Critique my swing...

[MrSurprise]

Single up the middle on a lefty's hanging curve ball with a 1-2 count... Anything worth looking at??

http://media.putfile.com/Baseball-vs-Roughnecks


I have a better quality one that I can send you via e-mail... I just didn't know where to make an .mpg file converted to a .gif file to make the video postable...

[LAball]

Looks pretty good, but could you have hit it if it didnt hang? This is in my opinion very important. Ajustability in the swing after launch. Or a preswing that comes after load.


Was it easier to see the ball since the pitcher was a lefty?
Do you prefer to bat against RH or LH pitchers?

[StraightGrain11]

That's a very nice swing, I wouldn't change a thing. :nod:

Looks pretty good, but could you have hit it if it didnt hang? This is in my opinion very important. Ajustability in the swing after launch. Or a preswing that comes after load.
Huh?
The fact that it "hung", means the pitcher made a "mistake", and he did exactly what your supposed to do with a "mistake" - hit it hard. He made the correct adjustment to the pitch he received - THAT is all that matters.

[MrSurprise]

Looks pretty good, but could you have hit it if it didnt hang? This is in my opinion very important. Ajustability in the swing after launch. Or a preswing that comes after load.


Was it easier to see the ball since the pitcher was a lefty?
Do you prefer to bat against RH or LH pitchers?

That was my first time to face him, and the pitch before he threw me a non-hanging curveball and I was able to see it but I let it go hoping that it wouldn't catch the black... but it did. I was easier to see his curveball because he slowed down his arm motion when he was throwing it so I kind of saw it coming before he pitched it. I rather face right handers but right now I hit left handers better haha.

[wogdoggy]

I'd like to see a better loading pattern..rear elbow more up and back,,more stretch ???

[FiveFrameSwing]

Single up the middle on a lefty's hanging curve ball with a 1-2 count... Anything worth looking at??

http://media.putfile.com/Baseball-vs-Roughnecks


I have a better quality one that I can send you via e-mail... I just didn't know where to make an .mpg file converted to a .gif file to make the video postable...

IMO you are keeping too much weight back during your stride. Notice that your spine angle equates to a lean back towards the catcher during forward weight shift. According to Chris Yeager the spine angle should be neutral during your forward weight shift.

[MrSurprise]

That is what I have been told, my hitting guy was telling me that the way I am loading now I almost have to make a full half circle to get the bat to the ball, that I need to angle the bat a little more up and back elbow maybe a lil higher so I can take the bat straight to the hitting plane... Thanks. I have a double header tonight and I am going to work on that in the cages before the game.

[StraightGrain11]

Like I said before, you're pretty good. I will agree that the back shoulder needs to be "up" a little more (if thinking "back elbow up" accomplishes this, fine). Separation looks good, hand position looks good (they are not "too far behind"). But I agree, the front shoulder needs to come down below the rear shoulder.
I aslo think that by making this adjustment, it will force your body weight "forward" more (off your back side). So focus on getting the rear shoulder up, first. If the weight shift doesn't correct itself, then address it.

You can see the "separation" by the distance between the dots (this shows the shoulders are "angled" or "closed" = separated).

[MrSurprise]

our games got cancelled so I had batting practice for an hour with my instructor... He found out that alot of my problem is that I am superrrr tight when getting ready to swing, that I don't give my hips a chance to work because I am so tight... He also pointed out these things... my balance is horrible, my weight is too far back (like you mentioned), and the seperation needs to be a little better (like you mentioned).

To correct this, he had me angle my knees in a little bit in order to keep my weight centered more. This also helped get the weight off my toes and onto the balls of my feet, which in turned helped me relax my body alot more. He also said I was cutting my swing short... he usually teaches to let go of the bat with one hand but found that I was letting go too early so he made me keep both hands on the bat for right now, helping me finish my swing.

With my shoulders more relaxed and my seperation worked on for about 20 minutes I feel a lot more in control of the bat... I don't know about holding on to the bat with two hands though its really awkward for me, but when its new, it always is... And this instruture is legit... so I will keep doing what he says.

I will try to update you with another video from next Monday's games. Thanks!!!!

[Infinite]

For me once I put that front shoulder down it allowed me to see the ball much much better....

I'd like to see a better loading pattern..rear elbow more up and back,,more stretch ???
I was curious does he need to do this once he strides he's not moving his bat its staying in position would that not be enough?

[wogdoggy]

For me once I put that front shoulder down it allowed me to see the ball much much better....


I was curious does he need to do this once he strides he's not moving his bat its staying in position would that not be enough?



if you look at the side by side above you can pretty much see what he needs to do versus what he is doing.he shud work on keeping the back shoulder up and the bat more vertical into launch.

