This….this was unbelievable!! Honestly, this was probably the BEST video I’ve seen explaining the ART of swinging a baseball bat! Absolutely BRILLIANT. Well done Mark!!
Mark, I don't usually comment on RUclips videos. I usually observe what people are teaching and cringe. As someone who's been in the game in different ways for a number of years, you hit the nail on the head with this video. I've been saying privately for years a lot of what you have in this video. Good stuff, and you've got a follower here and on Twitter, now.
For the swings to change in MLB, sabermetrics have to change. Moneyball wasn't the driver of mass adoption. Quants hired by hedge fund managers who have some controlling interest in the team drove this adoption. Quants that want to bring their brand of corporate control. So for these changes to happen, you'll have to see major macroeconomic changes creating new billionaires and then in turn creating new owners, and that all has to happen independently of how corporations measure and forecast productivity. This isn't happening in a 10-year-old’s lifetime let alone their baseball career. It is possible MLB could change the game by backing up fences 50-70 feet which would change the underlying sabermetrics. But again, money. Are those earlier mentioned billionaires giving up all that ticket space in their outfield? Good video. You aren't wrong, but you dont have enough money to be right.
Great video ! Too many coaches forget that unless a youngsters fundamental swing is just totally screwed up, it doesn't matter what you tell them to do if it's uncomfortable...feeling comfortable in the box is huge ! And I think you made a great point with "Semantics"...to me, "getting on top of the ball" didn't mean swinging at the top half...my goal was always to hit the ball hard consistently and you accomplish that by A) Making sure each AB you get at least one pitch in a zone where you consistently crush the ball B) Getting barrel to ball as quickly as possible and keeping the ball "Barrelled up" thru your entire swing. Again, "getting on top of the ball doesn't mean you're "chopping down" on the ball. To me, and maybe this is just me, I always felt most comfortable "Throwing my hands" ( and the barrel ) at the pitch...and the quickest way to do that ( for me ) was throwing the bat from my back shoulder at maybe a 30 degree downward plane ( depending on pitch location ) and as my front foot hits and I "pop" my hips the swing would level out ( actually with a slight upswing ) naturally ! That's what felt most comfortable to me. BUT...I was weird. I switch hit and unlike most switch hitters I had totally different stances, set - ups and timing mechanisms between Lefty and Righty. I was mostly a pull hitter, with a lot more power Lefty, I struck out more Lefty ( but my swing looked prettier doing it than Righty, LOL ) Righty, I was more of a line drive hitter with gap power that hit to all fields and didn't strike out much. I never tried to figure out why I was so different Righty vs Lefty...as I said, I just did what felt comfortable. I guess if I had to sum it up quickly...Righty, I looked like a Charley Lau disciple, Lefty, I looked like a Ted Williams "Science of Hitting" student. But again great video ! I could talk hitting for HOURS !
Excellent video. I think many people who teach their methods or are vocal spokespeople for their preferred school of thought forget (or leave out) that hitting is an art. There are wrong ways to hit, but there isn't one correct way to hit and I think that's one of the beauties of the sport.
Robinson Cno, Nelson Cruz, and Alfonso Soriano had some of the best swings ever. The way Robinson Cano created his rhythm and whip on his swing was so smooth and effortless and absolute perfection! Then the way Nelson Cruz maintained bat path on his swing made him a great hitter. Then ole Alfonso Soriano who looked like he was swinging a log at the plate and was the best at creating lift on contact and using his legs to create that lift and launch. All different swings and great hitters!
I never played baseball past HS but hit fairly well. I stayed comfortable and confident and swung at fastballs early in the count! Knowing nothing about softball, I’ve instilled this into my daughter. She has never been to a batting coach. She is tearing through 18u showcase pitchers at 14 years old. I watch all these travel ball dads invest thousands and thousands of dollars instead of investing a little time and common sense advice and they wonder why they aren’t having any luck.
Damn… this is a great video on hitting. Very transparent but honestly you labeled the big elephants in the room and you nailed on the youth aspect and the issues these kids are learning. Great video 👏
I agree with your conclusion that it’s important for hitters to be able to handle pitches at different heights. Having said that, there are a number of coaches on YT that stress matching the plane of the pitch. That plane does vary but it is always slightly up. The most notable are Matt Antonelli, Baseball Doctor, and Ultimate Baseball training. They even have some great drills for working on swing plane that are worth checking out. Also, as noted above, it’s funny to me that Griffey was so emphatic about getting on top of the ball when he is clearly swinging up.
All the instructors you mentioned are great and provide a lot of value. This is why I talk about feel VS real. Especially w/ Griffey, what it may look like is a slight up tick in the swing after contact, the feeling he's trying to execute is a "pull down" of the knob when the hips clear. If you need any evidence that this is true, just look at the hitting aid he was the spokesperson for. Lemme be clear, I'm not saying the plane of the swing is down. I'm saying the feeling of how to get on the plane of the pitch varies from hitter to hitter. Thanks for taking the time to watch bud.
He's prickly but... @teacherman. There's one right way around feel versus real. Look at how the greats have swung and see the commonalities. Most of what most hitting coaches teach actively holds kids back from reaching their potential.
Teacherman is a great hitting coach for certain hitters but he's all about launch angle and trying to maximize power through the zone. Not everyone is built to hit for power like an Aaron Judge. What's important is understanding what kind of hitter you are. If you can hit for tremendous power, do that. But if your skills are more of a bat on ball approach and getting base hits in the gap then launch angle doesn't matter nearly as much.
@@TwimsFan That's actually the exact opposite of what he advocates. He acknowledges that power and launch angle are of course important, but is very clear that launch quickness and maximum time with barrel in the hitting zone are by far most important.
