New swing vid. Critique appreciated

[dominik]

Hey guys, here's a new vid. I worked on my hips and keeping the hands back, but I'm still not sure. What can I do to improve?

Here's the vid(note that I'm an amateur and have no real coaching, but I want to improve-don't be shy w critique I can take it:)). I will buy the englishbey CD this month and look for more improvement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plb4IvHqerQ&feature=channel_page

Here's the old thread

http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=84811

Do you see improvement?

[Jake Patterson]

Dom,
You need to get somone to slo the clip down so you can look at it frame by frame. The problems will become apparent.

[mudvnine]

Looks like a couple of frames may have dropped, but here's the swing slowed down . . . good luck Dom, I've gotta run prepping for a four day tournament starting tonight.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g271/mudvnine/Dom-1.gif?t=1230311065

[JeffK 29]

Hey guys, here's a new vid. I worked on my hips and keeping the hands back, but I'm still not sure. What can I do to improve?

Here's the vid(note that I'm an amateur and have no real coaching, but I want to improve-don't be shy w critique I can take it:)). I will buy the englishbey CD this month and look for more improvement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plb4IvHqerQ&feature=channel_page

Here's the old thread

http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=84811

Do you see improvement?


I see you are better at keeping the hands back. But you need to work on footwork and sequence. You initiate the swing from your shoulders and your hips are following. Your hips dont open until after contact. All the energy you create in your step is pretty much lost as you go flat footed as you begin your swing. I would start with learning to use the energy you create in your load/step to open your hips.

As Jake said slow it down and you'll see the issues if you look for them.


JK

[omg]

I suggest you hit off of the tee into an open area and not into a close fence. This will give you way more feedback than video will. Add a wood bat and real baseballs and your feedback will increase.

[callyjr]

1 piece at a time, I see front shoulder needs to go down and in, yours is already pulled out before you start. Also looks like front elbow is getting locked out instead of staying bent. I also think the back elbow is getting ahead of the hands some.

I don't think you need to buy any DVD's, just ask keep asking for help.

[omg]

Looks like a couple of frames may have dropped, but here's the swing slowed down . . . good luck Dom, I've gotta run prepping for a four day tournament starting tonight.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g271/mudvnine/Dom-1.gif?t=1230311065

It is hard for me to tell based on this video but here are some guesses:

Your front foot may may be opening up too much causing your front shoulder,hip and head to begin to fly open (notice the head at the end) and be susceptible to offspeed/pitches with movement away.

You may have some flexibility issues which prevent you from comfortably coiling your front shoulder down and in and getting your hands up a little.

You definitely have the makings of a good, powerful swing.

[new2thesport]

Reading other peoples posts (OMG, CALLY and Jeff K) I cant recognize all that they see.

However, I see head movement. I see his heading moving back and coming forward and also moving up and down and up during the swing.
Is that something that he should work on?

[callyjr]

Reading other peoples posts (OMG, CALLY and Jeff K) I cant recognize all that they see.

However, I see head movement. I see his heading moving back and coming forward and also moving up and down and up during the swing.
Is that something that he should work on?

I don't see it as big thing to be worried about. Its the least of the problems. Arod's does this as well but maybe not as much.

http://hitrotational.com/Mike's%20Stuff/arodside.gif

[new2thesport]

I don't see it as big thing to be worried about. Its the least of the problems. Arod's does this as well but maybe not as much.

http://hitrotational.com/Mike's%20Stuff/arodside.gif

Thanks Callyjr!

About the picture of Arod. What causes his front lead leg to bend after he straightens it out? Is it because his swing is so powerful that its like a recoil effect after he hit the ball?

[1chapterahead]

I don't see it as big thing to be worried about. Its the least of the problems. Arod's does this as well but maybe not as much.

http://hitrotational.com/Mike's%20Stuff/arodside.gif
I don't like dominiks negative move, his head is almost directly over his back knee (way behind his belly button) and he begins to drop his shoulder prematurely. He also bars his lead arm, and leads with his rear elbow. Lastly, he is looking down on the ball which does create bad habits when hitting off of a tee. I use a tee with my son, but I do not allow him to look at the ball, I ask him to envision a pitch coming in at an angle so that he sets the plane of his swing appropriately. Conversely, A-Rod makes a negative move but his head never gets behind his belly button, etc.

