Update on my swing:

[Go Cardinals]

Those of you who have helped me from the beginning, hopefully you will enjoy seeing them. Here's a taste in time of my swing. Some different swings for you...

Please comment... I am all ears...

http://www.teachersbilliards.com/Connorsidebyside041208.gif

[PhilliesPhan22]

I don't really notice much difference. You have a clip with follow through?

[Go Cardinals]

Here's my swing through time (ever since I got gif's):

http://coachdm.hittingillustrated.com/clips/conner.gif
http://www.hittingillustrated.com/ArodConnor.gif
http://www.teachersbilliards.com/Connor012908.gif http://www.teachersbilliards.com/glaus.gif
http://www.teachersbilliards.com/Connor022608.gif
http://coachdm.hittingillustrated.com/clips/conner_2008-03-01.gif
http://i30.tinypic.com/2sb6aly.gif
http://www.teachersbilliards.com/KentConnor031208.gif
http://www.teachersbilliards.com/Connorsidebyside041208.gif

[cosmo34]

I think you've got the "hiding of the hands" part figured out. Much better in that department.

I'm a fan of the middle one the most

Edit- looked a little harder, and your back foot is coming completely off the ground. While its not that big of an issue, and shows you are transfering your weight well, you probably are losing some leverage there. Something to look at.

[Chris O'Leary]

Edit- looked a little harder, and your back foot is coming completely off the ground. While its not that big of an issue, and shows you are transfering your weight well, you probably are losing some leverage there. Something to look at.

There's nothing wrong with this.

[jimmies21]

Your swing off the tee looks the best, IMO.

In the others, your front foot is flying open a little and you'll lose some hip rotation.

[cosmo34]

There's nothing wrong with this.

Kevin Long argues otherwise.

[Drill]

the only difference I see is you cleaned out your garage and got rid of the cooler with the wheels on it I wanted.


drill

[Go Cardinals]

the only difference I see is you cleaned out your garage and got rid of the cooler with the wheels on it I wanted.


drill

Your thinking of ristar...

[Chris O'Leary]

Kevin Long argues otherwise.

Who's he?

Many major leaguers' back feet come completely off the ground at the point of contact.

It's kind of hard to argue with something that Pujols, ARod, Aaron, and many others do.

[PhilliesPhan22]

Who's he?

Many major leaguers' back feet come completely off the ground at the point of contact.

It's kind of hard to argue with something that Pujols, ARod, Aaron, and many others do.

Frank Thomas is the one that really stands out.

[jima]

Connor, nice to hear from you. Listen, months ago, many of us asked you for live pitching clips. At your level of play, its hard to tell much from the same old stuff. As you know, its what you take to the field that counts. jima

[Swing Coach]

Swing three on the tee looks the best to me. You are getting on plane better and it most looks like a mlb swing. Nice progress!

SC

[JackB1]

Those of you who have helped me from the beginning, hopefully you will enjoy seeing them. Here's a taste in time of my swing. Some different swings for you...

Please comment... I am all ears...

http://www.teachersbilliards.com/Connorsidebyside041208.gif

I dont see any difference in these swings ???

[jbooth]

I dont see any difference in these swings ???

Really?

You need to look closer.

On the left he gets more over his back foot to start (too much), and his elbow is very high. His head moves forward a bit after front foot plant.

In the middle one he has a lower rear elbow, is more forward and he's trying the "tip and rip." His bat moves from in front of his body to in back as he strides, and he gets reasonable upper/lower separation, and his head stays centered.

On the right, he doesn't manipulate the bat as in the middle swing, and he gets less separation and his foot width at foot plant is shorter.

And his bat path in the left swing is more downward. The other two have a better arc to the ball.

[Drill]

Keep your weight on the inside of your back foot and keep your hands closer to your body. When you are taking your hands back your hands move away from your body some. Keep it compact, you will be be more ready for that fast or off speed pitch. You may not be able to tell doing bag work. Try what I said off the tee and take it to the batting cage, than some live pitching.

remember small tweaks,


drill

[cosmo34]

Who's he?

Many major leaguers' back feet come completely off the ground at the point of contact.

It's kind of hard to argue with something that Pujols, ARod, Aaron, and many others do.


The guy who resurrected Arod last year? Replaced Mattingly? Turned Carlos Pena around?

RARELY do they come COMPLETELY off the ground, especially in the manner that Connor is doing. I have yet to ever see Pujols do it once, nevermind Arod (edit- at least 07-08, anyways. That was one of the main things Long worked on with Arod).

Yes it can happen occasionally, but it should not be something that one does on every single swing.

[Baseball gLove]

I think you are moving your head forward too much. Your knee turn is not smooth, almost forced. It appears you are lifting your back foot to get up on the toe. Going up on the toe should happen because of good form and not a cause of good form.

[Drill]

I think you are moving your head forward too much. Your knee turn is not smooth, almost forced. It appears you are lifting your back foot to get up on the toe. Going up on the toe should happen because of good form and not a cause of good form.

I have watch a few batters in my time and just as long as the head stops before contact they are ok. But good point, some batter move there head with the forward stride but stop before contact. Its the moving head during contact that gets someone in trouble.



drill

[Jesse]

RARELY do they come COMPLETELY off the ground, especially in the manner that Connor is doing. I have yet to ever see Pujols do it once, nevermind Arod (edit- at least 07-08, anyways. That was one of the main things Long worked on with Arod).

Yes it can happen occasionally, but it should not be something that one does on every single swing.
Here's an example of Pujols doing it (first clip). Out of the 24 hitting clips I have, this is one of only three where his foot comes completely off the ground. The other 21 clips resemble the second clip. A 24 at bat sampling is by no means conclusive, but it appears that his foot stays on the ground more often than not. Also, the other two times it happened appear to be home run derby swings. I'd be curious to know when/why this happens, and what the results are compared to when his foot stays on the ground. Both appear to be well hit balls but it's hard to tell.

[StraightGrain11]

Here's an example of Pujols doing it (first clip). Out of the 24 hitting clips I have, this is one of only three where his foot comes completely off the ground. The other 21 clips resemble the second clip. A 24 at bat sampling is by no means conclusive, but it appears that his foot stays on the ground more often than not. Also, the other two times it happened appear to be home run derby swings. I'd be curious to know when/why this happens, and what the results are compared to when his foot stays on the ground. Both appear to be well hit balls but it's hard to tell.

You've kind of given yourself the answer on that one. If they appear during the Home Run Derby, then it obviously occurs when he is swinging harder. If that doesn't make any sense...MOST (not ALL) professional hitters do not swing with the same PHYSICAL intensity (the MENTAL intensity IS the same) each time - that is determined by the situation (2-0, 0 outs, 2nd inning, nobody on base, he's unloading and swinging for the fences. 2-0, runners on 2B and 3B, 1 out, 7th inning, tie game, he's looking to PLACE the ball somewhere on the right side or get it deep in the air - i.e. take a little off the swing, stay balanced and make perfect contact). When you TRY to swing harder, your mechanics breakdown and the result is usually a miss-hit ball or just a flat out miss. This is not inferring you cannot hit the ball as far - if you DO connect, it IS going to go farther; but therein lies the problem - connecting. Your swing will change enough to affect your ability to hit the ball "solidly," in turn affecting your ability to hit the ball with any desirerable result at all.