Introduction to Five Tools Analysis: Hitting

[MuresanForMVP]

great post,lots of info. Nice work Kyle. That jpeg of Pujols is awesome

[MuresanForMVP]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I would also like to take this opportunity to brag about my new custom-turned bats from NYStixs:



[/ QUOTE ]

What type of wood? Ash?

[/ QUOTE ]


I'm pretty sure everyone has switched to maple. Those are some nice sticks, reminds me of the custom I used to have from SamBat, years before they got huge and way overpriced thanks to Wilson. That bat lasted me about 2 and a half years and I was taking BP with it just about everyday

[prohornblower]

[ QUOTE ]
How do you go about purposefully generating more backspin?


[/ QUOTE ]

Slicing "down" on the bottom half of the ball creates the backspin. These are the type of hits that send liners over the CFers head because he can't judge them. It's tough to do, and personally, I could only square up the ball. Once in a while get those good backspin liners. Usually on slicing, opposite field shots on low-ish away pitches.

Kyle: About Bonds...hasn't he shortened up his swing since '01? That video of him is surprising. I could have sworn his swing was much more efficient than that.

But his torque is incredible, especially considering he's got terrible knees, and the power he generates from his top-hand is second-to-none. I love his swing.

Pujols' swing is also amazing, ldo. He's got those long legs and thick thighs which allows him to spread his feet wide, and just twist his hips to generate all his power. Pujols never looks like he's swinging hard because it's all in the legs/hips. That's why he can throw his bathead out on a low-and-away pitch and line it 395 feet into the right-center bleachers. So pretty.

[prohornblower]

Kyle, I agree that Pence's swing is crazy looking.

What are your thoughts on him as a hitter?

I chalk his crazy swing up to his weird body type. He's got super-skinny legs but then wide shoulders, and a long torso and lanky arms. Weird body to work with, but he hits the ball damn hard when he squares it up.

Last season he hit a blazing liner about 5 feet off the ground just to the left of some shortstop and it rolled all the way to the wall. lol.

He's like all torso and arms.

[TomHimself]

awesome post

[Chris Daddy Cool]

re bonds swing: i always assumed it was more of a timing trick he used and i always heard that it doesn't *really* matter what you do with your hands before your swing as long as they were in the correct position just before and during the swing

[prohornblower]

Watch Bonds' arms...they don't do much moving. He keeps his shoulders, elbows, and hands in the same position relative to the bat until point of contact when his hands turn over obv. for the follow-through.

If you were to connect the dots and draw a box from left hand to left elbow, to left shoulder, to right shoulder, down to right elbow and to right hand...the shape sort of resembles home plate. It's like 5 rigid points, and the general rigid shape doesn't change in his swing, which is what gives him superhuman "top hand" strength. The only thing that changes is as he's pulling the bat through, his back elbow drops a bit and his front elbow rises a bit so he can get the bat down through the zone.

Watch his swing, his front leg "plants" allowing a firm rotational point for his hips and as his hips twist around his leg his rigid arms are coming through the zone and he just mashes it. I'm sure he also has very strong wrists and hands which allow him to remain firm at point of contact.

Chase Utley's got sick wrist and hand strength at contact.