[callyjr]

I don't like dominiks negative move, his head is almost directly over his back knee (way behind his belly button) and he begins to drop his shoulder prematurely. He also bars his lead arm, and leads with his rear elbow. Lastly, he is looking down on the ball which does create bad habits when hitting off of a tee. I use a tee with my son, but I do not allow him to look at the ball, I ask him to envision a pitch coming in at an angle so that he sets the plane of his swing appropriately. Conversely, A-Rod makes a negative move but his head never gets behind his belly button, etc.


once the front shoulder comes down and in the head falls into place.

[callyjr]

Thanks Callyjr!

About the picture of Arod. What causes his front lead leg to bend after he straightens it out? Is it because his swing is so powerful that its like a recoil effect after he hit the ball?


most players leg do that.

[1chapterahead]

once the front shoulder comes down and in the head falls into place.Yes, the up and in is not helping.

[dominik]

I suggest you hit off of the tee into an open area and not into a close fence. This will give you way more feedback than video will. Add a wood bat and real baseballs and your feedback will increase.

This is a wood bat. I can't use real baseballs and an open field because this is at my backyard and I don't want to damage everything:).

But in 2 weeks our team training starts, than I will but in live batting vids.

Thanks guys for your help.
What else can I do? I see there is still a problem with the hips. What should I do first?

[callyjr]

What should I do first?

If it were me I would work on getting into a good position at foot plant. I like this as a good example. Then once you look like this at foot plant then work on the rest.

http://hitrotational.com/Mike's%20Stuff/Loading%20Sequence%20AROD.ORTIZ.PUJOLS.gif

[omg]

This is a wood bat. I can't use real baseballs and an open field because this is at my backyard and I don't want to damage everything:).

But in 2 weeks our team training starts, than I will but in live batting vids.

Thanks guys for your help.
What else can I do? I see there is still a problem with the hips. What should I do first?

The point of using the wood bat and baseball is to get feedback from the sweet spot of the bat. Wood and a real baseball let you know where on the bat you are making contact and can let you know whether your swing is tense or fluid.

Also notice in the videos the guys provided the difference between your hand position and shoulders prior to launching the hands. The pro hitters have their hands up and their front shoulder level or down thus promoting the initial downward plane of the swing. Your hands are down and your front shoulder is higher than the back. You can hit well the way you are doing it-I'm just pointing out that what the pro hitters are doing is more the norm. With your style, you will pop up a lot against good pitching.

[Erik]

If it were me I would work on getting into a good position at foot plant. I like this as a good example. Then once you look like this at foot plant then work on the rest.

http://hitrotational.com/Mike's%20Stuff/Loading%20Sequence%20AROD.ORTIZ.PUJOLS.gif


This is nice work by the Sandman.





EL

[callyjr]

This is nice work by the Sandman.





EL

I never know where the originals come from, but when I like a video I keep it. All credit to Sandman.

[dominik]

Will work on that front shoulder. What's the problem with my stance? Should my knees be more bend?

[omg]

Will work on that front shoulder. What's the problem with my stance? Should my knees be more bend?

Not about your knees. I'm saying in your stance you may want to experiment with getting your hands higher and your front shoulder lower.

[dominik]

Thanks. I will try that.

What's the exact pupose of this? Does this give you more power, or is it about improving the plane?

Edit: I think I see what you mean. Arod has his hands and back shoulder above his front shoulder. My hands are deeper than the front shoulder.

[dominik]

If it were me I would work on getting into a good position at foot plant. I like this as a good example. Then once you look like this at foot plant then work on the rest.

http://hitrotational.com/Mike's%20Stuff/Loading%20Sequence%20AROD.ORTIZ.PUJOLS.gif

I do already lean back at foot plant, don't I?

[LAball]

Your swing is parellel to the ground, giving you a high front shoulder because your trying to hit a linedrive-flyball. Thats a problem with Tee work because you wont swing at an angle, in fear of hitting the Tee.

[dominik]

Thanks. I will keep working. My goal is to hit some bombs next season. Last season I only hit one HR and this was just coincidence because my technique sucked.

I will try to get better, so that I can hit much better this year.

Thanks to all. Any more comments?