[Infinite]

if you look at the side by side above you can pretty much see what he needs to do versus what he is doing.he shud work on keeping the back shoulder up and the bat more vertical into launch.
my apologeeze I thought you were implying a cocking load....

[MrSurprise]

Here are some swings from my last game... I went 0 for 1 with a walk and a line out to center...

FIX ME :)

swing 1

Click here to watch 20080710204436 (http://media.putfile.com/20080710204436)

swing 2

Click here to watch swing3-60 (http://media.putfile.com/swing3-60)


Thanks in advance...

[LAball]

I believe....
Your rotating off the back leg.. kinda like squishing the bug. No weight shift forward and rotating around the front leg.

[StraightGrain11]

Nice swing. And YES, he DOES have weight transfer. Use the fence. His butt starts behind the link in the fence, and moves ahead of it before his hips unload and rotate - THAT is weight transfer. :)
"Around the front leg"? Your hips rotate with your SPINE as the "axis of rotation" - the legs are merely "counter-forces that help to generate the rotation.

As I said before, you have a nice, balanced swing. There's not much about it I would change.

[LAball]

"Around the front leg"? Your hips rotate with your SPINE as the "axis of rotation" - the legs are merely "countere-forces that help to generate the rotation.
.


I used to believe to rotate around teh spine. But I have recently changed that thought after discussing Twitch5's son on a thread and comparing it to MLB. just my belief . ..rotate round the front leg.

[StraightGrain11]

I used to believe to rotate around teh spine. But I have recently changed that thought after discussing Twitch5's son on a thread and comparing it to MLB. just my belief . ..rotate round the front leg.

If you want to use it as a "cue" - I will agree it can be a usefull one :nod: - but to use it as a "technical description" :crazy.....that's something else. So if you are using it more as cue....ok.

I will say again - Nice swing! (front shoulder is noticeably BELOW the back shoulder this time - which also puts your bat/hands in a better position to attack the ball; nice work) :nod:

[StraightGrain11]

Here's a comparison (AFTER/BEFORE) - much better! I'd stick with that. :nod:

[adrenaline_]

Very nice swing. You have a good example of hip rotation that timed with the bat connecting with the ball. Remember, the key to a good swing is to try and predict exactly when and where the pitch will come.

One thing I'd perhaps adjust a little is the shoulders. I have a feeling you may lean into pitches - that's not to say that your shoulders should be rigid, but give the cages a try and see if you can control the shoulders to meet the hips' rotation. It'd give your spine a neutral zone where you'd have better control of your swing.

As far as some people saying the weight transfer is non-existant, that's not true at all. You can see the push off the back leg pushing the weight forward into your swing.

Just keep in mind that hitting is all about timing. Pitching is about disrupting that timing ;)

[wjraymond11]

Single up the middle on a lefty's hanging curve ball with a 1-2 count... Anything worth looking at??

http://media.putfile.com/Baseball-vs-Roughnecks


I have a better quality one that I can send you via e-mail... I just didn't know where to make an .mpg file converted to a .gif file to make the video postable...

People have a millions of hitting techniques so take what people say with a grain of salt. I for one like the elbow down because that way it is easier to not wrap the bat around your neck and keeping a shorter swing. The only thing I saw was limited Hip rotation possibly because it was an outside pitch, in that case the hip rotation is fine.

[MrSurprise]

Very nice swing. You have a good example of hip rotation that timed with the bat connecting with the ball. Remember, the key to a good swing is to try and predict exactly when and where the pitch will come.

One thing I'd perhaps adjust a little is the shoulders. I have a feeling you may lean into pitches - that's not to say that your shoulders should be rigid, but give the cages a try and see if you can control the shoulders to meet the hips' rotation. It'd give your spine a neutral zone where you'd have better control of your swing.

As far as some people saying the weight transfer is non-existant, that's not true at all. You can see the push off the back leg pushing the weight forward into your swing.

Just keep in mind that hitting is all about timing. Pitching is about disrupting that timing ;)


Definately will give that a shot, because sometimes I do feel my shoulders being a lil later than my hips...

People have a millions of hitting techniques so take what people say with a grain of salt. I for one like the elbow down because that way it is easier to not wrap the bat around your neck and keeping a shorter swing. The only thing I saw was limited Hip rotation possibly because it was an outside pitch, in that case the hip rotation is fine.


Yeah I found that I like the elbow down also for those same reasons, but I have made it a point to work on not wrapping the bat head with my elbow up in the cages and that habit is starting to work out just as good for me, and yeah the pitch was an outside fastball, but I think I could use a little more hip rotation...

THANKS GUYS... will give you another update after my next game!!!

[StraightGrain11]

Definately will give that a shot, because sometimes I do feel my shoulders being a lil later than my hips...