Well said. Thank you for posting a thoughtful rumination on hitting. I’m taking away find my own swing that works using batting principles and a swing that works for ME. How refreshing.
This is so true about the UP in the zone! My son's longest hits has been high fast ball. Difficult to hit high in the zone but that when you the perfect mechanic (swing)
That’s great insight and I believe it’s so true. There’s no one way to hit and no one aspect that every hitter does the same. Different loads, different let kicks or no let kick, different timing mechanisms. There are what I call and you kind of covered secondary tools that help you be a better hitter, keeping hips closer longer on outside pitches, getting to front foot on high pitches, keeping you barrel exposed for a long time through the zone. I feel Edgar Martinez was revolutionary in his approach to hitting if you watch him. Can hit an inside pitch the other way and never had his front side glare open if you watch him. Hitting against front foot and never fully opening hips to keep hands back and let them work
Frank Thomas’ swing was a nightmare to look at. The worst way to swing… now tell him that. You’re right, you gotta feel it. My Dad played pro ball in the 50’s. He told me there is no right way to hit, but there’s certainly a wrong way. It took awhile for that to sink in.
No clue what you're talking about. The Big Hurt had one of the greatest swings out there. Hit line drives on a consistent basis and sprayed the ball all over the field. Straight 💰
hitting is an art, it's different for everybody because everyone is built different. you have to find the approsch that works best for you based on your attributes while practicing good fundamentals.
The best way I e heard it out and when I got red hot in my national aau baseball career - I’d your right handed it’s your right hand and if you’re a lefty your left hand, you want to load up and have that hand look like you’re about to throw a power straight punch, upon driving the hips you want to throw a quick, direct uppercut punch to the ball. As quick to the ball as you can, as long through it as you can.
I think a big reason why strikeouts and popups have dramatically increased is due to the drastically improved pitch quality. I'm not saying pitchers are better now, but what I am saying is that the individual quality of pitches in any given AB is greatly increased due to movement and velocity. The ball is simply harder to hit. And now with such emphasis being placed on OPS vs contact and batting average, it stands to reason that more swings are harder and are done with the intent of hitting the ball harder and farther. When we combine these things I think that's a big reason why the game looks so different now vs the way it did 40 or 50 years ago.
Pitchig quality has improved for sure, but for the same reasons why hitters have also. The game is constantly evolding but I think hitting philosphy is a much more contensious topic then pitching philosphy. IMO.
This was fun to watch. Contact hitting unfortunately is all but gone from the game at this point since launch angle has taken over. Pitchers have adjusted, high heat, pitches in on the hands, etc. Keeping batters from getting that extension they want to really launch the ball. I do think batters now need to take a look back and see what they can improve on by watching people like prime Ken Griffey Jr, Albert Pujols and especially someone like prime Edgar Martinez. They don't need to take everything from them, but looking at those and incorporating what they do can really help batters of today shore up weaknesses.
This is why I like looking at swings from the 50's and early 60's. They had a more expanded and higher strike zone to worry about so they had to have more adjustability. That era was also about the long ball but was more balanced that it is now with more concern with strikeouts and a emphasis on getting on base in front of the guys who can smash.
One swing that is adjustable to all pitch locations is the key. The high hard fastball has always been the go to strikeout pitch for power pitchers as long as the game has been played. It's always gotten guys to swing under. It's so tempting and at high velocities impossible to lay off of.
This is true for a lot of sports. Sometimes the people that explain it the worst were the best to do it. I’ve heard players describe mechanics that they don’t even do- but they think they do.
My two cents. Definitely starting to see more high school pitchers throwing up in the zone. This was not the case even 3-4 years ago. They always threw down and away.....so it was natural progression in hitting. So hitting will continue to evolve.
I hit quite a few humeruns per AB. But I struck out a lot. And I struggled with high heat. Especially high and inside. I'd be willing to bet that you know exactly what my swing mechanics look like based on that info.
Agree, what's the point of never practicing to hit across the entire strike zone. Williams said that he swings on good pitches that fall in his preferred zone. That works with a pitcher that puts a ball into that zone for one reason or another. Watched a clip of Shohei Ohtani hitting a pitched that ended at about his shoulder height, so I would say the survivors are already working on this to the point where they are comfortable hitting above the strike zone.
The high heat up and in is how Verlander and Cole both had over 300ks back in 2019. Analytics helped them to find a weakness in the launch angle philosophy
Very interesting point about the launch angle of swings. Never thought of it as creating a hole in my swing but rather improving my launch angle and how far I can drive the ball. But I agree that we are doing kids a disservice by not teaching them to have a balanced swing where you can hit the ball to all parts of the field rather than look to load up on the home run ball. Seems hitters today do not develop 2 strike approaches and swings as much as the old days. We need to bring these aspects of developing a balanced swing back.
Had to hop on my phone to comment. I never played sports, but have a feel for many things in life. When I mess around batting I notice something. Baseball is a beautiful sport that always caught my attention. And I never understood the correct way of hitting. I praise players who deliver contacts, you will need men on base to score. And a prodigal baseball player knows that, and understand what it means to bat, adjust, read, feel and clutch (trust your instinct/kill the ball). Simple terms, what has basketball become? A game of offensive plays, or 3’s?
