Connection: The engine that drives the baseball swing
Website design By BotEap.comOne of the most difficult aspects of learning the rotation swing is developing and understanding what almost all instructors call staying “connected.” Hanging around the baseball and softball fields 10 years ago, this term was virtually unknown among most coaches and instructors.
Website design By BotEap.comSo what is the connection? Why do I need to be connected as a trainer? As children we grow up and our intuition tells us that when we pick up something, be it a fly swatter, a garden pole or even a small toy hammer like dads do and swing it around, we bring our hands to the object we are hitting. This is the natural instinct of all young humans. Even if it’s the coffee table we just left a mark on and mom and dad don’t have a happy look on their faces. The learning connection is contrary to what we have all learned as children.
Website design By BotEap.comIn the world of the spin swing, the connection is the motor that drives the ball hard. You’ll hear all sorts of discussions on internet blogs and websites about linear and rotational hitting methods. Even among those of rotational purity there is debate as to which method is best. None of those more pure debates about connection. It’s probably the one thing everyone realizes has to happen in the rotation swing.
Website design By BotEap.comSo how does the connection work and how do I know if I am connected in my swing? As the batter steps into his stance, let’s assume that he is in good athletic position and that he has the bat in position ready to swing. They are leaning forward in his pose with their knees slightly bent. The bat sits at a 45 degree angle in your hands or in the ear hole of the helmet. In short, cut the helmet in half if he views them from the rear arm side. Or the catchers vision of the hitter.
Website design By BotEap.comDepending on where you are as an instructor with that particular hitter, you may or may not advance. One of the first things I do to a new student who comes to me is to stop walking for a period of time. I do this to help them develop better methods of rotation for the swing. Most of the students who come to me suffer from what a good friend of mine calls “turnover deficit.” If you take the step away from them and teach them how to rotate first, you will see immediate results in the speed and power of the ball. This, in my opinion, applies not only to the rotary strike but also to the linear strike. Having taught and used both methods, I am quite comfortable with that statement.
Website design By BotEap.comI now have a hitter who has a good batting stance and decent rotational skills, but is off going to the ball. The disconnection takes many forms in the movement of rotation. I will refer to them a little further down in this article. For now I will say that the disconnect is a leak that breaks the rotational motor. Power bleeds.
Website design By BotEap.comAs the batter begins to swing at the ball, he focuses on the first spot where he will see the ball. I have heard many coaches look at the hip. That view is the first point to get a good clear view of the ball. When they start the swing, they touch their toes. This creates a linear movement towards the ball. At the same time, the hands move towards the receiver.
Website design By BotEap.com(I’m talking about an advanced student in this example) On the ball of the foot, the rear hip shoots (as I teach) against a firmly bent front leg. The bat knob then initiates the swing of the bat as the hips and core of the body begin to rotate. The core of the body is now driving the swing. This is THE swing swing motor. As the trailing arm begins to move with the rotation, the arm begins to move toward the slot. The arm should be away from the body and the hand and forearm are stacked on top of each other. If viewed from the front with a tee facing the batter, the back arm would be parallel to the tee. This would be as described by another hitting instructor who is a good friend of mine. When the bat becomes parallel to the ground during the swing, this is the Bat Lag position.
Website design By BotEap.comAt this point in the swing, the knob of the bat should be directly perpendicular to the axis of the batter’s spine. If I stop the swing right there and take a pencil and place it on the knob of the bat facing the batter it should be in line with the belly button. This defines a CONNECTED swing. The arms don’t move, they just hold the bat and allow core rotation to drive the swing on contact. The other key here is to hold that position for as LONG as possible during the rotation portion of the swing on contact. The barrel and weight of the bat force the wrist loose creating a whipping effect across the hitting zone in contact with the ball. The spin motor combined with the hitter hitter and wrist uncocked is how the best hitters in the world drive the ball hard in today’s game.
Website design By BotEap.comDisconnect – Engine Switches
Website design By BotEap.comThere are many things that can occur during the course of the swing that will cause a hitter to disengage or break the box as some instructors call it. The “Box” is the angle of the lead arm that maintains a “Ready” position with the bat over the shoulder. When viewed from the front of the hitter, it would appear as if they had a box made up of the arm and bat.
Website design By BotEap.comThey are:
- Bringing hands to the ball.
- Drop the rear elbow in (close to the body) as the first movement creating Bat Drag.
- Drop your hands and then go to the ball.
- The bat is not parallel to the shoulders in contact with the ball (Created by all of the above)
- Lay hands.
- Opening the front shoulder too soon.