Brandon's Journey Continues

[andrew p]

Nice swing -- he is definitely doing what he is trying to do and from the sounds of it having great results.

I do NOT understand the cue "snap off the pole" -- I understand handle torque but my mind is unable to equate or envision the relationship to snapping off a pole. I know I am missing IT --can somebody explain the analogy.

Teacherman, what pitch gives Brandon the most trouble and/or what kind of pitcher (junker, rise, mixing power and offspeed) gives him the most trouble and WHY do you think so?

[Teacherman]

Good to hear from you andrew p.

The pitch that he struggles most with in bp is down and in. Lefty's usually handle that pitch. I know that because I'm pitching to him and can see it. I'm not sure if that is true in a game or not.

He is excellent at covering the outside part of the plate. While all of his HR's have been to the pull side, he has never pulled one down the line. He has good power into the oppo gap....hits it often....even hits the ball really hard down the left field line.....but has no HR's there.

As far as the type of pitcher....the jury is out on that. He has learned to swing, IMO, now he gets to learn to hit. And at bats are needed to figure out what fine tuning is needed. Of course, the guy with the good hard fastball AND the change up is always a problem.

The thing I'm most impressed with is the "quickness of his launch". Often times I'm watching him...thinking....get moving Brandon...get loaded...get it going....my timing "feels" like he will be late.....then all of a sudden KAPOW and there's another hard hit ball to whatever field it should be hit to.

I've got another analogy on "snapping the pole" but right now I can't reveal it. It's being invented. Stay tuned. Unless I'm a complete idiot this may be the most important training device ever invented for those who believe the barrel turned rearward at "go" is important. Then again, I may be an idiot.

Do you "get" the "turn the vault door handle" cue?

I can tell you mechanically a pit fall Brandon falls into. He stands open in his stance and pulls that lead foot in (like LaRoche and others) and when he does he wants to close those hips instead of keeping them open. When he lands closed he loses separation and his ability to "cusp". It forces him to use "brute force rotation" and when I'm pitching I can immediately see his lead shoulder pull off the ball. This closed landing also "hides his hands"....he can no longer "snap the pole" or "turn the vault door handle" without first opening his shoulders. That is death. I haven't seen this in a game. I see it now and then in bp. It is readily corrected when I mention it to him....but he will fall back into it more than I care to see. I think it is seated in trying to hit 600' HR's in bp. In a game he doesn't do that.

Always beware of the bigger bigger, harder harder, further further syndrome in bp.

[andrew p]

I do understand the turn the vault cue; just did not understand what snap the pole refers too -- is the pole a fishing pole? What is the "pole" reference too?

Why does he have trouble with down and in, do you think?

I like your comment about -- he had to learn to swing now he is learning to HIT. That is good. What is helping him them most now in his quest in learning to hit? What is he doing to learn to HIT?

I look forward to details on your "breakthrough invention".

The best hitters are able to look late or start way too late and then all of sudden "catch up". That is a good thing.

Stay at it!!!!

[Teacherman]

Here is a clip that I made to demonstrate snapping the pole. I realize it's crude. I was short on time and wanted to make it for a member before I had to go some where.

Maybe it will help you.

Basically, its the hands trying to snap off a pole that is seated in the ground. And, trying to snap it off just below the hands. In other words, you don't want to pull the pole out of the ground...nor do you want to slide or push the pole forward. You don't want to bend the pole sideways...which is what shoulder rotation would do. You're trying to "snap it off".

The "seated pole" provides resistance that keeps the hands back. This resistance is critical. And the way you achieve it in a swing is by sending the barrel rearward at go. This very move....keeps the hands back at the armpit and the weight of the barrel going rearward provides the resistance for the body to use to create separation and the eventual cusp. Obviously, in this clip, the pole demonstrates too much resistance as you can see the body gets way in front, the elbow gets in front of the hands etc. But, it's still a good illustration of how resistance keeps the hands back at the arm pit, the location from which the barrel turning must begin.....and stay.....until the "forces" win.....pulling everything forward with the cusp. You can also see how the resistance plays a large role in creating separation.