Really nice job! I'm a 9th grader in 14u ball with a dream of making it to the bigs some day, so this really helps! (I'm a bat left Throw left First Baseman if u care)
Hey, I think your on to something with saying feel vs real, try checking out Jaime Cevallos and his philosophy on the swing, it is not conventional at all, and he looks at only the best hitters such as Ken griffey jr and Babe Ruth because they are the best examples
When computers instead of umpires were used to call balls and strikes during a testing run in the minors recently, the pitchers were happy because the computer was finally calling the very high strike. These would be strikes at the very top of the zone that umps traditionally have not called strikes, even though they ARE in the strike zone. These strikes are the hardest pitches to hit. A power hitter has to work very hard to get a good launch angle on it. The hitters that would do best with this strike are the finesse hitters/ contact hitters. So if computers eventually do end up being the home plate ump, you'll probably see yet another change in batting swing trends.
I totally agree encouraging players to be complete hitters and hitting all fields is the most important skill. With the shift, if you cannot hit around it you're not going to play much.
as a hitting coach and former mlb'er i know says, "they're all kind of right"... my add collapsing early is always bad, you don't collapse you turn first and tilt to the ball, your bat will plane, don't force it to plane.
basically begin your swing with a gather and doesnt matter what happens after that, if you contact the ball and use your hips to thrust the bat youll be a amazing hitter.
@@appliedvisionbaseball He could hit for power, contact, on base percentage, solid BA, BB. Yes, isn't that what all baseball players do any way? Yes, but few have been on his level of it.
I grew up a Ken Griffey Jr mark as a kid, had his shoes, had his jersey, had his cleats. I modeled my entire game after him. I didn’t have the power like him as a kid but I could hit for average and if you left one hanging because I copied his swing I could send a ball flying out of the park on occasion. The Kid.
How does this channel only have 3k subs? Everything about this video was so good. From the background jazz music, to the commentary to the content itself...🤌🏻 so good
Aside from the female form, and maybe a classic muscle car, there is very little on this earth as beautiful as a nice swing, especially those left handed hitters out there. Well, there might be a few of there things I’d place ahead of a great swing, but it’s a beautiful thing.
I mean honestly would the same swing work for vladimir guerrero jr and elly della cruz? With their body types and height, the swing will have a different outcome even if they try to swing with the exact same motion, also there's a phsycological aspect to it, does it feel comfortable to swing like that
the teacherman guy teaches the exact same concept you described, how far you lean over depends on the vertical location of the pitch… the higher the pitch, the more straight up and down you would be. he says the exact same thing.
Could you link a video we're he's explaining this? I havent heard him talk about that would be interested in hearing him address this. Thanks for your input.
@appliedvisionbaseball You're saying that these hitters in the majors whiff on the high fastballs bc they are swinging under it looking for launch angle? And it's not the fact FB velocity has exploded over the last decade or so and it's just hard to hit "rising" 4 seamers at 96mph? It's batter behavior not better faster stuff from pitchers?
I just want my 10yr olds to hit the ball! 😂 not many can pick which half of the ball they are going to hit. Consistent contact is more important to me. Make the defense do their job first.
My son's 10 years old and his exit velocity is in the 70s. And he hits 300 foot bombs. Hard. to believe for a 10-year-old? But is batting coaches always talking about his velocity? That's all he talks about.
Strikeouts have gone up, but so has runs per game. Pitching has gotten harder to hit over the last 2 decades. Batters adjusted to be better sluggers when they do make contact to compensate. More strikeouts, sure, but better to get the double/rbi or homerun on the next AB than to hit singles and get stranded on first or second because judy can't get his mis hit off a modern splitter past today's great defenders.
I’d say pitch clock, bigger bags and no shift is contributing to higher runs per game. Ultimately, my main point is hitters need to find their own swing. It’s unlikely a coach will find it for you. I don’t believe Griffey would have found as much success with a swing like a Judge or Soto. ✌🏾
he drops his hands to the plane he sees the ball on then turns his hips to rotate through and no one would teach you to hit like that but damn if it isn't the prettiest swing off all time. Trout (arguably the best natural player since Griffey's prime) looks like he's taking a chip shot with a golf club and Ohtani seems to be using his upper body more so than his hips when he crushes.
Ichiro Gwyn Manny Pedroia do not push the barrel through the zone. High pitches are line drives when swinging correctly. Teacherman is correct via the fruits of his students
Funny though because Jr. Is NOT swinging down on the pitch. Not even remotely close. He’s talking feel vs real Also, hitters from the 50’s 60’s 70’s 80’s and even 90’s they were more relaxed. Relaxed muscle is fast muscle Lastly, the term “launch angle” was coined by Joey Myers. In no way shape or form does he teach a swing for just power. You should be able to attack any pitch. Think if it as shooting the ball right back through the tube it just came out of. You should be able to hit the high ball and low ball. Hitting coaches and youtubers stole his term, work, and made it their own. They’ve taken the term launch angle and made it a bad phrase. Not surprised. That’s how the world works. His hitters are doing great. So are the pros that work with him. A launch angle is any stinkin path that the ball raises. Could be 5 degrees or 45 degree… launch (lift) angle (path)
Not sure if yo watched the whole video or perhaps you misunderstood, but yes. This is the point i'm making. Regarding hitters in the 50's, 60's and so on - I disagree. I feel hitters in earlier decades looked less athletic compared to today's standard. The introduction of latin born players had an impact. IMO.