Yeah I found that I like the elbow down also for those same reasons, but I have made it a point to work on not wrapping the bat head with my elbow up in the cages and that habit is starting to work out just as good for me, and yeah the pitch was an outside fastball, but I think I could use a little more hip rotation...

THANKS GUYS... will give you another update after my next game!!!

More hip rotation? Than this?
http://www.baseball-fever.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=46886&stc=1&d=1215925588
Your hips are COMPLETELY rotated here - any further and you would be WAY open.
Here's something I don't get
I do feel my shoulders being a lil later than my hips
I could use a little more hip rotation
That sounds like you're going to make whatever problem you THINK you have, worse - not better. YOU HAVE A GOOD SWING. If there is anything wrong with it, it's that you have NO CONFIDENCE IN IT! Yes, you are always looking to get better. But "better" for you, right now, is in your mental approach and how you "attack" ABs - not in mechanics; your mechanics are good, leave them be and let them work for you. :)

[azmatsfan]

YOU HAVE A GOOD SWING... your mechanics are good, leave them be and let them work for you. :)

Agreed. You want your hips slightly ahead of your shoulders. That separation is generating a lot of your power.

[jbooth]

Definately will give that a shot, because sometimes I do feel my shoulders being a lil later than my hips...



The shoulders are supposed to be later than the hips.

Watch and listen to Ted tell us how to swing.

http://firstpickclub.com/video/tedwswing.wmv

[MrSurprise]

I wasn't talking about in that swing really. I totally understand what you are saying... Maybe what I meant when I said I feel my shoulders lagging behind is sometimes I THINK I wrap my bat head and my swing gets long and so my hands get way behind and so when my hips are open all the way, my shoulders are still behind the plate...

About the mental approach... I know this is a big problem for me, I used to walk and strikeout alot because I never swung, either I would pick the ball up too late or I would forget to load. I have gotten alot better about this but still working the kinks out... now that I am alot more confident in my swing I am alot more confident in my approach at the plate... BUT with that said if anyone has any good articles or tips for mental approach to the plate send them this way!!

I have games tonight, thanks guys, I will let you know how it goes!

[StraightGrain11]

About the mental approach... I know this is a big problem for me, I used to walk and strikeout alot because I never swung,
You are correct, that is "mental" - it's lack of confidence in your ability OR you were simply "not seeing the ball".
either I would pick the ball up too late or I would forget to load.
That's the "mechanical" stuff, again. The only thing that your "mechanics" and your "mentality" have in common is that they will mess each other up! :crazy If you're thinking about your mechanics, you're not thinking about HITTING the ball. And if you're not thinking about HITTING the ball, then what's the point of having "good mechanics" - since you're not going to be using them? :shrug:
now that I am alot more confident in my swing I am alot more confident in my approach at the plate...
Good. :)
BUT with that said if anyone has any good articles or tips for mental approach to the plate send them this way!!

You're mind should be CLEAR of everything except hitting the ball with confidence. You're mentality should NOT be "I have to get a hit" - that is NOT confidence, that's DESPERATION.
Confidence is more a long the lines of "I dare you to throw me a strike". You must also exhibit PATIENCE. That would be a long the lines of "Look for your pitch, and when you see it, DRIVE IT".

[Drill]

I know your were waiting on a curve ball, but take the slider at the bottom of the video and move it back and forth a watch your head movement.


drill

[MrSurprise]

I know your were waiting on a curve ball, but take the slider at the bottom of the video and move it back and forth a watch your head movement.


drill

Which video are you looking at, because I am interested in seeing what you are talking about!

Last night I got one at bat because they wanted to let another catcher get some playing time too... I popped up a high fast ball to second.

I went from one extreme to the other, I went from not swinging to swinging at everything haha... but I now noticed what I am doing and going to be more selective and have a much better approach... I can't wait to try it out.
I feel if I work the count right and get a good pitch to hit, I will be able to cream the ball... I am pretty excited.

A few notes, my hitting coach before the game noticed that I was arching my back alot in my stance and he told me that was causing me to have to make an adjustment in my load so I could get my hips through, causing alot of extra time to be wasted, so he got me to keep my shoulders relaxed and kind of lean forward, to say lean forward is an overstatement but that is kind of the look I have now just to get a picture in your head... During BP in the cages I was swinging so much faster because of that adjustment... I am also able to stick the outside pitch better... Its amazing what a little adjustment can do...

Well I will give you more updates after my wednesday game! If you want more videos of me at bat or catching just pm me I have every throw down, and every at bat on video...

