In search of an "All Time" Thread if 1 exists

[redwill]

Hi Guys,

Not lazy but many of you have been here longer than the 1.5 years that I have been.

My question is, Is there an "all time" thread that highlights the best examples (pro video clips) of the critical components of the high level pattern?

I have been thinking that this would be invaluable for us dads that are trying to communicate with our kids. My sons are 11 and 12 and it is very hard to get the points across to them using anatomical descriptions. YET, when I show them a clip that is appropriate for what part of the swing we are working on, they finally see it and we understand each other after a few views of it.

Here's an example of how finding the right clips helped me and them over the past few days.

As part of the process of learning of the HLP, Teach suggested that Pierson put the bat on his shoulder and get it behind his head so that he could try to get the barrel deeper and have to feel the uptick more. Teach warned that others would probably suggest that he had bat wrap going.

SO, naturally a few of the team coaches did see "bat wrap" in their minds because they teach what they learned. And thus began to undo what I was working on him with as per Teach.

Teach noticed way back that Pierson sort of got loaded high and had a tip sort of like Manny and maybe his hands were like Pujols early in the process somewhat too. So we went with that kind of tip/uptick but now I can see that until he is really stroking it consistently, most of the coaches will always see "bat wrap".

THUS, this week, I decided to show him other players, like Bonds, Bautista and more of Pujols who isn't exactly like Manny and Howard so that Pierson got the tip out over the helmet and not behind it. Will be tough to claim bat wrap on him if the bat isn't behind the head!

Point is, that he got it when I could show all those players courtesy of HI videos. He immediately saw the difference and courtesy of a mirror he was working on the changes immediately too.

That got me thinking that it would be awesome to have a catalogue of pro videos for each of the critical components of the swing/sub processes of the process....

Do we have one and I have missed it? Thanks!

[Teacherman]

I've been here the longest....it doesn't exist.

Everything good....and bad.....is spread out over 6 years of posts.

The Second Engine thread highlights much of the good....but that still doesn't help you....I'm sure you've read it.

As I constantly look for 'what am I doing that I don't know I'm doing'....that makes my words work for me and my son....but not for everyone....I hit on a a subject that is difficult to explain. And that is the fusion....the 'taughtness'....the degree of tension....the degree of muscle tone....the degree of pull backs....the angle.....etc etc.

One person's load is another person's slack.....because underneath....deep down in there....the person loading has a different tone or tension in his muscles. Or a different angle of pull. Or one reaches the joints range of motion and the other doesn't. Or stays there longer. Or your levers are longer....or shorter....or you aren't as strong at a given segment as the other guy.

I may have hit on a very important teaching step....that I love to do....and Liththunder did it....and improved rather quickly afterward.....and that is the 'hold'. Load it up....coil against leg's internal rotation....pull back with the back....and scap.....AND HOLD IT. AND HOLD IT FOR A LONG TIME. LONGER THAN YOU THINK. HOLD is probably not the right word....continual pull backs is....but the delay....the hold....is the visual. You can't see the pull backs after the range of motion is reached.

THEN release it.

IMO, they don't get 'deep enough' in their load/joints.....they flow through....without ever 'getting there'. They turn forward because of rhythm and flow....NOT BECAUSE THE LEG IS WINNING.

I don't think many understand this video....

Attack Oppo With A LONG Hold

And I will never know for sure until I see them do it.

The most important part of it is the HOLD. What is going on AS I HOLD IT, that can't be seen....is critical. To most it appears to be nothing happening. Yet....it is everything. There is only one thing that can happen when I go.....because of.....what I'm doing while I'm holding....and to 95%, they think I'm just standing there. When in fact, I'm about to snap off the ball of my femur. My hip to leg positioning gets awesome.....WHILE THERE IS NO MOVEMENT.

You can't be sudden until you get deep. A bone against bone feeling. As deep as you can get in the joint. You'll not likely get deep by flowing through. You'll turn forward before you ever get loaded/stretched.

It would be nice to just say....you're losing your scap. Or your handset isn't conducive to a quality HPP. Or you hip load isn't right. Or you aren't getting your elbow through. Tewks and Aloha believe there is a mechanical point missing. A movement missing. A sequence step missing.

I don't believe that. I believe it is in the depth of your load. The understanding of what stretch is. It's in the muscle tone/tension/pull across the joint.....that forces the good things to happen. And it could be any of the joints.

Until your torso is a fused unit....a solidified box....from the hip up....with no other moving parts except the hands/forearms.....that pivots around....the ball of the femur....the only other movement location.....you won't find quality SnF.