@@appliedvisionbaseball I did. The first comment was being typed as you commented on it. Maybe I didn’t completely understand. I still feel 50’s and 60’s players were just as athletic. In my opinion I think we get caught up in the old footage and how they dress. A small example, you ever went to the Rec or played Rec sports and someone shows up with all the gear and looks the part but they are complete trash? We’ve all seen those guys. I’m willing to bet you have too. I believe many see them and immediately judge them because they don’t look the part. These guys actually ate organic (when they weren’t drinking beer😂😂😂) and we’re just as healthy. Now they could t play as long because we have technology and medicine that take care of problems we encounter in our 30’s. But they were still strong and fast. I also think their mechanics were better. Yes Williams swung a 38 ounce bat. Think about that. He was 6’3 190 pounds if you put bricks in his trousers. Teddy Ballgame was swinging the lightest bat at the time. Look at Babe Ruth, I know, he’s Babe Ruth, but he was swinging a 52 ounce bat. We may see his mechanics and think it was unorthodox but damn did he handle that bat. So, even if we say the pitching was not as good, which I don’t agree with, they still had the upper hand because the guys were swinging heavier HEAVIER bats. I think Judge swings a 32 ounce? 6’8 and a light bat. I’m all for that! Swing speed over weight to me is better but again he’s 6’8 and swinging that light bat and missing the ball. I do agree the pitchers today are better but not by much. At least when comparing the top echelon. I know I’m on my soapbox, but are you familiar with why they had the slumped shoulders when batting? If not, I’ll explain a bit. It had to do with sticky fascia. A relaxed muscle is a fast muscle. They all slumped their shoulders (right handed batter equals slumped shoulders and left shoulder turning in) that relaxation and turn in of the shoulder helped them move that springy fascia. It wraps like a rubber and and then fires. The left shoulder in relaxes towards the right hip. Kind of like doing a crunch RIGHT HANDED BATTER (Left Shoulder points toward right hip wrapping you around your spine) when they release to swing it acts like a rubber band unwrapping. I’m sure you know your body ends how it starts. Meaning on a right handed batter the right shoulder will go towards the outside left hip releasing the positive tension. Good mechanics and form. They didn’t have these crazy back injuries etc. hopefully this makes sense. Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Pete Rose, George Brett, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Ernie Banks, heck almost any batter in the 20’s and 30’s hunched their shoulders. My old fat ass has become a better hitter doing it. More power and more consistent. These Latin ball players are bad ass no doubt but they also have way more training. better training. Yes they look more athletic but I think the older guys were right there with them. Jerry West in short Shorts looks like he should never touch a basketball. 😂😂😂😂 but damn was he good. Kareem had muscle but we see the short shorts. He would own any big in the league today. Sorry it’s so long winded. Thanks for being a good sport
Great video! Second of your videos I’ve seen and I noticed a recurring suggestion; 3:43 you say, “Do your own research. Question everything.” You’re not hooking me w/ great baseball content now, only to suggest weird QAnon, anti-vax, Boomer politics stuff down the road, are ya? Because that’s pretty much the mantra for the folks who are still waiting for “the storm.” Otherwise, well done videos my dude.
2:54 Smoke shop manager jeans and tips
Holy Crap that's hilarious!
This….this was unbelievable!! Honestly, this was probably the BEST video I’ve seen explaining the ART of swinging a baseball bat! Absolutely BRILLIANT.
Well done Mark!!
Thanks buddy!
Amen!
Mark, I don't usually comment on RUclips videos. I usually observe what people are teaching and cringe. As someone who's been in the game in different ways for a number of years, you hit the nail on the head with this video. I've been saying privately for years a lot of what you have in this video. Good stuff, and you've got a follower here and on Twitter, now.
Hey Anthony. That just made my day bud. Thanks for taking the time to watch.
For the swings to change in MLB, sabermetrics have to change. Moneyball wasn't the driver of mass adoption. Quants hired by hedge fund managers who have some controlling interest in the team drove this adoption. Quants that want to bring their brand of corporate control. So for these changes to happen, you'll have to see major macroeconomic changes creating new billionaires and then in turn creating new owners, and that all has to happen independently of how corporations measure and forecast productivity.
This isn't happening in a 10-year-old’s lifetime let alone their baseball career.
It is possible MLB could change the game by backing up fences 50-70 feet which would change the underlying sabermetrics. But again, money. Are those earlier mentioned billionaires giving up all that ticket space in their outfield?
Good video. You aren't wrong, but you dont have enough money to be right.
Great video ! Too many coaches forget that unless a youngsters fundamental swing is just totally screwed up, it doesn't matter what you tell them to do if it's uncomfortable...feeling comfortable in the box is huge ! And I think you made a great point with "Semantics"...to me, "getting on top of the ball" didn't mean swinging at the top half...my goal was always to hit the ball hard consistently and you accomplish that by A) Making sure each AB you get at least one pitch in a zone where you consistently crush the ball B) Getting barrel to ball as quickly as possible and keeping the ball "Barrelled up" thru your entire swing. Again, "getting on top of the ball doesn't mean you're "chopping down" on the ball. To me, and maybe this is just me, I always felt most comfortable "Throwing my hands" ( and the barrel ) at the pitch...and the quickest way to do that ( for me ) was throwing the bat from my back shoulder at maybe a 30 degree downward plane ( depending on pitch location ) and as my front foot hits and I "pop" my hips the swing would level out ( actually with a slight upswing ) naturally ! That's what felt most comfortable to me. BUT...I was weird. I switch hit and unlike most switch hitters I had totally different stances, set - ups and timing mechanisms between Lefty and Righty. I was mostly a pull hitter, with a lot more power Lefty, I struck out more Lefty ( but my swing looked prettier doing it than Righty, LOL ) Righty, I was more of a line drive hitter with gap power that hit to all fields and didn't strike out much. I never tried to figure out why I was so different Righty vs Lefty...as I said, I just did what felt comfortable. I guess if I had to sum it up quickly...Righty, I looked like a Charley Lau disciple, Lefty, I looked like a Ted Williams "Science of Hitting" student. But again great video ! I could talk hitting for HOURS !
