Got some new video of my swing and thought id post it on here. Anything you guys can see to help would be greatly appreciated. One thing I saw is my hips might be opening too soon?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHuKXUb6eDY

Think weight shift, shoot the swing into motion, extension in front over plate, then hip turn.

Combine it all into one fluid motion for a great swing.

Lastly, swing your hands to the ball, not the bat head.

Observe also the elements of Williams' swing

http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/media/player/mp_tpl.j...mv&type=v_free&_mp=1

Ben 08,
Might sound strange but are you normally a RH hitter working on learning how to switch hit? I say this because your hand action looks stiff/forced in the clip. Actually, the whole body looks somewhat stiff. You look exactly like several kids I've seen in the early/mid range of learning how to switch hit. Don't be put off by this...it takes time and reps.

I like the large screen behind the tee.

Where can I order one of those?

S. Abrams,

I've always been left handed. My coaches had me drop my hands down to where they are in the video and I'm not 100% used to it yet, which might be why everything looks forced.

Five,

I've had that screen for such a long time I honestly couldn't tell you where it came from.

Dropping your hands is a very bad idea.

It limits your hitting ability in the strike zone. It makes you an easy strike out in the upper part of the zone.

Every successful hitter starts his hands at or above the shoulder.

While I understand your dilemna, I would suggest that you talk to your coach about this suggestion. Explain to him how it makes you feel constricted as evidenced in the video.

Your swing looked better last year compared to the lower hands. What results were you getting with your hands higher as compared to the hands lowered?

I think his hand load isn't really loading at all. Instead, his hands move only because his shoulders turn in (more of a one-piece upper body turn).

I'd like to see more movement in the hands. If you start with them in a low position, raise them toward the lauch point while moving the bottom hand rearward and tilting the top hand thumb forward. You will feel the front arm stretch across the body and the rear arm/elbow raise. The barrel will move into a tilt forward angle.

Watch the videos of Bonds and Ortiz in some of the threads on this board. Watch how they load the hands/arms. You'll see what I mean.

I was hitting over .400 before the change so it wasn't too bad. It seemed like when I had my hands high I wrapped the bat a little so that was their solution to that.

Ben

In the true rotational swing, the hands are down to come up to the ball. Williams said that you should have a slight upper cut. The higher your hands, the more you will have a tendency to swing down unless you concentrate on getting your top hand under with your palm up.. Hands to me is a matter of comfort. The eventually have to come down to work up through the zone

continuing above.....when the hands move so that the barrel is into forward tilt, the dropping of the rear elbow and elevating of the front elbow (while the hips are opening....and before the hands begin to rotate forward) will bring the barrel down/rearward to set the swing plane into the slight uppercut when the hands do rotate forward.

Where the hands begin is irrelevent. They can be high like Pujols. They can be lower like Bonds/Ortiz. It's that they move, and that they consistently move to the launch point that's important.

Wrapping the bat and short arm swings are caused by tightening the biceps in the swing.

Don't try to power the ball with your biceps, just swing the bat.

Ben,

There are a few things that I see. First, you are swinging with you front shoulder and front side. When you took the pitch at 1:34, you jerked with the front side. There shouldn't be a jerking motion on a take. What that will lead to is being fooled on off-speed and not being able to hit pitches to the opposite field.

Next, notice how your lead arm straightens out. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but when coupled with your front shoulder flying is. Somebody mentioned leading with your hands which is right. I would also think about leading with that front elbow to keep your hands inside the baseball. Your front elbow will go, your hands will follow, and then your bat head. Your bat head will always go where your hands go.

I would also suggest that when you are taking batting practice, do not swing as hard as you can. Really work on being as smooth as you can, letting the ball get deep, and driving it to the opposite field gap. If you try to generate power through jerking, you won't square up a lot of balls. An easy, fluid swing allows for better relaxation, and believe me, your balls will take off.

quote:

Originally posted by INshocker:
... and believe me, your balls will take off.

Ouch! That sounds painful!?!

quote:

If you try to generate power through jerking, you won't square up a lot of balls. An easy, fluid swing allows for better relaxation, and believe me, your balls will take off.

sophomore
**** you hands


just testing. lol

there are children on this site.