Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Thu May 30 08:47:02 2002

You know, what gets me about a lot of these posts--and this series is typical--is the vast amount of cognitive function you seem to be attributing to what is, in most cases, a simple reflex action (or the product of muscle memory) occurring in a mere fraction of a fraction of a second. You almost make it sound as if hitters "plan out" each swing, and I don't believe that most hitters--even the great ones--do that (just like I'm not so sure I subscribe to all of this "he went with the pitch" stuff you hear from broadcasters. Though I know that some players are accomplished off-field hitters, I'd bet that probably in half the cases, the ball going to the opp field is a simple, inevitable byproduct of the unthinking geometry of the batter's natural swing, and where the bat encountered the ball in the arc of that swing. Or sometimes the batter was fooled, or just late). I believe it was Henry Aaron who said "you can't think and hit." And I believe it was Charley Lau who pointed out that the inside-out swing, properly mastered, automatically adjusts for pitch location on most strikes. I dunno, maybe I'm missing something. Or are you arguing that the circular hand-path automatically "linears out" on outside pitches? Why would that happen, necessarily?

Steve-

I believe your question gets at the issue of motor learning.How do you consciously learn the best possible instinctual/subconscious/reactive type mechanics? I think the answer is more on the side of perfect practice than lots of practice.Both are important,but you want to minimize the variation in adjustments required to cover the zone coupled with the right frame of mind and the right conscious plan before each pitch.

If you take Bonds,for example,I believe he has the least amount of variation of swing of any one I have charted/looked at repeatedly.He disciplines himself to stay within his zone and doesn't give in often.

He did give in a little last night.As Willie Mays observed-"He's trying too hard" - that was against Schilling with Mays watching from the braodcast booth.Now that's a new situation even for Barry.With Schilling throwing 96-97 mph,just a little too fast for Barry to catch when too tight.Strike out,pop-up,then line drive double to pull field that got to the wall with overspin faster than any ball I have ever seen hit.This was one of the few times this year where someone just challenged him with fastball after fastbball.