This is one of the best baseball videos on RUclips ever! I 100 percent agree.
Appreciate that bro.
Excellent video. I think many people who teach their methods or are vocal spokespeople for their preferred school of thought forget (or leave out) that hitting is an art. There are wrong ways to hit, but there isn't one correct way to hit and I think that's one of the beauties of the sport.
Believe it.
Griffey Jr swing was the sweetest best swing ever in the MLB.
So true.
So true!
Ever? Nah best swing EVER EVER!
Will Clark is a close 2nd then
Yep and nobody else is even close to the Kid
Robinson Cno, Nelson Cruz, and Alfonso Soriano had some of the best swings ever. The way Robinson Cano created his rhythm and whip on his swing was so smooth and effortless and absolute perfection! Then the way Nelson Cruz maintained bat path on his swing made him a great hitter. Then ole Alfonso Soriano who looked like he was swinging a log at the plate and was the best at creating lift on contact and using his legs to create that lift and launch. All different swings and great hitters!
Cano had such a beautiful tempo. Agreed! Soriano swing with that log piece was a wonder. Loved watching him at the plate.
I never played baseball past HS but hit fairly well. I stayed comfortable and confident and swung at fastballs early in the count! Knowing nothing about softball, I’ve instilled this into my daughter. She has never been to a batting coach. She is tearing through 18u showcase pitchers at 14 years old. I watch all these travel ball dads invest thousands and thousands of dollars instead of investing a little time and common sense advice and they wonder why they aren’t having any luck.
Many make it harder than it needs to be, for sure.
@@appliedvisionbaseball paralysis analysis
Damn… this is a great video on hitting. Very transparent but honestly you labeled the big elephants in the room and you nailed on the youth aspect and the issues these kids are learning. Great video 👏
thank ya!
I agree with your conclusion that it’s important for hitters to be able to handle pitches at different heights. Having said that, there are a number of coaches on YT that stress matching the plane of the pitch. That plane does vary but it is always slightly up. The most notable are Matt Antonelli, Baseball Doctor, and Ultimate Baseball training. They even have some great drills for working on swing plane that are worth checking out.
Also, as noted above, it’s funny to me that Griffey was so emphatic about getting on top of the ball when he is clearly swinging up.
All the instructors you mentioned are great and provide a lot of value. This is why I talk about feel VS real. Especially w/ Griffey, what it may look like is a slight up tick in the swing after contact, the feeling he's trying to execute is a "pull down" of the knob when the hips clear. If you need any evidence that this is true, just look at the hitting aid he was the spokesperson for. Lemme be clear, I'm not saying the plane of the swing is down. I'm saying the feeling of how to get on the plane of the pitch varies from hitter to hitter. Thanks for taking the time to watch bud.
Great video! Really drives in a great message of how much our game has changed, and that adjustability is key in both hitting and pitching aspects
Thanks bud. 👊🏾
One of the best videos I’ve ever seen. Thank you for making this
Thankya bud.
He's prickly but... @teacherman. There's one right way around feel versus real. Look at how the greats have swung and see the commonalities. Most of what most hitting coaches teach actively holds kids back from reaching their potential.
Agreed.
Teacherman is a great hitting coach for certain hitters but he's all about launch angle and trying to maximize power through the zone. Not everyone is built to hit for power like an Aaron Judge. What's important is understanding what kind of hitter you are. If you can hit for tremendous power, do that. But if your skills are more of a bat on ball approach and getting base hits in the gap then launch angle doesn't matter nearly as much.
@@TwimsFan That's actually the exact opposite of what he advocates. He acknowledges that power and launch angle are of course important, but is very clear that launch quickness and maximum time with barrel in the hitting zone are by far most important.
Well said. Thank you for posting a thoughtful rumination on hitting. I’m taking away find my own swing that works using batting principles and a swing that works for ME. How refreshing.
Thanks Daniel. Appreciate you taking the time to have a watch.
This is so true about the UP in the zone! My son's longest hits has been high fast ball. Difficult to hit high in the zone but that when you the perfect mechanic (swing)
It's easier when you sit on the pitch UP. Thanks for watching!
Thank god there’s someone out there thinking. Amazing video
Thanks bud.
❤
U smart, I also c what u c. Thx student of th game! For what I didn't put together! Got my I and ear on u baseball mind.
Love it buddy. Thanks for giving it a watch.
That’s great insight and I believe it’s so true. There’s no one way to hit and no one aspect that every hitter does the same. Different loads, different let kicks or no let kick, different timing mechanisms. There are what I call and you kind of covered secondary tools that help you be a better hitter, keeping hips closer longer on outside pitches, getting to front foot on high pitches, keeping you barrel exposed for a long time through the zone. I feel Edgar Martinez was revolutionary in his approach to hitting if you watch him. Can hit an inside pitch the other way and never had his front side glare open if you watch him. Hitting against front foot and never fully opening hips to keep hands back and let them work
This is a good point. Everything is relative, when it comes to feel.
Frank Thomas’ swing was a nightmare to look at. The worst way to swing… now tell him that. You’re right, you gotta feel it. My Dad played pro ball in the 50’s. He told me there is no right way to hit, but there’s certainly a wrong way. It took awhile for that to sink in.
No clue what you're talking about. The Big Hurt had one of the greatest swings out there. Hit line drives on a consistent basis and sprayed the ball all over the field. Straight 💰
Best baseball hitting video I’ve seen since the Barry Bonds hit the plate with the ball drill! 👏 well done!
Thank ya kindly.
