“MOMENT OF TRUTH #1” – GET SET UP TO SMASH
In my last post I talked about the overwhelming value of using video to help your athlete. In our Reds Baseball/Softball summer camps we video the swing of every player. But that’s the easy part. Video is nothing more than a nice keepsake unless it’s transformed into a teaching tool and that takes some serious baseball smarts.
I’ve done over 2,000 swing analyses over the past couple years and I’ve identified four points in the swing that can make or break a hitter’s at bat. It’s those four “Moments of Truth” where kids have a tendency to mess up. I think the reason why these breakdowns occur is because there’s nothing particularly “natural” about these four key points in the swing. Kids don’t fall out of the crib doing them.
That these critical moments in the swing don’t come naturally is the bad news. The good news is that they can be taught.
MOMENT OF TRUTH #1: If you want to finish right, you need to start right. Many of the problems at contact are a function of bad posture at heel plant. What the hitter does prior to the front heel planting is, for the most part, a matter of personal style. However, at heel plant is when hitting instructors start “keeping score.”
Here is a great shot of Joey Votto at heel plant and the following six checkpoints are critical to starting a good swing.
In my next post I’ll focus on Moment of Truth #2…the first domino to fall in the swing sequence. Until then, if you’re gonna swing, might as well swing hard.
Coach Tim
In my last post I talked about the overwhelming value of using video to help your athlete. In our Reds Baseball/Softball summer camps we video the swing of every player. But that’s the easy part. Video is nothing more than a nice keepsake unless it’s transformed into a teaching tool and that takes some serious baseball smarts.
I’ve done over 2,000 swing analyses over the past couple years and I’ve identified four points in the swing that can make or break a hitter’s at bat. It’s those four “Moments of Truth” where kids have a tendency to mess up. I think the reason why these breakdowns occur is because there’s nothing particularly “natural” about these four key points in the swing. Kids don’t fall out of the crib doing them.
That these critical moments in the swing don’t come naturally is the bad news. The good news is that they can be taught.
MOMENT OF TRUTH #1: If you want to finish right, you need to start right. Many of the problems at contact are a function of bad posture at heel plant. What the hitter does prior to the front heel planting is, for the most part, a matter of personal style. However, at heel plant is when hitting instructors start “keeping score.”
Here is a great shot of Joey Votto at heel plant and the following six checkpoints are critical to starting a good swing.
- Turn the head so that both eyes can track the ball. No tilting!!
- Knob of the bat is angled toward the catcher’s feet. Barrel is somewhat about his head
- Hands are at shoulder height and at or just inside his back elbow (toward the catcher)
- Don’t let the camera angle fool you. At heel plant, Joey’s head is right above his belt buckle and in the middle of his feet. He looks like his weight is evenly distributed front to back
- Knees are inside ankles and flexed in athletic position
- Toes are on a straight line toward the pitcher
In my next post I’ll focus on Moment of Truth #2…the first domino to fall in the swing sequence. Until then, if you’re gonna swing, might as well swing hard.
Coach Tim