Hey coach, I just wanted to say thank you for your videos. I've been in a slowpitch league for 4 years now and up until this season I only hit ground ball singles through 3rd and short. One off season, (which for me, translates to 3, 1 hour long tee sessions before the season started) listening to your advice and in my first 2 games I've hit 3 nukes. All the people that give you sh*t can kick rocks!
It all depends on what is meant by the words 'getting on plane'; getting on plane with the pitch or getting on plane with the ball leaving the bat ?To have contact 'through' the ball and extend the duration of contact, in order to transfer more energy from the bat to the ball, the path of the barrel needs to follow the ball after initial contact, for a certain interval of time. This means the ball and barrel of the bat need to be in the same plane, preferably longer instead of shorter. But in reality you are talking about differences of a milliseconds and millimeters. These differences are not visible with the naked eye but need deeper analysis through highspeed camera and highly accurate time measurements.
There are a few things I struggle with when watching this instruction. The first is the inference that going and getting the ball (i.e. linear movement towards pitcher) is bad. Of course it’s bad if you lunge towards the ball with your shoulders and hips already turned vs. keeping your hands back/shoulder unopened during stride. Watch slow motion swings of Hank Aaron if you want to see a great example of movement/weight shift TO the pitcher. Secondly, I can’t get my arms around how this snap of the bat is a better approach. If the hitter is limited to just bat/ball intersectionality, the chances of them making contact with the bat steeper (in both directions) is lesser, as the ball is rarely without movement, not to mention the variability of the pitch being up or down in the strike zone. Throw in a curveball or slider and you have to be even more perfect to achieve intersectionality. The ball comes down from the mound at an angle of 5 to 15 degrees. The closer the bat matches that trajectory, the greater the chance there is for solid contact. And no, that doesn’t mean only ground balls. It means more line drives (including homers), more barrel in the hitting zone, and harder contact in multiple scenarios. The bat has two angles when swung….relative to the ground and relative to your hands. Exaggerating one or both of those angles minimizes the opportunity for solid contact. Yes, you can hit towering drives and generate tremendous amounts of force, but before getting too wrapped around the ideas presented in this video, ask yourself a question. How did Hank Aaron hit 755 home runs and lead the majors in total bases with relatively few strikeouts? He weighed 100 lb less than Aaron Judge. Well…He understood the importance of weight shift towards the pitcher. At the same time, he understand how to use his lower body to induce a rotational aspect to his swing (without coiling). Both these, combined with quick hands, made his swings fast, very simple, and repeatable. Weight shift/stride is huge, if you open your hips before your shoulders, using your core muscles. I doubt the presenter would disagree with that statement, but the deliberate tilt of the hands to steepen the bat plane is difficult to understand how that is preferable. The physics of hitting a stationary ball, on a tee, vs. a moving object seem to suggest that the level swing (aka parallel) to ball path is more effective in producing desirable outcomes.
Hi there teacherman! I wanted to thank you for all the videos you come out with. I enjoy them so much and I improve a whole lot. What you do is amazing and I am so grateful I came across your channel!
Hi Rick, I’m teaching my 16 year old girl your swing I think she doing good. Can you tell be the top 2 drills we should do during our practices. Thanks
Thank you Coach Rick , excellent video. My son who is 16 , is starter to work on your coaching techniques. Please keep it up with providing more teaching videos
I’ve been seeing a lot of your videos for my slow pitch softball team. Some techniques work but I was wondering if your technique works with those high pitch softball leagues?
The snapping is a demonstration of the fundamental movement. I’ve tried it myself and it creates the proper bat bath. Obviously when you swing your not just snapping your wrists: you’re swinging.
the real ones understand exactly what you’re saying 👌 love these
Hey coach, I just wanted to say thank you for your videos. I've been in a slowpitch league for 4 years now and up until this season I only hit ground ball singles through 3rd and short. One off season, (which for me, translates to 3, 1 hour long tee sessions before the season started) listening to your advice and in my first 2 games I've hit 3 nukes. All the people that give you sh*t can kick rocks!
Good for you bro! That’s what you get for listening to a great wise hitting coach!