Glad I stumbled upon this video, great breakdown and love for the game
Aye! Thanks buddy!
hitting is an art, it's different for everybody because everyone is built different. you have to find the approsch that works best for you based on your attributes while practicing good fundamentals.
I also don’t comment much but man you nailed this. One of the best hitting videos I’ve seen. Thank you!
Oh man. Thanks Spencer! Means a lot.
The best way I e heard it out and when I got red hot in my national aau baseball career - I’d your right handed it’s your right hand and if you’re a lefty your left hand, you want to load up and have that hand look like you’re about to throw a power straight punch, upon driving the hips you want to throw a quick, direct uppercut punch to the ball. As quick to the ball as you can, as long through it as you can.
Everything u just said about being aggressive with the pull down the V is correct
Great video, load timing is step 1 of figuring out the puzzle..
Right on Connor.
I think a big reason why strikeouts and popups have dramatically increased is due to the drastically improved pitch quality. I'm not saying pitchers are better now, but what I am saying is that the individual quality of pitches in any given AB is greatly increased due to movement and velocity. The ball is simply harder to hit. And now with such emphasis being placed on OPS vs contact and batting average, it stands to reason that more swings are harder and are done with the intent of hitting the ball harder and farther. When we combine these things I think that's a big reason why the game looks so different now vs the way it did 40 or 50 years ago.
Pitchig quality has improved for sure, but for the same reasons why hitters have also. The game is constantly evolding but I think hitting philosphy is a much more contensious topic then pitching philosphy. IMO.
Possibly my favorite video on internet
Thanks for that my guy.
This was fun to watch.
Contact hitting unfortunately is all but gone from the game at this point since launch angle has taken over. Pitchers have adjusted, high heat, pitches in on the hands, etc. Keeping batters from getting that extension they want to really launch the ball.
I do think batters now need to take a look back and see what they can improve on by watching people like prime Ken Griffey Jr, Albert Pujols and especially someone like prime Edgar Martinez. They don't need to take everything from them, but looking at those and incorporating what they do can really help batters of today shore up weaknesses.
Agreed
This is why I like looking at swings from the 50's and early 60's. They had a more expanded and higher strike zone to worry about so they had to have more adjustability. That era was also about the long ball but was more balanced that it is now with more concern with strikeouts and a emphasis on getting on base in front of the guys who can smash.
One swing that is adjustable to all pitch locations is the key. The high hard fastball has always been the go to strikeout pitch for power pitchers as long as the game has been played. It's always gotten guys to swing under. It's so tempting and at high velocities impossible to lay off of.
Agreed. Very hard to lay off, but I wouldnt say impossible. It really comes down to approach and pitch recognition. Thanks for watching.
This is true for a lot of sports. Sometimes the people that explain it the worst were the best to do it. I’ve heard players describe mechanics that they don’t even do- but they think they do.
Exactly.
Most honest video I've seen!
Much appreciated my friend.
My two cents. Definitely starting to see more high school pitchers throwing up in the zone. This was not the case even 3-4 years ago. They always threw down and away.....so it was natural progression in hitting. So hitting will continue to evolve.
Agreed.
Home in the hitting dept. High on common sense and supported by metrics. I hope the young ones pick up on this.
I hit quite a few humeruns per AB. But I struck out a lot. And I struggled with high heat. Especially high and inside. I'd be willing to bet that you know exactly what my swing mechanics look like based on that info.
Yup.
This coulda been a 5sec short form video. Video of Griffey hitting a homerun 😂😂
Still really enjoyed the video. I enjoy the in depth breakdowns!
Agree, what's the point of never practicing to hit across the entire strike zone. Williams said that he swings on good pitches that fall in his preferred zone. That works with a pitcher that puts a ball into that zone for one reason or another. Watched a clip of Shohei Ohtani hitting a pitched that ended at about his shoulder height, so I would say the survivors are already working on this to the point where they are comfortable hitting above the strike zone.
great point!
The high heat up and in is how Verlander and Cole both had over 300ks back in 2019. Analytics helped them to find a weakness in the launch angle philosophy
Agreed. Hitters have no choice but to adjust.
Very interesting point about the launch angle of swings. Never thought of it as creating a hole in my swing but rather improving my launch angle and how far I can drive the ball. But I agree that we are doing kids a disservice by not teaching them to have a balanced swing where you can hit the ball to all parts of the field rather than look to load up on the home run ball. Seems hitters today do not develop 2 strike approaches and swings as much as the old days. We need to bring these aspects of developing a balanced swing back.
Had to hop on my phone to comment. I never played sports, but have a feel for many things in life. When I mess around batting I notice something.
Baseball is a beautiful sport that always caught my attention. And I never understood the correct way of hitting. I praise players who deliver contacts, you will need men on base to score. And a prodigal baseball player knows that, and understand what it means to bat, adjust, read, feel and clutch (trust your instinct/kill the ball).
Simple terms, what has basketball become? A game of offensive plays, or 3’s?
Really nice job! I'm a 9th grader in 14u ball with a dream of making it to the bigs some day, so this really helps! (I'm a bat left Throw left First Baseman if u care)
Good luck!
Thank you for this video
Thank you for watching!
Hey, I think your on to something with saying feel vs real, try checking out Jaime Cevallos and his philosophy on the swing, it is not conventional at all, and he looks at only the best hitters such as Ken griffey jr and Babe Ruth because they are the best examples
I'm aware of him, though havent read much of his stuff. I'll check him out. Thx.
