Tweet
Attack Oppo refers to the swing's intial launch direction, not necessarily to the swing's eventual direction. When watching professional hitters you will notice that their barrel path starts toward the opposite field on virutally all swings, regardless of where they end up hitting the ball. There is a secret in there. There is a reason why that happens.
Barry Bonds is a great example of this.
Bonds barrel, from it's initial tipped position, is pulled back or turned back on a line that runs from the shortstop to his hands. His hands are turning the barrel rearward away from the shortstop....or....away from the opposite field. He is turning the barrel rearward, even on balls he pulls, as if to attack into the opposite field. He pulls the barrel into a rearward arc that if allowed to continue around without redirection, would end up into the opposite field.
The reason he and others do this is to create stretch in their rear hip and leg. They stay 'behind the corner' as they turn the barrel rearward, on a line toward the opposite field, and then at launch the rear hip is used to turn them into the ball if necessary.
Here is a clip of Ryan Howard demonstrating how professional hitters use 'the corner' to whip the bat and to get the suddenness of launch that is so crticial at their level.
His initial bat launch appears to be on a line to the opposite field. It continues down around its arc on that line. But, then suddenly, it is turned into the ball by the rear hip.
Barry Bonds is a great example of this.
Bonds barrel, from it's initial tipped position, is pulled back or turned back on a line that runs from the shortstop to his hands. His hands are turning the barrel rearward away from the shortstop....or....away from the opposite field. He is turning the barrel rearward, even on balls he pulls, as if to attack into the opposite field. He pulls the barrel into a rearward arc that if allowed to continue around without redirection, would end up into the opposite field.
The reason he and others do this is to create stretch in their rear hip and leg. They stay 'behind the corner' as they turn the barrel rearward, on a line toward the opposite field, and then at launch the rear hip is used to turn them into the ball if necessary.
Here is a clip of Ryan Howard demonstrating how professional hitters use 'the corner' to whip the bat and to get the suddenness of launch that is so crticial at their level.
His initial bat launch appears to be on a line to the opposite field. It continues down around its arc on that line. But, then suddenly, it is turned into the ball by the rear hip.