
> > > >
> > > > Doug