When computers instead of umpires were used to call balls and strikes during a testing run in the minors recently, the pitchers were happy because the computer was finally calling the very high strike. These would be strikes at the very top of the zone that umps traditionally have not called strikes, even though they ARE in the strike zone. These strikes are the hardest pitches to hit. A power hitter has to work very hard to get a good launch angle on it. The hitters that would do best with this strike are the finesse hitters/ contact hitters. So if computers eventually do end up being the home plate ump, you'll probably see yet another change in batting swing trends.
I totally agree encouraging players to be complete hitters and hitting all fields is the most important skill. With the shift, if you cannot hit around it you're not going to play much.
Right on bud.
as a hitting coach and former mlb'er i know says, "they're all kind of right"... my add collapsing early is always bad, you don't collapse you turn first and tilt to the ball, your bat will plane, don't force it to plane.
Many think the best all do the same thing but hitting is truly what works for you. Swing down? Ok. Get on plane? Ok.
Great video I agree with this entirely!
basically begin your swing with a gather and doesnt matter what happens after that, if you contact the ball and use your hips to thrust the bat youll be a amazing hitter.
Great video
Very well articulated
Glad you enjoyed it
GREAT video, well done sir.
Thank you bud.
Who to take hitting advice from: Griffey or Josh Donaldson....
Gosh, I just can't decide!
semantics of words is 1000!!
All right: what Miles Davis is that in the opening part?
Not Miles Davis but good Jazz for sure.
Great video.
Appreciate it.
Your video has great talking points that, cover hitting tips. They don't say wrong or right they, just bring up needed questions about, hitting tips.
🙏🏾
@@appliedvisionbaseball He could hit for power, contact, on base percentage, solid BA, BB. Yes, isn't that what all baseball players do any way? Yes, but few have been on his level of it.
This is a fantastic video very well made thank you so much
Appreciate that buddy.
I grew up a Ken Griffey Jr mark as a kid, had his shoes, had his jersey, had his cleats. I modeled my entire game after him. I didn’t have the power like him as a kid but I could hit for average and if you left one hanging because I copied his swing I could send a ball flying out of the park on occasion. The Kid.
You and I would have been best buds growing up.
My kid don’t hit the on top , but he feels like he do it , and he is doing great. So I keep telling him stay on top of the ball 😅
Feel VS Real.
How does this channel only have 3k subs? Everything about this video was so good. From the background jazz music, to the commentary to the content itself...🤌🏻 so good
Thank you so much for the kind words!
Only two sources needed - Tony Gwynn (tons of videos) and Ted Williams (his book, The Art of Hitting).
Jr. had a beautiful swing.
Loved watching Tony Gwynn hit.
Will Clark always had the smoothest swing to me. Similar swing and launch angle as Griffey Jr.
Top of the ball you can control it, less likely to get extra bases though. Coaches want average. Looks better on resume.
On point
Great video!!!!
Thanks!!
Aside from the female form, and maybe a classic muscle car, there is very little on this earth as beautiful as a nice swing, especially those left handed hitters out there. Well, there might be a few of there things I’d place ahead of a great swing, but it’s a beautiful thing.
Well said.
There are many sweet swings.
Agreed.
The feel part is staying connected. What to person feels keeping connected.
I'd add, getting on path and staying balanced at point of contact. But I agree.
@@appliedvisionbaseball I agree with what your saying.
Does the king of juco, think the way you do?
I mean honestly would the same swing work for vladimir guerrero jr and elly della cruz? With their body types and height, the swing will have a different outcome even if they try to swing with the exact same motion, also there's a phsycological aspect to it, does it feel comfortable to swing like that
amazing video, my personal take on hitting is to just swing the fuckin bat
Barry Bonds swing and philosophy is the best
Agreed. It's a good one that most young can easily grasp. He also expresses the importance of the "competitive mindset"!
Tbere is basic mechanics when comes to hitting the rest is all feel
Believe it.
the teacherman guy teaches the exact same concept you described, how far you lean over depends on the vertical location of the pitch… the higher the pitch, the more straight up and down you would be. he says the exact same thing.
Could you link a video we're he's explaining this? I havent heard him talk about that would be interested in hearing him address this. Thanks for your input.
Amazing video!
Thanks bud.
Best player ever imo. Griffey Jr
High velo fastballs up in the zone have always been tough to hit. Pitchers average 94 mph now.
Sit on it. Key-hole the letter high fastball. Just try it and let me know how it goes.
@appliedvisionbaseball You're saying that these hitters in the majors whiff on the high fastballs bc they are swinging under it looking for launch angle? And it's not the fact FB velocity has exploded over the last decade or so and it's just hard to hit "rising" 4 seamers at 96mph?
It's batter behavior not better faster stuff from pitchers?
Griffey, Bonds, Palmeiro, Ventura. Best swings I remember
wait. those above are pretty swings. Notice how they are all left-handed. Best swing - Paul Molitor.
worst swing -- Joey Gallo.
Swingman! Prettiest swing in league history
What's the name of the song at the start?
Five to One by Steve Poloni
I just want my 10yr olds to hit the ball! 😂 not many can pick which half of the ball they are going to hit. Consistent contact is more important to me. Make the defense do their job first.
I tell all my hitters just to swing like Griffey
Lol.
My son's 10 years old and his exit velocity is in the 70s. And he hits 300 foot bombs. Hard. to believe for a 10-year-old? But is batting coaches always talking about his velocity? That's all he talks about.
More to hitting than exit-velo, I'd say. I'd encourge him to value "competing" more.
Was Barry Bonds in this video?
Only one way to find out. You have 8 min 48 seconds?
Robinson Cano had a smooth swing also
Strikeouts have gone up, but so has runs per game. Pitching has gotten harder to hit over the last 2 decades. Batters adjusted to be better sluggers when they do make contact to compensate. More strikeouts, sure, but better to get the double/rbi or homerun on the next AB than to hit singles and get stranded on first or second because judy can't get his mis hit off a modern splitter past today's great defenders.
