Brandon's Journey Continues

[mikecon]

What causes this sine wave swing plane?

Premature wrist-roll.

[mikecon]

Big Hint....

Swing 1 swivels. Swing 2 hammers.

[LITHTHUNDER]

Swing 1 swivels. Swing 2 hammers.

Is that because you don't have a "all in" commitment to the uptick?

[SEThird]

Vert vs. horizon bicep

[Teacherman]

BINGO!!! BINGO!!! BINGO!!! BINGO!!!

[Teacherman]

Vertical versus Horizontal is probably not the proper way to say it.

Pinched bicep versus not is better. Because as the torso tilts....vertical and horizontal are a bit misleading.

That forearm lowering....is a HUGE problem. The forearm must remain pinched to the bicep MUCH LONGER to keep the sine wave from happening.

Notice first of all....a hint....of humerus external rotation in the first few frames of launch. I would not have noticed that if I hadn't noticed the downstream problem. But....even though their isn't much MOVEMENT of the arm....you can FEEL the direction of the pull....up and over. He isn't nearly as big or sloppy as say Colabello....or Wong....but even without the obvious movement....the muscles are doing what it takes to externally rotate the humerus.

Secondly....notice...feel....the appearance of a downward arm plunge....separate and different from.....not concentric to....the pivoting. It's a separate move. And that separate move is that forearm lowering....which is lacking power....it overrides whatever good he's got going....it takes over....and even though pullbacks are in place a long time....the arm plunge and it's eventual external rotation....WHILE TURNING THE BARREL....is providing much of the power. And....the swivel becomes a hammer.

THE HANDS MUST REMAIN UP. You can get to a low pitch with high hands. It isn't that difficult. You can let them out AFTER the corner....not during. Tilt the torso a bit and 'hands up' is not a problem.

Thirdly....that pulling off the ball....is simply ROTATION taking over BECAUSE OF that hand lowering. The pivot points can no longer work together on the barrel when the hand lowers. The hand becomes an OAR LOCK....around which you rotate. And because you're one-legged....you spin off and pull off the ball.

Compare Manny's swing plane to Brandon's. PURE versus SINE WAVE. And the problem is what the rear arm is doing. You go from a tight pivot point at the shoulder tip.....around which the barrel can launch into a pure, consistent arc....to a WIDE pivot point at the hip....as the hand lowers.....which then changes the angle of the swing plane....and the hand becomes a hammer not a swivel. And when the leg wins the SnF battle....you immediately take a hard right (lefty hitter)

[Teacherman]

Others call it 'getting the elbow through'. That insinuates needed arm action. Therefore I'm not a big fan of that description....although I understand it and have used that phrase before.

Pinched bicep....pinched long enough....eliminates the problem.

You can have your rear arm down....and be pinched.
You can have your rear arm up....and be pinched.

When the arm lowers....the pivot points are running away from each other. IMPOSSIBLE for them to be concentric.

The pivot points must turn, as much as physcially possible....at the same angle. Think about it....if your forearm is lowering....how can they line up? How can they stay aligned if they were aligned at go? Your rear hip pivot point can not match the change that happens in the hand pivot point....when the forearm is lowering.

[Teacherman]

Smooth....pure....consistent....swing planes....

[Teacherman]

There was never a question of whether he upticked all in or not. You can uptick while lowering the forearm is possible. But your plane is constantly on the move when you do.

The first symptom you'll notice is rolling over....pulling off the ball....rotation taking a hard right (lefty hitter)

[Teacherman]

The CAMERA.....is your best friend.

[Teacherman]

I am seeing a difference in the hands and how they are decocking. Later in swing one, and early in swing two (cast?). Also, swing two around torso, swing one at side.

This answer was correct also. But I wanted to stress the lack of bicep pinch was causing the decocking.

[MBH400]

This early loss of the bicep pinch has always been a problem for my older son. I see the sine wave swing path in videos from the pitchers perspective. From this view, his back arm looks like an _| instead of a V.

Does anyone have any good ideas on how to teach him how to hold that pinch? It is so ingrained from many years of swinging that he is having trouble changing it.

[mikecon]

This early loss of the bicep pinch has always been a problem for my older son. I see the sine wave swing path in videos from the pitchers perspective. From this view, his back arm looks like an _| instead of a V.

Does anyone have any good ideas on how to teach him how to hold that pinch? It is so ingrained from many years of swinging that he is having trouble changing it.

I can think of many things...
- Focus on swivel into contact / remove any arm/shoulder actions from contributing to turning the barrel
- Swing at an up/in/deep tee location
- Snap-stop swings that stop at contact with no change in hand altitude
- Jam a batting glove into the crook of his elbow that mustn't fall before turning the corner
- Keep his hands at shoulder height and consistent shoulder distance into half-speed imaginary contact in dry swing
- Keep his hands at shoulder height and consistent shoulder distance into full-speed imaginary contact in dry swing
- Keep his hands at shoulder height and consistent shoulder distance into half-speed contact at middle-middle BP
- Keep his hands at shoulder height and consistent shoulder distance into full-speed contact at middle-middle BP
- Always approach every ball with hands above it

...but at the end of the day the antidote is a tremendous amount of reps; 100-150 properly executed every day for a month.

[MBH400]

Thanks Mikecon ...very good suggestions

[Fastpitch]

I can think of many things...
- Focus on swivel into contact / remove any arm/shoulder actions from contributing to turning the barrel
- Swing at an up/in/deep tee location
- Snap-stop swings that stop at contact with no change in hand altitude
- Jam a batting glove into the crook of his elbow that mustn't fall before turning the corner
- Keep his hands at shoulder height and consistent shoulder distance into half-speed imaginary contact in dry swing
- Keep his hands at shoulder height and consistent shoulder distance into full-speed imaginary contact in dry swing
- Keep his hands at shoulder height and consistent shoulder distance into half-speed contact at middle-middle BP
- Keep his hands at shoulder height and consistent shoulder distance into full-speed contact at middle-middle BP
- Always approach every ball with hands above it

...but at the end of the day the antidote is a tremendous amount of reps; 100-150 properly executed every day for a month.

Would the glove still be in the crook of the elbow if the swing is done properly. Or at least until contact?