So I highly recommend you learn to do what my drill above shows. With EXAGGERATED HOLD. Coil the hip tight. Counter rotate as far as you need to to get there. The hip socket should be at it's range of motion limit. Continue to pull back with the hip and back even though nothing moves. Continue to pull back with the scap after range of motion is reached even though nothing moves......HOLD IT......HOLD IT....NOT JUST HOLD IT BUT KEEP PULLING BACK....KEEP PULLING BACK....make it burn.....TURN THE BARREL.

And JUST....turn the barrel. It you don't get an explosion....you never got stretched. You're weak in one of the links.

Hit ball after ball into the opposite field until you get it right.

Just two moving parts....HPP....RHPP. Don't allow anything else to move until AFTER launch.

[Teacherman]

More....

Have you seen the guy on Letterman or Leno or elsewhere....that imitates the stances and swings of various professional hitters?

He's pretty good....if 'look' is what you're after.

He is terrible if 'feel' is what you're after.

He could not pull off any one of those imitations if he were standing in the box and had to perform them at such speed and quickness that would address 90+mph. He would break down immediately.....miserably.

THAT describes the problem with teaching hitting.

And THAT is also the guarantee. Those who want it will fight through it. They will do what it takes to learn. The rest fall by the wayside.

[Teacherman]

AND....that is why you'll never learn it without swinging a bat.

I can tell you immediately, which internet posters swing to duplicate and which ones don't. By their statements.

It is glaringly obvious that O'Leary doesn't swing to duplicate. FiveFrame doesn't swing to duplicate. Wellphyt doesn't swing to duplicate. Builder doesn't swing to duplicate. BM does not. Power does not. Chappy does not.

The 'to duplicate' part means.....videoing a swing, putting it side by side to your model pro....analyzing.....noticing differences....swinging again....side by side again....analyzing....over and over and over and over and over.

In any given session I would swing 10-15 times as I tried to duplicate Bonds....and failed every time....frustrated.....gave up.

Two days later I'm back at it. Determined. Possessed.

Failed again.

Over and over and over.

I did that. And it was a brutal process. ABSOLUTELY BRUTAL. Very frustrating. What causes what will surprise you.

I know that they haven't done a bit of that by the statements they make.

You and Pierson swing.

You will find it.

If you persist.

[Teacherman]

Hell, even today....I can get in the cage and NOT initialize my back. I'll take maybe 30-50 swings....without remembering to activate my back.

Then I'll remember.

It is so easy to NOT be mentally tough.....to NOT force yourself to do what needs to be done.....to just stand there and swing with momentum.

[Teacherman]

And this is the long answer as to why there isn't a thread that says 'do this' in 'this order'.

Because the difference between high level and amateur is in things that are very difficult to see and next to impossible to explain. Things that you just have to trial and err your way through.

[Teacherman]

Here is a great example.



These two clips "SHOW" a difference.

Yet....I can 'look' like either.....and not 'feel' like either.

There is a hip to leg relationship that has a critical feel to it.

[Al Oha]

Here is a great example.



These two clips "SHOW" a difference.

Yet....I can 'look' like either.....and not 'feel' like either.

There is a hip to leg relationship that has a critical feel to it.

Left side frame, pitch is outside-low.
Right side frame, pitch is inside-high.

Both show rear hip pulling to differing degrees.

Left side, elbow is ready in the corner in a high slot for the low ball. All he needs to do is supinate the top hand when he decides, in order to arch the back for his launch.

Right side, hip pulling progresses a lot further than the left and therefore becomes more "open". This is because the rear elbow needs to slot to a lower position compared to the left, for the high top hand supination. The scapula keeps the elbow in the corner a bit longer in countering the hip as it continues to open. He will choose to swing when the top hand turns OPPO as the arch in his back progresses.

Edit: Got the frames mixed up, but I think the point holds.

[Teacherman]

He is right in his rear hip on the right. No pause. Weight stays back. Rear leg in control. Immediate turning forward against pull backs. Whip. (but can be better)

He is wrong in his rear hip on the left. Pause. Late pull backs if any. Weight slides forward aross the pelvis. Push.



He swings with his chest on the left.

He swings with his back on the right.

[Teacherman]

He's got his Nadal goin on on the right. Not on the left.

[redwill]

Thanks for the answers!

I read them all!

Anyway, I GET IT! I actually think I understand.

We try, we really do. I think the problem is their ages and my lack of expertise, COMBINED with my swing being so ingrained.

All this stuff feels foreign when trying to do it which is a good thing!

I was much better at impersonating hitters and pitchers when I was a kid!

Even if we got the look that would be a start and then we could find the feel. I am going to try to emulate your video above and see if I can record it for yall tomorrow. Thanks again!