[MrSurprise]

final at bat of the season... got under the ball and hit a kind of hard pop to deeper center. I asked my hitting coach what went wrong and he said it was really hard to tell that it looked like a good swing other than a little collapse of the back side and he said before the game in the cages it seemed that I was falling back on my heels a lil bit on my load, but he couldn't tell if I did that in this swing.... Thanks for all your help, now its all cage work till fall season!!

Click here to watch last-game (http://media.putfile.com/last-game)

[Drill]

Swing looks good, it may have just been a high pitch hitting off center of the bat about 1/4 of an inch. You could of hit it over the fence and just missed it.

I would not change any thing unless you keep popping up.


I always check the basics before I tell someone to change something in a good swing. LOL, you may have grown and compensated by dropping your head a tad in the vid. Keep the head in the same position, you know what happens when you slide you head(pop up), look at the vid and watch your head drop a tad going after the pitch. It was a home-run ball by the looks of your swing. Except for the head bob, may have caused you to miss it. Do you remeber what kind of pitch it was. Did you drop your head to go after something on the low and outside, was it a curve, slider, knuckle ball etc.? What was the count, were you protecting the plate? There is all kinds of little mental things that would throw a swing off in certain situations.

Ask your batting coach to watch and see if you drop or move your head to much.

but nice swing, nice setup.

drill

[MrSurprise]

Swing looks good, it may have just been a high pitch hitting off center of the bat about 1/4 of an inch. You could of hit it over the fence and just missed it.

I would not change any thing unless you keep popping up.


I always check the basics before I tell someone to change something in a good swing. LOL, you may have grown and compensated by dropping your head a tad in the vid. Keep the head in the same position, you know what happens when you slide you head(pop up), look at the vid and watch your head drop a tad going after the pitch. It was a home-run ball by the looks of your swing. Except for the head bob, may have caused you to miss it. Do you remeber what kind of pitch it was. Did you drop your head to go after something on the low and outside, was it a curve, slider, knuckle ball etc.? What was the count, were you protecting the plate? There is all kinds of little mental things that would throw a swing off in certain situations.

Ask your batting coach to watch and see if you drop or move your head to much.

but nice swing, nice setup.

drill

I did notice the movement in my head... I think it might be do to overstriding, maybe? The pitch was an inside fast ball, the count was 0-0... It was a homerun pitch and I was realllyyy aggrevated I got under it. Thanks for your info, I will get my hitting coach to watch me when I am hitting and see if I move my head every time!!

[Drill]

I did notice the movement in my head... I think it might be do to overstriding, maybe? The pitch was an inside fast ball, the count was 0-0... It was a homerun pitch and I was realllyyy aggrevated I got under it. Thanks for your info, I will get my hitting coach to watch me when I am hitting and see if I move my head every time!!

Please don't change anything till your coach watches some of your hitting videos. The best will compensate to hit a ball they seem to like. Like I said you just missed the ball.

There is a wooden bat league that top college prospects come to here in the valley. Called the Valley league here in the Shenandoah valley of Virginia, they say "it the gateway to the majors". rated 3rd in the wooden bat leagues that get some money from MLB, it a place you will see some MLB scouts. I think the Cape code league is number 1. Anyways there was this real good hitter up to bat from a school in Florida who was all American in football and had to have special permission to go off campus to play baseball because the school wants all its football players on campus over the summer.

Anyways he was up and this guy has it all, speed, all the talent you would need to play two sports at a D1 level. Anyways the pitcher was hanging the curve all night long and getting away with it. I was less than 20 feet sitting off to the right side behind home plate watching the strike zone. This guy comes up to bat and of course I am saying wait for the hanging curve ball. Well I said it to the last two batters which did not hear me or just blew it off, the catcher heard me and gave me a look. So this guy is up to bat and after a diet of fast balls to the outside corner which the umpire was giving up all night long, here comes the hanging curve, this guy smashes the ball to the warning track in dead center field, I could tell he was pissed because he missed the ball. I said to my son he missed it a little. It was parents day and not knowing his family was sitting next to me his father shook his head and we got to small talking after the game about his son.

The morale of the story is, I don't think he went back and changed his swing just because he missed a pitch, that was a hanging curve that hit the high and outside part of the strike zone.

Being really really good and being constant in Pros the way it looks to me is that you have to swing and hit everything 3 out of 10 times in the big leagues to be in the hall of fame.



you have a good swing, you are growing and getting stronger, keep doing what you are doing and keep a history of your videos so you can look back and see how you have improved. If you are ever in a slump you can look and see what you are doing different. If nothing has changed you may want to think about your mental approach to hitting while in a slump. Doing videos every now and than can't hurt you. Plus it will help you when you are ready to send information out to college along with a DVD of yourself.



keep working and don't change a thing because you may have taken one iffy swing.

drill

[MrSurprise]

Couldn't have been better put... thanks!!