Posted by: Eric (em) on Wed Aug 24 14:21:12 2011

> Hi All
> > >
> > > There is a continuing discussion (May into June) of Bonds statements regarding his swing. I will bring the discussion into June as a new thread.
> > >
> > > Jack Mankin
> > > ##
> > > (Carlos M)
> > > I just watched it myself and was gonna make a post here about it. He was "teaching" Jenny Finch how to hit a baseball pretty much. He talked about keeping your front shoulder lined up with the ball as it is approaching and using the top hand to throw the barrel at the ball. He also said the bat drags through the zone when most people focus on the bottom hand. That's pretty much what it was about, or atleast the focus<
> > >
> > > (Teacherman)
> > > That doesn't sound like THT to me?
> > >
> > > (Brian)
> > > It is unclear what Bonds means by throwing the top hand and keeping the lead shoulder lined up with the ball. It certainly doesn't sound like scap load, bow arch or hook in the hand path either. I did not watch the program, but Bonds apparently did not mention the lower body, so it is also unclear if he believes that the lower body plays an important role. I wish he would have explained his approach further because there are many different interpretations that we could make about what he said. In any event, whatever cues Bonds focuses on certainly works for him.
> > >
> > > Frame-by-frame video shows that Bonds has great top hand action at the beginning of the swing. He then puts his bat into a very good circular hand path, his bat is in line with his lead shoulder, and he has excellent lead shoulder pull throughout the swing.
> > >
> > > Brian
> > > BatSpeed.com
> > >
> > > (mb)
> > > What Bond's describes is exactly what Homer Kelley's "The Golfing Machine" teaches. Bonds creates tremendous lag and thrusts or swings (2 different actions) the number #3 accumulator into the inside back of the ball with left arm extensor action. The science of hitting a golf ball and baseball are similar although on different planes. Forget about scapula loading, THT, etc. they all have little to do with actually contacting the ball correctly. Mr. Kelley deciphered the science to hitting a ball.
> > >
> > > (Brian)
> > > Since you are familiar with Kelley's study of the golf swing, perhaps you can explain what you/he means in more detail, and how his studies apply to the baseball swing. How does Bonds create tremendous lag? Why is bat lag beneficial (as compared to club lag. The bat is not flexible like a golf club and cannot whip at contact like a club).
> > >
> > > Since I don't have the book, please further explain what you mean by Bonds' purported action: "thrusts or swings (2 different actions) the number #3 accumulator into the inside back of the ball with left arm extensor action." It sounds like you are merely describing a push of the back (left) arm to the ball or a linear movement. Is that what you mean or not? If that is the case, then Kelly's golf analysis would not apply to Bonds' swing.
> > >
> > > Are you suggesting that Bonds' initiation of the bat is not a critical part of his swing? If you believe that his initiation of the swing is important, then describe the forces acting on the bat as he initiates the swing. If it is not torque caused by the top hand, forearm, elbow and shoulder pulling back (THT) on the handle, then state what forces are causing Bonds' bat to initiate the swing.
> > >
> > > Are you suggesting that Bonds has a straight or circular hand path with the left arm by your reference to "left arm extensor action"? Explain the significance of left arm extensor action, and how it is applied.
> > >
> > > Are you suggesting that lead shoulder movement is not critical? Bonds lead shoulder rotates to the 105 position at contact, meaning that his lead shoulder is a very active part of the swing. The lead shoulder pull causes the bottom arm/hand to place tremendous force on the handle (BHT or hook in the hand-path). Please explain Kelley/your position on the lead shoulder as well.
> > >
> > > Hopefully, your understanding of Kelley's golf study and ability to relay that information will be beneficial before we "forget" about the actual forces acting on the baseball bat.
> > >
> > > Brian
> > > BatSpeed.com
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > As if there are no forces working on the golf club.
>
> FYI tht works on golf swing, just in a different manner.


The simple mechanics of Barry Bonds must be understood from a baseball swing point of view and not golf. The fact is that Barry Bonds, as any ball player that has homerun power of varying degrees can attest to, and his swing is based on feel or muscle memory and ideally and ultimately as Barry Bonds has mastered - swing accuracy. In baseball and not in golf there is a sweet spot on the barrel of the bat and there is also a critical contact point where the bat and ball meet which is in front of the batter's front leg. These 2 things is what makes a homerun or power swing. To break that down counters the feel the batter has when starting and completing his or her swing.

The bottom line is this, and for conversations sake let's break it down. The batter such as Barry Bonds has instinctive muscle memory and he knows to generate that power consistenly that his bat must meet the ball at the critical contact point. The sweet part of the bat 'meets' the ball at that point and the connection at that critical point is met as a result of the hitter's already developed feel and muscle memory. Every mecahnical piece to the swing is almost irrelevant to the feel and m,uscle memory of that developed power hitter and his or her swing. Moreover the stride, the hand position, the hips, the fron shoulder, the lead hand or bottom hand, the top hand, the follow through etc.

But again for conversations sake to break it down and analyze to those student hitters who want to understand the technique the swing can be broken down. An accomplished power hitter like Barry Bonds has a quiet effortless initial stride, good hand position, good and casual initial hip turn before starting the hands and swing to the critical contact point. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, as already mentioned, is during this initial stride and hip turn with effortless movement and casual initial swing, is #! that the Batter already knows WHERE THE SWEET SPOT IS ON HIS or HER BAT and #2 the batter already knows WHERE THE CRITICAL CONTACT POINT IS, all as the stride and swing starts. The hands continue directly to the critical contact point, and you can call it a flat drag or straigh pull down to the ball because they are the same to that accomplished hitter.

There are 2 very important visual factors at the point of contact that any hitter can point out and should notice regarding Barry Bonds and his swing that enables him to have the success and power and almost perfect effortless swing that he has. Read on and these 2 factors will be key for anyone analyzing Barry Bonds or trying to 'breakdown' the perfect swing.

The correct swing and its mechanics as we are calling it here strictly for conversation can be caught in a photo of Barry Bonds on the point of contact. It will show the results of Barry's muscle memory and feel for the sweet spot on his bat and also for the critical contact point. Barry's freeze frame or photo show from a mechanical perspective 2 very important mechanical details. Number 1 -The bottom hand or lead hand and arm are almost fully extended and the bat is almost at a 90 degree angle from the lead arm. Number 2 - The Balance of the hitter is perfectly upright (not leaning into home plate off balanced, or leaning back, or falling over in any direction) and the back leg forms a reverse v or l and the batter at contact has concentrated the balance to the front leg, all indictive of good balance.

Once again this is a breakdown and goes against the entire feel an accomplished power hitter has and knows and understands before and during an at bat. And once again the feel of a perfect swing and perfect powerswing are the result of having muscle memeory and knowing where the sweet spot is on the barrel of the bat and also knowing where the critical contact point is and thus having and knowing you have swing accuracy. This allows the batter to know when to initiate the swing (stride, hipturn, swing, and follow through) and deliver an effortless yet quick and powerful swing and 'meet' the ball at the critical contact point, 'meet' the ball with the sweet spot of the bat barrel, and then drive the ball with power and do it consistently.

Regards to all whop understand, E