Posted by: Mac () on Sun Jan 19 15:34:46 2003

> It would be really interesting to see how Bonds' mechanics have evolved.I have a number of recent clips,but not many older ones.In general I have found that in many players,clips don't show as much change as I was expecting over the years.In Bonds case,I have one playoff homer from '93 to compare to recent ones at roughly same velocity/location.He cocks the bat and hip more together now and sooner in this comparison. There is a hint that launch(torso driving handpath) to contact is quicker,but not definitely significant.I suspect he has continued to improve his mechanics as well as his body,but more footage would be required.

>>Tom, Having spent a lot of time watching Bonds, the things that I have noticed over the past 10 years are with his stance and the distance he stands from home plate. He went through a period in the early to mid 90's where he was very very close to the plate and was in a slightly closed stance. He now is still closer to the plate than most hitters, but not as close as he used to be and has squared up his stance. When he came over to the Giants in 93, he was 6'1" and about 205 lbs. He now is around 235lbs and it is rock solid. He has a workout program that is a killer. Weights, plyos, running the stadium steps. He works with the same coach as Jerry Rice and both are marvels at their age. When he was right on the plate, he had trouble with FB's in on him, but he made the adjustment, and now handles that pitch very well and still covers the plate. As with most great hitters, his knowledge of plate coverage, pitchers, umpires and so on is much greater as they get older. Where he beats the other great hitters is that he has stayed in unbelievable condition and also become stronger as he aged. He has managed to fight off father time better than anyone else. Mac>>>>