I just had to post this after reading posts on this board and another board.....

Teaching hitters to hit the opposite way to correct timing issues is not the way to go.....

Concentrating on letting the ball get deeper is not the answer to timing issues in the swing, IMO.....

If you are swinging early because of some newfound more efficient hitting technique, or improved body movement, letting the ball get deeper before you swing is not the answer to your problem....

The correction is in the lower body......

Both these clips are of guys pulling the ball. What are you trying to say here?

What lower body correction needs to be made?

Can you explain more?

I think it is a good place to start. For me, its not necessarily learning to hit the other way, but more like focusing on hitting the ball the other way.

I have never gotten out of a slump by looking to pull a ball...

How do you teach synching of the upper and lower body?

Where is the natural contact spot? Do you mean depending on where the pitch is?

quote:

Where is the natural contact spot?

It's where the bat wants to contact the ball after the brain says swing....

But, if your body is not in synch, your timing will be off because the naturalness of your swing won't be there........No matter if the pitch is inside, middle or outside....

[/QUOTE]

quote:

Originally posted by BlueDog:
It's where the bat wants to contact the ball after the brain says swing....

Okay, so does that vary from swing to swing?

quote:

But, if your body is not in synch with your brain, your timing will be off because the naturalness of your swing won't be there........No matter if the pitch is inside, middle or outside....

If your body is not in synch with your brain? What do you think is directing the body in the first place?

I still am having trouble grasping a couple things here:

1. What is the point of all of this?

2. How do you teach this stuff?

3. What do the clips you posted show?

quote:

If your body is not in synch with your brain?

Beemax, I changed that after I thought about it...Please re-read..

quote:

Okay, so does that vary from swing to swing?

I don't think so.....

quote:

What is the point of all of this?

Hopefully, to get others to re-think having players swing with a tee placed farther back in their stance as a teaching drill.......

quote:

What do the clips you posted show?

I'm hoping someone will figure this out...You maybe?

[/QUOTE]
I'm hoping someone will figure this out...You maybe?[/QUOTE]

BlueDog,

I am not into riddles. If the clips have a point that you want to show, tell us. Otherwise asking people to figure out what you are saying just makes you look incompetent on this subject.

What I see is you talking about hitting the opposite way...

...then you posting clips of Chipper and Ortiz pulling home runs.

Sorry if I don't see a correlation here.

quote:

Originally posted by BlueDog:
I do know this, though.....Most great hitters, by their own admissions and by the defensive shifts opponents used against them, were pull hitters....

There must be a storyline in there, somewhere....

Most great hitters...or Ted Williams?

I love Ted Williams, and his own quote "Major League history is made on the inside part of the plate."

I am not saying that pulling the ball is not something to focus on, but you are starting to stray off of the original post here.

What about Boggs? Ichiro? Gwynn? Were/are they pull hitters?

To be a great power hitter you need to learn to pull, but I won't buy into the fact that most great hitters are pull hitters.

I would look to Pujols, Cabrera, Ordonez, Howard, A Rod...these guys all have power to all fields.

Anyway...

What approach do you think is best when your timing is off?

And what is the point of your clips?

What about Clemente and Mays?


Were they pull hitters?

quote:

quote:

Originally posted by BlueDog:
This is what Brian Butterfield said about Giambi and Ortiz......

[QUOTE]In addition, Butterfield studies computer files catalogued into segments that break down Giambi’s ground balls against left-handed and right-handed pitchers. When power hitters like Ortiz and Giambi hit to the left side, Butterfield said, the charts show that they usually hit the ball in the air or dribble a grounder, so it is sensible to have one infielder on the left side and three on the right.

Ok, what does this have to do with anything? they are pull hitters and the put a shift on for them...what's your point?

quote:

Argueably, the two best hitters ever, Williams and Bonds, were pull hitters..........There is something to be said for that.....

I agree, there is something to be said for that.

However, what are you getting at? That everyone should learn to pull the ball and not worry about hitting the ball the other way?

What does the term "pull hitter" mean to you?

Do you think Bonds and Williams couldn't hit the ball the other way? I know I have seen Bonds hit home runs the other way (look at homer 755 if you want proof).

Again, what does this have to do with timing?

Are you going to answer any of these questions, or the ones I asked earlier?

quote:

However, what are you getting at? That everyone should learn to pull the ball and not worry about hitting the ball the other way?

I've already answered your question.......Why do you keep asking it?

what about hitting opposite field because the ball is pitched outer third, not because of issues with "timing". If the pitch is down the middle, why not take it back up the middle, inside pull. Why not hit the ball where it is pitched.

quote:

Originally posted by floridafan:
what about hitting opposite field because the ball is pitched outer third, not because of issues with "timing". If the pitch is down the middle, why not take it back up the middle, inside pull. Why not hit the ball where it is pitched.

Thank you, floridafan.

Anytime!

quote:

Originally posted by BlueDog:
I've already answered your question.......Why do you keep asking it?

I wasn't aware that I asked you only one question. I suggest you scroll up and look at what I have asked before, otherwise I'm done with your vague, generalized, riddle-filled responses.

Are you trying to learn, teach, or just run around in circles?

quote:

Originally posted by BlueDog:
Probably a good idea since you misrepresented what I was saying....

I challenge you to find someone on this forum who would have the ability to accurately represent what you are saying.

If you want to answer any of my questions, please be my guest.

quote:

Originally posted by BlueDog:

quote:

Where is the natural contact spot?

It's where the bat [b]wants to contact the ball
....

Why am I getting this picture of Chevy Chase as Ty Webb saying "Be the bat"?

lol

"See your future, be your future. Be, be the ball".

Great line...Ty Webb should be posting here as a "hitting guru".

Even Teddy Ballgame admitted the shift Lou Boudreau came up with totally shut him down until he learned to hit the ball opposite field. Pitch to the side of the shift was the secret ( my uncle played for Boudreau in the minors and heard this story alot). Make the pull hitter pull the ball or hit singles the opposite way (Williams did not have HR power going oppo).

This has been a very strange thread. I'm waiting for Obi-Wan to start telling us to "Use the Force".