I followed that up with a half swing with a bat....with the bat lined up with the pole. Now, I loaded a little this time...tipping the bat....but the basic premise is the same......snap off the pole.



Finally, I compared my snap the pole swing to David Ortiz. And while we load differently (I wasn't even thinking about loading) I think the barrel paths are VERY CLOSE TO THE SAME.



There simply is no question that the barrel is directed rearward at "go" and that it is done with handle torque rearward, and that the shoulders nor the scaps can accomplish the same thing.

The "goal" of snapping the pole tells the body exactly what you want to do and the effort level needed, and it organizes itself to accomplish the task. You don't have to think about, do this, then that, and at the right time to the other. The goal is the goal. The body gets the message, organizes itself, and at "go" performs the task to the best of it's ability. I didn't "try" to separate. I didn't "try" to load. I didn't "try" to get momentum. The body knew what it needed and did it on it's own. It can "feel" the resistance the pole will give and it acts accordingly. Just as the barrel going rearward "signals" resistance to the body.....it can "feel" that.....and it organizes itself for that task.....which, IMO, is very similar to "snapping the pole".

This demonstrates the upper body's control over the lower body (actually the entire body). The signal that you are going to do something with the hands, in this manner, and that it will take great effort is all the body needs.

[Teacherman]

My Pole Snapper Is Home For Fall Break!!



He struggled in Fall Ball. I couldn't diagnose it over the phone. But, within 15minutes we figured it out. Lots of work to do to "memorize" it.

He would stall/slow his lower body waiting on decision....then "go".....and because of the stall/slow he had too far to go....at "go". Now quality separation.

OR...

He would shift weight before "go", trapping/leaving his hands behind and losing leverage to turn the barrel.

Getting somewhere in between those two is optimal.

Which means going without going. Having rhythm. Having a running start. Riding the back leg and letting "go" put the foot down.

P.S. His coach told him he expected to use him mostly as a pitcher this spring. Of course, that won't stop us.

[Teacherman]

Progress

[swingbuilder]

Rich he looks good. great thread and great passion.

[Pronk]

Rich he looks good. great thread and great passion.

I agree I see smoother movements here.

[Teacherman]

Todays workout.

[swingbuilder]

oh baby, much better lower half resistence...WOW!

[Pronk]

Here you go. Not bad eh? The only thing I can think of to try...You could try that knee coming through drill that Builder had his kids doing. It's on that Cohen DVD too.

[GroundUp]

Here you go. Not bad eh? The only thing I can think of to try...You could try that knee coming through drill that Builder had his kids doing. It's on that Cohen DVD too.

Looks like he needs to work on his shoulder rotation a bit more.

Just teasing of course.

But do look at the lower body mechanics. Big differences between these two hitters in that area.

[Teacherman]

But do look at the lower body mechanics. Big differences between these two hitters in that area.

Thanks, fofofo.

[swingbuilder]

What I see alot and what I believe because I see it alot is that when you hit in a cage in a repetitive situation that what Brandon is not doing that Howard is doing is only because he is hitting ball after ball after ball in the cage.

I like the resistence, the firmness, the titeness of the hips and lower half. In other words, I like the "lower half swivel".

[Callyjr]

Looks like he needs to work on his shoulder rotation a bit more.

Just teasing of course.

But do look at the lower body mechanics. Big differences between these two hitters in that area.

the major part I see from the lower half is Howard gets a little wider and seems to almost be pushing back on the front leg, I think that would help him get the hips open all the way, you see the torque Howard gets with the hips at the end when the front foot almost rolls over, their front legs have different angles? Branden is not getting this same torque, I don't think the upper body can create this all by itself. Also Brandon is standing straight up during the swing while Howard is leaning back some. The tilt Epstein talks about!!

Lots of improvement from when this thread started.

Cally