[Mark H]

Don't try to get your front shoulder down by a lateral tilt toward the pitcher of your upper torso/spine. Study the analysis on Siggy's site and ask questions about posture and rotation.

[dominik]

I'm reading Nymans free trial book right now. Does this down and in have s.th to do with the scap loading or is it indeed a forwrd leaning? When you see the arod clip and draw a line through his front side at heel touch you see it's angled forward. Isn't this a forward lean?

Edit: siggy says that you bend ovr the plate. So when you then rotate back the shoulder will come down(this is the plane on rotation when bent over). Am I getting this correct?(but I still see forward lean in arod-is it maybe a combination of the 2?)

[Mark H]

Arod is one of the more upright axis hitters and the clip you are looking at is not from straight across but rather from back toward the backstop just a bit. If he truly was tilted forward, either his upper torso would have to sway back before rotation or the swing plane would be angled down toward the ground and he would beat the ball into the ground.

You said: "So when you then rotate back the shoulder will come down". I would have said: So when you rotate, the back shoulder will come down.

Good questions. Find a clip of Edmonds for comparison to Arod. PM me with your email address if you want me to send you a clip.

[dominik]

Arod is one of the more upright axis hitters and the clip you are looking at is not from straight across but rather from back toward the backstop just a bit. If he truly was tilted forward, either his upper torso would have to sway back before rotation or the swing plane would be angled down toward the ground and he would beat the ball into the ground.

You said: "So when you then rotate back the shoulder will come down". I would have said: So when you rotate, the back shoulder will come down.

Good questions. Find a clip of Edmonds for comparison to Arod. PM me with your email address if you want me to send you a clip.

Sorry I meant the front shoulder will come down(of course when counter rotating, while rotationg forward in the swing the back shoulder will come down, but the counter rot. is the opposite), since the rotation is perpendicular to the spine and when the spine is bend forward the shoulder will go down when rotating back. Do you think this is correct?


Here's a clip of Edmonds. I like his swing. What did you want to illustrate in this swing?
http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Hitting/ProfessionalHitterAnalyses/SwingAnalysis_JimEdmonds_3B_HR_ToRF_001.html

This clip might illustrate it:
http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?p=1388121#post1388121

[Mark H]

Sorry I meant the front shoulder will come down(of course when counter rotating, while rotationg forward in the swing the back shoulder will come down, but the counter rot. is the opposite), since the rotation is perpendicular to the spine and when the spine is bend forward the shoulder will go down when rotating back. Do you think this is correct?] Sounds like you are getting it.


Here's a clip of Edmonds. I like his swing. What did you want to illustrate in this swing?

Edmonds is an example at the other end of the spectrum from Arod in terms of the axis of rotation being more vertical vs more tilted back toward the backstop.

[dominik]

Thanks. I will keep working to hopefully hit some bombs next year. I will try to keep my shoulder down till the foot drops. I think I do that because I'm somewhat flying open with my shoulders at my stride. The tilt causes the shoulder to go up when rotating.

I will try to keep my shoulders/scaps back till I have myy heel dropped and fire my hips. I guess that will give me some more power.

I read through Nymans book. It really helped me. Especially the concepts of scap loading and bat whip. I already feel some more whip trying to use that concept.

What I didn't quite understand is the hip loading thing(lookes like he pinches his legs together). Does anyone understand this?

[rkbenn]

Not about your knees. I'm saying in your stance you may want to experiment with getting your hands higher and your front shoulder lower.

I see the same thing...hands should be higher, back elbow can be up more. I think this will help with the down and in of the front shoulder. Stance...have an intent to hit.

[Mark H]

Thanks. I will keep working to hopefully hit some bombs next year. I will try to keep my shoulder down till the foot drops. I think I do that because I'm somewhat flying open with my shoulders at my stride. The tilt causes the shoulder to go up when rotating.

I will try to keep my shoulders/scaps back till I have myy heel dropped and fire my hips. I guess that will give me some more power.

I read through Nymans book. It really helped me. Especially the concepts of scap loading and bat whip. I already feel some more whip trying to use that concept.

What I didn't quite understand is the hip loading thing(lookes like he pinches his legs together). Does anyone understand this?

You can read about the concept on setpro and Englishbey's site. Here's a good pelvic load unload. http://imageevent.com/siggy/hitting/analysis?p=10&n=1&m=20&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=9