Posted by: Slugger () on Thu Jan 12 08:38:57 2012

> Hi Jack, it never ceases to amaze me with the knowledge you have and the patience you show to these dinosaur theories that are thrown at you over and over again. Maybe some of these posters should stop being so lazy and start researching the site a little more. It's all in there folks, just do some research. > > >>> Scout. Another version of the fence drill is to place a batting tee closer to your body and attempt to make solid contact with the barrel of the bat while swinging. This forces the hitter to bring his hands in and lead with the knob of the bat. This practice of staying inside the ball is perhaps best illustrated by David Ortiz. <<<
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> > > Hi Slugger
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> > > I agree, the position you describe at the fence would keep the bat-head back and force the hands to be very close to the body while swinging. However, the only time I see a batter with that tight a hand-path is when they were jammed by the pitch. -- I had a couple players from the Astro Organization do the fence drill as you describe - with one major change. Instead of just taking dry swings, we had the try to actually hit pitched balls.
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> > > They were hitting balls over 400 feet in BP, but couldn't reach the outfielders when the fenced was added (a pitching screen in this case). It got so bad that they started laughing at each other's attempts to hit the balls. -- In their game swing initiation, they were used to accelerating the bat-head rearward rather than the hands and knob forward.
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> > > Jack Mankin
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> > ##
> > Bonds clip. Tight arc, leads with the knob, bat head trails as he pulls through, head of the bat catches up at the point of contact.
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> > http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=barry+bonds+swing+analysis&mid=E6E93F9979F91239EBDDE6E93F9979F91239EBDD&view=detail&FORM=VIRE3
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> > EXACTLY! The fence drill technique is used primarily to force the hitter to use an upswing and or facilitate the ability to hit inside pitches. But the hitter can stil accelerate the bat rearward. On a good swing the hand leads and the bat trails. Sometimes the terminology throws people in one direction or another. But from your clips of bonds his bat goes rearward but his hands/knob comes forward in a tight arc. Otherwise it would be impossible to keep some inside pitches fair. If you could post a clip of Bonds, it may enhance the debate.


(Agree to Disagree and move on)

Registered User Join Date:Mar 2007
Location:Peoria, IL
Posts:587 Originally Posted by ndd
This is my opinion based on a year of "fixing" the results of the fence drill in one player. It is the single worst drill that can ever be done and should be illegal in the ICC. It causes way more problems than it fixes. In fact, it can cause bat drag. I am now on a jihad to get rid of this drill - as soon as Swisher retires.

Can you describe what is happening or even better show a video of it?
I, too, used to think the fence drill was problematic because I thought it caused the hitter to pull off the ball and not hit through it. But the more I studied the MLB swing, the more I realized how good this drill really was. This drill keeps the elbow tight to the body (an absolute) and it keeps the barrel accelerating in its rotation. It also helps develop a great hand hinge...another bat head accelerator. Keep in mind, the drill is a bit of an exaggeration drill, but nonetheless, it is a great bat head speed drill. If your bat head hits the fence, then you are extending a bit early causing the barrel to lose velocity bcause its circle has been interrupted. I can see why more than just one MLBer uses it.

URSA....when the rear elbow is up at load, and charges down as a first move, it is quite difficult to arm bar. Try to bar when doing this. Now try to bar with elbow down...it is much easier.

SC