It all depends on what is meant by the words 'getting on plane'; getting on plane with the pitch or getting on plane with the ball leaving the bat ?To have contact 'through' the ball and extend the duration of contact, in order to transfer more energy from the bat to the ball, the path of the barrel needs to follow the ball after initial contact, for a certain interval of time. This means the ball and barrel of the bat need to be in the same plane, preferably longer instead of shorter. But in reality you are talking about differences of a milliseconds and millimeters.
These differences are not visible with the naked eye but need deeper analysis through highspeed camera and highly accurate time measurements.
Ty for this one.
There are a few things I struggle with when watching this instruction. The first is the inference that going and getting the ball (i.e. linear movement towards pitcher) is bad. Of course it’s bad if you lunge towards the ball with your shoulders and hips already turned vs. keeping your hands back/shoulder unopened during stride. Watch slow motion swings of Hank Aaron if you want to see a great example of movement/weight shift TO the pitcher.
Secondly, I can’t get my arms around how this snap of the bat is a better approach. If the hitter is limited to just bat/ball intersectionality, the chances of them making contact with the bat steeper (in both directions) is lesser, as the ball is rarely without movement, not to mention the variability of the pitch being up or down in the strike zone. Throw in a curveball or slider and you have to be even more perfect to achieve intersectionality.
The ball comes down from the mound at an angle of 5 to 15 degrees. The closer the bat matches that trajectory, the greater the chance there is for solid contact. And no, that doesn’t mean only ground balls. It means more line drives (including homers), more barrel in the hitting zone, and harder contact in multiple scenarios.
The bat has two angles when swung….relative to the ground and relative to your hands. Exaggerating one or both of those angles minimizes the opportunity for solid contact. Yes, you can hit towering drives and generate tremendous amounts of force, but before getting too wrapped around the ideas presented in this video, ask yourself a question. How did Hank Aaron hit 755 home runs and lead the majors in total bases with relatively few strikeouts? He weighed 100 lb less than Aaron Judge. Well…He understood the importance of weight shift towards the pitcher. At the same time, he understand how to use his lower body to induce a rotational aspect to his swing (without coiling). Both these, combined with quick hands, made his swings fast, very simple, and repeatable. Weight shift/stride is huge, if you open your hips before your shoulders, using your core muscles. I doubt the presenter would disagree with that statement, but the deliberate tilt of the hands to steepen the bat plane is difficult to understand how that is preferable. The physics of hitting a stationary ball, on a tee, vs. a moving object seem to suggest that the level swing (aka parallel) to ball path is more effective in producing desirable outcomes.
Hi there teacherman! I wanted to thank you for all the videos you come out with. I enjoy them so much and I improve a whole lot. What you do is amazing and I am so grateful I came across your channel!
I think what Ted Williams said he was doing something, but in reality he is doing more of what Richard say.
Is it the same concept for a softball type of ball ?
Is this technique the same for slow pitch softball or is that a different swing?
Would be great to post before and after live game improvement of all ages you’ve helped out.
If the bat gets in the way of the pitch flight is say that’s what getting on plane means
Hi Rick, I’m teaching my 16 year old girl your swing I think she doing good. Can you tell be the top 2 drills we should do during our practices. Thanks
Thank you Coach Rick , excellent video. My son who is 16 , is starter to work on your coaching techniques. Please keep it up with providing more teaching videos
Do you have a full on tutorial I can look at to teach my 8 year old?
Google. Theres a free tutorial somewhere in these videos. But YOU have to look.
@Andrew C I've seen a bunch of segments but hadnt seen a video from start to finish with him working with someone
I’ve been seeing a lot of your videos for my slow pitch softball team. Some techniques work but I was wondering if your technique works with those high pitch softball leagues?
Why am i late when i do this
😮❤it
From this angle you can not tell if it’s an outside or inside pitch. And also he’s not just snapping his wrists and swinging his body like you teach.
There are a few of his vids where he says snap the wrist along with everything else that goes on in the swing. I think it’s just misunderstood
Does not look like an inside pitch to me.
The snapping is a demonstration of the fundamental movement. I’ve tried it myself and it creates the proper bat bath. Obviously when you swing your not just snapping your wrists: you’re swinging.
Your swing sucks, the bat dips and it’d either a whiff or pop up
Tell that to Judge.
Hlp
Who is talking about getting on plane with the ball? It seems like you’re creating theories to disprove
Hitting coaches. I’m surprised you’ve never heard someone say that. I hear it all the time.