I’d say pitch clock, bigger bags and no shift is contributing to higher runs per game. Ultimately, my main point is hitters need to find their own swing. It’s unlikely a coach will find it for you. I don’t believe Griffey would have found as much success with a swing like a Judge or Soto. ✌🏾
I always thought Will Clark had a pretty sweet swing.
His swing was money. I agree.
Griffey jr and Manny ramirez best swings ever in mlb
he drops his hands to the plane he sees the ball on then turns his hips to rotate through and no one would teach you to hit like that but damn if it isn't the prettiest swing off all time.
Trout (arguably the best natural player since Griffey's prime) looks like he's taking a chip shot with a golf club and Ohtani seems to be using his upper body more so than his hips when he crushes.
agreed.
aesthetically yes. mechanically on the other hand..."good enough" to win an mvp and multiple silver sluggers
Will Clark
The hands collapsing is what gets me. Kids will develop worse if they try to have launch angle for every hit.
Ball at the letters is a ball.
Ichiro Gwyn Manny Pedroia do not push the barrel through the zone. High pitches are line drives when swinging correctly. Teacherman is correct via the fruits of his students
Never claimed they were push swings. However, Ted Williams expressed the swing as a "push". Also, High pitches should be BOMBS.
Funny though because Jr. Is NOT swinging down on the pitch. Not even remotely close. He’s talking feel vs real
Also, hitters from the 50’s 60’s 70’s 80’s and even 90’s they were more relaxed. Relaxed muscle is fast muscle
Lastly, the term “launch angle” was coined by Joey Myers. In no way shape or form does he teach a swing for just power. You should be able to attack any pitch. Think if it as shooting the ball right back through the tube it just came out of. You should be able to hit the high ball and low ball. Hitting coaches and youtubers stole his term, work, and made it their own. They’ve taken the term launch angle and made it a bad phrase. Not surprised. That’s how the world works. His hitters are doing great. So are the pros that work with him. A launch angle is any stinkin path that the ball raises. Could be 5 degrees or 45 degree… launch (lift) angle (path)
Not sure if yo watched the whole video or perhaps you misunderstood, but yes. This is the point i'm making. Regarding hitters in the 50's, 60's and so on - I disagree. I feel hitters in earlier decades looked less athletic compared to today's standard. The introduction of latin born players had an impact. IMO.
@@appliedvisionbaseball I did. The first comment was being typed as you commented on it.
Maybe I didn’t completely understand. I still feel 50’s and 60’s players were just as athletic. In my opinion I think we get caught up in the old footage and how they dress. A small example, you ever went to the Rec or played Rec sports and someone shows up with all the gear and looks the part but they are complete trash? We’ve all seen those guys. I’m willing to bet you have too. I believe many see them and immediately judge them because they don’t look the part. These guys actually ate organic (when they weren’t drinking beer😂😂😂) and we’re just as healthy. Now they could t play as long because we have technology and medicine that take care of problems we encounter in our 30’s. But they were still strong and fast. I also think their mechanics were better. Yes Williams swung a 38 ounce bat. Think about that. He was 6’3 190 pounds if you put bricks in his trousers. Teddy Ballgame was swinging the lightest bat at the time. Look at Babe Ruth, I know, he’s Babe Ruth, but he was swinging a 52 ounce bat. We may see his mechanics and think it was unorthodox but damn did he handle that bat. So, even if we say the pitching was not as good, which I don’t agree with, they still had the upper hand because the guys were swinging heavier HEAVIER bats. I think Judge swings a 32 ounce? 6’8 and a light bat. I’m all for that! Swing speed over weight to me is better but again he’s 6’8 and swinging that light bat and missing the ball. I do agree the pitchers today are better but not by much. At least when comparing the top echelon.
I know I’m on my soapbox, but are you familiar with why they had the slumped shoulders when batting? If not, I’ll explain a bit. It had to do with sticky fascia. A relaxed muscle is a fast muscle. They all slumped their shoulders (right handed batter equals slumped shoulders and left shoulder turning in) that relaxation and turn in of the shoulder helped them move that springy fascia. It wraps like a rubber and and then fires. The left shoulder in relaxes towards the right hip. Kind of like doing a crunch RIGHT HANDED BATTER (Left Shoulder points toward right hip wrapping you around your spine) when they release to swing it acts like a rubber band unwrapping. I’m sure you know your body ends how it starts. Meaning on a right handed batter the right shoulder will go towards the outside left hip releasing the positive tension. Good mechanics and form. They didn’t have these crazy back injuries etc. hopefully this makes sense. Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Pete Rose, George Brett, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Ernie Banks, heck almost any batter in the 20’s and 30’s hunched their shoulders. My old fat ass has become a better hitter doing it. More power and more consistent.
These Latin ball players are bad ass no doubt but they also have way more training. better training. Yes they look more athletic but I think the older guys were right there with them.
Jerry West in short Shorts looks like he should never touch a basketball. 😂😂😂😂 but damn was he good. Kareem had muscle but we see the short shorts. He would own any big in the league today.
Sorry it’s so long winded. Thanks for being a good sport
Great video! Second of your videos I’ve seen and I noticed a recurring suggestion; 3:43 you say, “Do your own research. Question everything.” You’re not hooking me w/ great baseball content now, only to suggest weird QAnon, anti-vax, Boomer politics stuff down the road, are ya? Because that’s pretty much the mantra for the folks who are still waiting for “the storm.” Otherwise, well done videos my dude.
I think you're overthinking it bud.